June 14, 2022

The Waseca County Attorney is running for re-election. A police investigation raises questions about whether she actually lives there.

For over a year, a county attorney in southern Minnesota was the target of a criminal investigation as detectives tried to understand whether she actually lived in the district where she was elected.

Now, nearly three years after investigators found she “does not reside” in Waseca County, Rachel Cornelius is running for re-election in the same county.

The Attorney General’s Office ultimately declined to charge Cornelius with a crime.

But the evidence, obtained by 5 INVESTIGATES through a public data request, raises serious questions that have derailed political careers in the past.

The criminal investigation into Cornelius’ residency involved months of physical and video surveillance by Owatonna police. Detectives determined Cornelius stayed at her home in Waseca just 30% of the time while spending the majority of her days at her family’s farm in neighboring Le Sueur County.

Minnesota law requires candidates to sign an affidavit of candidacy, swearing under oath that they live where they serve.

“It doesn’t mean you can kind of play games,” said political and election lawyer Charlie Nauen. “It’s a very real consequence.”

Throughout the criminal investigation, Cornelius maintained her innocence.

“The voters of Waseca County granted me the privilege of being their County Attorney,”

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Increasing home, construction costs could impact insurance coverage

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — Rising prices could hit you hard if disaster strikes. Skyrocketing home values and construction costs are leaving gaps in some homeowners’ coverage.

A lot of this varies by policy — most are written in terms of what’s replaced rather than the current cost of materials. But at least one disaster cleanup professional is finding that some mishaps may have limits that are not set to today’s high prices.

What happened in the Parsons’ home could happen anywhere.

“When I got out of bed, I felt like wetness on the ground,” said Josh Parsons.

He made the discovery.

“I came rushing in here, and there was probably about an inch, inch and a half of standing water,” he said.

A toilet leaked all over the floor and down below.

“I went to put some things out in the garage, and when I opened the door, it sounded like a light river in our garage,” said Jeramie Parsons.

Three levels were impacted as water came through the rafters and behind walls and cabinets.

“All of the flooring has to be removed because we have trapped moisture,” said Ryan Marriott, owner of Floodsmen Disaster

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Best Law Firm Types For Different Young Lawyers

Working at a law firm is a great start for young lawyers to gain experience and work their way up to a partnership. Still, this track isn’t always the best fit for every lawyer. Some lawyers will do better on their own as solo practitioners and others will be better served in small or large firms. There are several tracks available to lawyers and it’s important to understand each to make the best decision for their career. 

What Is It Like to Work at a Law Firm?

There’s no simple answer to this question. The experience depends on the size and reputation of the firm, the practice area, and other factors. No matter the size of the firm, the legal industry is known for being stressful and often includes long hours that seep into a lawyer’s personal time.

The benefits of working at a law firm include getting training from more experienced lawyers, a guaranteed salary, and experts in different departments to handle specific areas of the law firm’s business like invoicing and billing. Lawyers at law firms simply get to practice law without worrying about running a business, handling their own marketing or accounting, or other hassles.

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