Walz planning for 2020 session

ST. PAUL (AP) — With summer winding down, Gov. Tim Walz is already looking ahead toward the 2020 legislative session.

The Democratic governor told The Associated Press on Tuesday he is taking a hard look at state agencies to see what they could do better. And he is also reaching out to stakeholders to build coalitions to support his policy proposals.

Walz says he still thinks there’s a chance for a special session first to pass funding for emergency insulin supplies, which failed to pass in the 2019 session. He says he plans another push for gun safety legislation. He will be back with his proposal for moving Minnesota away from fossil fuels.

And the governor says he expects to propose a public works borrowing bill at least as big as his $1.27 billion package last session.

Buildings clear following threat

ST. PAUL (AP) — The University of St. Thomas has given the all clear after several buildings were evacuated on its St. Paul campus following a bomb threat.

The university tweeted the four buildings evacuated have been search and cleared, including the John Roach Center, the Anderson Student Center, the O’Shaughnessy Science Center and the Facilities Design Center. Classes were to resume at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The school says no suspicious objects have been found and that the bomb threat at 7:45 a.m. was general with no location given.

Similar threats have been made to the university in the recent past, including one in August and another in April. Evacuations were conducted, but nothing suspicious was found.

Brothers charged in fatal shooting

ST. PAUL (AP) — Two brothers from St. Paul have been charged in the shooting death of an off-duty firefighter.

Thirty-six-year-old Thomas Harrigan was fatally shot in his St. Paul home Sept. 2. A criminal complaint charges 39-year-old Dontay Caraway and his 36-year-old brother, Blake Caraway, with second-degree intentional murder.

Prosecutors say Dontay Caraway had been staying with Harrigan, but had recently been accused of stealing and was told to leave. A complaint says on the day of the shooting the Caraway brothers went to Harrigan’s home and argued with him before he was shot in the torso.

The Star Tribune says Blake Caraway was arrested in Pompano Beach, Florida and Dontay was arrested in Spencer, Oklahoma. Both remained jailed and are facing extradition.