Anoka County

Minnesota counties anticipate property tax increases due to the new Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act, which adds significant costs to their 2027 budgets. County leaders support the law but seek alternative funding methods, while the bill's sponsor questions the accuracy of projected expenses.

Jeffrey Thomas Simon, 39, pleaded guilty to coercing a 13-year-old girl into sexual exploitation through threatening messages. Court documents revealed he also targeted another 14-year-old girl via Discord, demanding nude photos and threatening kidnapping. Simon faces federal and state charges, including criminal sexual conduct and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Minnesota counties attribute rising property taxes to unfunded state and federal mandates. Anoka County faces a $8.04 million cost from these mandates in 2027, contributing to a 28% tax levy increase, while Sherburne County cites unprecedented scale of mandates after the 2023 legislative session.

Minnesota's Weather Authority has issued heat and smoke alerts for Thursday and Friday, with high temperatures in the low to mid-90s and poor air quality due to wildfire smoke. Health risks include heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and worsened pre-existing conditions, prompting advisories to limit outdoor activity and use cooling centers.

Molly reports that heavy smoke from northern Minnesota wildfires is moving toward the metro area, combining with extreme heat that has issued a 5-day alert through Friday. The heat, with 'feels like' temperatures near 100°F, poses health risks including heat exhaustion and stroke, especially for vulnerable groups. Poor air quality is expected to persist, with cooling centers available in several counties.

Isanti County is considering increasing the wheelage tax from $10 to $20 annually to fund a new highway department building, aiming to avoid raising property taxes. The tax, dedicated to road and bridge maintenance, is already applied in other Minnesota counties with varying rates. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for Wednesday.

Minnesota has enacted a new law to combat fraud in human services programs by upgrading outdated computer systems, with tens of millions allocated for modernization efforts. The law establishes advisory councils to oversee the process, but officials have not provided clear timelines for implementation. Counties currently rely on inefficient methods, such as manual calculations, due to legacy software limitations.

Anoka County is seeking to adopt the Randox Evidence Multistat device to rapidly detect drugs in forensic samples, reducing analysis time from six weeks to 30 minutes. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office director, Shane Sheets, applied for a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Justice grant to purchase the technology, aiming to provide faster results for law enforcement and public health alerts on opioid trends.

The Anoka County Sheriff's Office is seeking assistance to locate and recover two wild horses that escaped their enclosure. They are asking for experienced individuals to help in the recovery effort.