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Gov. Walz joins lawmakers in pushing for $240 million for municipal lead pipe replacement funding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

After 30 years as a homeowner on Front Avenue, Diane Schultz was relieved when a mailer arrived with a unique offer.St. Paul Regional Water Services would open up the street in front of her house, shoot a pneumatic bullet under her home’s foundation and remove and replace the aged lead service line that connects her water meter to the utility’s water main. Much of that lead piping snakes through her private property, but St. Paul Regional Water would do the work free of charge. First, the agency needed one thing: her permission.Schultz was among a dozen or more Front Avenue homeowners who jumped at the opportunity. In some parts of the city, the utility has been less lucky convincing homeowners to sign up.“They don’t understand what it’s all about,” said Schultz, surrounded by utility workers while standing in front of a spray paint outline of the future dig site by her front yard.A 10-year citywide effortAlso present was Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. P...

Body pulled from St. Croix River IDed as missing man from Hudson

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

Hudson, Wis., police on Thursday identified the man pulled from the St. Croix River this week as Hai Quoc Nguyen, a 31-year-old Hudson man who has been missing since March 3.Officers with the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and Washington County Sheriff’s Office recovered Nguyen’s body from the river on Wednesday morning after receiving a call from someone who had spotted it.Nguyen was a native of New Richmond, Wis., and was “a bright and engaging young man who was fluent in six languages,” according to a post on the New Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page. “Hai loved the Chamber, and we loved him. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.”Nguyen was last seen around 9:25 p.m. March 3 traveling west on Buckeye Street near First Street in downtown Hudson, according to Hudson police. His car was found parked downtown along with his personal property.On April 8, police asked residents to avoid the boat launch on the...

Flood report: Fort Snelling State Park to close, St. Croix forecast jumps a foot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

Due to rising waters on the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, Fort Snelling State Park will close to the public starting Friday.The park will remain closed until floodwaters recede and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staff are able to assess conditions within the park and address any safety issues resulting from the flood, DNR officials said in a statement.“The safety of park visitors and staff is our number one priority,” said Ann Pierce, director of the DNR’s parks and trails division. “We know Minnesotans are eager to get outside and enjoy the recreational opportunities in beautiful state parks like Fort Snelling. We will reopen the park as soon as it’s safe to do so.”Several other parks and recreation areas across the state also are experiencing high-water conditions that might affect access to certain roads, trails or areas. People should visit park-specific websites to check visitor alerts before heading out, park officials said.The Mississippi River is expected to c...

Two men indicted in 2019 killing on St. Paul’s East Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

Two men serving federal prison sentences have been indicted on first-degree murder charges in connection with a 2019 homicide in St. Paul, according to information made public this week.The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office convened a grand jury in November to decide whether to bring charges against Derwin Idell Moore and John Sheldon Pickens Jr. in the drive-by shooting death of Wayne Rodrick Brown. The 29-year-old from St. Paul was found shot in the street at Hudson Road and Earl Street in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2019.Wayne R. Brown, 29, of St. Paul, died after he was fatally shot in St. Paul on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. (Courtesy photo)The grand jury returned indictments Nov. 2 charging Moore, 36, and Pickens, 37, with first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree intentional murder-drive-by shooting and second-degree intentional murder. The two-page indictments were made public this week as “the State is preparing to commence these proceedings,” court r...

State drops 5,700 jobs in March, unemployment rate ticks down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

Minnesota lost an aggregate 5,700 jobs in March and the state’s unemployment rate ticked down to 2.8%, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development said Thursday.All of the job losses were in the private sector, 6,100 jobs, but this was offset by the addition of 400 new government jobs. The unemployment rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point from February, DEED said.Nationwide, total nonfarm employment increased by 236,000 jobs, up 0.2% from February to March, with the U.S. private sector gaining 189,000. The comparable U.S. unemployment rate was 3.5%.In Minnesota, the labor force participation rate was unchanged at 68%, and this compares with 62.6% nationally. This measures the total portion of the working age population that is working full-time or actively seeking work, and is used to calculate the main unemployment rate.“A decline in the unemployment rate is good news for Minnesota,” said DEED Temporary Commissioner Kevin McKinnon in ...

Investigation underway after possible jaw bone found in Schenectady

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Police are investigating after what appeared to be a jaw bone was discovered in the backyard of a Schenectady home. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The home is located on Paige Street. The homeowner said she found it while she was preparing to garden.

PHOTOS: Hail hits Lincoln County amid severe storms

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. - Another round of severe weather rolls through the St. Louis region, and with it comes some hail threats.In Lincoln County, viewers have informed FOX 2 of hail hitting areas in Troy, Moscow Mills and Hawk Point. Top Story: Severe storms possible Thursday afternoon and evening Some people described witnessing at least golf ball-sized hail hit their homes or property. For others, it's closer to pea-sized hail. You might notice some hail around areas dealing with a temperature drops, in addition to thunderstorm threats. Many counties around the St. Louis region are under a severe thunderstorm watch through the late evening hours. There has not yet been a tornado watch issued in the St. Louis region, but it can't be ruled out completely for Thursday.

Storm system hitting St. Louis area wreaked havoc in Oklahoma earlier

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Three people are dead after at least eight confirmed tornadoes in Oklahoma Wednesday afternoon and evening.“It appears, from what I’m looking at, we have two tornadoes on the ground,” said Mason Dunn, a pilot.One of those tornadoes devastated the town of Cole, Oklahoma, about 30 miles south of Oklahoma City. The tornadoes leveled homes, uprooted trees, killed two, and left countless others trying to figure out where they go next.“Look at that flagpole bent over with the American flag. What a site that is right there,” Dunn said. Top Story: Severe storms possible Thursday afternoon and evening To the northeast, in the town of Shawnee, Oklahoma Baptist University took a direct hit.Roofs were torn off dorms, windows were blown out, and students’ cars torn apart."We could feel the tornado hit like we're in the basement. And we felt the ground rattle and our ears were popping,” Sydney Bell, a student at Oklahoma Baptist University. “So, just it was a different fe...

Broncos’ partnership with UC Health ends after eight years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

The UCHealth Training Center will have a new name going forward and the Broncos will have a new corporate health care partner.The Broncos and UC Health confirmed Thursday that the organizations’ partnership ended recently after eight years.The football club is nearing finalization of a new official health care partner.“We want to thank UCHealth for its dedicated support of the Broncos–and our community—as the team’s healthcare partner and training facility naming rights holder since 2015,” the Broncos said in a statement provided to The Post.When coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton spoke to reporters Thursday, the backdrop used didn’t include the typical UCHealth advertising.A UCHealth statement said another potential partner offered “more than what UCHealth was willing to pay.”“Almost eight years ago, UCHealth announced a partnership with the Denver Broncos focused on engaging the communities we serve, improving health, and providing meaningful opportunities fo...

No bail or court appearance for Ventura County crash, stabbing suspect; arraignment moved to May 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:51 GMT

Austin Eis, the man who allegedly committed a string of violent acts that culminated in a crash that killed a ninth-grade student at Westlake High School, did not appear in court as scheduled on Thursday. His arraignment has been moved to May 19, and a judge has ordered no bail for the 24-year-old suspect, who officials say was homeless at the time of the crimes. Eis is also accused of pepper spraying and stabbing a Walmart employee in Simi Valley and attempting to drag another employee out of the store on the same day. He is also accused of going to a relative’s home without permission in Camarillo where he allegedly brandished a firearm. Austin Eis is seen in this undated photo provided by the Ventura County Sheriff's Office.Family and friends console each other at the scene of a fatal crash in Thousand Oaks, California. April 18, 2023. (KTLA)A 15-year-old boy died and three other teens were injured when a suspect fleeing the scene of a stabbing allegedly crashed in...