It's no wonder that New Ulm Journal staff writer Josh Moniz received the Minnesota Newspaper Association's New Journalist of the Year Award for all daily papers at the MNA convention earlier this week.
The earnest and self-effacing reporter has that curious knack of being at the right place at the right time, as he was last August when he videotaped former congressional candidate Mike Parry primary-bid-busting remarks at a rural fundraiser in which the former state senator alleged that Governor Mark Dayton was "scary" and popped pills at meetings.
This afternoon, Moniz was on the scene when a fundraising "Street Team" from toxic metal preacher Bradlee Dean's You Can Run But You Can't Hide youth "ministry" was tossed from the entrance of the Walmart in New Ulm, Minnesota.
YCRBYCH was banned from fundraising at all Walmarts nationwide in May 2011, the City Pages reported in Bradlee Dean lied to Walmart about his church, is now banned from parking lot. Dean's team was fundraising at the Hutchinson Walmart.
The review came days after Dean's controversial (and stricken) opening prayer questioning President Barack Obama's faith at the beginning of the Minnesota House session in which the body was to take up the bill putting the constitutional amendment restricting the right to marry to opposite gender couples.
Here's the series of tweets by Moniz, who's working on a story for Sunday's New Ulm Journal.
Bradlee Dean's "You can run but you can't hide" set up at New Ulm parking lot. They got booted as I approach after 1/2 up. #stribpol
— Josh Moniz (@Josh_Moniz) January 26, 2013
Walmart has standing policy to not allow Bradlee Dean fundraisers. They got a spot due miscommunication New Ulm store management #stribpol
— Josh Moniz (@Josh_Moniz) January 26, 2013
"You can run but You can't hid" workers seemed to genuinely not know about Walmart policy, surprised they were booted #stribpol
— Josh Moniz (@Josh_Moniz) January 26, 2013
"You Can Run But You Can't Hide" spokesperson claims unaware of Walmart policy, looking into it. We 'll have a story 4 tmrw #stribpol
— Josh Moniz (@Josh_Moniz) January 26, 2013
YCRBUCH spokesperson claimed City Pages, former Minnesota Independent was making stuff up in their prior stories on them #stribpol
— Josh Moniz (@Josh_Moniz) January 26, 2013
Dean notoriously filed a defamation lawsuit against Rachel Maddow and the Minnesota Independent. At last report in July 2012, Dean was ordered to pay their legal fees, although the case may still lie dormant in the system.
Finally Moniz tweets:
Doesn't look like I'm getting anymore comment from Walmart, "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" tonight about the New Ulm incident #stribpol
— Josh Moniz (@Josh_Moniz) January 27, 2013
In a 2011 cover story, Andy Mannix of the City Pages reported that the Street Teams' parking lot fundraising brought in more than $444,000.
Bluestem looks forward to the story. On twitter and not yet following @Josh_Moniz ? You should.
Photo: Bradlee Dean at the Minnesota State Capitol, standing in the need of prayer.
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(stands up and salutes)
Comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. Go get 'em, Mr. Moniz!
Posted by: Phoenix Woman | Jan 26, 2013 at 08:44 PM