Recently in Local News Category

By Octavio Abea

Cottage View Drive-in in Cottage Grove off of Highway 61 is looking over plans to turn into a Wal-Mart Supercenter, which could make their 46th season their last.

Gerry Harringer, Cottage View Drive-in's owner, told Fox 9 that he is said to see the theater go, but buying a new digital projector as much as $90,000 to accommodate new technology is not a smart investment to make in a struggling industry.

Brent Peterson, director of the Washington County Historical Society, wants to preserve the dive-in's sign because of it is "iconic," the Pierce County Herald reports.

Hundreds of movie-goers attended opening night to show support for the drive-in, Fox 9 reports.

Only a handful of drive-in theaters exist in Minnesota and the struggle is far from over with the switch from film to digital movie making in 12 to 18 months, the Pierce County Herald reports.

By Octavio Abea

The wife of a former Minnesota Vikings tight end awaits trial for a hit-and-run case where she admitted being behind the wheel of the SUV that struck and killed a man on an exit ramp in Minneapolis.

Amy Senser, 45, said she was behind the wheel when she hit Anousone Phanthavong, 38, who was filling his car up with gas on the side of a highway exit ramp around 11:00 p.m. on Aug. 23, the Associated Press reports.

Senser is facing three felony counts of criminal vehicular homicide alleging that she caused the accident, failed to notify authorities, and was negligent by using her cellphone, KSTP reports.

Senser did not come forward as the driver until a week after the accident, but maintains her innocence because she said that she didn't know she had hit anyone, KSTP reports.

Joe Senser played for the Vikings in the 1980s for four years before running restaurants in Minneapolis and doing commentary for the Vikings, the Associated Press reports.

By Octavio Abea

Minneapolis teachers approved a new contract Saturday that satisfies some union demands to improve teaching and the school board will be voting on the matter Tuesday.

The contract adds and hour a week, four extra school days, and two preparation days during the opening week of school in order to remove distractions that hurt their ability to teach, MPR News reports.

"We have a lot of good things that will be good for students, for teachers, for schools and for the district overall," Lynn Nordgren, president of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, said, the Star Tribune reports.

The contract passed with 83 percent of the voting member's support, Nordgren said, MPR News reports.

The additional time given to teachers will add up about $3,000 a year for the typical teacher and raise district costs 6.4 percent to $17.1 million, the Star Tribune reports.

By Octavio Abea

A Hastings man was sentenced to 5 years when pleading guilty to his 11th DWI Friday.

Michael Andrist, 47, was arrested in July when he was involved in a police chase on Highway 72 because he was swerving in and out of ditches, according to police, WDAY News reports.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom told Kare 11 that he hopes Andrist gets the help he needs.

Andrist told officers that he used a synthetic drug called "bath salts," but testing showed that he was on cocaine and meth, WDAY News reports.

A message was left with Andrist's public defender, but he has not responded, Kare 11 reports

By Octavio Abea

A Minneapolis police officer shot and wounded a suspect armed with a knife Sunday who was arguing with a woman at an intersection, police said.

Police responded to a call around 9 a.m. and headed to the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Lyndale Avenue where they saw Robert Wolf, 43, arguing with the woman who made the call, Sgt. William Palmer said, the Pioneer Press reports.

When the officer approached the two, Wolf pulled out a knife and began to make threats causing the officer to retreat and eventually fire his gun, Palmer said, the Pioneer Press reports.

Wolf was brought to Hennepin County Medical Center and is expected to survive, Palmer said, Kare 11 reports.

The Officer, who is a 24-yea-veteran, will have his name released Monday, and is on a standard three day leave while the homicide and internal affairs teams investigates the shooting, Palmer said, Kare 11 reports.

By Octavio Abea

The Minneapolis Police Department has proposed an 8 p.m. curfew in response to the groups of young people that have attacked other individuals at least six times since early Feb., according to police.

If the curfew is imposed it would ban teenagers 17 and younger from the Nicollet Mall area and Hennipen avenue where the attacks occurred, Kare 11 reports.

"Certainly the vast majority of kids that come downtown are not creating these problems. But we have seen in the recent weeks, there have been some problems," Sgt. Steve McCarty told Kare 11.

The attacks have targeted young adults and teenagers and have sent one man to intensive care and another was left with a broken jaw when he was punched while riding his bike, the Star Tribune reports.

The people affected by the curfew would still be able to come and go from Twins' games and other events, but at this point the idea is only at the discussion stage, according to Inspector Kris Arneson, the Star Tribune reports.

By Octavio Abea

A fire at a hotel in downtown Rochester caused an evacuation of the building and $100,000 in damage Saturday, according to Assistant Fire Chief Paul Belau.

Firefighters responded to a call around 6:15 a.m. and reached the Days Inn to find a fire that had started from a spark from a fryer in the restaurant that had overheated, CBS News reports.

Belau told Kare 11 that an initial fire extinguisher failed, but they were able to eventually put out the fire.

Guests were allowed back to their rooms around 8 a.m. after firefighters checked the building for combustible materials, CBS News reports.

No one was injured during the fire, but an 86-year-old man had to be treated for shortness of breath, Kare 11 reports.

By Octavio Abea

A Minneapolis mother left her 4-year-old boy home alone during a fire while she was at the casino and is now facing a felony charge of child neglect.

Authorities said Yeng Moua, 44, told them that she left her four kids at home around midnight to go to the casino Jan. 3, KSTP reports.

According to authorities Moua also said that she was aware that her boy would be alone when she came back home in the afternoon because the other the kids would have gone to school by then, KSTP reports.

The boy, who has been known to start fires, was with a neighbor when he was found by firefighters and had suffered burns on his nose, the Pioneer Press reports.

The neighbor was the one who saved the boy from the burning home, the Pioneer Press reports.

By Octavio Abea

Four North Dakota State University students died in a head on collision on Interstate 94 after they ended up in oncoming traffic during the heavy snowfall Monday.

Lauren Peterson, 18, Jordan Playle, 19, Danielle Renninger, 18, Megan Sample, 18, died while they were driving back to school from the Twin Cities area when they crashed head on with an SUV around 3 p.m., the Grand Forks Herald reports.

Heavy snow and strong winds made it difficult to travel, but officials still have not made a final determination on what caused the crashed, Duluth News Tribune reports.

The four women, who were originally from the Twin Cities, were believed to be roommates at the university, the Grand Forks Herald reports.

The SUV was hit by a third vehicle injuring three others, but they were treated at a nearby hospital and released, Duluth News Tribune reports.

By Octavio Abea

Drivers might feel some relief swith Highway 169 reopened ahead of schedule in both directions Sunday along with all of the loops and ramps connecting it to I-494, according to Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The highway has been closed since Feb. 17 so that crews could place beams for a new bridge reaching from westbound I-494 to southbound Highway 169, the Star Tribune reports.

Unusually nice weather conditions as well as some other good conditions resulted in an early reopening, the Star Tribune reports.

Once the reconstruction project is complete the current express way will be the new freeway by rebuilding the interchange between Highway 169 and I-494 with six ramps instead of eight, Kare 11 reports.

The new design allows for the removal of traffic signals, reduced congestion, and improved safety, Kare 11 reports.