>>IGH Searches for 2 Juvenile Runaways
(Inver Grove Heights, MN) — Inver Grove Heights Police are asking for the public’s help finding a juvenile runaway. 14-year-old Jonathan Wells is believed to be staying with friends in Minneapolis. He’s described as Black, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 120 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. Police are also searching for 17-year-old Julian Puente. He has had sporadic contact with family and friends to ask for money. Julian has returned home once and left shortly after. He may be staying with family and friends in St. Cloud and Minneapolis. Julian is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 130 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
>>10-Year-Old Boy Arrested for Driving Stolen Vehicle Into Crowded School Playground
(Minneapolis, MN) — A 10-year-old boy was arrested Thursday for driving a stolen vehicle recklessly across a crowded school playground. Minneapolis police say the incident happened on September 20th at Nellie Stone Johnson School in north Minneapolis. No children on the playground were hit. The boy has at least 30 entries dating back to May 2023, having been arrested at least twice before for auto theft-related crimes. He is also listed as a suspect in over 12 cases ranging from auto theft to robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon. The boy’s family has asked police for help “keeping their son or anyone else from being injured or killed.”
>>Man, Woman Suffer Life-Threatening Injuries in Otsego Crash
(Otsego, MN) — A Blaine man and a Foley woman suffered life-threatening injuries when their vehicles collided in Otsego this morning. State Patrol says the 39-year-old man driving a 2022 van hit a 2010 Chevrolet driven by a 20-year-old woman around 8 a.m. on I-94. Both victims were airlifted to HCMC. Their conditions are unknown.
>>Coon Rapids Woman Charged with Animal Torture for Garage “Cat Rescue”
(Coon Rapids, MN) — A Coon Rapids woman faces four felony and one misdemeanor count of animal torture after authorities found almost 80 cats in her garage in inhumane conditions. Coon Rapids Police were made aware of 59-year-old Deann Jensen’s “rescue,” Scratching Post Number 9, in October 2022, when she sold sick kittens to customers. After two more encounters in February 2023 and March 2024, police got a search warrant this April. Police seized 79 cats from wire crates in her garage and one dead kitten. Officers reported an overwhelming scent of ammonia and cats covered in feces. Four cats, a mother and three kittens, had to be euthanized due to severe distemper, and another 25 kittens had ringworm. Jensen’s first court appearance is on November 8th.
>>Fire That Destroyed Hawley Business Deemed Accidental
(Hawley, MN) — The fire that destroyed a Hawley business Wednesday has been determined as accidental. Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting says a worker at Taracon Precast, a manufacturer of concrete panels and related materials, was cutting rebar with a handheld power cutter. The sparks caused other material to catch fire, and despite attempts to snuff it out, it turned into a large blaze. Gasoline and other flammable materials were inside the building north of Highway 10, and it’s believed there was at least one explosion. Empting says smoke could be seen for several miles.
>>Eden Prairie Woman to Pay Over $1.1M in Retribution for Embezzling from Edina Company
(Minneapolis, MN) — An Eden Prairie woman has been sentenced to two years in prison and has to pay over $1.1 million in restitution for embezzling from her employer. 52-year-old Monica Svobodny used her managerial position at a furniture manufacturing company in Edina to steal funds for her own use. Svobodny regularly used company credit cards for personal expenses such as designer clothing, spa services, and luxury hotel stays. She left unapproved expenses as “pending” to cover up her purchases. Svobodny transferred funds to herself via PayPal over 300 times. In total, she embezzled more than $1,137,000 over seven years. Svobodny pleaded guilty on April 10th.
>>Temps Dip Below Freezing in Northern, Northeastern Minnesota
(Duluth, MN) — The National Weather Service is reporting some chilly low temperatures from this morning in parts of northern Minnesota. Several locations dipped below freezing. The mercury dropped to 21 degrees in Tofte in Cook County, 23 in Grand Marais, 24 degrees at the Chisholm Airport, 27 in International Falls, 29 degrees at the Aitkin Airport, and 31 in Brainerd. Many areas were under the first freeze warning of the fall. Low temperatures tonight are expected to be 10 to 20 degrees warmer.
>>MN Wild Adopts Rescue Dog Rookie for 1-Year Training
(Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Wild has adopted a furry friend on a one-year training contract. Rookie, a four-month-old Labrador Retriever mix from Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue, will be raised to become a future service dog, joining the Wild as part of the team’s Adopt-A-Dog program. This marks the seventh time the Wild has adopted a dog from Coco’s Rescue. After a year of training, Rookie will train with Soldier’s 6, a Minnesotan non-profit that provides honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and firefighters with specially trained K-9s.