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STATE NEWS BRIEFS Senate chamber gets new voting system
ST. PAUL (AP) - New voting boards being installed in the Minnesota Senate chamber promise to give a clearer view of what's going on.
The old electromechanical voting system had senators' names with red and green lights showing their yes-and-no votes. But those lights were often hard to see.
The new voting boards, which are being installed this week, will have the senators' names along with green Ys for "yes" votes and red Ns for "no" votes. In addition, there will be a display that not only shows the bill number, but also gives a subject description of the legislation with the name of the senator sponsoring it.
Jim Greenwalt, director of Senate information systems, says the old voting system was installed in 1980 and needed to be replaced because it wasn't possible to replace broken parts.
The new voting board is part of a $500,000 system that also includes voting buttons for senators and touch screens for clerks.
Officer nabs 2 DWI suspects in 1 car
LAKE CRYSTAL (AP) - A police officer in southern Minnesota stopped only one car, but he ended up arresting two people for drunken driving.
Lake Crystal Police say officer Joe Swenson stopped a 25-year-old driver Tuesday and gave him a field sobriety test. He determined the man was drunk, so he arrested him and put the man in his squad car.
While Swenson was taking care of paperwork, he saw the passenger of the car, a 40-year-old man, jump into the driver's seat and speed away.
With the first DWI suspect in the back, police say Swenson followed the man, who eventually stopped but refused to take an alcohol breath test.
Lake Crystal Police Chief Tony Cornish says he's seen drivers attempt to switch seats with sober passengers, but he says he's never heard of a passenger taking off with a car when they're not in trouble.
Cornish says the man probably would have gotten a ride home but "in this case, he got a ride to jail instead."
Infant killed in Benton County crash identified
SAUK RAPIDS (AP) - The Benton County Sheriff's office has released the name of an infant killed Tuesday in a two-vehicle collision outside of Sauk Rapids.
Alexander Rosales-Roque is the 5-month-old son of Clara Roque and Virgilio Rosales. That's according to Benton County Sheriff Brad Bennett.
Bennett says Rosales was driving and Roque was ejected in the crash, which happened Tuesday evening at Mayhew Lake Road and County Road 74.
The baby was in a car seat in the back seat. He was dead at the scene. His mother suffered serious injuries and was being cared for at St. Cloud Hospital.
Officer injured by screwdriver-wielding man
DULUTH (AP) - A 28-year-old man was in jail Thursday after allegedly attacking a police officer with a screwdriver.
Duluth police say they responded to an incident Wednesday after a resident called to say her intoxicated son refused to leave.
When police arrived, they say the man lunged at an officer with the screwdriver, injuring the officer in the bicep.
The officer was treated and released at a local hospital.
The man is in the St. Louis County jail facing attempted murder and assault charges.
Audit shows sloppy cash management
ST. PAUL (AP) - A Legislative Auditor's report shows sloppy cash accounting at Minnesota's academies for the deaf and blind in Faribault.
The report released Wednesday also showed improper expense tracking even after a critical audit was performed three years ago.
Academies administrator Linda Mitchell and audit manager David Poliseno say the schools' business office was overhauled after the 2005 audit and that the changes made since 2006 should correct the problems.
The recent audit was for the years 2005-07. It showed no evidence of fraud, but the auditor's report says the school was vulnerable to theft and improper use of funds because of casual accounting and failures to follow state financial guidelines.
Official enters Alford plea in prostitution case
ST. PAUL (AP) - A New Brighton City Council member arrested during a prostitution sting has entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor charge.
With the plea entered Wednesday in Ramsey County District, David Phillips acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him of the charge of engaging in prostitution.
Phillips was one of nine men arrested in February as part of the prostitution sting. Court documents say he was accused of offering an undercover officer $100 in exchange for "a half hour of full service."
Phillips was ordered to pay $78 in court costs, a $250 surcharge and a $500 fine. If he completes a year of probation, the charge will be dismissed.
New Brighton Mayor Steve Larson says Phillips will remain on the City Council unless he decides to resign.
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