Down payment assistance, charges in Ricky Cobb shooting, it's expensive to fly in MN: This week's top stories

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota is launching a program this year to help first-generation homebuyers with down payments. A Minnesota State Trooper was charged with murder in the killing of Ricky Cobb. It's getting more expensive to fly in Minnesota. Here are the top stories from Jan. 20-Jan. 26. 

1. Minnesota down payment assistance launch: What you need to know

A massive program is launching this year to help first-generation homebuyers with down payments.

In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature set aside $150 million to help 5,000 families. But smaller down payment assistance programs are already making some dreams come true.

To learn more about taking advantage of the new program, click here. 

2. Ricky Cobb shooting: Minnesota State Trooper charged with murder

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has filed a murder charge against Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan in the killing of Ricky Cobb II.

Londregan is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, second-degree manslaughter, and first-degree assault in connection to the July 31, 2023, traffic stop. These charges come nearly six months after the fatal shooting and follow calls from Cobb’s family for the firing and charging of Londregan.

To read more, click here. 

3. It's getting more expensive to fly in Minnesota

According to USA Today, the average airfare at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was $422 in 2023, up $136 from 2021. That 48 percent increase was the highest percentage of any airport in the country.

"There's no question that fliers based out of Minneapolis tend to pay some higher airfare," said Kyle Potter of Thrifty Traveler. Potter says Delta's dominance in the market is one of the reasons travelers at MSP pay more. 

To learn more, click here. 

4. Body found frozen in icy channel between Minneapolis lakes: Sheriff

Authorities say a frozen body was discovered in the ice between two Minneapolis lakes on Jan. 19.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said its detectives and water patrol unit responded just before 3:45 p.m. to a report of a dead body. At the scene, authorities found the body "frozen in the ice" between the channel of Bdke Maka Ska and Lake of the Isles. 

The sheriff’s office said it is unknown how long the person had been in the ice. Authorities did not provide details about the victim or how the body ended up in the channel. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the victim’s identity and cause of death. The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff's office. 

5. 'Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison's son Adam dead at 39

Announced on Jan 20, Adam Harrison, son of "Pawn Stars'" Rick Harrison, died. He was 39-years-old. 

"He passed of an overdose," a representative for Harrison confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The details of Adam’s death remain unknown at this time.

6. Marijuana odor not probable cause for a police search: Court

Recreational marijuana is legal now in Minnesota for adults, and a recent Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling has upheld the precedent that its odor can't be used as probable cause for police officers to perform a search without a warrant.

The initial charges stem from an incident that involved possession of a pistol before recreational marijuana was legalized in Minnesota.

To learn more, click here. 

7. Man dies after snowmobile crash on northern Minnesota lake

A 38-year-old man died after a snowmobile crash on Poplar Lake in northern Minnesota. 

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release on Jan. 19 that a snowmobiler found the man and contacted authorities. A deputy who responded to the scene said the crash appeared to have happened the previous night.

The crash was likely caused by the man hitting a rock, and he was thrown from the snowmobile. The sheriff's office said the crash was fatal and identified the victim as a 38-year-old man from Grand Marais.  

8. Stanley cup collector, 16, says her parents have spent $3,000 to get her every style tumbler: ‘Obsessed’

A 16-year-old from Alabama says her parents have spent around $3,000 over the last year to help her collect every style and color of Stanley cup available. 

"I’m obsessed," Amelia Awad, 16, told the Wall Street Journal recently of the viral tumbler craze. After getting her first cup a year ago, she now has 67. 

To read more, click here. 

9. Minnetrista crash killed 2 people, closed Highway 7

A crash between a semi-truck and SUV on Highway 7 in Minnetrista left two people dead on Jan. 19.

The crash occurred around noon on Highway 7 at Wildwood Avenue in Minnetrista near St. Bonifacius, law enforcement said. An SUV was being driven eastbound on the highway approaching Wildwood Avenue when the driver crossed over the center median and hit a semi-truck head-on that was being driven in the opposite direction, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Both vehicles ended up in a ditch. 

To read more, click here. 

10. Lake Elmo crash results in serious injuries, shuts down traffic

A serious crash at Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue shut down traffic Jan. 20.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a car was eastbound at the intersection of Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue when it stalled in the left lane. An SUV then crashed into the back of the car at highway speeds, state patrol said. 

The car had two children inside, a 5-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. State patrol says the girl has suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Regions Hospital. The boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as did the driver, a 43-year-old man. Both were also taken to Regions Hospital. The girl was wearing a seatbelt, while the boy and the 43-year-old were not, law enforcement said. 

The girl later died from her injuries.