Iron Range official charged with knocking out power to 3 cities

Iron Range city councilor's action knocked out electricity to 3 cities

Joseph Vaida, a city councilor in McKinley, MN, faces three felony charges for cutting a tension wire that knocked out power to Gilbert, Biwabik and his own constituents.

Angry with electrical utility, Iron Range official cuts wire, knocking out power to 3 towns

An Iron Range city councilor who has a “long and contentious history with Minnesota Power” allegedly cut a wire on his property last week, knocking out power to three towns. Joseph Christopher Vaida, 63, of McKinley, faces three felony charges after reportedly disrupting the utility’s service to the city and neighboring communities of Gilbert and Biwabik. Vaida, according to a criminal complaint, had demanded Minnesota Power remove the wire from…

Iron Range official charged with knocking out power to 3 cities

VIRGINIA — An Iron Range city councilor who has a “long and contentious history with Minnesota Power” allegedly cut a wire on his property last week, knocking out power to three towns. Joseph Christopher Vaida, 63, of McKinley, faces three felony charges after reportedly disrupting the utility’s service to the city and neighboring communities of Gilbert and Biwabik. Vaida, according to a criminal complaint, had demanded Minnesota Power remove th…