Hagen's Pages

Beyonce Knowles, famously of Destiny's Child, released a workout video last Tuesday in support of Michelle Obamas campaign against childhood obesity.

The video features the famous signer dancing to high-energy songs in combination with traditional exercises like running and jumping rope.

According to the Huffington Post, the video, which is set in a school cafeteria, is a remix of Knowles racier song "Get Me Bodied". The song was rewritten with new lyrics encouraging children to exercise. The video was produced to put a new twist on traditional exercise videos and in an effort to make children to work.

"What we want to do is make it fun," Beyoncé said in a preview video released earlier this month.

Knowles initiative supports Michelle Obamas "Let's Move" campaign, however according to The Washington Post, a White House spokesman said the first lady wasn't directly involved but added, "a great example of how people can get involved...and bring this message to more and more young people."

Fittingly, according to the New York Times, The video ends on a patriotic note. Before the cool down, the final dance is "wave the American flag."

A 29-year-old man is charged with murder after hit-and-run that he told police he meant to do.

Timothy Ayman Bakdash was charged with the murder of 23-year-old Benjamin Van Handel after running down the man near the University of Minnesota on April 15.

According to the Star Tribune Bakdash said he had "no remorse" for the crash and intentionally ran down Van Handel after a dispute that occurred outside a Minneapolis bar. Additionally, Bakdash claims to have also been trying to hit and kill three others involved in the confrontation.

According to CBS Minnesota, Bakdash's mother, Diane Bakdash is now being charged with being an accomplice after the fact after she reportedly advised her son to get rid of the car that struck the four people involved.

The Bakdash family is well-known in the twin cities as both parents are medical professionals.

"The case is just beginning," defense attorney Joe Tamburino told CBS Minnesota, "Whenever there's such heated attention in the media about a serious crime, like this, you really have to wait and see and have patience. Obviously, it's a very serious case and very tragic case."

Divers have recovered bundles of cocaine in Heron Lake in northern New Mexico where a small plane crashed last week.

According to MSNBC, Police Lieutenant Eric Garcia said the number of people aboard the aircraft was not immediately known but there were no signs that anybody had survived the crash. The Star Tribune further reported that only "fragmented pieces of human remains" have been found.

According to the Star Tribune, witnesses reported the crash about 100 miles north of Santa Fe, at about 10:30 a.m. Since the crash winds and currents have caused the debris to spread, but more then 20 packages of cocaine have been recovered.

The Southwest has been notorious for dealing with air trafficking issues. In April 2010, in eastern New Mexico, state police found more than 400 pounds of marijuana inside a plane which were valued at more then $500,000.

"I won't say it's keeping us super busy," state police Chief Robert Shilling said, "and we're interdicting a plane a week, but ... air smuggling in New Mexico always has been and will continue to be an issue for law enforcement."

Two men who were missing for more than a week were found dead in the mountains of Grand Tetons National Park under 13 feet of snow and debris on April 24.

The two men, Gregory Seftick, 31, and Walker Kuhl, 30, were buried by the avalanche on April 16 below Nez Perce peak in Garnet Canyon Meadows. Rescue efforts to save the men were delayed due to poor weather conditions which dumped an additional three feet of snow in the area. The men were found both still in their sleeping bags in their tent.

"This time of year the snow pack changes every day," park public affairs officer Jackie Skaggs told the Star Tribune, "The conditions were ripe to go, for whatever reason. And the two young men were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

According to CBS Minnesota the two men planned to climb Grand Teton, which is outside Jackson Hole, and then ski down. When Kuhl failed to return on Sunday, his girlfriend called police, and a search started.

"He was fit, young, strong and experienced," David Francis a family friend Seftick's told the Star Tribune, "and he'd been in the Tetons before. He'd done winter mountain skiing before. What appears to have happened is that they pitched their tent in an unfortunate location."

Prince William and his bride to be Kate Middleton have requested that those who wish to give them gifts for their wedding instead donate to charity.

The soon-to-be wed couple set up a royal "Gift Fund", allowing those who wish to give gifts to the couple to instead chose from one of 26 charities on their website (royalweedingcharityfund.org).

The royal charity registry is the first of it's kind and many are showing their support for the couples decision.

"It reflects the new, modern royal family," Andrew White, a British construction management consultant from Minneapolis told the Star Tribune, "and what the princes are all about, "They have everything they could possibly need. I think it's brilliant."

While many support the registery, some are concerned that the list does not include charities focused on relief efforts involved in the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

According to a statement from a spokeswoman at the royal office gave to the Arizona Star, William and Middleton are "obviously very shocked and saddened by the events in Japan," but the list of charities has been in the works for weeks and is focused on countries the prince has visited.

A St. Paul woman who worked for the city's library system plead guilty to stealing books and DVD's from the library on Monday.

According to the Star Tribune, Amanda Cortright, 31, pleaded guilty in Ramsey District court to a felony charge of receiving stolen property. Cortright began working at the library in 1998 and according to the complaint library officials have placed the value of all the material taken at $37,779.24.

Cortright, who worked as a circulation clerk has been being investigated by the St. Paul police since December, 2009 after library officials reported suspicions of her stealing items. Officials were able to determine she had created multiple false accounts where she would mark items missing or deleted, meaning the library could no longer track the items.

According to the Pioneer Press, the search of Cortright homes unvealed more then 1,400 items belonging to the St. Paul Public Library including books, DVD's, audio materials, and magazines from the 1930's and 1940's.

Cortright will receive official sentencing on June 22.

The Rocori school board is reconsidering installing metal detecters after two weapon incidents occurred within the month of April in Cold Springs, Minnesota.

The board had voted against installing the detectors after a series of public discussions took place in 2003, when two students were shot and killed by another student at Rocori High School. Since that time two more incidents occurring less then two weeks apart have prompted the school board to reconsider the installation.

"I don't think it is going to solve the problem," board member Lisa Demuth told the SC Times at a meeting regarding the incident.

The latest two incidents involved a seventh-grade boy who brought a gun to school and aimed it at other students on April 11. Police also found additional ammunition in the boys backpack. The boy is currently charged with second-degree assault and is being processed through the Stearns County District Court. The second incident involved a girl who brought a knife to school on April 20. She is currently being dealt with though the school's disciplinary procedures.

While all agree the indicents are horrific many think the installation of new metal detecting equipment is unneccasary and costly.

According to the Star Tribune, Superintened Scott Staska said the metal detectors could cost more than $1 million and would require staff to monitor them.

Though the occurrence of weapon incidents is appalling, Staska believes all occurrences to be unrelated and sees no reason to move forward with any metal detector installation.

"A good share of it is our history," Staska said, "Nobody wants to repeat what we had happened."

Behind the prestine and profitable Yankee Stadium promises of three public baseball fields remain merely muddy eyesores as thier construction continues to be put off.

After the construction of Yankee Stadium in 2009, officials promised nearby residents three new public baseball playing fields to replace ones that were bulldozed over to make room for the new stadium in 2006.

The fields that were in Macombs Dam Park were the only regulation baseball diamonds nearby. The diamonds were home to youth leagues, neighboorhood pickup games and nearby high schools.

"We've gone five years now with no ball fields here," Sean Sullivan, 55, the principal of All Hallows and a coach of its baseball team, told the New York Times, "They took the parks away from my kids, and now our team is a bunch of gypsies."

While the stadium was built in record time, building replacement parks for the community seems to be at a stand still, causing some to question the cities priorities.

Meanwhile city officials assure the public that the rebuilding of city parklands is a priority and that a finished product will be seen in the not-so-distant future.

"When people look back they don't say. 'Did it take longer than we thought?' " Adrian Benepe, the city's parks commissioner told the New York Times, "They say, 'Did it deliver what it promised?"

"The Yankees haven't necessarily sat by idly," agrees reporter Jamie Insalaco,"they provided money for buses for at least one year and yes, most of the projects are finished, but it's hard to accept the cold irony of taking away the kids place to play baseball in favor of a new Yankee Stadium and not expediting the construction of the new park."

While those nearby are affected by the loss in parkland, the new stadium has proven to be a great source of revenue for the lucrative baseball franchise and most seem to be in support the construction of the stadium overall.

"I'm not saying the Yankees don't do things for the community," Insalaco said, "but its time to step up. They have the means, they just need to act. "

Rates of animal cruelty and neglect in rural areas outside of San Fransisco triple in some areas according to an article by the New York Times.

While accounts of animal abuse and neglect are what experts consider to be very low within the city, people who live outside city limits don't have the same access to affordable places to spay and neuter their animals, which could be part of the problem.

"The number of animals destroyed each year reveals the disparity," according to an analysis by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, "dogs and cats are up to 30 times more likely to be euthanize in surrounding and outlying counties than in San Francisco."

Experts also point to so-called 'backyard breeders' who breed animals for profit with little regard for their well fare or living conditions.

While steps can be taken to rescue endangered animals little is often done to rep-remand those who abuse their animals due to fear that they will refuse release of their animals if they were to be punished, or worse, kill them.

California is no stranger to issues surrounding animal cruelty and recently faced Proposition 2, which, according to the Los Angeles Times required, "that confined cattle, pigs and chickens have enough space to lie down, stand up, turn around freely and extend their limbs. Because there are few veal producers in the state and the largest pork producer here has already said it would eliminate small crates, the initiative would apply to the 19 million laying hens in California."

While no solution is currently in motion experts agree that something must be done.

An underground society of women known as Belizean Grove shows ties with major corporations around the world.

The society, which is similar to groups like the Skull and Bones, has affiliations with many organizations around the world and works as a mentor program for women in powerful positions. Grove members are made up of women mainly in their 50's and 60's. The women hold high positions in society and including a supreme court judge, senators, and CEO's of major corporations.

"We leave our egos and business cards at the door," Catherine Allen, a Grove member who is CEO of Santa Fe Group told the New York Times, "It's about: 'I have this problem. I'm a C.E.O. of a corporation, what should I do?' and this becomes a sounding board because there are other women who have been in similar situations. It's about learning from each other, enriching our minds, developing true friendships. There's a real generosity of spirit."

Grovers use the club for networking and use their power to lobby for certain causes, back fellow members of the club and impact society. Though the group makes no particular affiliations with either political party, it's been reported that their next goal is to see a women president.

"The Belizean Grove is a global constellation of influential women who are key decision makers in the profit, non-profit and social sectors;" According to Belizean Grove mission statement, "who build long term mutually beneficial relationships in order to both take charge of their own destinies and help others to do the same."

While the membership process is confidential it is known that the society is very selective and has strict criteria for its members that includes only allowing one employee from a corporation to join.

"Many of us had to shoehorn our way into a completely male world," Davia Temin, a Grover who is chief executive of Temin & Company, which specializes in crisis and reputation management told the New York Times, "so there's one level of network that provides solace and comfort, but now we're taking it to the next level, which is actually to create value in the world."