A St. Paul man was sentenced to 16 years in prison after a man he punched in the head near the light-rail train platform in downtown St. Paul last summer died of his injuries.

Darren Duffie, 29, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder without intent in November in connection with the death of Richard McFee, 43.

Shortly before 9 p.m. on July 23, officers found McFee unconscious near the light-rail train platform near Fifth and Minnesota streets. He was taken to Regions Hospital where he died of a head injury a few days after.

Investigators found a surveillance camera showing Duffie approaching McFee from behind and hitting him with his fist one time on the side of the head. McFee, of St. Paul, fell to the ground and was unresponsive.

Duffie said he knew McFee and they had previously argued about drugs and money. He said McFee “stabbed” him a few weeks earlier and pointed to a small, older wound on the side of his abdomen. He said he didn’t go to a hospital or seek medical treatment and couldn’t be specific about the date or location of the assault. He told investigators that McFee had recently struck a female friend of his and that’s why he hit McFee in the head from behind, according to the complaint.

At the time, Duffie was on probation for threats of violence and check forgery. He has a prior conviction for third-degree assault.

— Kristi Miller

City streamlining noise-permit process

If you’re looking to apply for a permit to make some amplified noise at a public gathering in St. Paul, you’re in luck. It just got easier to apply for a multi-day permit — no noise variance required.

Until now, organizers of multi-day events have had to submit separate applications for amplified sound permits for each calendar day of their event, each of them at a cost of $138.

On Wednesday, the St. Paul City Council voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance amendment authored by council member Rebecca Noecker that simplifies the application process. Event organizers can now submit one application spanning the duration of their multi-day event, paying the $138 one time, even if the event lands on non-consecutive days.

“Having music every Friday night for the summer — not having to apply for 20 different permits — makes a lot of sense,” said Noecker, addressing the council when the ordinance amendment was first introduced on April 10.

Event organizers can apply for a permit, issued by city staff without city council involvement, as opposed to a noise variance, as long as noise does not exceed certain hours, durations or decibel limits. Noecker said she worked closely with the Department of Safety and Inspections on the permit changes, and DSI in turn roped in St. Paul Parks and Recreation.

No one from the public spoke at a public hearing on the proposal last week. Noecker and Council Member Nelsie Yang were absent Wednesday.

— Frederick Melo

Fischbach, Boyd head to primary face-off

Neither U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump or her outsider challenger Steve Boyd were able to gain the Republican Party endorsement Saturday at the Minnesota Seventh Congressional District GOP Convention in Morton.

In a contentious Republican Party endorsement fight between Fischbach, of Regal, and Boyd, of Kensington, neither candidate gained the 60% needed for the endorsement after three rounds of voting. A convention vote approved a motion not to make an endorsement. Candidate Annette Watson had finished third in the first round of voting and then withdrew and endorsed Boyd, according to a Boyd campaign news release.

Both Fischbach and Boyd are now expected to proceed to the Aug. 13 primary election without the GOP endorsement. The primary winner will earn the Republican endorsement for the 7th District race in the November general election. Prior to Saturday’s convention, Fischbach had rescinded her earlier pledge to abide by the 7th District GOP endorsement.

Fischbach is seeking her third term as a U.S. representative.

— Forum News Service

GOP endorses Rahm to challenge Craig

Delegates to Minnesota’s 2nd District Republican convention Saturday endorsed criminal defense attorney Tayler Rahm to run against three-term DFL Rep. Angie Craig.

The endorsement will work in Rahm’s favor, but he’s not guaranteed the GOP spot on the November ballot in the race against Craig. Former federal prosecutor Joe Teirab recently reneged on his pledge to honor the endorsement and drop out if he didn’t win it.

Teirab will now challenge Rahm in the August primary.

The 2nd District includes many south metro suburbs and a portion of south central Minnesota. The November contest is expected to be among the most competitive congressional races in the country this year.

— Forum News Service

Litchfield, Hutchinson to get new news outlets

As the communities of Litchfield and Hutchinson commemorate the closure of their two historic newspapers — the Litchfield Independent Review and the Hutchinson Leader — the void left behind is to be filled much sooner than probably expected.

CherryRoad Media , the media division of CherryRoad Technologies of Parsippany, New Jersey, announced it will be opening two new community journalism operations, the Litchfield Rail and the Hutchinson Station, with publication of the new newspapers to begin May 9.

The Rail and the Station will join more than 80 newspapers in 18 states run by CherryRoad, including the Redwood Gazette, Granite Falls Advocate Tribune and the Montevideo American News.

The last publication of Litchfield Independent Review was distributed Wednesday.

Staffing the new community newspapers will be previous editorial and advertising staff from the Leader and Independent Review, including Editor Brent Schacherer, who has been doing journalism in Hutchinson and Litchfield for 25 years.

— Forum News Service