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Local/state briefs

Critical type O blood shortage: Red Cross urgently needs donors

ST. PAUL — The American Red Cross has extended its urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross now has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves.

Donors of all blood types — especially types O positive and O negative — are urged to make an appointment to give blood now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities through Feb. 15: Lincoln County, Ivanhoe, Thursday, noon-6 p.m., Bethany Elim Lutheran, 102 S. Highway 5. Lyon County, Cottonwood, Feb. 4, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Community Building, 142 W. Main St.; Minneota, today, 1-7 p.m., American Legion, 208 N. Jefferson; Russell, Feb. 11, 2-7 p.m., Community Center, 200 Front St. Murray County, Slayton, Feb. 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Silverberg’s, 2630 Broadway Ave. Yellow Medicine County, Canby, Jan. 29, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Minnesota West Community & Technical College, 1011 First St. W.; Granite Falls, Jan. 28, 1-7 p.m., Kilowatt Center, 600 Kilowatt Drive; Wood Lake, Feb. 3, 2-7 p.m., Community Center, 88 – 2nd Ave. W.

New exhibit opening and annual business meeting for Pipestone County Museum

The Pipestone County Museum invites the public for the “Building Boom! The Landscape of the Sioux Quartzite Industry” exhibit opening in conjunction with its annual business meeting from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 8.

Stop into the Museum to see the new exhibit and visit with friends over coffee and rolls. Members of the Historical Society are also invited to participate in the short business meeting at 10 a.m.

The new exhibit focuses on the height of the quartzite quarrying industry in Pipestone County in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Information on multiple quarries that existed in the county, and the companies and promoters that shipped the Sioux Quartzite throughout the country will be included. Numerous photographs of buildings in Jasper and Pipestone erected from the local quartzite, as well as examples of the stone and stonecutter’s tools will be featured.

The Pipestone County Museum is located at 113 S. Hiawatha Ave. in Pipestone. For questions, call the Pipestone County Museum at 507-825-2563 or email the Museum at pipctymu@iw.net.

Audit finds more violations at Department of Human Services

ST. PAUL (AP) — An internal audit has found several violations of laws to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in a Department of Human Services division responsible for a string of improper payments, the department announced Tuesday.

The audit report said the behavioral health division — which was responsible for $29 million in overpayments to two American Indian bands and $70 million in improper payments to chemical dependency providers — skirted state laws on contracting and conflict of interest.

None of the violations involved multimillion dollar payment errors, the Star Tribune reported, but most pointed to failures to follow rules designed to prevent bigger problems. The audit was conducted in response to several internal complaints. The agency’s auditors substantiated five of the nine alleged violations.

“We want people to see that we are listening and we are taking action,” Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead told the newspaper. “I am grateful to anyone who came forward to report things.”

Gov. Tim Walz brought in Harpstead last year to stabilize an agency rocked by what the Legislative Auditor has called “troubling dysfunction” that resulted in the improper payments.

The commissioner said she would “immediately” follow the internal agency auditors’ recommendations to tighten up controls in several areas.

3 boys away when father killed in St. Paul apartment fire

ST. PAUL (AP) — Three young sons who lived with their father in a St. Paul apartment were spending the night elsewhere when a fire broke out and killed him.

Justin Slanina, 29, died last weekend while his boys, ages 6, 7 and 8, were staying with their mother.

The victim’s uncle, Bob Slanina and his fiancee, Michelle Berg, broke the news to the boys.

“We told them there was an accident at their house, that there was a fire and the paramedics did everything they could to try to save their daddy, and now he’s in heaven with great-grandma Ginny and grandma Wendy,” Berg said of Justin’s mother and grandmother. “They all just started to cry and cry. It was the most heartbreaking thing to watch.”

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports neighbors told firefighters when they arrived at the apartment early Saturday that the three boys could be in the apartment with their dad. Firefighters found Slanina in their initial search, but no one else in secondary searches.

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