ROCHESTER

Deer hunters can pick up their rifles in southern Minnesota

Brian Todd — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 11:30:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — Deer hunters in southern Minnesota can start grabbing their rifles, leaving the shotgun in the gun cabinet, during the 2026 firearms deer season.

State Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said the zone excluding rifles from deer hunting in southern and western Minnesota extends back to 1942, when different gun technology and different reasons existed.

Drazkowski said the deer population in the early 1940s was small, and the rifle exclusion — hunters were allowed to use shotguns, muzzleloaders and handguns to hunt in the area — was meant to help restore the deer population in the area.

"Back then, deer herds were decimated, and the DNR was trying to limit deer harvests," Drazkowski said, adding that the Department of Natural Resources at that time did not control hunting in Minnesota by issuing hunting permits like it does today. "The idea was to give deer a better chance."

The "shotgun-only" zone extended diagonally across Minnesota from just north of Moorhead, south toward Alexandria, across to St. Cloud and ending at the St. Croix River near Taylor Falls.

Today, Drazkowski said, the deer population in southern Minnesota is burgeoning to the point that overpopulation helps lead to the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD).

In fact, when the state hires hunters — even in southern Minnesota — to thin the deer herds with the hope of reducing the spread of CWD, it hires sharpshooters with rifles.

While Drazkowski praised the removal of the rifle ban in the Environment and Natural Resources omnibus bill, others say they are concerned about allowing rifles to be used in the more densely populated areas of southern Minnesota.

"I do think there will be some unintended consequences," said Bernie Buehler of Kasson.

A lifelong hunter, Buehler said one concern is safety. Hunters using rifles will shoot at distances of 200 to 300 yards, whereas most shotguns have an effective range of 100 yards or less. That extra distance, he said, can lead to rounds going astray when they miss their targets.

That concern, he added, could mean fewer opportunities for hunters.

"I think it’s a fine rule to have in place," Buehler said of the rule excluding rifles. "With the population density, less room between fields and buildings, there will be more accidents. If that's the case, landowners would be less likely to allow hunters on their property. As hard as it is to get people to let you hunt in their land, it’s going to be even harder."

Buehler said he's hunted for years using a shotgun slug — a type of ammunition much larger than the average rifle bullet used to hunt deer — and he's never had a problem bagging a deer.

But Antony Newman, a hunter from Chatfield, said when it comes to shotguns vs. rifles, the facts show rifles are safer and more ethical.

Newman said he grew up hunting in Wisconsin and has hunted deer both with a rifle and with a shotgun. Between the two options, he prefers a rifle for exactly the reasons that concern opponents of this new rule change.

"It’s a lot safer when you’re using a rifle," Newman said. "What you aim at is what you hit. They are extraordinarily accurate."

Most hunting rifles, he said, are bolt-action guns, meaning you basically get one shot at a deer. But one shot is all most hunters need due to the accuracy. Meanwhile, shotguns shooting slugs might pump out several slugs in quick succession. That means more lead flying — and larger projectiles with greater kinetic energy per round.

"With shotguns, the lead goes in directions you can't predict," Newman said.

Studies, he said, have shown that shotgun slugs tend to ricochet when they miss their targets, while rifle bullets tend to disintegrate when they hit the ground.

Drazkowski cited a 2007 study issued by the Pennsylvania General Assembly that said while rifle rounds can be more dangerous when fired at an upward angle, if firing in a level or downward direction, shotguns posed a greater risk to people and property.

Drazkowski added that when hunting with a rifle, hunters typically use a deer stand and shoot downward. In his experience, he said, shotgun hunters tend to hunt as a group, driving the deer.

Another aspect, Newman said, is how ethical it is for the animal being hunted. Because shotguns are less accurate, a hunter is more likely to hit a non-vital part of the deer, merely wounding the animal.

"When you're using a firearm that is less accurate, you’re wounding animals," Newman said. "If you don't track them right away, they wander off and suffer and die."

At 100 yards, he said, his accuracy with a rifle versus a shotgun is the difference between hitting a bottle cap or having a 12-inch circumference around his bulls-eye.

Newman said another bit of proof of the safety of rifles is Wisconsin's deer season. Unlike Minnesota, Wisconsin, he said, has one nine-day season, meaning "all the hunters are out at once." But statewide, Wisconsin's safety has improved since eliminating its "shotgun-only" zones.

Drazkowski said many states had "shotgun-only" zones in their states, but most have gone away from them, with Minnesota being one of three holdouts until the exclusionary rule was repealed. All, he said, have seen improved safety.

"The states around us have all gotten rid of their shotgun zones," Drazkowski said.

Plus, with fewer rounds going astray and smaller rounds used in rifles, that means putting less lead into the ground, which is better for the environment, Drazkowski said.

As for how landowners feel, Drazkowski said nothing in the bill would prohibit individual landowners from telling hunters what kind of firearm they can or cannot use on their property. In fact, individual counties can still place firearm restrictions on hunting within their counties.

But Newman said he hopes counties and landowners look at the safety studies and allow rifles across Minnesota.

"What part of safer hunting will landowners not be in favor of?" Newman asked rhetorically. "If you want safer deer hunting, you’d go for rifle hunting."

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MSHSL set to expand girls wrestling state tournament; go to 8 competitive sections

Alex VandenHouten — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 21:30:56 GMT

When the MSHSL announced an extra half-day for the state wrestling tournament, many figured it was good news regarding the expansion of the girls portion.

That has now been confirmed.

Starting in 2026, the state wrestling tournament will expand by a half day to accommodate the continued growth of girls wrestling, sources have told the Post Bulletin.

As a result, the girls individual section tournament will now feature eight competitive sections with the top two wrestlers in each weight class advancing to the state tournament, resulting in 16-wrestler brackets per weight class.

For the past three years, there have been four competitive sections, with the top two finishers in each advancing to the state tournament.

But last year saw brackets with simply too many competitors. The Section 1&2 tournament saw multiple brackets with around 30 or even more competitors. This will hopefully solve this problem, while giving deserving athletes the chance to compete at state.

League staff will work this summer to develop schedule options that best support both the team and individual tournaments. Finalized state tournament schedules and section sites will be communicated before the start of the 2025-26 season.

We do know the MSHSL Board of Directors approved to add a Wednesday afternoon competition to expand the state wrestling tournament from three to 3 1/2 days.

A league source has also confirmed the Section 1 and Section 2 girls wrestling tournaments will be held at the Mayo Civic Center this year. The goal is to eventually hold both the boys and the girls on the same weekend, but we are a year or two away from that.

The expanded format marks the second time in league history that the wrestling tournament will span nearly four days. The MSHSL previously used a four-day format from 2007-2010.

Another noteworthy item is that the MSHSL is working on formulating a plan to transition girls wrestling into its own bylaw over the next three years.

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First woman district judge in Greater Minnesota relied on resilence, humility to carve ground-breaking career

Matthew Stolle — Sat, 31 May 2025 19:08:00 GMT

ROCHESTER — In the early stages of Ancy Morse’s legal career, people had a hard time wrapping their heads around the concept of a woman attorney.

On her first job, Morse walked into a conference room to meet with a client, who thought she was there to bring him coffee. When Morse explained to the elderly man that she was his attorney, the man was incredulous.

“By God, now I’ve seen everything!” he said.

Disbelief was the price Morse paid in forging a legal career that had few antecedents. In the early 1960s, Morse became the first female attorney to practice law in Olmsted County. In 1983, she became the first female district judge outside the Twin Cities area when she was appointed by then-Gov. Rudy Perpich.

Morse died May 3, 2025, at the Homestead Senior Living Facility in Rochester after a battle with cancer, according to her obituary.

During her 16-year tenure as judge, Morse presided over thousands of cases involving child custody battles, divorces, sex abuse cases and civil disputes. But the case with which she became inextricably linked was the 1989 trial involving David Brom, a 16-year-old Lourdes High �� student who killed his parents, a younger brother and sister with an ax while they slept in their rural Rochester home.

Morse sentenced the teen to three consecutive life prison terms, acknowledging to a packed courtroom the emotional agony and difficulty in overseeing such a fraught case. Calling the case “inexplicable and unfathomable,” Morse struck an undercurrent of sympathy in her ruling, calling Brom a “seriously mentally ill boy, driven to despair by a pathetically sick and depressed mind.”

She felt the law had failed to keep pace with advances in psychiatry and later joined the defense in vainly seeking changes to the state standard governing mental illness defenses.

In charting her way in a male-dominated field, Morse had to get used to the many double-takes she triggered in people who had never seen a woman attorney before. In law school at the University of Minnesota, Morse was one of six women, according to a July 16, 1973, Rochester Post Bulletin article.

Her classes were populated with returning veterans from World War II on the GI bill. It could be a tough crowd. It was made all the more formidable and intimidating when the professor closed the door at the start of class and declared the day “Ladies Day,” meaning only women would be allowed to answer questions

“She told me there was never time for pettiness, just perseverance,” said her son Mark Morse said.

When she was admitted to the bar, it was Morse and 166 men who took the oath.

02 Jun 1999, Wed Post-Bulletin (Rochester, Minnesota) Newspapers.com

A woman attorney just didn’t compute for many at the time.

Early in her career, Morse represented a woman in a divorce proceeding, but the judge mistook Morse as the woman seeking the divorce. When trying to serve legal papers on a party in the jail, the guards suspected her of being a girlfriend of one of the inmates and called her office to check, according to the book “Taking The Lead: Rochester Women in Public Policy,” which devotes a chapter on Morse.

Morse’s dream of practicing law had taken root as a young girl growing up in International Falls. Her grandfather, Aad Tone, had been a pioneer lawyer in Koochiching County whom she would accompany on trips to the courthouse.

Being raised in a small town, Morse was taught to fish and hunt. In school, she had free reign to participate in a wide variety of activities and pursuits. “...and a woman will lead them,” yearbook staff from International Falls High �� prophetically inscribed next to her name.

Her mother, Esther Olson Tone, had aspired to be a lawyer, but those dreams were dashed when Esther’s Scandinavian parents’ savings were looted by a banker. So those ambitions were transferred to Morse.

“Maybe, I just got tired of people saying, ‘You’ll never do it,’” Morse told one reporter.

A profoundly formative chapter in her life was her selection as one of four senior Girl Scouts to represent the U.S. at an international conference. Morse joined the Girl Scouts in the third grade and remained active for decades. The conference she attended was held in Switzerland and changed her life. She no longer felt like she was from a small town. She felt that she belonged anywhere.

“It emboldened her. It gave her a community of women to support and reassure and advocate for,” said a daughter, Kelly Nowicki.

As she pursued her legal education, Morse often found support in a small network of men, including her uncles and her future husband, Bob Morse. Both had attended grade school together. Bob Morse would stay after class to wash down the blackboards. But beyond earning some brownie points, Bob hoped to catch the eye of the teacher’s blonde-haired daughter, Ancy. Bob attended the University of Minnesota along with Ancy, becoming a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic.

After working as a lawyer for many years, Morse was encouraged by her legal peers to apply for a judge vacancy. Mark Morse said his mom didn’t expect to get the appointment, but thought it would be an opportunity to let Olmsted County know that “there is a female attorney in town.” To her surprise, Perpich picked her.

“She was often encouraged by others to do things that she didn’t necessarily think she was ready for — or good enough for,” Mark Morse said. “She was very humble that way.”

A lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, Morse and her family were season ticket holders for many years. A favorite story Mark Morse likes to tell is how Mark and his wife attended a Vikings game and were seated behind his mom and dad. Morse didn’t like the arrangement and proceeded to convince the 30 or so other attendees in her section to scoot two seats over, including two people at the end of the row to move back one row, so Mark and his wife could sit down next to her.

“She was very confident in what she felt needed to happen and very capable of making it happen,” Mark Morse said.

Mark Morse said he never saw his mom betray any umbrage or resentment at the slights she encountered in her legal career. As she advanced in her career, she became a role model and support to other women professionals.

“You hear a lot of people demand respect. She never did,” Mark Morse said at her funeral. “Her approach was the Nike of women’s rights; she just did it. And that humility, tied with performance, was an amazing message to others.”

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ICE agents attempt to detain man at Rochester government center

John Molseed — Tue, 20 May 2025 21:43:34 GMT

ROCHESTER — Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tried, without evident success, to detain a Rochester man at the city-county Government Center on Tuesday, May 20.

Francisco Javier Montoya is the name of the man the agents were seeking to detain. Montoya’s identity was confirmed by his attorney, Kalen Best.

Montoya, 40, was in court Tuesday to be sentenced on a gross misdemeanor harassment charge stemming from an incident in February. The hearing began at 10 a.m. The ICE agents had arrived at the government building by at least 11 a.m., according to sources.

The agents, at least four in all, included some in plain clothes and some wearing tactical gear and displaying ICE badges. When asked who they were, one agent said they were “feds.” When asked what they were doing, one answered, “working.” One of the plainclothes agents was seen following Montoya through the courthouse prior to Montoya’s court hearing, Best said.

Montoya and Best took refuge in a conference room at the Government Center for a time. After the agents left, around 12:30 p.m., Montoya was able to leave.

His departure was aided by representatives from the advocacy groups Indivisible 507 and Community Organizing Power and Action Latinos (COPAL), who came to the courthouse in response to a call that ICE agents were there.

David Perdomo, Southeast Minnesota lead organizer with COPAL, said he came to the courthouse to ensure Montoya’s rights were protected in the event he was taken into custody by ICE agents.

“Everyone has rights in every situation,” Perdomo said.

Montoya expressed fear and tension as he called family members from the courthouse and was overheard saying, “I hope to see my kids again.” He confirmed to a reporter that he was speaking of his two children, ages 8 and 4.

At around 12:30 p.m., Kelly Kilen, of Indivisible 507, learned that the agents had left the Government Center. Montoya exchanged clothes with a volunteer from the group and rode an elevator from the fifth floor to the ground floor. Montoya was ushered into an SUV waiting in the Government Center parking lot.

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office had a limited role to play in the ICE action. The office was alerted earlier Tuesday by the Rochester Police Department that the federal agents were due to arrive. County deputies escorted the agents through public areas of the Government Center, per the office’s procedure, according to a media release Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday’s events marked at least the second appearance of ICE agents in Rochester this year. Agents arrested seven individuals in Rochester from Feb. 9 through Feb. 15, according to records obtained by the Post Bulletin. One man arrested worked at Nupa Mediterranean Restaurant.

The action on Tuesday drew words of condemnation from immigrant advocacy groups.

“Courthouses should be places where justice is pursued — not where immigrant community members are put at risk,” COPAL’s Director of Communications Wendy Zuniga said in a press release. “When ICE operates in these spaces, it creates an environment of fear and drives people away from engaging with the legal system. Victims, witnesses, and those seeking to resolve legal matters are deterred from showing up, threatening public safety and making it harder for people to trust our legal institutions.”

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Mayo Clinic reports 'strong' finances in 2025 so far, despite drops in contributions and grants

Jeff Kiger — Tue, 20 May 2025 19:36:35 GMT

ROCHESTER — Mayo Clinic reported “strong financial performance” for the first quarter of 2025, despite a decline in a few indicators of financial success.

The clinic reported $5.1 billion in revenue for the quarter. Meanwhile, contributions dropped by 43% and revenue from grants declined by 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

The numbers come from Mayo Clinic's “unaudited condensed consolidated financial reports” for the quarter ending March 31. The reports were posted on the Electronic Municipal Market Access website on Monday.

Some details from the reports:

Total revenue climbed 7.8%, to $5.1 billion (from $4.7 billion in the first quarter of 2024); Expenses increased 8.2%, to $4.73 billion; Among expenses, costs for facilities increased at the highest rate, 19.3%, to $290 million. Salaries and benefits increased by 4.4%, to $2.68 billion.

Mayo Clinic’s income — revenue minus expenses — increased by 2.75%, to $373 million. That's $10 million more than the $363 million reported in the first quarter of last year.

“Driven by our enduring commitment to put the needs of the patient first, Mayo Clinic made significant strides in the first quarter of 2025 to Cure, Connect and Transform health care for people everywhere,” according to Mayo Clinic’s summary of its “Management Discussion and Analysis” document attached to the financial report. “Strong financial performance enabled Mayo Clinic to invest in our staff, physical and digital infrastructure, and technologies to accelerate and drive the transformation of Healthcare.”

Revenue from contributions dropped to $85 million in the first quarter, compared to $149 million during the same quarter in 2024. Mayo Clinic acknowledged the change in its analysis.

“Contributions available for operating activities decreased from 2024 to 2025 due to an increase in gifts directed to non-operating activities,” stated Mayo Clinic in the report.

Non-operating investments labeled as “noncurrent” also saw a steep decline of 103% for the quarter.

“Noncurrent and other items include portions of philanthropic contributions and investment income not available to support operating activities, specific deferred compensation and other charges,” according to the report. “The decrease is largely driven by non-operating investment returns during 2025, which were an $18 million net loss compared to a $554 million net gain for the same period in 2024.”

Revenue from “grants and contracts” also dipped in the quarter by 3.6%, to $188 million.

Mayo Clinic did not respond to questions about the decreases in donations, investments or grants.

Net medical revenue, which accounts for 84.8% of total revenue, was up by 9.4% to $4.3 billion, including $264 million in revenue from Mayo Clinic’s external lab.

Patient and treatment metrics marked increases across the board. Admissions were reported as 34,315 for the quarter, compared to 2024's 31,994 and 2023’s 29,926. Patient days tallied were up by 6.2% to 198,163. That’s an increase from 186,508 days in 2024 and 179,323 days in 2023.

Looking ahead to the future, Mayo Clinic reported plans to invest in construction, particularly its massive Bold. Forward. Unbound organization-wide expansion.

Under “Commitments and Contingencies,” the unaudited report included the statement that the estimated costs of “various construction projects in progress related to patient care, research, and educational facilities totalled $7.48 billion, “all of which is expected to be expended over the next three to five years.”

Capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2025 totaled $339 million, which was slightly up from $332 million in 2024.

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‘I’m being punished severely,’ says Rochester man who posted racial slur incident

Matthew Stolle — Tue, 06 May 2025 16:31:02 GMT

ROCHESTER — The man who took a video of a white woman hurling racial slurs toward a 5-year-old Black boy at a Rochester park said he has been subject to daily death threats since the video went viral and that he has had to relocate his family to keep them safe.

He said the death threats began soon after his phone number leaked online.

“I didn’t want to make any money off of that video at all. I just wanted the world to see. I’m being punished very severely after doing something good,” said Sharmake Omar, the man whose video has been viewed millions of times worldwide since it was released to social media. “That’s crazy, crazy.”

Omar described his ordeal in an interview on Facebook on Sunday with Nashauna Johnson-Lenoir, the founder and director of Journie, a nonprofit focused on social justice issues. Omar told Johnson-Lenoir he had to stop taking calls from his business and family because the calls became so incessant.

He also said he counseled a driver in his employ to park his truck and seek safety in a hotel for a while. He said the Facebook interview was the first time he had ventured outside since the video went viral.

Omar said he took the video at the Soldiers Field Park playground after witnessing a white woman using a racial slur toward a child there. The Rochester City Attorney’s Office said the incident happened Monday, April 28. The woman, who later identified herself as Shiloh Hendrix, has since appealed for financial help in a crowdfunding campaign so she and her family could relocate.

Since the video went viral, members of Rochester’s Black community have called for charges to be filed against the woman. The Rochester Police Department has completed an investigation, and the matter is being reviewed by the Rochester City Attorney’s Office.

In the Facebook interview, Omar, who said he has been a resident of Rochester most of his life, added new details to the playground confrontation between himself and Hendrix over the racial epithet and disputed other aspects of the story that have gone public.

Omar said he often supervises his children at Soldiers Field while they play at the playground. He said he first became aware of Hendrix when he says he saw her chasing the boy. At first, he thought they were playing, but then he heard her use the racial slur as she pursued him. Omar went up to the woman and confronted her. He said she used the same slur “multiple times” against him. That’s when he took out his phone and began recording the confrontation.

“I said, ‘Go ahead, repeat what you said so the world can see,’ ” he said.

Omar said she kept up her verbal onslaught. He said there were other people at the park, but none chose to say anything or intervene. Early reports claimed the woman was angry at the boy for taking something from a diaper bag, but Omar said that was not true, that the boy took an apple sauce packet that was left on a bench.

“He didn’t go through her bag,” he said. “He was not stealing anything from her. It’s a 5-year-old child with autism.”

Omar said the woman called somebody to come pick her up and said she was being recorded. Later, when he and his children were returning to their car, Omar said a van rolled by with Hendrix inside, who rolled down the window and continued the racial barrage and gave Omar the middle finger.

“That’s when it ended,” he said.

Omar said he doesn’t have that many TikTok followers, so when he posted the video, it didn’t gain much traction. But the video was picked up by Michael McWhorter, known online as Tizzy Ent, who has more than 9.5 million followers on TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube, and the video exploded on social media with more than 13 million views by Monday.

The incident has sparked competing online fundraising appeals. The woman has raised more than $660,000 for herself and her family, and an appeal launched by the Rochester branch of the NAACP has raised $340,000 on behalf of the 5-year-old’s family.

Since the video went viral, the story has generated national headlines with media organizations from the Washington Post to People magazine covering the story.

During the interview, Johnson-Lenoir questioned Omar about criminal sexual conduct charges that were filed against him in 2022, which have since been dredged up since the incident occurred. Omar said the charges were baseless and were later dismissed, a fact confirmed by Minnesota state court records.

“A Black man accused of a crime like that doesn’t go unpunished in this country,” Johnson-Lenoir said.

During the interview, Omar said the boy’s family is new to the country, perhaps less than a year, and not familiar with social media. He said the father of the boy was upset with him for posting the video, thinking Omar was trying to enrich himself.

Omar denied that was his intent and said he had made “less than a dollar.” He also did not express regret for making it public.

“I’m not looking for fame,” he said. “I just did it because I was trying to help this kid.”

Johnson-Lenoir expressed disgust with the backlash Omar and his family are receiving.

“It’s like you’ve become the villain in a story where you’re actually the hero, and that is so upsetting to me,” she said.

Asked if Rochester is a racist community, Omar said not “whole entire Rochester.”

“There is some good and some bad everywhere,” he said.

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Rochester police: Investigation into ‘disturbing’ viral video completed

Staff reports — Mon, 05 May 2025 19:29:11 GMT

ROCHESTER — The Rochester Police Department on Monday, May 5, completed its investigation into the viral video depicting a woman using a racial slur at a Rochester park.

According to a release from RPD, the findings from the investigation of the “disturbing video” were sent to the Rochester City Attorney’s Office to be considered for charges.

“RPD takes all reports and allegations seriously and must thoroughly gather information to ensure due process,” the release said. “We recognize the behavior captured in the video has raised many concerns, and we appreciate the community’s patience during the investigation and moving forward.”

In a separate news release, the city attorney’s office said it will review the matter. If necessary, the city attorney’s office will consult the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office “regarding matters that may fall under their jurisdiction.”

“The review will proceed deliberately, but with an appropriate sense of urgency. We acknowledge the significant impact this incident has had on those directly involved and on the broader community,” the statement from the city attorney’s office said. “At this time, it would be premature to estimate when a final decision will be made. We ask for the community’s patience as the legal review continues. Once a determination has been reached, we will share that information publicly.”

The video referenced gained traction across social media platforms last week after social media creators started sharing the video. One creator’s TikTok video about the matter has received 13.5 million views as of Monday.

The woman, who identified herself as Shiloh Hendrix in a crowdfunding campaign, has raised more than $660,000 for herself and her family to relocate.

In response to Hendrix’s campaign, the Rochester Branch of the NAACP created a GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the family of the 5-year-old boy who was addressed with racial slurs by the woman at a Rochester park. The fundraiser was closed at the family’s request after raising about $340,000.

“The family kindly requests privacy at this time as they navigate this difficult period,” the NAACP said in a previous release. “An official statement from the family will be shared during the Rochester Branch of the NAACP’s Our Children are Sacred- Accountability and Justice Townhall, held in collaboration with Barbershop Talk Services and the Rochester Civic Theatre on Wednesday, May 7, from 4 -5:30 p.m.”

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Crowdfunding campaign raises over $340K for child targeted by racial slurs in Rochester park

Staff reports — Sun, 04 May 2025 17:50:46 GMT

ROCHESTER — A crowdfunding campaign raised more than $340,000 for the family of a 5-year-old child who had racial slurs directed toward him at the local park.

The Rochester Branch of the NAACP announced in a press release on Saturday night, May 3, that the GoFundMe campaign was stopped at the request of the boy’s family. The campaign, which had a goal of $250,000, garnered $341,484.

“From the beginning, this campaign was rooted in a powerful truth: no child should ever be dehumanized, and love must always be louder than hate,” the release said. “People from across the country and around the world responded, sending a clear message that this child, this family, and this moment matter.”

The crowdfunding effort comes after a viral video in Rochester depicted a man confronting a woman for calling a Black child a racial slur at the Soldiers Field Park playground.

Though the original video was taken down, Michael McWhorter, known online as TizzyEnt, reposted it Wednesday, April 30, to his more than 9.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube. The video had more than 10.1 million views as of Friday morning.

Walé Elegbede, president of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP, called the video “deeply disturbing,” and the local NAACP branch has requested that the incident be investigated.

The Rochester Police Department is aware of the video and is “gathering information and actively looking into the matter,” Amanda Grayson, communications coordinator for the department, told the Post Bulletin on Thursday.

The funds from the campaign are going to “legal redress and social justice efforts” and “legal advocacy, accountability, and restorative efforts” for the child and his family, according to the GoFundMe page.

The NAACP said all of the money, minus standard GoFundMe fees, will be given to the family in a trust account with the parents serving as executors. “The responsibility of the trust account will rest solely with the family,” the release said.

“We want to be clear: No member of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP has received — or will receive — funds from these donations,” the release said. “We stand in full solidarity with the child and his family — and with all those who believe in building a community where dignity, justice, and love prevail. We are united in saying ‘Not In Our Town.’ ”

Another crowdfunding campaign was created by the woman who claims to be in the video.

In the crowdfunding campaign created by the user “Shiloh Hendrix,” she claims her Social Security number, home address, phone number and place where she works out have all been leaked to the public.

Hendrix alleges the child stole from her son’s diaper bag. She also claims the individual who stepped in to film the video proceeded to follow her to her car and that the man has a criminal history. The Post Bulletin has attempted to reach out to the individual who recorded the video.

Hendrix has upped her goal to $1 million. As of Saturday night, more than $500,000 has been given to her campaign.

A separate crowdfunding fundraiser in response to Hendrix’s campaign was created Friday morning, May 2, by Non-Profit Wrench Inc. The Kasson-based business aims to raise money for “local BIPOC clients of Non-Profit Wrench Inc. dealing with poverty,” the fundraiser said.

The GoFundMe campaign, called “Stand Against Racism: Help Rochester BIPOC Thrive,” set a goal of $25,000.

The viral video marks the third prominent incident involving race to happen in Rochester over the past year.

In April 2024, a racial slur was spelled out using plastic cups in the chain-link fence on the pedestrian bridge over East Circle Drive near Century High ��.

After RPD learned the identities of the four teenagers responsible for the act, former Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said his office would not file charges in the case. While the incident was offensive, Ostrem wrote at the time, it has protection under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Four months later, in August, Rep. Kim Hicks, a first-term DFL member of the Minnesota House, found racist graffiti painted on her shed, a swastika on a window of her home, and paint over all but one of the surveillance cameras around her house.

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Crowdfunding campaign for woman allegedly involved in viral TikTok garners over $250K

Olivia Estright — Fri, 02 May 2025 13:59:21 GMT

ROCHESTER — The woman who allegedly directed a racial slur toward a child in a viral TikTok video out of Rochester has raised more than $250,000 for herself and her two children, according to a campaign on GiveSendGo.

A crowdfunding campaign titled "Help Me Protect My Family" was created by the user "Shiloh Hendrix" on Thursday afternoon, May 1. Hendrix claims her Social Security number, home address, phone number and place she works out have all been leaked to the public. The fundraising goal was set for $250,000.

"I am asking for your help to assist in protecting my family. I fear that we must relocate," the campaign said. "I have two small children who do not deserve this. We have been threatened to the extreme by people online. Anything will help! We cannot, and will not live in fear!"

The video depicted a man confronting the woman at Soldiers Field Park in Rochester for calling a Black child a racial slur. Though the original video was taken down, Michael McWhorter, known online as TizzyEnt, reposted the video on Wednesday, April 30, to his more than 9.5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube.

In her campaign, Hendrix claims the child stole from her 18-month-old son’s diaper bag at the Soldiers Field Park playground.

“I called the kid out for what he was,” Hendrix wrote.

As of Thursday night, the fundraiser has received more than 4,000 donations.

The video has since received millions of views, with McWhorter’s repost receiving 8.2 million views. Local leaders in Rochester have also responded to the video.

The Rochester Branch of the NAACP called on the Rochester Police Department and the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office to investigate the incident and file necessary charges. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton urged Rochester residents to do all they can to “end racism in this community.” DFL state lawmakers representing Rochester issued a joint statement condemning the “vile acts of racism” and said they were grateful that the person taking the video stepped in.

On the crowdfunding page, Hendrix alleges the individual who stepped in to film the video proceeded to follow her to her car and claims he has a criminal history. The Post Bulletin has not yet been able to identify the person who filmed the video. The TikTok account of the original poster has since been made private.

According to Minnesota Court Records Online, Hendrix was convicted of a misdemeanor DWI in 2014 and a petty misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in 2012.

The Rochester Police Department is aware of the video and has received multiple calls related to it, RPD’s Amanda Grayson previously told the Post Bulletin. The police department is “actively looking into the matter.”

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Viral video shows woman saying racial slurs at Rochester playground

Olivia Estright — Thu, 01 May 2025 18:35:21 GMT

ROCHESTER — A TikTok video of a man confronting a woman at a Soldiers Field Park playground after she used a racial slur against a child has gone viral, garnering 6.6 million views on the app after an influencer reposted the video.

The original video, which has since been taken down, was posted by a user earlier this week. The post gained more traction Wednesday afternoon, April 30, after Michael McWhorter, known online as TizzyEnt, reposted the video to his more than 9.5 million followers on TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube. Others have shared his video on Reddit and Facebook.

In his video, McWhorter said a man, who is not white, was at the park with his children when he confronted a white woman for calling a Black child a racial slur. He noted that the child is autistic and asked his followers to help identify her.

As of Thursday morning, May 1, the Post Bulletin has not confirmed the woman’s identity nor the date and time when the video was filmed.

Since McWhorter’s video was posted, Rochester Mayor Kim Norton responded with a post on Facebook: “Not In Our Town! Hate has no home here.”

“We need to do better as people, a community and as a society,” Norton wrote in an email to the Post Bulletin. “Those words have been unacceptable for my entire lifetime and to see it percolating again in the younger generation is appalling.”

“It was especially concerning that an adult used this language toward a young child — and the rest of the exchange in front of children and others,” Norton continued. “I want Rochester to be better than this and we should do all we can to end racism in our community.”

Other local officials posted their responses to the video, including Walé Elegbede, president of the Rochester Branch of the NAACP.

According to the post, the NAACP plans to investigate the incident. Elegbede described it as “deeply disturbing.”

“We are here to ensure that this gets addressed appropriately,” he wrote.

RPD’s Amanda Grayson said the police department is aware of the video and has received multiple calls related to it.

“RPD is gathering information and actively looking into the matter,” she said in an email.

In a joint statement, DFL state lawmakers representing Rochester, including Sen. Liz Boldon, Rep. Andy Smith, Rep. Kim Hicks, and Rep. Tina Liebling, condemned the “vile acts of racism” and said they were grateful that the person taking the video stepped in.

“We must all take the initiative to call out hatred and bigotry wherever we see it and have conversations with those close to us, including our children, about why we must not follow in the footsteps of these bullies, no matter if they’re in the White House or on the playground,” the statement read.

The viral video marks the third prominent incident involving race to occur in Rochester over the last year.

In April 2024, a racial slur was spelled out using plastic cups in the chain-link fence on the pedestrian bridge over East Circle Drive.

After RPD identified four teenagers responsible for the act, former Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem said his office would not file charges in connection to the racial slur in the chain-link fence. While the incident was offensive, Ostrem wrote at the time, it has protection under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Four months later in August, Rep. Kim Hicks, a first-term DFL member of the Minnesota House, found racist graffiti painted on her shed, a swastika on a window of her home, and paint over all but one of the surveillance cameras around her house.

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