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Cam Akers likely won’t play for Vikings on Sunday. He’s still excited for the fresh start.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

Cam Akers got traded to the Vikings on Wednesday, passed a physical on Thursday and talked to reporters about his new situation on Friday.Talk about a whirlwind.“It ain’t been bad,” Akers said with a smile. “I’ve got a village with me. My family has helped me set some stuff up. I’ve been able to focus on football.”Though he now has a couple of practices under his belt since arriving in Minnesota, Akers isn’t likely to suit up for the Vikings against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.That much head coach Kevin O’Connell essentially confirmed while praising the acquisition of Akers.“He’ll work toward potentially being a part of what we do next week,” O’Connell said. “It’s a little too soon to ask him to go this week.”After getting selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Akers emerged as the starter during a strong rookie season. He tore his Achilles tend...

‘Downtown Owl,’ partially shot in St. Paul, to close Twin Cities Film Festival

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

“Downtown Owl,” which was filmed partially in St. Paul, will close out the 14th annual Twin Cities Film Festival on Oct. 28.Passes for both online and in-person screenings are priced from $165 to $55 and are on sale now via twincitiesfilmfest.org. Tickets to individual screenings go on sale Sept. 29. The festival runs from Oct. 18 through 28 at the Showplace ICON Theaters at The Shops at West End in St. Louis Park.Based on the 2008 novel by essayist and North Dakota native Chuck Klosterman, “Downtown Owl” is set in 1983 in the fictional North Dakota town of Owl. It follows Julia Rabia (Lily Rabe), a Milwaukee teacher who moves to the small town for a one-semester teaching job in order to give her husband the space to finish his doctoral thesis. Ed Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Jack Dylan Grazer, Finn Wittrock and Henry Golding are also in the cast.A film crew at work in St. Paul’s Spot Bar on April 21, 2022. (Courtesy of Chey Eisenman)Actors and real-life couple Rabe and Hamish Lin...

Voting begins for Nov. 7 local elections across Minnesota  

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

Voting began in Minnesota on Friday for Nov. 7 local elections.There will be dozens of municipal, county, township and school board races on the ballot across the state this year. To find out about election in your area go to: mnvotes.gov/pollfinder.The state’s no-excuse absentee voting law allows for eligible voters to cast ballots beginning 46 days before the November election. They can request an absentee ballot from their local election offices. All absentee and mail ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on election day.This is the first general election since election laws passed by the 2023 Legislature. They included a measure giving Minnesotans the right to paid time off from work to vote any time during the 46-day voting period. In addition, voting rights have been restored for felons on supervised release.Related ArticlesElections | School resource officers could be returning to schools after AG’s legal opinion, meeting with governor Elections | ...

St. Paul schedules sessions on sales tax increase for road and park projects

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

The city of St. Paul is inviting residents to learn more about a proposed increase to the city sales tax intended intended to raise nearly $1 billion over 20 years for major road reconstructions and parks projects. The increase, equivalent to one percentage point, would leave St. Paul with a total city, county and state sales tax of 9.875%, the highest in the state.St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and city public works officials have called the costs of road repair inevitable, raising the likelihood that if they were not supported by the sales tax — which is supported as well by visitors to the city — much of that burden would fall on city property taxes. The proposal, to appear on the Nov. 7 ballot, is opposed by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.If approved in November by voters, funding from a local sales tax is projected to raise $738 million for arterial road reconstructions and $246 million for parks and recreation facilities improvements.For more information, visi...

Wild’s Marcus Foligno looking to get back to (his) basics

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

Marcus Foligno’s offensive production took a big leap in 2021-22, scoring a career-high 19 goals and 42 points for the Wild, part of the reason Minnesota finished fifth in NHL scoring while finishing second in the Western Conference.As training camp started this week at TRIA Rink, the checking winger said trying to match that last season took him away from his game, which has essentially been smart, heavy puck control, leadership and the occasional brawl.“I put a little pressure on myself, didn’t play the style that I needed to for this team,” Foligno said. “I think that’s what I’m trying to get back to, get back to the hard-nosed game, straight lines.”Acquired in the 2017 trade that sent Jason Pominville and Marco Scandella to Buffalo, Foligno finished last season with seven goals and 14 assists. His plus/minus ratio of minus-6 was his worst since he was minus-17 with the Sabres in 2013-14, his first full NHL season.“I have to realize I do a lot of things away from the puck that he...

Charge dismissed against South St. Paul woman in gun heist killing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

Prosecutors have dismissed a second murder case in the June shooting death of a man during a gun heist in North St. Paul.The Ramsey County attorney’s office last week threw out the two counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder it had filed against 19-year-old La Vida Rose Martinez of South St. Paul. She had been charged in the June killing of 24-year-old Anthony Robert Rojas, who police say was making ghost gun parts in his North St. Paul apartment.The attorney’s office also dismissed the same charge against 16-year-old Austin Dwayne Mansfield of Woodbury last month, saying there was “insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.”Dennis Gerhardstein, the attorney’s office spokesman, said Friday in a statement the case against Martinez was dismissed after “we determined that there is insufficient evidence to sustain felony charges. … We continue to be open to any further investigation that would yield a clearer pictur...

Port of Albany conducts multiagency security drill

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Port of Albany is upstate New York’s largest public port and logistics hub. Officials there conducted a security drill on Friday to ensure first responders are prepared to coordinate across multiple agencies in an emergency.Local, state and federal officials conducted the annual training on the Hudson River. They don’t use the training often but when they need it, they’ll be ready.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! 20 years ago the Stellamare cargo ship capsized at the Port of Albany, killing three. That prompted a multi-agency response to save the crew members in the icy river, the type of coordination first responders practiced on Friday. “Thankfully it’s been a while but it’s one of those things where we always want to make sure that our team and our partners are up on what the latest techniques are,” said Penny Vavura, a spokesperson for the Port of Albany.She said they can encounter any numb...

Man accused of stabbing, killing estranged wife in East Alton

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

EAST ALTON, Ill. - A man is behind bars after he allegedly stabbed and killed his estranged wife Thursday in the village of East Alton. The Major Case Squad of St. Louis has been called to investigate the situation, the first homicide in East Alton this year. John Davenport, 55, faces two first-degree murder charges in the stabbing death of Adell Davenport, 47. Investigators say Adell was fatally stabbed early Thursday morning in the 300 block of West Main Street near a sidewalk. The Major Case Squad reports that John and Adell "were married several years prior and were currently separated" at the time of the stabbing. 38 car parts distributing centers joining UAW strike Members from the Major Case Squad, the East Alton Police Department and the Illinois State Police met with the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office on Friday to present evidence in the case that linked John to the murder."I’ve got 18 investigators here working with the East Alton Police Department in conjunct...

High-speed chase ends with arrests near Dupo, Illinois

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

DUPO, Ill. - Two suspects, a stolen car, and now a string of investigations. It all comes after a long-standing police pursuit ended Friday morning near Dupo, Illinois. "We're gonna chase you, we're gonna catch you, our state attorneys gonna prosecute you, and our judges are gonna send you to prison,"said Monroe County Sheriff Neil Rohlfing amid the investigation Friday. Columbia Police apprehended two people on Interstate 255 after a long-distance pursuit. Around 6 a.m. Friday, Monroe County Sheriff’s Police saw a vehicle that was reported stolen driving southbound on State Rt. 3 near Ames Rd. Waterloo. The vehicle was stolen in a robbery in Normandy, Missouri, earlier in the night.   38 car parts distributing centers joining UAW strike The MCSD deputy followed the vehicle as it drove southbound, waiting for additional officers to arrive in the area to help stop the vehicle. The driver was armed with a handgun.  The Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter was flying ove...

Bulldozers cut down cottonwoods in Barr Lake State Park, raising concerns about bald eagles

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:41 GMT

Four yellow bulldozers began cutting down cottonwood trees this week in Barr Lake State Park, alarming wildlife researchers in the middle of an annual bird-banding blitz and raising concerns about the eradication of habitat for bald eagles.Bird Conservancy of the Rockies leaders headquartered in the park are pressing Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) officials to minimize the destruction by sparing as many of the park’s towering 80-year-old cottonwoods as possible.The tree-cutting — with about 20 cottonwoods and other vegetation cleared as of Friday — marks the start of a five-year project that FRICO proposed for public safety and to increase the water-storage capacity of Barr Lake reservoir (30,057-acre-feet) by 1,500 acre-feet, according to a state document.The reservoir holds FRICO water diverted from the South Platte River for irrigating farm fields across northeastern Colorado and supplying municipalities in north...