Duluth
Judge knocks down Duluth's casino case
A judge rejected Duluth's challenge to a ruling that its agreement over a casino violated federal law. The decision is a win for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in the protracted dispute over gambling revenue.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly found that the National Indian Gaming Commission "did not exceed the scope of [its] authority" when it issued in 2011 a notice of violation, informing the band that its longtime agreement with the city, which established the Fond-du-Luth Casino, violated the requirement that the band have the "sole proprietary interest" in the gaming operation.
Duluth's lawsuit was "the latest step in a long saga," as Kollar-Kotelly put it. Under an agreement with the city, the band paid "rent," a slice of casino revenue, that totaled $75 million between 1994 and 2009. In 2009, the band quit paying.
Duluth is weighing whether to appeal, said Gunnar Johnson, city attorney. "The old saying: It's hard to fight city hall? Well, it's even harder to fight the federal government," he said Friday.
Two other lawsuits remain in play.
Jenna Ross @ByJenna
Bemidji
Donor gives $100,000
for homeless shelter
Efforts to create a homeless shelter in downtown Bemidji — one that will take in people with chemical dependency issues — got a big boost last week as an anonymous donor chipped in $100,000. The nonprofit Nameless Coalition for the Homeless had previously raised $40,000 over the course of a year and a half, said coalition member Reed Olson.
Other shelters in town aren't equipped to handle clients with alcoholism, said Olson, who is also a member of the City Council. The community has lost several people over the past few years to alcohol and weather-related deaths, he said.
