Latest news with #OlmstedCounty
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Rochester man found himself in the middle of the trial of the century
May 24—ROCHESTER — The nation was embroiled over the death of George Floyd for about three months when Mike Pruett got the call to bring his skills to the case. Pruett, founder and CEO of MLT Group, a Rochester-based digital marketing firm, was hired by the defense team to analyze and enhance video that was a key part of the case against then-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The high-profile case was not the first time Pruett has been called upon to examine video evidence, often manipulating the video to show evidence that might not be readily visible. "Eric (Nelson, defense attorney) called me," Pruett said. "I'd worked for him before." The biggest case he'd ever worked on — Pruett has provided video analysis on many murder cases, though none with the national profile of the Chauvin murder trial — came with hours of video evidence. "There was the Chinese restaurant (across the street from Cup Foods), the convenience store, all the bodycams, the street cameras and all the people with iPhones," Pruett said. For Pruett, the evidence started with body camera footage from one of the two officers who first responded to the scene — J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane — as they arrived at Cup Foods responding to a call that someone was passing counterfeit $20 bills. That accusation led officers to Floyd, who was parked across the street. The longest video — one of the police body camera videos — ran in length for about half an hour until Floyd was placed in the back of an ambulance and taken away, Pruett said. Some of the cell phone videos run closer to 10 minutes. All told, Pruett said, he watched several hours of video showing the same 20 to 30 minutes over and over again. So much so, that by the time the trial occurred from March 8 to April 20, 2021, Pruett said he didn't even watch the proceedings, only paying attention if he happened to see something in the news. Was any of the evidence he uncovered used in the trial? "What I heard from afterwards, from people, was that a lot of things (I found), they didn't put in," Pruett said. "But that's up to the attorneys." While Pruett said there were several things shown in the video that could be used by the defense or prosecution, what amazes him today was how people know so little about the scene despite it being such a notorious case. For example, when officers first tapped on the window of Floyd's vehicle, they seemed to have woken him up. On top of that, Floyd wasn't the only person in the car. Another man and a woman were passengers. "I've done this for over 25 years," Pruett said. "Doing forensics. Doing video enhancements. Doing slow-mos or stills for attorneys." In total, he said, he's been involved in somewhere between 200 and 300 cases, many in the Twin Cities. His career working on video for trials started when Olmsted County came to him, asking Pruett to digitize the video of a crime scene and make photos from the video. From that early effort, his reputation slowly grew until he began working on cases in the Twin Cities and as far away as Florida and Canada. "What I do is, someone will send me a video — an attorney or a police department — and they'll say, 'This is what we're looking for if you see it,' or 'Can you enhance this area here?' where they have a shot of a gun," Pruett said. "A lot of times the videos are not the greatest in the world. (But) You can enhance the blur to show, yes, that was a gun." Other than family and friends, Pruett said he doesn't talk much about the trial work he does. That includes this case. "No, I kept my mouth shut," Pruett said. "I want to be very objective to this. I try to show that I'm going to look at video and — Black, white, yellow, green, purple, whatever — if they were wrong, they were wrong." And with the proliferation of cameras — quality cameras — in public places, Pruett offers this advice for potential criminals: "People don't realize the amount of cameras that are in downtown Rochester and Mayo. ... So, stay away from Rochester."
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Olmsted County eyes potential tax increases, service cuts as state budget talks continue
May 10—ROCHESTER — Olmsted County officials are warning property tax increases or service cuts are likely next year as state lawmakers continue to hammer out budget agreements. "The Senate, the House and the governor have all created budgets, and all of them — each one of those — has a target that impacts counties in a negative way," Olmsted County Administrator Travis Gransee said. With a looming $6 billion state deficit projected for 2028, Gransee said such shortfalls have historically shifted costs to counties with reductions of reimbursements and grants to local governments. "Or it's an increase in the county cost-share for a service that the state has traditionally paid for," he said, noting lawmakers rarely opt to scale back mandates for county services. Olmsted County Chief Financial Officer Wilfredo Román Cátala told commissioners at the end of April that early state budget proposals were estimated to increase county costs by $1.7 million to $3 million next year, with the added expenses rising to as much as $7.2 million in 2027. Projected added costs by 2027 include a potential $1.6 million in annual county expenses for local residents in treatment through the Minnesota Sexual Offender Program and shifting as much as $1.7 million in support costs to the county to provide services to disabled residents. Gransee said the early estimates have changed multiple times as state lawmakers work to hammer out agreements with May 19 looming as the anticipated last day of the session. "We won't know what our target is likely until the end of the session, but we do know none of the three budgets that have been proposed at the Legislature are beneficial to counties," he said. Some of the added cost comes from new legislation aimed at reducing racial inequities in existing systems, especially work related to out-of-home placements of children through child protection and related programs. Román Cátala said the new work isn't expected to increase county expenses in 2026, but it could have a $435,000 to nearly $1.3 million impact in 2027, equal to nearly a 1% tax levy increase on the high end. Gransee said the local impact is likely reduced compared to other counties, since Olmsted County social workers are already doing some of the work that will be required. At the same time, he said, adding to the workload could cause a need to shift some priorities, in order to prevent staff burnout and maintain expected efficiencies. Commissioner Gregg Wright voiced frustration with the potential for added work on the county's shoulders without state money to support it. "In my opinion, funding should follow the mandates," the District 3 commissioner said. While Gransee pointed to the potential to trim services, Wright said commissioners have limited options. "We have a very narrow range of decision-making, because they have already given us the mandates to carry out what the state can't do for itself," he said. Gransee agreed the county has limited options on what it does, but pointed to flexibility in how the work is accomplished. "We don't have a lot of authority over what we can and can't do," he said. "We have authority over to what degree and at what level we can provide a particular service." With roughly 31% of the county's $428.6 million budget linked to staff expenses, he said some savings could be found through reductions, which would lead to providing less service. Stopping short of discussing potential layoffs, he said the staffing budget could be reduced in the coming years by not replacing employees who retire or seek work elsewhere. The commissioners have already pulled back on some planned construction and remodeling projects, but Gransee said it's likely not enough to meet future budget impacts. He said it will be up to commissioners to determine how they want to react to any legislative decisions that will require local adjustments to address the statewide budget concerns. "It is very unlikely that we will be able to find a decision that we are going to make here, based on that delegated authority and delegated responsibility by the state, that isn't going to impact our community. We are either going to raise their taxes or reduce the service," he said. "There is no sugar-coating that or making a way around that."
Medscape
07-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Is Carpal Tunnel an Early Sign of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
TOPLINE: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) appeared more than twice as frequently in patients before rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis than in those without RA, suggesting that CTS could serve as an early indicator for RA risk. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a population-based study using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, which provides comprehensive longitudinal health information from Olmsted County, Minnesota. Analysis included 1335 patients with RA meeting the 1987 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria between 1980 and 2019. Patients with RA were matched 1:1 with 1331 control individuals. Investigators identified CTS cases through two or more diagnosis codes occurring at least 30 days apart. TAKEAWAY: A total of 13% of individuals who developed RA were diagnosed with CTS prior to or at the onset of RA compared with 6% in non-RA individuals (odds ratio [OR], 2.23; 95% CI, 1.69-2.94). In patients with RA, most CTS diagnoses occurred at least 2 years before the onset of RA. Patients with RA were also at an increased risk for CTS following the onset of RA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.78; 95% CI, 1.38-2.30). Obesity (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.02-1.99) and seronegativity for anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.07-2.99) were associated with increased risk for CTS in the RA group. IN PRACTICE: 'Increased vigilance is needed in individuals with CTS regarding the risk of developing RA. Referral to a rheumatologist can be considered, particularly in persistent and severe forms of CTS (eg, patients requiring carpal tunnel release surgery), that are not otherwise explained by traditional risk factors (eg, obesity, hypothyroidism, [diabetes mellitus]) and regardless of serostatus,' wrote the authors of the study. SOURCE: This study was led by Roslin Jose George, MBBS, MPH, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It was published online in Arthritis Care & Research on May 5, 2025. LIMITATIONS: This study population was predominantly White from Olmsted County and surrounding areas in Minnesota, potentially limiting generalizability to more diverse populations. The researchers used code-based definitions for CTS ascertainment, which may have introduced healthcare utilization bias as patients with milder CTS might not seek medical care. Additionally, information about unilateral vs bilateral CTS and detailed joint count scores was not collected during the record review, which could have provided better understanding of CTS severity and its association with RA. DISCLOSURES: This study received funding from grants provided by the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and National Institute on Aging. The Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records-linkage system was supported by the National Institute on Aging, Mayo Clinic Research Committee, and user fees. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
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Miami Herald
28-01-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Inmate was left yelling in pain in his jail cell until he died, Minnesota lawsuit says
The daughter of a Minnesota man who died while in state custody is suing after she says jail staff failed to provide him medical care, despite his pleas for help. A federal lawsuit was filed Jan. 27 against multiple defendants including Olmsted County, Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc. and USA Medical & Psychological Staffing, S.C. Olmsted County declined McClatchy's request for comment. Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc. and USA Medical & Psychological Staffing, S.C. did not immediately respond. Melvin Bush, 59, was arrested on March 1, 2023, on suspicion of violating a no-contact order in Olmsted County, according to the lawsuit. When he was booked into the Olmsted County Jail, he told jail staff that he had high blood pressure and was on Suboxone, according to the civil complaint. Bush tested positive for several substances, but instead of being prescribed Suboxone, he was given 'a cocktail of mild withdrawal medication' the next day, according to the lawsuit. On March 5, Bush 'began suffering from spontaneous and intense stomach pain,' the suit said. At times, he was checked by a nurse, however, the lawsuit said he was not given the proper treatment or medication. The jail nurse failed to fully check Bush's vitals, ignored pleas for help and ignored that he was not eating, the lawsuit said. Other inmates pleaded with jail staff to get medical attention for Bush as he yelled in pain from his cell, according to the complaint. '(Deputies) and (the nurse) left Melvin to continue suffering even though it would have been obvious to any layperson that Melvin had serious medical needs and needed a higher level of care than (the nurse) could offer,' the lawsuit said. Bush continued to request medical assistance from deputies, but they told him he was 'just withdrawing,' according to the lawsuit. The complaint said that Bush told deputies the medicine they gave him was not working and he needed to see a doctor. However, his pleas were not taken seriously and a deputy told the nurse, '(c)an you just come down take a look at him, just give him peace of mind(?)' the lawsuit said. Jail staff checked on Bush several times on March 5, but the lawsuit said they did not fully check his vitals or conduct a physical examination and at times only looked into his cell without going inside. Bush continued to ask for medical care and was seen 'laying, breathing heavily, moaning, and groaning,' the lawsuit said. Then, at 4:15 p.m., he was found in his cell 'stiff with his jaw wide open,' according to the complaint. Deputies 'believed' they found a faint pulse, and Bush was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later revealed that Bush died from a perforated duodenal ulcer, 'a serious medical condition that required prompt and appropriate care,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit is asking for more than $225,000 in damages. Bush was a family man who loved spending time with his loved ones, according to his obituary. 'If you couldn't find Melvin all you had to do was ask one of his grandchildren 'where's Papa?' because they were usually anywhere he was,' the obituary said.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Family of man who died in custody files lawsuit against Olmsted County jail staff, health care provider
Jan. 27—ST. PAUL — The family of a 59-year-old man, who died while in the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center in March 2023, has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging Advanced Correctional Healthcare staff and ADC jail deputies failed to provide appropriate medical care. In a news release about the filing, the law firm Storms Dworak claims the 2023 death of Melvin Tyrone Bush was preventable. The complaint alleges that Bush had "obvious and escalating medical needs — including severe abdominal pain, vomiting bile, and abnormal vital signs" before he died. "Bush's cries for help and those of fellow detainees on his behalf were ignored, leading to his preventable death just hours later," the release said. The lawsuit was filed in Minnesota District Court on Jan. 27, with Areryana Bush, one of his daughters, as the plaintiff. Bush is suing Advanced Correctional Healthcare, Inc.; USA Medical & Psychological Staffing, S.C.; Jacob Hanson; Dalton Clouse; Shelby Nesler and Olmsted County. According to the lawsuit, ACH subcontracted with USA Medical & Psychological Staffing to provide medical services at the jail. Hanson is a registered nurse who was working at the jail, while Clouse and Nesler were sheriff's deputies working at the jail. Bush was found dead on March 5, 2023, four days after he was detained, by deputies conducting a well-being check, Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson said in a news release at the time. He was pronounced dead after being transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys emergency room. The lawsuit argues that the nurse and deputies were "deliberately indifferent" to Bush's medical needs while he was in custody. Bush's daughter is requesting at least $225,000 in the lawsuit for their family's actual losses and for punitive damages, which are meant to deter similar behavior in the future from the defendant. Olmsted County declined to comment on the lawsuit, according to Communications Specialist Emma Diercks. ACH and USA Medical & Psychological Staffing did not immediately respond to requests for comments. The lawsuit alleges that medical and jail staff "failed to conduct adequate assessments, ignored critical warning signs, and dismissed Melvin's condition as drug withdrawal, all while he suffered and pleaded for help." It also alleges that the defendants violated Bush's Eighth Amendment rights, which prohibits the government from imposing cruel and unusual punishments. The defendants are also accused of violating Bush's 14th Amendment rights, which prohibits the government from denying equal protection or depriving anyone of life, liberty or property without due process. The third count alleges wrongful death under Minnesota state law. According to the suit, Bush was arrested on suspicion of violating a no-contact order and detained in the jail on March 1, 2023. As he was being booked, Bush disclosed that he had high blood pressure and was taking suboxone. Bush tested positive for several substances on March 2, 2023. He was prescribed multiple withdrawal medications but not suboxone. Despite not receiving suboxone, Bush did not have any medical complaints over the next several days, the lawsuit said. From March 2 through March 4, 2023, the lawsuit claims no medical staff in the jail took Bush's vital signs. Bush began "suffering from spontaneous and intense stomach pain" on the morning of March 5, 2023. He refused the withdrawal medications from Hanson around 7:30 a.m., the lawsuit said. Three hours later, Bush called the control room to say he "needed to see a doctor ASAP." The lawsuit alleges that Hanson knew Bush was not eating and had been vomiting bile. Hanson then found a tender area on Bush's stomach. According to the lawsuit, Hanson did not document a complete abdominal evaluation. Bush's blood pressure was also taken at 99/60, which is abnormal for a patient with a history of high blood pressure, the lawsuit said. Hanson did not take Bush's pulse, respiratory rate or oxygen saturation, as depicted in the medical chart that day. Hanson charted that Bush was suffering from withdrawal symptoms, the lawsuit said. "Nurse Hanson should have notified a physician, and arranged for emergency medical evaluation, as his condition clearly exceeded the scope of care possible in the jail," the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit argues that Hanson was "deliberately indifferent" to Bush's medical needs and "violated the standard of care." Nesler told investigators that her body camera was on while taking Bush's vitals, but Olmsted County has said that this video and other body-worn camera footage of Bush during well-being checks no longer exists. Despite Bush contacting deputies Nesler and Clouse over the intercom, they did not visit with him for several hours. Clouse told Bush he needed to let the medications set in. As Bush continued yelling in pain, other inmates informed Nesler and Clouse that Bush was asking for a doctor. According to the lawsuit, Bush struggled down the stairs into the common room around 1 p.m. He went upstairs around 1:30 p.m. to "beg Deputy Clouse for help." Clouse and Nesler contacted Hanson after receiving pleas from other inmates and witnessing Bush nearly fall. When he visited him at 1:45 p.m., Hanson did not take a complete set of vitals, according to the court document. The lawsuit said Nesler conducted a well-being check on Bush at 2:37 p.m., followed by Clouse's checks at 3:02 p.m. and 3:29 p.m. The lawsuit claims Clouse peered into Bush's cell for less than three seconds. Clouse checked on Bush once again at 3:57 p.m. Clouse observed that his "eyes were wide and his breathing was staggered." Bush said he needed medical attention, but Clouse again told him he was experiencing withdrawal symptoms, the lawsuit said. Around 4:15 p.m., Nesler completed a well-being check and saw Bush was stiff with his jaw open. Nesler continued to check on the other detainees before returning to Bush's cell to see if his chest was rising and falling. When Nesler and Clouse entered the cell, Clouse noted Bush was cold to the touch. The correctional staff engaged in lifesaving efforts until paramedics arrived. Bush was declared dead at 5:21 p.m. on March 5, 2023. An autopsy report later showed that Bush's cause of death was acute complications of a perforated duodenal ulcer, which ultimately progressed to sepsis. The lawsuit proceeds to argue that ACH has a history of failing to meet constitutional standards of care for people in custody. According to the lawsuit, ACH staff consistently provide "incomplete medical assessments and misdiagnoses."
