Brainerd residents gave lawmakers an earful during an open meeting about raising the minimum wage. The meeting was part of a multi-city listening tour to gather ideas about the minimum wage, writes Mike O’Rourke of the Associated Press and published in the Brainerd Dispatch. The Minnesota House Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs met Monday in Brainerd and heard from 20 business people, labor supporters and others about legislative attempts to raise the minimum wage. Mark Ronnei, general manager of Grand View Lodge, said many in service jobs receive tips and that should be taken into account in any minimum-wage increase. Mike Brusseau, co-owner of Rafferty’s Pizza Restaurant, said an increase could cost him $35,000 a year. On the flip side, the East Central Labor Council is in favor of the increase, said Wayne Fleischhacker. Mark Innes, general manager of Rapid River Lodge and Water Park, noted that Brainerd’s paper plant is gone. “Good jobs aren’t coming into Minnesota,” he said. “They’re leaving Minnesota.”

I commend to you the first of a two-part series on child sex trafficking by Julie Buntjer of the Worthington Daily Globe. The problem is more prevalent than most people know and is more rural than most people realize. Men using Internet sites such as Backpages and Craigslist are routinely arrested for specifically soliciting minors as young as 10 years old for sex. An FBI report shows the Twin Cities rank 13^th in the nation for children involved in prostitution. Buntjer talked to Thi Synavone, program director at the Southwest Crisis Center, who said she recently worked with two teen girls who were sold for sex to provide the family with extra money. “The mom was actually selling her own children for that,” Synavone said, adding that the girls saw themselves as doing a job to help support their family. Sara Wahl, executive director of the Southwest Crisis Center in Worthington, said, “What we’re dealing with is not buying and selling women from other countries, it’s girls who are here who are having trouble in school or who are homeless. Homelessness and truancy are the two biggest factors for girls who get into sex trafficking. They’re forced or coerced to give sex for money.”

Sun means days in the field, but it also means a lack of moisture, says the weekly USDA crop report as published in the Fargo Forum.  An average of 0.10 inch of rain fell in Minnesota last week, and topsoil moisture fell to 52 percent adequate to surplus for this time of year. Subsoil moisture was rated 61 percent adequate to surplus. State Climatologist Mark Seeley says Minnesota is suffering from “abnormal dryness,” but officials are not putting any counties on drought status yet.

OK, OK, it was just a joke. In an effort to drum up a little excitement, the New Ulm Convention-Visitors Bureau teamed up with marketing firm Haberman’s Modern Storytellers to say that a four-foot imprint of Hermann the German’s foot was found in the Chamber of Commerce’s basement, with a handwritten note that said “all who touched the footprint would have more fun for a day,” writes New Ulm Journal editor Kevin Sweeney. Local artist Jason Jaspersen was commissioned to design the footprint. The Journal whipped up an article on the “find” and CVB director Terry Sveine followed his talking points about the footprint when anyone asked about it. But then the Mankato Free Press wrote about the artifact, and the story was picked up by the Associated Press and a version of the story went onto its wires. It was at this point that Sveine and the marketing firm realized the story was getting too big, so they contacted the AP and admitted the hoax. The AP moved a story headlined “New Ulm tourism chief admits faking story.” “I felt bad all along. You know, I was an altar boy for six years. I feel very un-altar-boyish,” Sveine told the AP. Newspapers as far away as Miami have picked up the story, Sweeney reports.

A recent lightning bolt has caused more than its share of troubles for the Truman school building, writes Kylie Saari of the Fairmont Sentinel. First, the lightning knocked out two sump pumps and the elevator shaft flooded with 5 feet of water, causing $9,000 in damage. While insurance most likely will cover that damage, Superintendent Tom Ames said floor and ceiling damage, along with the roofing problem that caused the leak, likely won’t be covered. The storm also took out the school’s phone lines. While under repair, the lines were hacked. Principal Tate Jerome said 146 international calls were made in one day, followed by another 40. Ames said the district has taken international calling capabilities off the district’s plan to prevent more problems, since the school doesn’t typically make such calls.

The Fargo-Moorhead diversion plan, long considered the best option for Red River flood-prevention by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will face a lawsuit to stop it, reports Kyle Potter of the Fargo Forum. The lawsuit accuses diversion leaders of unnecessarily expanding the scope of the flood protection project, which will damage farm lands where water would collect during a severe flood. That expansion, according to the suit, will protect land closer to Fargo for future development – at the cost of communities upstream. Nathan Berseth, a spokesman for the Joint Powers Authority, which is filing the lawsuit, said it is an effort to protect the 20 cities and townships in Richland and Wilkin counties, plus other communities in rural Cass and Clay counties that fall in the staging area, from irreparable damages to their tax bases and property values.  Diversion Authority Chairman Darrel Vanyo said he isn’t surprised by the lawsuit. He said the Corps’ plan is the only approach that will protect the Red River Valley from a 100-year flood and give officials the ability to fight a 500-year flood. 

The Iron Range will become the backdrop for a movie about a female Eastern European sniper, writes LaReesa Sandretsky of the Duluth News Tribune. “Sdanka’s War” is the story of a woman who is the only survivor of an attack on her family and then becomes a highly skilled sniper. Ryan Kern, who produces the Duluth Airshow and other local events, is the producer of “Sdanka’s War.” He describes the film as a mix of “LaFemme Nikita,” “Predator” and “The A-Team.” Tino Struckmann will direct and Kern said they’ve already signed some “recognizable names” to star in it. Funding was secured from the Snowbate program, which offers incentives from the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund for filmmakers who spend at least $1 million or film outside of the Twin Cities. They also will receive dollars from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board. Kern said after the movie is produced, they hope to pitch the concept as a TV series. “As Duluthians and people in northern Minnesota, we need to demonstrate that we can do this sort of thing,” Kern said.

The National Association of Agricultural Educators has given Fairmont ag teacher Amber Seibert a national award, writes Kylie Saari of the Fairmont Sentinel. The “Teachers Turn the Key Award” award recognizes teachers in their first through fifth year of teaching to encourage them to continue their professional growth. Seibert said the award gives her a free trip to the group’s annual convention. Seibert is beginning her second year teaching the new ag program, which is funded through private donations and corporate sponsors. Besides a basic ag class, students can take classes in agriculture leadership, agriculture business and economics, the principles of animal science, the principles of plant science, small animal care and management, wildlife management, and landscaping.

In a strange twist, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said yesterday that Amer Ahmad, the former city comptroller, should have come clean and told him about the FBI investigation into his alleged activities in Ohio stemming from his time as Deputy Treasurer for the State of Ohio.

“You have an obligation, when something like that happens, to – when you start to get questions – to inform the people you work with who have entrusted you with the public trust. And that is where he violated the trust,” said the mayor at a press conference at William Jones College Preparatory High School after a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Mayor Emanuel also emphasized he knew nothing about the investigation into Amer Ahmad either.

The federal probe charges that Amer Ahmad was steering lucrative state contracts to a former high school classmate who went on to work as a securities broker. Douglas E. Hampton, the high school classmate, allegedly funneled more than $500,000 back to Amer Ahmad through his alleged co-conspirators and through phony loans to a landscaping company that Amer Ahmad partially controlled.

Amer Ahmad was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Ohio on eight counts: three counts of money laundering and one each of conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to launder money and making false statements.

Amer Ahmad had resigned abruptly in late July from his job as city comptroller, in what was then described by the Emanuel Administration as “expected midterm departures.” At the time of his resignation Mayor Emanuel said, “Amer has played an integral role in my efforts to reform government, strengthen the city’s finances, and professionalize our approach to fiscal management.”

The stunning news has put the Emanuel Administration on the defensive.

Former federal prosecutor Vincent J. Connelly and Zaldwaynaka “Z” Scott, Illinois’ former executive inspector general, had conducted a review in March 2011 review as attorneys working pro bono for then-Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel’s transition team. The two had vetted Amer Ahmad and reported they had not found any reason not to hire Amer Ahmad.

Mayor Emanuel was asked by Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun Times if he felt “let down” by Connelly and Scott and the mayor said “no.” The mayor said Connelly and Scott “did their job as best as they could do, given what he [Ahmad] provided and what other people said about him.”

He once again blamed Amer Ahmad. “Where do we think we were let down? . . . He let the mayor’s office and the mayor down. Having worked for two Presidents, he had an obligation when he started to get asked to say he was under questioning.”

This matter is a serious blow to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his administration, who had made financial reform and fiscal responsibility a centerpiece of the administration. While there is no evidence as yet that Amer Ahmad had done anything similar to Chicago finances, the mayor has asked the Chicago’s Inspector General and the City of Chicago’s Corporation Counsel to investigate together. The mayor’s office also announced that two outside attorneys will also be investigating the matter of whether Amer Ahmad violated any laws while city comptroller. Those attorneys are Gordon Nash and Dan Collins of Drinker Biddle.

Amer Ahmad was brought in as the City Comptroller and touted in late April of 2011 as part of a “high-powered economic team” that also included Chief Financial Officer Lois Scott, Budget Director Alexandra Holt, City and Chief Technology Officer John Tolva.

The indictment alleges that Ahmad, 38, used his authority in the Ohio treasurer’s office to direct state business to Douglas E. Hampton, 39, a securities broker from Canton, Ohio, in return for payments from Hampton.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that the indictment was contained some of the following:

• The purpose of the conspiracy was for Ahmad, Alo, Chiavaroli and Hampton “to personally enrich themselves, their friends and associates and their businesses, by using Ahmad’s position … to secure lucrative state business for Hampton in exchange for payments to Ahmad, Alo, Chiavaroli and companies under their control and to conceal the conspiracy.”

• Ahmad authorized Hampton, 39, to conduct security trades for the state. Hampton conducted more business for the treasurer’s office than any other approved broker, pulling in $3.2 million in revenue for his firm with 360 trades.

• Hampton then gave Ahmad kickbacks of $123,623 in the form of “legal fees” to Ahmad’s Five Rivers Partners LLC, and $400,000 in the form of “loans” to Going Green Landscapes and Lawn Care, a company that Chiavaroli founded and Ahmad partially owned.

According to Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun Times, Amer Ahmad played a pivotal role in disbanding the Department of Revenue and folding it into the Department of Finance. He also helped to dramatically reduce the amount of outstanding fines owed to the city by going after scofflaws, which generated $70 million in 2012 alone.

Earlier this year, Ahmad served as the point man in Emanuel’s controversial decision to phase out Chicago’s 55 percent subsidy for retiree health care by 2017 while continuing that coverage for the oldest retirees.

This is the first hint of scandal around the Emanuel Administration and comes at a bad time as the city’s bond rating is taking a hit and as the mayor is dealing with large budget deficits in the city and sister agencies.

Send John Presta an email and your story ideas or suggestions, johnpresta@att.net.

John is the author of an award-winning book, the 2010 Winner of the USA National Best Book award for African American studies, published by The Elevator Group, Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots. Also available an eBook on Amazon. John is also a member of the Society of Midland Authors and is a book reviewer of political books for the New York Journal of Books. John has volunteered for many political campaigns. John is an unpaid volunteer and social media advisor at Robin Kelly for Congress.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UltraOutdoors.com has launched their comprehensive site to bring everything in outdoor living under one roof. The site features over 100,000 pages and over 150,000 listings, making it the largest “outdoor living” site worldwide. Created to highlight the growing outdoor-living market, it offers ideas, inspiration, and quality sources for contracting work. Currently, the site covers 65 major metro areas within the U.S. and in Canada, with more being added.

“Increasingly people want to find ideas and quality contractors to transform their landscape or yard into a great outdoor living space,” explains Bob Dallas, the chief executive officer at UltraOutdoors.com. “That’s the idea behind the site. It helps people do exactly that. They can find everything they need in one place.”

Dubbed as “The World’s Source for Everything in Outdoor Living,” the site features thousands of backyard and landscaping ideas with full-color photos. Consumers can also find information and referrals to high-quality, experienced professionals and contractors to consider for their next outdoor living project.

The outdoor living industry has become increasingly popular. In fact, according to MarketLine, and other independent market research sources, the global outdoor living market has grown to $277 billion annually. Millions of people are opting to invest in creating great outdoor spaces that their family can use for multiple purposes, including playing, entertaining, and relaxing. Some estimates find that for every dollar a homeowner puts into their landscape and outdoor living space, they get $2 back when selling the home.

“We all want a great outdoor living space, but we don’t all know how to go about getting it, or what we want, until we see some pictures,” added Dallas. “UltraOutdoors.com takes care of all that. We have thousands of photos to give you ideas of what you want. But we don’t stop there. We hook you up with great designers and contractors that can help make that dream a reality.”

Created to answer the demand of the meteoric rise of the outdoor living industry, UltraOutdoors.com serves a unique role as a catalyst to bring together the entire industry … every professional, every retailer, every manufacturer and every trade association, under a single domain. No other home-design website has this much scope, content, or comprehensiveness covering the U.S., Canada, Dubai, China, Saudi Arabia, and Central America. Beyond the directory, UltraOutdoors.com will be a web 2.0 site that enables users to sign up, make a comment, ask a question, save a photo, and participate in design related conversations with top designers and builders. For more information, visit the site at www.UltraOutdoors.com.

About UltraOutdoors.com

Headquartered in Warminster, Pa., UltraOutdoors.com was created by the owners of Manor House Publishing. With 15 years experience in outdoor living and design, Manor House has published full color, coffee table type consumer magazines like Luxury Pools, Luxury Landscapes, and Pool Spa Outdoor, selling thousands on national newsstands and in exclusive airline lounges, worldwide. It also publishes magazine-like books called The Outdoor Inspiration Series with titles like, Outdoor Kitchens, Water Features, Conservatories, Pool House Plans book, Award Winning Pools, Tropical Pools, Desert Pools, Infinity Pools, and Indoor Pools. UltraOutdoors.com is an interactive website that features the outdoor living industry all under one roof. For more information, visit the site at www.UltraOutdoors.com.

CONTACT: Cher Murphy
         CherMurphyPR@Gmail.com
         (571) 263-2128