Feb. 11, 2021
Tonight, look for clearing skies with snow across the south. Lows will be near 30 below in the north and between 12 and 20 below in the south. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with highs from 3 below to 11 below. Find the latest from Updraft. Wright County authorities filed a seven count criminal complaint against 67-year-old Gregory Ulrich including second-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, illegal gun possession and explosives charges. Ulrich made a first appearance in court today.
Police said about 50 investigators worked to track details of the incident. Those included everything from tracing a 1 pound stock of gunpowder Ulrich is alleged to have left behind to how the suspect got the semi-automatic pistol found at the scene. Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer said Ulrich was carrying dozens of unfired rounds when he was arrested, and said the toll could have been much worse. Health officials sounded not quite upbeat, but at least hopeful today, as some very positive signs started to emerge about the COVID pandemic. Health commissioner Jan Malcolm said the seven-day average for the testing positivity rate has fallen below 4 percent dating back to Feb. 2 — the lowest it's been since the end of June when the state was doing half as many tests. Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, said an end may be in sight.
"There are reasons to feel good about the overall direction that we’re headed. The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter every day, thanks not only to the rising number of vaccinations, but also to the hard work of so many people across Minnesota," Ehresmann said.
But she also suggested Minnesotans heed federal advice to consider double masking. And she urged Minnesotans to keep getting tested, and asked that people who get a positive result not venture out and get another to verify it. Known, active caseloads came in under 8,000 for the third straight day on Thursday, the first time that’s happened in nearly five months. New cases reported were a fairly modest 907.
You can get more of the latest news, in just a few minutes, via the Minnesota Today podcast. — Tim Nelson | MPR News | 
