KTOE Noon News 8-18-25
Top Stories for Noon 8-18-25:
- Jury selection begins today (Mon) in the trial of a rural Princeton man charged with shooting five officers during an October 2023 drug raid. A Princeton man charged with shooting at police officers during a 2023 drug raid goes on trial this week. Sixty-six-year-old Karl Holmberg is charged in Benton County District Court with seven counts of attempted 1st-degree murder, seven counts of 1st-degree assault against a peace officer, a 2nd-degree drug charge, and a charge of unlawful gun possession. In all, Holmberg faces 16 felony charges. The incident unfolded when several police officers were serving a narcotics search warrant at the home on the morning of October 10th, 2023. Holmberg is accused of shooting blindly through the door with a .223 caliber rifle. According to the criminal complaint, officers returned fire as they retreated out of the house. Six officers were inside the house, and five were struck by gunfire. All of the officers survived the ordeal.
- Police in Rochester are investigating a drive-by shooting over the weekend. Officers say shots were fired around 4 o’clock Saturday morning, and a man in his 20s was hit. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators say the shooting doesn’t appear to be a random act. No arrests have been made.
- The state of Minnesota keeps collecting money from E-cigarette maker Juul as a result of its settlement. Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that Juul will pay the state an additional $2.5 million payment. This comes in addition to $58 million in combined settlement payments so far. This is the result of the trials in 2023 and 2024, where Ellison sued Juul and its parent company, Altria, for unlawful and deceptive marketing practices. Minnesota will use these additional funds to support efforts to curb underage tobacco and nicotine use in the state.
- Governor Tim Walz is applauding Taco John’s for moving its corporate headquarters from Wyoming to Minnesota. The governor said on social media, “Bring on the potato olés.” The fast-food chain’s headquarters were previously in Cheyenne. Officials say Taco John’s has been gradually making the change for the past five years. The new headquarters in St. Louis Park started as a franchise support center. There are 56 Taco John’s restaurants in the state.
