PAYNESVILLE
Wetterlings' meeting rescheduled for Sunday
A meeting for the people of Paynesville, Minn., has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 6 after snow caused its postponement last week.
Patty and Jerry Wetterling, whose son Jacob was kidnapped in 1989, planned the meeting to help the community move forward after recent developments in their son's case. In October, authorities announced a "person of interest" in Jacob's disappearance and a possible connection to a series of assaults in Paynesville in the 1980s. Since that announcement, several victims of Paynesville molestations have stepped forward, some questioning why more wasn't done to find their attacker.
"Our hope is to connect with the residents of Paynesville for a night of sharing and healing," the Wetterlings said in a statement, "so we can all move forward with positive energy and a renewed hope to find answers."
Jenna Ross @ByJenna
BEMIDJI
Tribal flags raised in Beltrami courts
The Red Lake Band and Leech Lake tribal flags are now hanging in all four of Beltrami County's courtrooms, along with the Stars and Stripes and Minnesota flags.
The tribal flags went up in a recent ceremony as a symbol of improving collaboration and government-to-government relations.
Beltrami is not the first county to include American Indian flags: Leech Lake flags have been in Cass and Itasca county courtrooms for several years, for instance.
Tribes, county governments and businesses in the region have made a series of efforts to preserve Indian culture and language in the state, including with bilingual signs on roads and businesses.
Pam Louwagie @pamlouwagie
DULUTH
Ship stuck in Duluth harbor being investigated
A ship that's been anchored in the Duluth harbor for a month is being investigated for dumping oily water.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that it's examining the crew, equipment and records of the oceangoing freighter Cornelia. It was negotiating with the ship's owner to reach "a security agreement that would permit the vessel to depart the port while simultaneously protecting the integrity of the investigation and the interests of the vessel's crew members," according to a news release.
Such an agreement could bring an end to the unusually long detention.
"It really speaks to complexity … of this particular investigation," which involves many parties, including an owner, operator and another company, said Duluth Seaway Port Authority spokeswoman Adele Yorde. The Coast Guard has said that the discharge does not appear to have happened in the Duluth port, so another location is involved, as well.
The Coast Guard is checking in "regularly" with the ship's crew to make sure it has what it needs.
Jenna Ross @ByJenna
