State news

Three people were killed when two boats crashed on the Sturgeon Chain of Lakes in northeastern Minnesota near Hibbing, the Itasca County Sheriff's Department said Sunday.

Daniel Griffiths, 42, William Krtinich, 48, and Brenda Koschak-Mastakoski, 32 -- all of the Hibbing area -- died as a result of the Saturday night collision, Sheriff Pat Medure said. Four other people were injured.

The crash was reported around 9 p.m. Saturday. Divers found the three who died, and three others were taken to University Medical Center in Hibbing. Two of them were later released. The fourth injured person was treated at the scene of the crash.

Medure said alcohol and speed were factors in the crash. A 15-year-old was driving one of the boats, he said. None of the boaters were wearing life jackets.

Body of missing swimmer found in Lake Superior

At least one swimmer drowned and several others were rescued after an unusual riptide in Lake Superior at Duluth.

High seas and unusual shoreline currents kept rescue crews busy Sunday in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, where swimming beaches were closed in response to the dangerous conditions.

The body of a missing 21-year-old man washed ashore at 11:14 p.m. Sunday in the area where rescue crews had been searching, The victim had been pulled out by the tide while swimming with friends. His name was not immediately released.

At least one St. Louis County Sheriff's Department dive team member was hospitalized when strong currents and pounding waves overtook him off Park Point, near Duluth's landmark lift bridge. Two other rescue divers also were helped from the pounding surf Sunday night.

Two discovered dead at site of plane crash near Willmar

Two people were found dead Sunday at the site of a small-plane crash near Willmar, authorities said.

According to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department, the bodies were found with the downed experimental plane around 10:30 a.m. in a cornfield 1 1/2 miles west of the village of Priam.

Authorities began searching for the plane Saturday afternoon after it was reported missing. After stopping for the night, rescue workers resumed their search Sunday morning.

The plane left the Willmar Municipal Airport between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, with the pilot and one passenger on board. The pilot was from the Sisseton, S.D., area and the passenger was from the Paynesville area, the sheriff's department said. Their names were not immediately released.

Some, not all, cabdrivers will strike in Minneapolis

Somali taxi drivers who planned a unified walkout for Monday backed away from that plan, but catching a cab in Minneapolis could still prove difficult.

The Minneapolis Taxi Drivers and Owners Association said it won't sanction a citywide work stoppage, but individual drivers may choose to stay off the job to draw attention to safety concerns after two cabdrivers were shot and killed.

Hundreds of drivers were expected to park their cabs and attend a rally at 2 p.m. Monday at East Phillips Park in Minneapolis, where Mohamed Salah, 28, was shot to death Aug. 8. They also will honor Ahmed Ahmed, 38, who was shot to death July 10.