Minnesota reports 19 more deaths

(AP) — Minnesota health officials reported 1,916

new cases of the coronavirus and 19 new deaths on

Wednesday as case growth continues to rise statewide.

The new numbers put Minnesota’s total cases since

the pandemic began at 139,444 and brings total deaths

to 2,387.

The 7-day rolling average of daily new cases in Minnesota

has risen over the past two weeks from 1,262 on

Oct. 13 to 1,715 on Monday, according to The COVID

Tracking Project. Case counts statewide jumped over

2,000 three times in the past two weeks.

Neighboring states continue to see the highest per

capita case growth in the nation with more than 1,200

new cases per 100,000 people in both North Dakota and

South Dakota in the past 14 days.

Group asks for investigation

ST. PAUL (AP) — An environmental group is asking

Minnesota utility regulators to investigate Enbridge’s

additions to its existing oil pipeline capacity which could

make the company’s controversial new $2.6 billion pipeline

unnecessary.

A filing by the Indigenous organization Honor the

Earth with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

says Enbridge made no mention of its capacity additions

during hearings for the pipeline, which is a replacement

for the aging Line 3.

Line 3 runs from Alberta, Canada, to Enbridge’s terminal

in Superior, Wisconsin. Calgary-based Enbridge

has already replaced the segments in Canada, North Dakota

and Wisconsin. The company wants to replace the

entire line, which was built in the 1960s, because the

older sections are corroding, so the pipeline can run at

only half its original capacity.

Man with 28 DWIs dies

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man with 28

arrests for drunken driving has died weeks after leaving

prison for his latest offense.

An online obituary says 67-year-old Danny Lee Bettcher,

of New York Mills, died last week from what his

family said was natural causes.

Bettcher was released from the Moose Lake prison

on Sept. 28 and placed on supervised release after he

was sentenced in 2018 by an Otter Tail County judge for

driving drunk, his 28 offense.

Bettcher had a valid driver’s license despite spending

much of the past 10 years in and out of jails and prison

for drinking and driving, the Star Tribune reported.

Before his final DWI, Bettcher had been ordered to

get treatment at least a dozen times. His criminal history

included a previous four-year term in prison for a prior

drunken driving offense.