Photo: KSTP-TV

By Kyle Brown of KSTP-TV - December 31, 2020

An event center in southern Minnesota is being told to shut down a planned New Year's Eve event that would have gone against state coronavirus restrictions.

The Faribault County District Court granted Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's motion for a temporary restraining order against Carlson Event Center in Winnebago, the Attorney General's Office announced on Thursday. The event center risks being held in contempt of court if it goes ahead with the celebration.

“Yet another court has recognized the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the firm legal foundation of the State’s legitimate interest in putting a stop to it,” Ellison said in a statement. “I thank the thousands of Minnesota establishments providing indoor events or entertainment that have done the right thing and met their responsibility to their communities by continuing to follow the law."

The attorney general filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the event center for planning to host an indoor "New Year's Eve Bash" event in open defiance of Gov. Tim Walz's Executive Order 20-99, which orders indoor entertainment venues to remain temporarily closed through Jan. 10.

An advertisement for the event said it will be "a big new year's dance," and asked attendees to bring their own beer and liquor. 

To see the original report and related stories, follow this link to the KSTP-TV Eyewitness News website.  https://kstp.com/coronavirus/court-orders-winnebago-event-center-to-cancel-new-years-eve-celebration...