Gorvin's News

KARE 11 reported that Grandma’s Saloon and Grill, a West Bank staple for 27 years, will close its doors May 22. The Minnesota Daily reported that the decision to close came from Grandma’s corporate offices.
A number of factors contributed to the closing. The recent smoking ban and the 35W bridge collapse have taken their toll on the restaurant. The slow economy isn’t helping either.
“There's less disposable income, I get that. Heck, all of us go out less,� said General Manager Hal Holmes.
The closing came as a surprise to the restaurant’s employees, according the Minnesota Daily.
“It was pretty short notice,� server Whitney Peterson said. (Minnesota Daily)
Holmes said he’s going to try to stay open longer to help out his employees. “The longer we stay open, the better it is for our staff,� he said. “They've got four weeks to make as much money as they can.� (Minnesota Daily)

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The Star Tribune reported that the new 35W bridge crossing the Mississippi could be completed by September, three months ahead of the December deadline.
According to the Bemidji Pioneer, the bridge is 65 percent complete and crews could begin hanging concrete sections as soon as May 14, three months earlier than planned.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s contract with construction company Flatiron includes a $200,000 a day bonus for each day that the bridge is finished before the Dec. 24 deadline, up to 100 days. That works out to an extra $20 million for the builders, paid for with federal funds.
Sept. 15 is 100 days early and Flatiron project manager “fully intends to make that� (Star Tribune).
But MnDOT is not so sure. “We are certainly ahead of schedule, there's no question about that, but there's still a lot of work to be done,� MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said. “MnDOT's not at a point where it's ready to say ‘yeah, we're going to get done way early.’�

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The Star Tribune reported that a second person from the SUV that plunged into the St. Croix River Sunday night died.
Rohini Krishnamurthy, 27, died Tuesday at 4:20 p.m. at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, the Pioneer Press reported. She had been in critical condition since the accident.
Mohanraj Pothiraj, 28, had died Monday morning, less than 12 hours after being pulled from the submerged vehicle, the Pioneer Press reported.
The vehicle’s other two occupants, Deepa Vellusamy, 25, and Kalaiselvi Vijayakumar, 25, are still at Regions Hospital. As of Saturday night, Vellusamy was in serious condition, and Vijayakumar was in critical condition, the Pioneer Press reported.
The four friends were originally from India and had rented the vehicle for a daytrip to Stillwater, the Pioneer Press reported.
Authorities are still investigating why the four had driven down a disserted dirt road just north of Stillwater. “It would be very premature to speculate as to what happened until we have more facts, which we are trying to obtain,� Stillwater Police Chief John Gannaway said.
The vehicle left the road and plunged into the St. Croix River at about 10 p.m. Sunday night, the Star Tribune reported.
Two 911 calls from within the vehicle were placed. Rescuers arrived at the scene two minutes later and rescuers had pulled all four from the vehicle within 15 minutes, the Pioneer Press reported.
According to the Star Tribune, Stillwater police hoped to interview Vellusamy and Kalaiselvi on Tuesday.

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The Pioneer Press reported that three Grizzly bears from Alaska arrived at the Minnesota Zoo on Friday. The bears will be part of the zoo’s new exhibit about Russia’s Grizzly Coast, which will open June 7.
Sadie, Kenai and Haines had been orphaned as cubs in Alaska and were found on three different days in 2006, the Star Tribune reported. The bears spent two years at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center before their 10-hour flight to Minnesota Friday.
The bears must now undergo a routine quarantine period so zookeepers can monitor them. The Pioneer Press reported that the quarantine period will last 30 days, while the Star Tribune reported that the bears will be quarantined until the exhibit’s opening June 7.
Since their arrival, zookeepers have been keeping the animals entertained by hiding peanuts in their hay and spraying their toys with apple juice. They will also be trained to open their mouths and show their feet when examined, the Pioneer Press reported.
The new exhibit will feature a trout stream, mud pots and geysers. But, according to Diana Weinhardt, supervisor of the new exhibit, the bears will be the stars. (Pioneer Press)

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The Star Tribune reported that a 19-year-old Hudson man apparently set himself on fire in his family’s garage early Wednesday morning.
Brandon Helm suffered burns on over 80 percent of his body. His father, Michael Helm, 43, was also injured as he tried to distinguish the flames.
Police are investigating whether Brandon set himself on fire intentionally or if it was an accident, the Hudson Star-Observer reported.
The fire was reported at 1:22 a.m. Wednesday. According to the Hudson Star-Observer, fire crews used hand-hoses as well as a truck-mounted “master stream� to control the fire.
Brandon was taken immediately to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, while his father was taken to Hudson Hospital before being transferred to Regions, the Hudson Star-Observer reported.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Michael was listed in serious condition, but Brandon’s condition was unknown, the Star Tribune reported.
The fire also damaged the garage, destroyed two cars that were in the garage and caused smoke damage to the attached house, the Hudson Star-Observer reported.

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The corpse flower, a rare plant from Sumatra that only blooms once every 15 years, bloomed Wednesday at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park, the Star Tribune reported. The Pioneer Press reported that the bloom would last for about a day.
When in bloom, the corpse flower emits an odor of rotting flesh (hence its name) and actually heats up in order to attract insects to pollinate the flower, the Pioneer Press reported.
The plant, and its odor, drew visitors like Linda Peterson who, standing before the bloom taking pictures, wanted to “experience it in its glory.�
“Let's face it, sometimes we have to take the good with the bad,� she said. “I've never smelled death but ohhh ...� (Star Tribune)
The Star Tribune reported that only 122 corpse flower plants have been known to bloom worldwide. This is the second blooming to take place in Minnesota. Last spring, a larger corpse flower bloomed at Gustavus Adolphus College.

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The Pioneer Press reported that a 22-year-old man was found with severe head injuries outside a Burnsville event center early Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead later that morning.
KARE 11 reported that police were called to the rental hall, located in the 1900 block of E. Highway 13, around 2 a.m. They found the man unresponsive and not breathing, the Star Tribune reported. Paramedics performed CPR and were able to get the man’s heart restarted. He was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died around 7 a.m., the Pioneer Press reported.
An autopsy was being performed Sunday, the Pioneer Press reported. The results would be released later in the week.
Police are currently investigating the incident. Police are unsure what event was taking place at the rental hall or whether alcohol was involved, the Pioneer Press reported.
“It was a witnessed event by a number of people,� Burnsville police Sgt. Dan Carlson said. “We're still looking for more witnesses to see what happened.� (Pioneer Press)
Carlson also said the man’s name would not be released until the family is notified, the Pioneer Press reported.

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The Star Tribune reported that a Lino Lakes family’s dog was killed after being shot with an arrow last month. The Neuberger family is now looking to press charges against their neighbor, who WCCO reported as being 21-year-old Erick Maxwell.
On March 21, Rhonda Neuberger had let their 3-year-old beagle mix, Wally, outside at 9 p.m., the Star Tribune reported. She said she was doing laundry when she heard the pet yelp. When she and her husband, Edwin, ran outside they found the dog with an arrow through his body.
Edwin pulled the arrow out, but the dog had suffered broken ribs and punctured lungs. The family wrapped Wally in blankets and rushed him to the vet, but the dog died before they got there.
“I felt his last breath. It was his last breath as soon as we opened the door to take him to the vet,� Edwin Neuberger said (WCCO).
Police found a trail of blood leading next door, to Maxwell’s house. The Star Tribune reported that they had found an arrow in Maxwell’s basement. They also reported that Maxwell originally told police he was sleeping in his house, but later said he had been hunting fox in his backyard.
WCCO reported that Maxwell said he had shot a coyote before admitting to shooting the dog.
Maxwell was arrested the evening of March 21 and booked into Anoka County Jail, WCCO reported. He was released three days later, pending on the conclusion of the investigation, the Star Tribune reported. Maxwell could face animal cruelty charges, a felony, WCCO reported.
WCCO reported that Maxwell’s father said his son said the shooting was an accident.

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A loose pit bull injured a woman and killed her miniature schnauzer Wednesday in Inver Grove Heights, the Star Tribune reported.
Margaret Johnson, 70, was walking her dog, Schultzie, with her grandson, 2, and two neighborhood girls when the pit bull came up behind the group and bit the smaller dog’s neck, the Pioneer Press reported.
Johnson punched the pit bull, but the dog turned on her, pushing her down a hill. The Star Tribune reported that the two girls helped shoo the dog away, while the Pioneer Press reported that the children tried to help, but were chased away by the pit bull.
Eventually, the pit bull fled across a supermarket parking lot. Johnson suffered a bite to her right leg and is undergoing rabies vaccinations.
The Pioneer Press reported that Johnson took her pet to the veterinarian where it later died from a broken neck. “He died in my arms,� Johnson said. (Pioneer Press)
The Pioneer Press reported that authorities are looking for the pit bull, described as brown with white spots and weighting 50 pounds. The Star Tribune reported that a dog picked up Friday is believed to be the pit bull involved in the attack.
Johnson said she has never had a problem before with stray dogs in the 10 years she has lived in the neighborhood.

Posted by gorvi004 at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A man allegedly robbed TCF Bank in Silver Lake, Minn. before leading police in a 100mph chase through rush hour traffic in the north suburbs early Friday, the Star Tribune reported.
The chase ended when the suspect crashed his Toyota sedan and was shot by police after he got out of his vehicle. The man was taken to North Memorial Medical Center and treated for non-life threatening injuries. He is expected to be charged next week, the Star Tribune reported.
WCCO reported that they were unsure if the suspect had a gun when police shot him. However, the Star Tribune reported that he had exchanged gunfire with officers.
The Star Tribune reported that the suspect entered TCF Bank at around 6:45 a.m., before the bank opened, and forced three employees into the vault with a semi-automatic handgun. He placed the cash in a white cloth bag and fled.
WCCO reported that a witness saw the man throw two white bags from his vehicle during the chase. These bags may have held the stolen money, WCCO reported. They also reported that the FBI are still unsure whether all of the stolen money has been recovered.
Authorities are investigating whether the man was involved with the January and November robberies of the same bank, WCCO reported.

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A Roseville woman has been charged with one count of child neglect after her 4-year-old daughter was found alone in dangerously cold weather, the Star Tribune reported.
Angela M. Johnson, 35, left her daughter and 12-year-old son home alone while she played bingo at Mystic Lake Casino, the Pioneer Press reported. The case was made public Friday.
At around 8:25 a.m. on Jan. 25, the girl was seen running along a snow bank in seven degree temperatures wearing only a T-shirt and socks. A passerby wrapped the child in a blanket and called police. The girl told paramedics her hands and feet hurt, but she suffered no injuries.
Apparently, the girl was left alone when her older brother went to school in the morning and her mother had not returned from the casino. When Johnson came home at around 10:30, she called police.
Johnson originally said that she had a baby-sitter for her kids and had gone to a friend’s house the night before, but had become stranded when the buses stopped running, the Pioneer Press reported. When police told her they would search her phone records, Johnson admitted to leaving her children alone while she was at the casino. She said she assumed her son would stay home until she returned, the Star Tribune reported.
Johnson’s charge holds a maximum sentence of one year in prison, the Pioneer Press reported. There is no record of Johnson doing anything like this before and the newspaper did not know whether the children were in protective custody.

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In a grand opening expected to draw thousands, Mall of America unveiled its remodeled Nickelodeon-themed indoor park Saturday, the Pioneer Press reported. The mall spent $25 million to renovate the park, turning the generic Park at MOA into Nickelodeon Universe.
Renovations incorporate Nickelodeon’s signature orange color, statues of popular characters (Spongebob, Dora the Explorer, and Blue), a new food court that offers trendy and healthy fare, and five new rides aimed mostly at adults and teens. Existing rides have also been newly-themed to reflect Nickelodeon’s presence.
The only ride that has not been updated is the log chute. The mall wanted to use Nickelodeon’s green slime in the ride, but nixed the idea because of cost. However, the mall hopes to update the ride with in the next three years. An additional $5 million has been allocated for further park renovations.
Mall of America considered many brands before choosing Nickelodeon, KARE 11 reported. “They're the No. 1 brand with children,� Mall of America spokeswoman Maureen Hooley Bausch said of Nickelodeon.
As a result of the remodel, the park’s ticket prices have gone up for the first time in three years, the Pioneer Press reported. For example, the most popular buy, the all-day wrist band, now costs an extra $5, rising in price from $24.50 to $29.50.
Still, the mall hopes that the makeover will increase visitors to the park by 10 percent. They report that there has been a drop in the number of visitors since 2005, when the park was named Park at MOA after a deal could not be reached to keep the Peanuts characters and the Camp Snoopy name.

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The Star Tribune reported that a 28-year-old St. Paul man was seriously injured after a March 1 hit and run in Maplewood. Haleem Crooks was walking home from a party when a vehicle struck him in the 1700 block of Edgerton Street.
Crooks suffered a fractured skull, injuries to his organs, and a spinal cord injury, WCCO reported. He was in a coma in critical condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul as of Thursday.
The Star Tribune article is very fact-based with most of the information seemingly taken from a police report. Crooks was found by a relative in the street around 2:30 a.m. A passenger-side front fender liner from a 1995 to 1999 Chevrolet Lumina was found in the street. Police believe it is from the vehicle that hit Crooks. Police also said that the speed limit where the incident occurred is 30 mph and the driver did not have to be speeding to inflict Crooks with the injuries he sustained.
The WCCO article had more of a human interest focus and the bulk of it was from the perspective of Haleem’s brother Raheem. The facts concerning the time of the incident, Crooks’ injuries and the fender were placed in between quotes from Raheem.
“A tragedy like this. It hurts. It hurts really, really bad,� Raheem said. The article also mentioned that Haleem has a wife and two children, a fact the Star Tribune left out.

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The Star Tribune reported that a 16-year-old boy apparently committed suicide Thursday when he intentionally drove his car across the center line and collided with an SUV driven by a 38-year-old woman.
Gregory S. Spieker II of Ham Lake was pronounced dead at the scene, the Pioneer Press reported. Lisa M. Linell of Lino Lakes was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with two broken legs and other broken bones. Her injuries are non-life threatening and she was in satisfactory condition as of Saturday.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. on Main Street in Blaine, Minn. The highway is a two-lane road with a 55 mph speed limit, the Pioneer Press reported. Both drivers were alone in their vehicles.
Both newspapers reported that a suicide note written by Spieker was found. The Star Tribune said the note was in the boy’s home, while the Pioneer Press didn’t specify the location of the note.
After giving the main facts, the Star Tribune article focused on the oddity of the occurrence. Anoka County Sheriff's Capt. James Stuart and Anoka County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Lenzmeier said people usually commit suicide using vehicles by driving into stationary objects or drive off dead-end roads. They seldom endanger other lives by driving into moving vehicles.
The Pioneer Press article focused on Spieker’s character and the reactions of his school and family. Spieker had just turned 16 last month and was active in football and baseball at Blaine High School. “[He was] well-liked by other students,� Mary Olson, spokeswoman for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, said.
The article also reported that councilors were available at the school Friday to talk to other students and that Spieker’s family declined to comment but were expected to make funeral arrangements Saturday.

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A 3-year-old Coon Rapids girl suffered third degree burns over 50 percent of her body after her dress caught on fire Tuesday, ABC Newspapers reported. Jadea Oldenburg was in critical condition in Hennepin County Medical Center as of Thursday.
Jadea was with her mother, Amber Oldenburg, in their apartment when the fire occurred. ABC Newspapers , a website that consolidates three local newspapers, reported that Oldenburg was in the bathroom when she heard her daughter screaming. Oldenburg rolled the girl on the carpet to extinguish the flames, cut her dress off and put her in the bathtub before calling paramedics.
When firefighters arrived, Jadea was not crying, but standing and looking at her burns, which covered her body from chin to knees, ABC Newspapers said. Coon Rapids Fire Marshal Todd Williams said Jadea is expected to be hospitalized for two or three months.
According to KARE-11, authorities are not yet sure how the girl’s dress caught fire, but reported that firefighters found candles burning in the apartment as well as a lighter and matches. ABC Newspapers reported that the fire is believed to have been accidental and started when the girl was playing with a candle or matches.
The Coon Rapids Fire Department is using this incident to teach the public about candle safety. “Blow the candles out. Even if there are no kids in the house, pets can knock them down,� Coon Rapids Fire Prevention Specialist Chuck Fleury said. “Matches and lighters should be put away where no one can reach them but adults.� (KARE-11)

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A man threw a 34-year-old Prior Lake woman onto a highway following a road rage incident, WCCO reported. Jennifer Boulden landed in the middle of Hwy. 169 northbound near Shakopee, suffering injuries to her back and head.
Boulden, a mother of five, had missed her exit and had made a legal U-turn, the Star Tribune reported. According to WCCO, Boulden then cut in front of a pickup, whose driver immediately began honking and motioning for her to pull over.
Boulden complied, hoping to apologize, the Star Tribune reported. “I rolled down my window and he's just screaming profanities at me,� said Boulden (WCCO).
The man walked away from Boulden, but she followed him, still attempting to apologize, the Star Tribune reported. Frightened, Boulden tried calling 911, but the man grabbed her cell phone. He then grabbed Boulden and tossed her into the highway.
Many drivers pulled over to help Boulden, including Jessica Uitermarkt and her father, who carried Boulden onto the shoulder of the road, the Star Tribune reported.
Police have not been able to identify the suspect, but say he is white, in his 40s and has graying hair, the Star Tribune reported. Witnesses were not able to get his license plate number.
Boulden was released from the hospital Thursday afternoon, the Star Tribune said. She will have to use a walker to get around, WCCO reported.
While data is not kept on road rage incidents, State Patrol Lt. Mark Peterson said he believes aggressive driving is becoming more common and offered advice. “Do not play the game,� he said. “Disengage at the earliest opportunity.� (Star Tribune)

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The Como Park Zoo has chosen the name Jaya for the baby orangutan born Dec. 13, the Pioneer Press reported. The zoo announced the name Monday after a four-week contest that let the public vote by donating money toward their favorite choice, the Star Tribune reported.
Jaya, which means “celebration� in Indonesian, beat out the other choices of Pandu and Bejo. The zoo raised $767.52 in the naming contest.
The new name is fitting; Jaya and his mom, 20-year-old Sumatran orangutan Markisa, struggled through a difficult birth. After having trouble during labor, Markisa underwent a Caesarean section at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center, the Pioneer Press reported. The procedure was only the ninth performed in over 1,600 captive orangutan births, the Star Tribune reported, and the first for the Como Park Zoo.
Then, Jaya was in critical condition his first few days of life, struggling with breathing problems and fluid in his lungs, the Pioneer Press said.
However, when the zoo announced the name Monday, both mother and son were doing well, posing for pictures in their holding area.
“[The name] reflects not only the success of the baby boy, but the success of the mother," Como Park Zoo lead orangutan trainer Megan Elder said. (Star Tribune)

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A St. Paul man was arrested Wednesday evening on suspicion of vehicular homicide after a 59-year-old woman was stuck and killed crossing University Avenue, the Star Tribune reported.
Police suspect Terrell "Terrance" Oliver, 45, was the driver of the vehicle that failed to stop after hitting the pedestrian at about 7:50 a.m. Wednesday, the Pioneer Press reported. Oliver was being held in Ramsey County Jail without bail.
“There was no way [the driver] couldn't have seen her,� Jennifer Macaulay, a defense attorney who witnessed the accident, said (Star Tribune).
Macaulay, 33, said she initially thought something had been thrown out of the car because the object “almost caught wind, like it was a kite,� (Pioneer Press). Macaulay soon realized it was a gray-haired woman carrying a pink backpack. “She was so mangled — all her limbs were fractured in a horrible way,� she said.
Macaulay and other passersby wrapped the woman in a sleeping bag and tried to comfort her, though the woman was unresponsive and didn’t have a pulse, the Pioneer Press reported. The victim, whose name has not been released, was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul where she died at 10:30 a.m.
Police say the woman had been crossing the street in an area where there was no crosswalk. “It was cold,� police spokesman Tom Walsh said about the victim’s decision to cross (Star Tribune).

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A 400-pound radiator fell from the ceiling of a classroom Thursday, leaving one 5-year-old boy with a broken leg, the Star Tribune reported.
The kindergarten class at Guardian Angels Catholic School in Chaska was having a Valentine’s Day party when the radiator fell 12 feet to the classroom floor. The incident also left two other students and two teachers with minor scrapes that did not require medical treatment, the Star Tribune said.
The school’s principal Nancy Ronhovde told the Star Tribune the radiator did not fall directly to the ground, but bounced off of pipes. She said this was the reason the incident was not deadly.
It is unknown why the radiator came loose from the ceiling, the Pioneer Press reported. The area where the radiator fell will be closed off until engineers can determine the cause of the fall. Meanwhile, the kindergarteners will continue having class at a church across the street from the school.
The kindergarten classroom where the radiator fell is located in the basement of a 100-year-old building. The Pioneer Press reported the basement of the building is the only floor with ceiling-mounted radiators.
The injured boy underwent surgery Friday on his broken leg at the Hennepin County Medical Center, the Pioneer Press said. His condition is unknown.

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The mayor of Wyoming, Minn., camped out on top of city hall for more than a week to raise money for a teen center, the Star Tribune reported.
Mayor Sheldon Anderson abandoned his tent on top of the Wyoming Municipal Building Sunday after meeting his fundraising goal of $35,000 for the Forest Lake Teen Center.
Anderson had been camping on top of the building since Feb. 2. The National Weather Service said last week correlates with the time frame of Minnesota’s most extreme winter weather, Reuters reported.
While Anderson knew the weather would be bad, he wasn’t expecting the high winds that nearly blew his tent off the roof and continually blew out the pilot lights of his propane heaters.
Anderson climbed down after he received a check for $6,000 that pushed total donations past the fundraising goal. The donor, a Woodbury man, did not wish to be identified, Anderson said.
The Forest Lake Teen Center provides free educational and enrichment after-school programs for middle school students, Reuters reported. Before the fundraiser, the center couldn’t keep up with the $20,000 a year operating costs. Now, the center should be able to stay open for at least another year.
Anderson, who dropped out of high school after the 11th grade, said he just wanted to make sure other kids have the opportunity he didn’t. (Reuters)

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Minneapolis police found the body of a 4-year-old Minneapolis boy who had been missing since Wednesday, WCCO reported.
Desmond Reed’s body was found Sunday morning in the house where he had been staying. Though the cause of death is unknown, police are investigating the case as a homicide.
A woman had been taken into custody, but no charges were filed as of Sunday night.
Reed was reported missing from a north Minneapolis home Wednesday night. Police are now investigating whether he actually left the house.
Because many details about the case were unclear, an Amber Alert was not issued. Officials did not have an accurate description of a car that was believed to have been used. They also felt that media outlets across the state informed the public about Reed’s disappearance, the Star Tribune reported.
Reed’s mother brought the boy to Minneapolis from Chicago in order to visit his father, who is in prison. His mother left Reed with relatives and returned to Chicago.

Posted by gorvi004 at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One more worker from the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minn., may have the same neurological symptoms as 12 other plant employees, the Star Tribune reported Tuesday.
The newspaper reported Feb. 1 that workers who were suffering varying degrees of numbness and tingling in their extremities may have a previously undiscovered neurological disease that is being called progressive inflammatory neuropathy, or PIN.
Investigators believe that the workers contracted the disease when they inhaled droplets of liquefied pig brain tissue. For some unknown reason, proteins in the pig brain may have caused the workers’ immune systems to attack their own nerve tissue.
The meatpacking plant liquefies the brain tissue using a high-compression air system. The tissue is then blown into the air as droplets. According to Kare 11, the finished product is frozen and sold as food in the Southern United States and Asia. When the investigation began in December, the processing plant stopped using the air-compression system.
Kare 11 reported that the thirteenth worker was not stationed near the air-compression system like the first twelve employees were. However, the thirteenth worker was exposed to the brain tissue at a different stage in the rendering process.

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On an order from the state education department, metro area schools stopped serving beef in their cafeterias after a slaughterhouse that supplies meat to the federal school lunch program was investigated for a possible animal-cruelty and food safety violation, the Pioneer Press reported.
The California-based slaughterhouse is being investigated by the USDA after the Humane Society released video footage showing workers mistreating sick cattle by kicking, shocking, and prodding them with the blades of a forklift. Processing these diseased animals could result in a spread of E. Coli, salmonella, or mad cow disease to humans.
The Star Tribune reported that St. Paul schools had received a 40,000 shipment of ground beef from the company and have served nearly half of it. They will not use the remainder of the shipment.
As of Thursday, there had been no reports of food-borne illnesses in either St. Paul or Minneapolis. "There is no immediate health risk that we are aware of," Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said. (Pioneer Press)

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The Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance that will require background checks investigating how circuses treat their animals before the show can come to Minneapolis, the Star Tribune reported. The circus will also have to provide animals’ records and obtain a permit from the city. The ruling put an end to more than a year of debate.
In practice, the annual Shrine Circus is the only event the ordinance will affect.
Council members Cam Gordon and Ralph Remington wanted further measures to be taken. Remington sought to give the city the power to deny a circus a performance permit if they use a bull hook on elephants.
"There's no purpose to use this instrument other than to gouge flesh," Remington said. (Pioneer Press)
Gordon wanted to ban the public from having direct contact with elephants, sighting safety concerns. "The city is not being responsible in allowing direct contact," said Christine Coughlin, director of the Minnesota chapter of Circus Reform Yes. (Pioneer Press)
If Gordon had succeeded, the ordinance would have eliminated elephant rides, a major source of fund-raising for the Shriners.
“Naturally, we're happy that it passed the way it did," Shriner, elephant-handler and Minneapolis police officer Tim Davison said. (Pioneer Press)

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