Most people don’t think of September as an ideal time to open an ice cream shop, especially here in Minnesota. But for Andrew McNattin, the timing didn’t matter.
“This has been several years in the making. As much as I wanted to open the shop in April or May – ice cream season – this is the timeline that it got all done,” said McNattin, owner of Parkview Ice Cream Shop.
After seven years, the timing didn’t matter.
“I know this has been a dream of his for quite a while and to actually see him open the doors for the first time today, I might be as excited as him,” said Rusty Elm, friend of McNattin.
On Thursday, crowds of people lined up along Raymond Avenue for the grand opening of Parkview, featuring Bridgeman’s Ice Cream, which holds nostalgia for McNattin.
“They used to have an ice cream shop further down on Como, which I remember as a kid,” said McNattin, reflecting on eating Bridgeman’s.
The shop is named in honor of Parkview Cafe, a now-closed shop that once stood just blocks away. As a child, McNattin would eat there with his father.
“The Parkview Cafe no longer exists. When I was a kid I used to meet up with my dad at the restaurant,” said McNattin.
McNattin plans to keep the shop open until fall, but has to juggle his personal job with the ice cream shop.
Parkview Ice Cream is open Monday to Thursday, with varying times.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, hundreds of volunteers are packing meals for those in need.
This is the fourth year volunteers are packing meals in observance of 9/11. This year, there are more than 500 volunteers packing nearly 200,000 meals for those in need.
The healthy, non-perishable meals will then go to Second Harvest Heartland before being sent out to Twin Cities food shelves and meal programs.
The volunteers at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul are packing taco macaroni, and it’s set to hit the tables of families in a day or two.
According to Feeding America, 47 million Americans face food insecurity.
Maddie Archbold with Second Harvest Heartland says in Minnesota, the need is the most it’s been in years.
“People are usually surprised to hear us say that the need is actually higher today than it has been in decades,” Archbold said. “We’re seeing that one in five Minnesota households is currently without the food they need to thrive and many of them are having to turn to external supports like their local food shelf or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in order to feed their families.”
September is Hunger Action Month. Second Harvest invites the public to volunteer at a local food shelf or food bank.
A spokesman for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office says the 22-year-old suspect from Aitkin is making his first appearance in court on Wednesday for the death of 37-year-old Steffon T. Jennings of St. Paul.
The shooting happened during the early afternoon on July 20 along Maryland Avenue near Jackson Street. There, police found Jennings, who had been shot multiple times. He died a few minutes later.
An autopsy cited in the charging document says Jennings was shot seven times. The charges go on to say that a piece of paper with a handwritten phone number was found in the jacket that Jennings was wearing at the time.
Witnesses then told police that two men, as well as a woman, had entered the camp shortly before the shooting. Officers were able to find surveillance video that allegedly showed a white Lexus being parked near the camp, and two men, as well as a woman, got out and walked toward the camp just after 1 p.m. Less than 15 minutes later, the two men returned to the car, and one of them drove it a short distance before walking away.
During an interview with police, a man said he was on his way back to the encampment when he heard the gunshots and said he had heard two men and a woman were involved, adding they sold drugs at the camp, according to the complaint.
After towing the Lexus and searching it, police found a wallet with the suspect’s ID inside, as well as a prescription with his name. Police say they also found part of a drug ledger.
Later that afternoon, a man approached an officer who was at a convenience store on Maryland Avenue East and asked to shake the officer’s hand. The charges go on to say the man passed a piece of paper, saying, “He and his girl did it,” and that the phone number on the piece of paper was for the gunman responsible for the encampment murder earlier that day. He went on to say an acquaintance of his gave him the information to then pass on to the police.
According to the complaint, the number passed to the police on that sheet of paper matched the number found on the paper found inside Jennings’ jacket.
Police used a database and found the number is tied to the man now charged with murder.
Witnesses told police the group didn’t stay at the encampment but were new and sold fentanyl. One of the witnesses confirmed the people he saw leaving the camp as the same people who were shown in a photo, getting out of the Lexus. That same witness said Jennings was shot because the trio “fronted him a ‘ball’” and he wasn’t going to pay the money back.
Fans headed to the Minnesota Gophers’ home football game should expect cool temperatures on Saturday.
While a mix of sun and clouds will be around for the day, a stray shower can’t be ruled out, and high temperatures will make their way into the low 60s by the afternoon hours.
Overnight, low temperatures will be in the 40s, although some parts of greater Minnesota will see temperatures in the 30s.
Sunday will still be cool, but slightly warmer with highs expected to hit the mid- and upper-60s.
Looking ahead to next week, some showers and storms will be possible Monday night and Tuesday morning. Otherwise, expect a quiet stretch of weather and temperatures in the 70s, which is more seasonable for this time of year.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, weather has been a passion for Adam for as long as he can remember! Whether it was thunderstorms or winter storms, Adam has always been geeking out. After earning his meteorology degree from Penn State, he made his way to the Ohio Valley to forecast for WTOV.
Authorities in the eastern Twin Cities area are searching for a missing teenage girl.
According to the Oakdale Police Department, 14-year-old Tiara Emari Johnson left her home in the city on July 28. She may in the St. Paul or Mankato area, police said.
Tiara Emari Johnson
Oakdale Police Department
Authorities described Johnson as a 5-foot-10, 125-pound Black girl. She has brown hair with brown and pink braids, as well as brown eyes.
Johnson was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and a multicolored backpack when last seen.
Anyone with information about the teen is asked to reach out to Oakdale police at 651-439-9381 or call 911.
Multiple road closures will impact drivers in the Twin Cities this weekend, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Interstate 94 east between Highway 280 and Interstate 35E, and northbound I-35E between Highway 5 and University Avenue will both be closed. The roads will reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.
Then, at the same time those freeways reopen to traffic, Rondo Avenue between Rice and Marion streets will be closed in both directions through 10 p.m. on Sept. 12. The Marion Street exit on westbound I-94 will also be inaccessible.
The closures come as MnDOT crews work to repair nine bridges over I-94 and I-35E in Minnesota’s capital city. The John Ireland Boulevard Bridge will be completely replaced, with construction starting after the Twin Cities Marathon.
To learn more about the project and detour routes, click here.
MnDOT encourages drivers to check 511mn.org for updates, avoid cutting through local roads and allow extra travel time during closures.
Riley Moser is a digital producer who covers breaking news and feature stories for CBS Minnesota. Riley started her career at CBS Minnesota in June 2022 and earned an honorable mention for sports writing from the Iowa College Media Association the same year.
As warm beach days wind to a close at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Kaitlin Bornhoft and her 5-year-old daughter Juliette are making the most of their summer grand finale, before kindergarten starts in just a few days.
“We’re excited for her to have another year with familiar faces returning, and a familiar teacher whom she’s had last year as well,” said Bornhoft.
“We’re entrusting that she’ll be safe with the wonderful educators and the folks that will be there,” said Bornhoft.
In Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey said they’ve partnered with more than a dozen agencies to provide hundreds of extra shifts patrolling around schools and churches.
In St. Paul, Minnesota, school leaders received a letter from St. Paul police Deputy Chief Kurt Hallstrom. The department says it’s offering “…police presence outside every public and private school within the Saint Paul School District to help bolster a sense of safety and security.”
“It’s just something that we can do that costs us nothing and shows that we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the people that are trying to keep our kids safe and have a good school year,” said Hallstrom.
“St. Paul Police Department, they reached out to our superintendent and said, ‘What can I do? What can we do to support and show our community that we’re going to protect our students?’” Said Marcus Sullivan, Saint Paul Public Schools security leader.
Police won’t be able to be at every school all four days this week, Hallstrom said. So far, no school has declined the help.
Police presence means some peace of mind for Bornhoft. Her daughter Juliette starts school in St. Paul on Thursday.
“It’s assuring in the sense that it feels there’s extra eyes. It’s sad to think that there needs to be those extra eyes, but I’m grateful that they’re taking it seriously to offer any assurance that they can,” said Bornhoft.
“In the coming week, we know there will be a lot of difficult emotions due to school starting,” Frey said.
The city is coordinating with law enforcement across the metro to expand patrols around all schools within Minneapolis over the next couple of weeks.
WCCO reached out to the state’s five largest districts about their back-to-school safety plans.
Only one — St. Paul Public Schools — provided someone to discuss safety and security.
“St. Paul Police Department, they reached out to our superintendent and said, ‘What can I do? What can we do to support and show our community that we’re going to protect our students?’” SPPS security leader Marcus Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the district’s schools will continue visitor check-in, lockdown drills and controlled access procedures.
Every secondary and pre-K-8 school has at least one school support liaison. For the first week of classes, they’ll have additional support from police officers.
“When my school support liaisons are standing side by side with St Paul Police Department, the police officers that are going to be our school opening week to greet our students, to high-five our students, to fist bump our students, that’s a show of unity in our community after a tragedy just happened in Minneapolis,” Sullivan said.
For parents anxious about sending their children back into the classroom, Sullivan hopes this message will ease their fears.
“I have a kindergartener who is going to attend Riverview and I’m in charge of the security operations for the district,” he said. “So if I’m allowing my kid to come to this school district, I ensure that it’s going to be secure and it’s going to be safe and welcoming.”
Every St. Paul school has a school safety team and mental health team that meet to review processes, discuss areas for improvement and share information.
MINNEAPOLIS — While most of the Election Day attention this year will be on the presidential election, there are plenty of downballot items deserving of attention.
In Minnesota, there are a few interesting local ballot measures of which voters should be aware, including how lottery money is allocated, subsidizing money for child care and more. Below is a breakdown.
Want a look at everything on the ballot in Minnesota this year? WCCO has you covered.
Should lottery money keep going to state’s environmental fund?
Every voter in Minnesota will see this Constitutional amendment on their ballot.
Forty percent of lottery proceeds go to the state Environment and National Resources Trust Fund, which funds projects like Dakota County’s Thompson Park. Every 25 years, voters must reaffirm the amendment.
Here’s how the question will look on your ballot:
“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?”
If you skip this question, your vote will count as a no.
St. Paul: Child care subsidy
A ballot measure in St. Paul would create a special tax levy (meaning a rise in property taxes) to subsidize child care costs for low-income families. It would be the first city in Minnesota to attempt such an approach.
The levy would bring in $2 million in the first year and scale up to $20 million by the tenth year of implementation for a total investment of $110 million over a decade.
Supporters believe it’s a step in the right direction to find solutions to a persistent problem facing young families. Detractors, including St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, believe the plan over promises but will under-deliver. Carter told the City Council last month that city staff would not be able to implement the subsidy program should it pass.
Here’s the full language:
SHOULD THE CITY LEVY TAXES TO PROVIDE EARLY LEARNING SUBSIDIES?
In order to create a dedicated fund for children’s early care and education to be administered by a City department or office that provides subsidies to families and providers so that early care and education is no cost to low-income families and available on a sliding scale to other families, and so as to increase the number of child care slots and support the child care workforce, shall the City of Saint Paul be authorized to levy property taxes in the amount of $2,000,000 in the first year, to increase by the same amount each year following for the next nine years ($4,000,000 of property taxes levied in year two, $6,000,000 in year three, $8,000,000 in year four and so on until $20,000,000 of property taxes are levied in year ten).
St. Paul: Should city races switch to presidential election years?
The measure would switch city races, such as the mayor and City Council, from odd-numbered years to presidential election years.
Supporters say it’s designed to boost voter engagement, since odd-numbered elections traditionally see very low turnout. Meanwhile, opponents like Carter say the city deserves to have its own election conversation separate from big-ticket races that capture the headlines.
If approved, the change would phase in by 2028.
Bloomington: Should ranked choice voting be repealed?
In Bloomington, voters will be asked if they want to repeal ranked choice voting for their local elections, four years after voters chose to implement it in the first place.
Four other cities in Minnesota — Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka, and St. Louis Park — use ranked choice voting in their local elections.
Cole Premo is digital manager for CBS Minnesota. For more than a decade, he's been covering breaking news and weather, daily topics, stories from the Native community and more in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS — When it comes to Halloween in Minnesota, you can expect to hear the sounds of ghosts and goblins. You can also expect the sound of lifelong Minnesotans (Gen X or older) collectively reminding the never-not-reminded rest of Minnesota about that one time it snowed a lot on Halloween.
The Halloween Blizzard of 1991 is a story that is brought up year after year as a badge of honor for those who lived through it. Blustery winds and plummeting temperatures on Halloween night made going house-to-house for trick-or-treaters or just about anywhere a challenge.
But Halloween night was just the start.
On the spooky night itself, Minneapolis-St. Paul got just over eight inches of snow. And on the next day? Another 18.5 inches. The day after that another inch fell. And on Nov. 3, a few more tenths of an inch, bringing a whopping 28.4 inches of snow, the biggest single storm still on record.
Former WCCO Meteorologist Paul Huttner remembers the around-the-clock updates on a blustery Nov. 1 morning.
“It came fast and was a shock,” Huttner recalled. “We’re saying that’s going to be more than 20 inches of snow! That’s not really going to happen, right?”
As the Twin Cities woke up, the snow picked up, at times falling two inches an hour. The wet, heavy snow collapsed rooftops and stranded firefighters. Police swapped their squads for snowmobiles to navigate the roads while others used skis to get down the street.
“As a meteorologist, you always want to work the big storm,” Huttner said. “As I saw there that morning, I knew it was huge. I had no idea this would stand as the biggest snowstorm in Twin Cities history as I sit here 30 years later.”
That blizzard left mountains snow on the ground. It melted away about a week later, but we picked up another 14 inches over Thanksgiving. And that snow stuck around until early March.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest, active theater in St. Paul — but is it also haunted?
“It’s a magical thing to have a little time box that captures the history of art and entertainment here in the city,” said Ashley Ryan with the Fitzgerald Theater.
For nearly 115 years, the Fitzgerald in downtown St. Paul has been a destination, featuring opening and closing acts of all kinds.
“We get opera, we get ballet, we get rock ‘n’ roll, we get folk music,” said Dan Zimmermann, an engineer at the theater.
Names of actors and singers can be found on the famous Fitzgerald bricks. Of course, the Prairie Home Companion show has also had quite a run.
“Paul Simon was one of the first guests he had on. That was just an amazing thing. Paul was great to work with,” said Zimmermann.
The performers make the headlines, but it’s the people behind the scenes who make the history. That includes an old theater worker, who simply went by the name “Ben.”
“He was a stagehand. He had his red toolbox that he carried around all the time,” said Zimmermann.
Ben retired half a century ago, and later died, but some believe he never left. Zimmermann said that became a little more apparent during a renovation in 1985, when an architect discovered a hidden door in the first balcony.
“He said ‘guys, there’s a second balcony up here.’ At that time for the movie theater, they had put in a false ceiling from the front of the second balcony to the top of the proscenium,” said Zimmermann.
“Within that they found some mysterious — not remains — but mysterious little remnants of the past,” said Ryan.
That included an old note addressed to Ben which workers took. Nobody knows what it said, but some believe the discovery stirred Ben’s spirit. Employees have reported seeing his ghost in that second balcony when the theater is closed. Audience members have also described getting help from a nice man upstairs.
“Whoever you put me up there with was really helpful. We didn’t put you up there with anybody. That’s sort of the raised eyebrows and the feelings of – oh, I talked to somebody,” said Ryan.
“Some performers when they come, ask about it. Some audience members too. It’s definitely out there,” said Zimmermann.
So are reports of Vaudeville Veronica- a performer from the theater’s early days. Some workers have said they’ve heard her singing when the Fitzgerald is supposed to be closed. It’s possible proof that even when the theater goes dark, the show goes on.
“There’s always another layer behind the stories too because this is a place where stories are told. This sort of helps propel this along, but of course, I think a theater should be haunted,” said Ryan. “Why not?”
Past theater workers have also described having their tools mysteriously moved while they were working on a project. They believe Ben’s ghost is responsible.
John Lauritsen is an Emmy award-winning reporter from Montevideo, Minn. He joined WCCO-TV in late-July of 2007. Two days after he started, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Celebrity chef and restauranteur Justin Sutherland was arrested inside a St. Paul Spirit Halloween store on Thursday after police say an officer spotted him with a woman who has a no-contact order against him.
Police say a St. Paul officer working inside the Target store off University Avenue West and Hamline Avenue North recognized Sutherland and the woman.
The two left and drove across Hamline Avenue to the nearby Spirit Halloween store, police say. The officer called for backup and soon confirmed the no-contact order was still active.
Police say officers then entered the store and arrested Sutherland for violating the court order, which is a gross misdemeanor. He was taken to the Ramsey County Jail. As of Friday morning, the jail’s roster indicates he hasn’t been released.
Sutherland’s previous arrest and criminal charge
According to the criminal complaint filed this summer in Ramsey County, Sutherland was arrested on June 28 after police were called twice to a St. Paul apartment building in connection to allegations he had choked his girlfriend and threatened her with a gun, which he was also accused of hitting her with.
She first called the police to report Sutherland had assaulted her and tried to kick her out of the apartment, but then told responding officers their help wasn’t needed.
Later that evening, two additional 911 calls were made by witnesses. One said they saw an armed man outside with a woman “who appeared to be in distress,” the complaint states. The other witness, the woman’s sister, told police Sutherland was trying to kill his girlfriend, and while on a video call she saw Sutherland take her phone and throw it.
Justin Sutherland in 2019
WCCO
When officers returned, the complaint says police encountered Sutherland leaving the building. While they took him into custody, he allegedly said, “I called 911 and you trying to f****** arrest me?”
The woman told police the fight with Sutherland began after he canceled their plans to attend a music festival. Sutherland’s friend told police he came to the apartment to de-escalate the situation. He said he didn’t see any guns, but he had to “physically get in the middle of them and push them apart.”
The complaint states officers who later executed a search warrant at the apartment found 10 firearms, ammunition and the woman’s broken phone.
Sutherland went into a treatment program following the arrest, according to the complaint.
Triumphs and tragedy
Sutherland, an Apple Valley native and graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, has seen his star rise in the food world over the past several years.
He’s found fame in the Twin Cities with his ties to several restaurants, including Handsome Hog, Pearl & the Thief, Big E and Northern Soul, the latter also being the title of his 2022 cookbook.
Sutherland also became a staple on the Food Network through his appearances on “Top Chef” and his 2018 victory on “Iron Chef America.” He also hosted his own online series called “Taste The Culture.”
But Sutherland was dealt his first major blow on the Fourth of July in 2022. While boating on the St. Croix River, Sutherland fell overboard and into the propeller, which ripped through his face and shoulder. The accident led to multiple surgeries.
“You know, I always thought I lived life, loved life to the fullest, and then you don’t really realize how much you really love life until you almost lose it,” Sutherland told WCCO that year.
Following his guilty plea earlier this week, Sutherland’s attorney, John Daly, says he’s seeking a stayed 360-day prison sentence for two years in addition to 100 hours of community service. He is set to be sentenced on Dec. 13.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
Stephen Swanson is a web producer at CBS Minnesota. A 21-year WCCO-TV veteran, Stephen was a floor director for a decade before moving to the newsroom, where he focuses on general assignment reporting.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police say a woman is dead and another person is injured following two nearby shootings late Saturday night.
Officers responded to reports of shots fired in an apartment building on the 100 block of Sycamore Street East just after 9 p.m., according to the police department.
Upon arrival, officers found a woman inside an apartment suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers provided first aid until medics arrived. The woman died on the scene. Her death marks the 23rd homicide in St. Paul this year.
At the same time, police say another sergeant responding to the shooting was waved down near the 90 block of Acker Street East concerning a carjacking where the victim had been shot.
Witnesses told police that the suspect fled in the victim’s vehicle. The victim was transported to the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Police say that preliminary information suggests that the two crimes may be related but it is too early in the investigation to confirm.
No arrests have been made.
“Right now, I think we all believe, based on time based on distance, that these cases could be related, but our investigators can’t work off of circumstances. They need facts,” said Sgt. Mike Ernster with St. Paul police.
Neighbors said the woman who was killed, lived at the Sycamore Street apartment where the shooting occurred.
Joseph Gutierrez lives two properties away and was surprised to learn about the shootings.
“We never have anything going on here,” said Gutierrez. “It’s a nice, quiet neighborhood.”
This marks the fourth homicide in St. Paul in nine days.
Anyone with information on either incident is asked to call 651-266-5650.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The tight-knit, community-centered feel of St. Paul’s Hamline-Midway neighborhood is what brought Angie and Ted Vig’s guitar shop, Vig Guitars, to their current location along Snelling Avenue ten years ago.
“After the unrest happened, everybody came out and started cleaning up and helping and asking if we needed help,” said Angie Vig.
However, a recent epidemic, as Angie calls it, of widespread narcotics use — sometimes just outside her business — has impacted public perception, and in turn, foot traffic.
“They won’t stop in because people are gathered in front of a certain business,” said Vig.
Drug issues and shoplifting began around the time of the COVID shutdown, she said.
A Saint Paul Police incident report from September said the hub of the fentanyl-fueled drug activity centered around Kimball Court Apartments along Snelling Avenue.
According to that report “every doorway, alley, walkway between buildings, and dark spot available is littered with burnt aluminum foil and dirty needles.” The report goes on to say that employees at both the nearby Holiday and Taco Bell “…are constantly threatened and harassed for being… unwilling to allow people to shoplift.”
“Door Dash drivers at Taco Bell have been robbed several times out in front of the business,” the report said.
It’s gotten so bad, the owners of Vig Guitars said they are looking at moving their business to a different area.
“It’s like we’re being forced to move, to leave,” said Vig.
Vig said there are no easy answers to solve the neighborhood’s drug epidemic.
“There’s a lot of help out there, but there’s a lot of people who don’t want to accept it.”
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul Police Department is asking the public for help in locating a missing 19-year-old.
According the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Jae’Shaun Murray was last seen leaving school on Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m. near Jefferson Avenue and West Seventh Street in St Paul.
Murray is described as being five feet 10 inches tall with black hair and dark eyes.
Authorities say Murray was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black ripped jeans, a blue shaggy hat and a dark navy cross-body bag.
Police say Murray has been known to use public transit and was traveling towards the area of Fifth Street and Minnesota Street on the night he went missing.
Authorities urge anyone with information regarding Murray’s whereabouts or disappearance to call the St. Paul Police Department at 651-291-1111.
Mackenzie Lofgren is a web producer and digital content producer at CBS Minnesota. She writes web articles and produces short-form video content used on CBS Minnesota’s streaming platforms.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Tens of thousands of runners might still be in recovery mode today after this weekend’s Twin Cities Marathon.
That doesn’t mean they’re not basking in the bliss of finishing a long race. What is “runner’s high”? And what happens in our bodies to create it?
It’s hard to match the feeling of winning a marathon, but that doesn’t mean those still miles from the finish line aren’t finding joy.
“I started feeling it about maybe 23, 24 miles into marathon,” said runner Jose Perales.
“It was just pure accomplishment and adrenaline that I pushed through to the end,” described another runner.
Happiness from running some would describe as a high. Chris Lundstrom, a senior lecturer at University of Minnesota and long distance running coach, has experienced the unique feeling many times. He said “runner’s high” is a subjective feeling.
“People describe a sense of euphoria, a feeling of wellbeing after finishing running especially,” said Lundstrom.
Do runners need to reach a certain distance to feel the high? One told us she definitely doesn’t notice the high in the first few miles, describing that opening stretch as tough.
“That probably has some variability to it, too,” said Lundstrom. “I think as a general rule, it’s gotta be 20-plus minutes (of running).”
What is happening in the body that creates the high when running?
“The original theory was it was endorphins which our body produces. these and they go throughout our body,” said Lundstrom.
Endorphins can help a runner push through the pain that builds at long distances, allowing some to run further than they planned. But Lundstrom said something else is proving to be the cause thanks to new research.
“They’ve done a lot of research on endocannabinoids, which similar to cannabis have those kinds of effects on the body, but they’re produced within our own body,” said Lundstrom.
Exercise increases the level of endocannabinoids in the bloodstream, creating a feeling of calmness and euphoria like the effects of THC in marijuana.
“The first time that I ever ran it, (the high) lasted like 2-3 days,” said Perales.
Exercise is known to elevate the mood and lessen depression, said Lundstrom.
He adds that runners seem to think the high they feel is unique, however, specifically when finishing the race. That’s an accomplishment in its own right, but with bliss as a bonus.
“When you’ve stopped running, pay attention to how great it feels and that’s a real good motivator for getting out there next time,” said Lundstrom.
New runners might not feel the high their first few times out. Even experienced runners don’t feel it every time, said Lundstrom.
Jeff Wagner joined the WCCO-TV team in November 2016 as a general assignment reporter, and now anchors WCCO’s Saturday evening newscasts. Although he’s new to Minnesota, he’s called the Midwest home his entire life.
MINNEAPOLIS — A dozen states require police to trace guns recovered during criminal investigations, according to “Everytown for Gun Safety.” Minnesota isn’t one of them.
Data shows that 58% of law enforcement agencies in the state trace some weapons, but only 13% of them share what they learn.
Should that change? WCCO Senior Investigative Reporter Jennifer Mayerle went to Travis Riddle, the ATF’s Special Agent in Charge in St. Paul, to find out.
Pistols are the most commonly traced guns found at crime scenes in Minnesota.
“For crime guns, the easier you’re able to hide it or conceal it, or even just get rid of it, that is going to be the weapon of choice,” Riddle said.
They account for more than 70% of crime guns traced in Minnesota last year, most often Glocks, says Riddle. Reasons for the trace range from a weapon offense to homicide.
“The trends for the state is that the majority of the firearms that are recovered and traced in Minnesota originated in Minnesota,” Riddle said.
Agencies in the state have a choice if they want the ATF to trace its crime guns. It can be done online using eTrace or over the phone, and it’s free. Cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul do.
WCCO
“Why does St. Paul choose to do it?” Mayerle asked St. Paul District Chief Jeff Stiff.
“I think that it’s important, right? Obviously a crime with a victim, a person’s crime with a victim, and it can help you. You don’t know when it can help you, right?” Stiff said.
“Why does the department put all of the guns into the eTrace system?” Mayerle asked MPD Forensic Administrative Analyst Mehgan Hamann.
“So that it can help in any, I mean, it could help in any shape or form,” Hamann said.
Close to 40% of agencies in the state don’t use eTrace.
“There is an incentive for them to participate. But a lot of times what it takes is to show them that the first success of you trace this gun, this is where it got you. This is how it helps you,” Riddle said.
Agencies that opt in can share their data with other law enforcement in the state, but few do.
“It’s not something that they’re intentionally excluding. It’s a checkbox, and either you check it or you don’t check it,” Riddle said. “And if you don’t check it, then you don’t get to share.”
Lawmakers could change that and require agencies to trace crime guns. A move like that could create a bigger picture of guns connected to crimes within the state. It could also put more pressure on an already strapped tracing system.
“So right now, we’re on average of about 10 or 11 days to complete this firearms trace, which in our view is too long,” Troppman said. “Our objective is to get them done within seven days for a routine trace.”
“Why is it important for agencies to trace their crime guns?” Mayerle asked Troppman.
“The tracing of firearms not only identifies the purchaser of that particular firearm that was used in that crime, but the collective information of a firearm trace could lead to wider trafficking issues or bigger trends in that area,” Troppman said.
One thing is clear: the ATF wants more departments to use eTrace. And the center can already use more manpower. The budget proposal submitted for 2025 requests tens of millions for upgrades, saying in part: “Delays in crime gun trace results increase the risk of investigative leads going cold and leave shooters on the streets longer, giving them the opportunity to commit more crimes.”
“An increase in staff would certainly assist in making improvements to our facility. More resources, more funding, those kinds of things would certainly enable us to be a little bit more efficient,” Troppman said.
WCCO reached out to state lawmakers invested in gun legislation. They declined our interview request or said they needed more information before taking a position. We’ll be sure to follow up.
Wednesday at 6 p.m., we look into the national conversation to modernize the ATF’s tracing system.
Jennifer Mayerle happily returned to Minnesota and WCCO, where she began her career as an intern. The Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist joined WCCO as a reporter in May 2014. She also anchors “WCCO Saturday Morning” from 8-9 a.m.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A major school bus mix-up has a St. Paul mom fired up and looking for answers.
On Monday, Hindi Abdi went to pick up her 4- and 5-year-old children from Crossroads Elementary, but they were not there.
“When I showed up, they weren’t there,” Abdi said.
Panic set in when she found out they were on a bus.
“A bus home that we’ve never rode. I don’t even know the intersections to or discussed,” she said.
The Saint Paul School District says their system showed Monday that the kids were scheduled to start taking the bus and were dropped off at their assigned bus stop.
Abdi says the miscommunication put her children in danger and she was even more upset when she found out her son refused to get off at the strange stop.
She said both her kids were confused after being dropped off at the intersection of Sherburne Avenue and St Alabans Street. Her 5-year-old son saw a fire truck and walked with his sister to get help.
“We were so proud of him for taking the chance to be that brave child we know he is and take care of his sister,” Abdi said.
But she’s still frustrated that the bus driver did not listen to her son’s concerns about the location.
“My son was able to vocalize to an adult that this is incorrect, he was scared and that it was the wrong stop,” Abdi said. “For the driver to still tell him to get off without an adult present is unacceptable.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Saint Paul Public Schools said in part,
“Pre-K students can be dropped off without a parent present if they are with an older sibling. Kindergarteners do not need a parent present. In this instance, because the students did not want to get off the bus, the driver should have taken them to the next school on their route to arrange parent pickup or a transport home. Because this protocol was not followed, the driver has been removed. All drivers have been reminded about this important protocol.”
Abdi hopes her family’s story drives home change.
“That policy needs to be changed. A 6-year-old is not close to be old enough to take a child off the bus,” she said.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When dispensaries open up next year, they’ll have the green light to move in anywhere in downtown St. Paul, according to an ordinance passed unanimously by the city council on Wednesday.
The ordinance, however, bars dispensaries from opening within 300 feet of a school.
The legislature set the law legalizing weed but gave local governments the power to regulate where and when businesses operate in their communities through their local zoning laws.
The guidelines recommended by the state allow cities and counties to limit the number of cannabis dispensaries to one for every 12,500 people and to prohibit operations within 1,000 feet of a school.
City officials conducted a study comparing a 300-feet restriction surrounding schools with the 1,000-feet restriction lawmakers set as the ceiling. They found the latter would mean more than 60% of space zoned for retail would be off-limits.
Some expressed concern with the more relaxed rules.
“If, after a bit of history, there is a desire to loosen these restrictions, that is relatively easy to do. What is difficult to do is tighten regulation once businesses are established and investments have been made,” wrote Jeanne Weigum, President of the Association for NonSmokers of Minnesota. “There is no compelling reason to set the bar low when the option of starting slowly and then potentially decreasing the distance requirement is readily available.”
Prospective cannabis businesses will also need to have 24-hour surveillance and will be prohibited from sharing a common entrance with tobacco shops.
Businesses still need to apply and get approved for a state license to operate a dispensary in Minnesota.
