Janoski News Blog

An Elk River man missing since Thursday has still not been found despite police search.

Steve Hanson, 52, was last seen by his wife Paulette at breakfast Thursday morning. Hanson's wife called police after she was unable to reach him the Star Tribune reported.

Hanson's wife said that he had a history of depression although he had not shown symptoms in over 10 years.

Hanson's car was found early Friday morning at a park. The car was locked and it contained his cell phone, laptop and gloves.

Footprints and a police tracking dog lead investigators to the river where a search was conducted with divers, a hovercraft and a helicopter Friday.

"Crews searched the park on foot while authorities searched the water using a hovercraft. During the search, the hovercraft hit an ice chunk, throwing a Sherburne County Sheriff's deputy into the water. The deputy was rescued, however, the hovercraft's air bladder was ruptured" Kare 11 reported.

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Twin Cities’ car dealer Denny Hecker was hospitalized Wednesday after his car hit a utility poke, according to a Jon Auston, a Hecker spokesman, reported StarTribune.com.

Hecker, 56, was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and is listed in fair condition, a hospital official said, reported Kare11.

"He got banged up pretty good, but I think he's going to be OK," Austin said. "None of the injuries are described as life-threatening."

The accident occurred near his home. He was on his way home from his business located near interstate 394 and U.S. 169.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.
Austin said Hecker will remain hospitalized for a short time, but was uncertain about the length of the stay.

Posted by janos014 at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Automotive entrepeneur Denny Hecker announced Friday he closed six dealerships and is selling three others in the metro area due to the current economic recession, reported the Pioneer Press.

One-third of Hecker's workforce, 400 employees, will be without a job after the dealerships are closed and others still standing struggle keep up with a current decline in consumer demand for vehicles.

The Pioneer Press reported many workers who were laid off found out early from media reports, others didn't find out until they showed up to barred doors and a sign on the door declaring the dealsership closed.

The dealerships that closed are the Blaine Bargain Lot, Forest Lake Chrysler Jeep Dodge Mitsubishi, Monticello Dodge Ford and Mercury Suzuki Kia, Rosedale Hyundai, Shakopee Chrysler Jeep Dodge and Stillwater Ford Lincoln Mercury.

The Star Tribune reported the day Hecker closed his lots, GM filed suit in the U.S. District Court seeking to ban Hecker from selling vehicles at the Inner Grove Heights showroom. A spokesman for Hecker said the two events are unrelated.

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A 13-year-old girl is charged with second degree assault after stabbing a junior high peer in St.Paul Wednesday, the Star Tribune reported.

http://www.startribune.com/local/east/34474224.html?elr=KArks:DCiUoaW_eEO7UiacyKUnciaec8O7EyUBecause of the girl's age, no further detail were provided. She remains in custody at the juvenile detention center in Ramsey County.

The girl cut a boy, also 13, in the chest and arm with a small knife while in the hallway during school hours Wednesday. The boy suffered no major injuries and was released Wednesday evening.

The motive behind the attack was not released.

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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is looking for anyone that can count, including you, to make history by volunteering for the Minnesota Senate recount, reported the Star Tribune.

With a 206 vote difference between incumbent Norm Coleman and Al Franken, the election is becoming reminiscent of the2000 presidential election hinged on Florida's recount. There is more at stake than just the Minnesota seat too.

"At stake is the possibility of Democrats securing a filibuster-proof 60 U.S. Senate seats, if still-unresolved races in Alaska and Georgia also go the party's way," reported the Strib.

Governor Tim Pawlenty told WCCO he is certain Minnesota will maintain its history of transparent, fair, accurate and legal elections.

The Star Tribune followed this story with an article announcing Al Fraken is seeking the names of rejected voters. A lawsuit has been filed against Ramsey County by Fraken's campaign in hopes of finding the rejected absentee voters.

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Experts say people need to be more cautious of carbon monoxide, especially in the approaching winter season with more people turning on the furnace to keep warm, according to a Minnesota Daily article.

Almost way of heating a building gives off carbon monoxide, and the number of carbon monoxide incidents increase as many people turn up their thermostats to in the winter months, Jon Nisja, supervisor in the Minnesota Fire Marshal’s Office, said.

There are more than 500 unintentional deaths a year due to carbon monoxide poisoning in the nation, and between 2002 and 2006, 92 Minnesotans died from unintentional exposure to carbon monoxide, according to the Minnesota Poison Control System.

“It is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that makes you lethargic and puts you to sleep, which is one of the worst things you can do," Nisja said.

A new state law, effective on Aug. 1of this year, requires all homes to have carbon monoxide detectors within 10 feet of each bedroom. Apartment buildings must comply by August of 2009, according to the article.

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A Lakeville teenager seriously injured along with her sister in a Wednesday car crash has died , reported (The Pioneer Press).

Kayla Jo Borgerson, 17, "was not able to survive the multiple, traumatic injuries she sustained from the crash," her parents, Keith and Sue Borgerson, said in a statement released Saturday morning. The family plans to donate her organs.

"This was Kayla's wish, and now her legacy of caring for others will live on," the statement said.
Kayla's sister, Katie Borgerson, 15, remains in serious condition at Hennepin County Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit said The Star Tribune.

The teens were injured when the car they were driving collided with a pickup truck around 6 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Juniper Path and 205th Avenue S., Lakeville Police Chief Tom Vonhof said The Star Tribune.

Kayla was driving and making a turn from Juniper Path onto 205th Avenue when the crash happened. Initial reports indicate that she pulled in front of the eastbound pickup truck driven by Brandon Pekel, 25.

Pekel was not seriously hurt. He is not facing any charges.

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Sunday night's final debate between U.S. Senate candidates Norm Coleman and Al Franken focussed much on allegations against Coleman in a lawsuit, reported WCCO.

Coleman immediately denied that he's taken any money or gifts from supporters without disclosing it. The accusation stems from statements in a civil lawsuit filed last week in Texas, claiming Coleman's friend donated $75,000 to a business where Coleman's wife is employed.

FOX9 reports "a recent ad by Coleman accuses the Franken campaign of being involved with the suits, but the Coleman camp has shown no evidence to prove it."

"You have an ad that's defaming my wife," Coleman said. "I think there's a line in this business."

After 15 minutes of rebuttal, the candidates discussed issues important to tackle immediately if they are elected to the Senate. Franken's main goal is to "get the economy back on track", Coleman hopes to to be a part of changing the divisive tone in Washington and accomplishing common goals, and Dean Barkley wants to put a rein on federal spending.

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The Star Tribune reported Wednesday a 16-year-old girl from Lakeville will stand trial for charges on 10 counts including kidnapping and aggrevated assault of a 24-year-old disabled man.

Natasha Dahn will remain in jail until her Nov. 20 hearing without bail Judge Michael J. Maye announced. It is yet to be decided if she will be tried as an adult for her alleged role in the beating of Justin Hamilton.

An article from the Pioneer Press reported three Lakeville men were accused of using a 16-year-old girl to lure Justin Hamilton from his Lakeville home to savagely beat him. Hamilton was kicked, beaten and tortured for hours on Oct. 10 and abducted the following night.

The three men were of the National Guard and will be heard in court on Dec. 5 on the same charges as Dahn will face.

Posted by janos014 at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A driver who died after a crashing a car through construction barricades and plunging onto a closed section of Interstate 35W in south Minneapolis has been identified, reported The StarTribune.

The Hennepin County medical examiner's office said Sunday that the driver was Jose Joel Guerra, a 33-year-old resident of north Minneapolis. The news release said he was also known as Jorge Sandoval.

Details were scarce about the accident, which occurred at 5:30 a.m. Saturday at the 46th Street bridge.

The driver of a 1991 Buick Regal drove through barriers into a construction zone on I-35W at 46th Street about 5:30 a.m., the report said The Pioneer Press.

Interstate 35W is closed all weekend from downtown Minneapolis to Crosstown Hwy. 62; it is expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday.

Posted by janos014 at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maintenance work will shut down the entire length of the light-rail Hiawatha line from 2 a.m. to noon Saturday, reported the Pioneer Press.

As compensation for riders, Metro Transit buses will operate more frequently during this time. However riders need to be aware that the bus takes longer than train rides, Metro Transit said.

The Star Tribune said the shutdown will allow crews to make software enhancements to improve train operations between stations at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International's main terminal and the Humphrey Terminal.

Crews also will test fire suppression equipment in the tunnels at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and at Minnehaha Park.

Additional closures will take place next week at the Downtown East/Metrodome station from 7:30 p.m. Wednesday until 3:30 a.m. Sunday for platform maintenance.

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Minnesota Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann told MSNBC host Chris Matthews she is concerned that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may have ties to William Ayers, the founder of the radical group Weather Underground.

"I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views," Bachmann said referring to Obama and the claim he is associated with Ayers.

WCCO reported a spokesperson for Bachmann's campaign stood behind her comments and the chair of the DFL party in Minnesota called Bachmann's comments "scare tactics and false attacks."

Bachmann is now retreating from her comment and appeared on a WCCO-TV show on Sunday to say she isn't saying that Obama's views are anti-American.

The Star Tribune reported the Democratic presidential nominee's views are "concerning" and deserve more media attention.

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Jef Dubay, a talk show host for KFAN (1130 AM) was arrested Wednesday in Maplewood on suspicion of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, otherwise known as a felony.

Dubay has not been charged as police are still investigating the Star Tribune reports.

Dubay was booked into the Ramsey County jail after he was pulled over while driving west on Highway 36. Police have not provided information as to why Dubay was pulled over nd the reason for the search of his vehicle.

The Pioneer Press reports Dubay has not been on air for two days and he has been released from jail until the investigation closes.

Posted by janos014 at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to an article in the Star Tribune, Jeff Dubay, a talk show host on KFAN (1130 AM) was arrested by Maplewood police about 10 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony.

He has not been charged; police are investigating.

WCCO reported the arrest occurred after Dubay, driving west on state Hwy. 36, turned north onto English Street in Maplewood, Police Chief David Thomalla said Friday.

Because the case still was under investigation, he added, police were providing no details about why the vehicle was stopped, or what drug might be involved.

Dubay was booked into the Ramsey County jail, and later released pending further investigation.
Police hope to complete the investigation next week, the chief said (Star Tribune).

Dubay co-hosts the "PA and Dubay Show" with Paul Allen weekdays from 9 a.m.-noon. He also co-hosts Vikings post-game shows on KFAN and is on the air for Gophers hockey games on FSN North.

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The Star Tribune reported Friday a St. Paul teenager miraculously survived after being hit by the entire length of train in Newport.

DeJarriell Burgin, 19, was found by Newport police around 11:40 p.m. Thursday when train operators called authorities after they saw a man laying in the middle of the tracks. They were unable to stop the train in time they reached Burgin.

76 rail cars and four locomotives passed over Burgin who only sustained bruises reported the Pioneer Press. Officials believe Burgin heard a train coming at the last second and lay down between the tracks near the Glen Road overpass.

Police said Burgin walked to the railroad tracks after an argument with his girlfriend at a gas station erupted shortly around 11:30 p.m.

Posted by janos014 at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Shakopee man who spent two months in jail after being charged with drug possession has been cleared after drug tests revealed the white powder was deodorant, not cocaine, the Associated Press reported.

31-year-old Cornelius Salonis was arrested early August for drunken driving when the police found white powder hidden in a deodorant container. The police were mistaken in the possibility of the powder logically being in the container and prosecutors dismissed the felony drug charges.

The Mankato Free Press reported a field test showed the substance, found in a deodorant container, was cocaine, said Richard Hillesheim, Salonis’ attorney. Results from a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension test returned late last month, showed there were no illegal substances in the powder.

Salonis was released from jail after two months for his DUI charge.

** The Mankato Free Press wrote the article with a humorous and relaxed tone while the AP article, taken from WCCO, was serious and reported the facts without playing on the silly factor of the powder being deodorant.**

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Coca-Cola has begun its ambitious recycling plan by changing methods of production at the Eagan plant.

"Our goal is to recycle 100 percent of the amount of stuff that we consume here," Stan Mathews, Production Manager of the Coca-Cola Eagan plant told WCCO.

The fortune 100 company is able to save over two million gallons of water per year by using a silicone lubricant to keep the cans sliding down the conveyor during production.

Perhaps the most innovative green idea is in the use of two inch bottles that are heated to make the plastic soft and modable. A machine fills each bottle with air expanding the mold to its ful size.

These pre-production reduced size bottles cuts the cost of fuel in transporting the material from the recycling plant to the Coca Cola site.

USA Today reported Coca Cola announced it will spend $44 million into its first U.S. plastic-bottle-recycling plant in effort to give the company a "greener" environmental image.

The plant will recycle collected bottles into new bottles to reach the company's goal of 30% PET in each bottle by 2010.

The new plant will be built in Spartanburg, S.C.

Posted by janos014 at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A woman died seven hours after her bicycle collided with a sport-utility vehicle Saturday on Summit and Snelling Avenues in St. Paul.

Virginia Heuerbowar, 51, was hit three blocks from her home at 8:10 a.m. said St. Paul police spokesman Peter Panos to Pioneer Press and Star Tribune reporters.

Both Heuerbowar and the 39-year-old man driving the SUV were heading eastbound on Summit Avenue. Heuerbowar appeared in front of the SUV just as it began to accelerate from its stop.

The Star Tribune reported there no tickets were issued to the driver, though the accident remains under investigation.

Heuerbowar was taken to Regions Hospital where she died after sustained head injuries though she was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

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The Star Tribune reported Friday Eden Prairie has been named the third healthiest retirement spot in the nation.

The southwestern Twin Cities suburb provides residents with ample walking trails, fitness centers, golf courses, parks, and community classes promoting well-being. The annual ranking published in U.S. News & World Report reported the top ten cities were "'way ahead of the curve' when it comes to providing places to exercise, promoting strong social support and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits."

It is not an attainable spot for everyone's retirement though. Business Journal reported Eden Prairie was ranked highly amongst the waelthiest zip codes in 2002 with a median income near $91,000.

Posted by janos014 at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The scene of an unfortunate motorcycle accident has become the set of staged murder the Pioneer Press reported Saturday.

Natasha Waalen, 28-year-old Anoka woman, was found lying dead in the street Friday morning near an overturned motorcycle on Tulip Street Northwest in Andover. Police said injuries on Waalen's body are not consistent with a motor bike accident and has led them to investigate the accident further.

Their investigation has led them to Waalen's boyfriend of eleven years and father of their four-year-old daughter. The Star Tribune reported Jeff Waalen was taken to the Anoka County Jail under suspicion of first-degree murder and his charge will be determined early next week.

"The neighborhood is buzzing. This sort of thing just doesn't happen. It's just very hard to take in," next-door neighbor Valorie Burke said in the Star Tribune.

The exact cause of Waalen's death has not been released and a possible motive for the murder has yet to be determined.

Posted by janos014 at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beginning Monday, September 15, University of Minnesota Police will begin to fine cyclists $80 who choose not to dismount before crossing the bridge.

The county closed the outer portions of the pedestrian level connecting the East and West Banks campuses just before school started after examining for the proposed light rail.

The Minnesota Daily reported that University Services has been working directly with UMPD to minimize heavy congestion on the bridge and maintain a safe space for both pedestrians and cyclists to use the 14-foot-wide path made available to the public.

However, after an injury Tuesday night and continuous difficulty for pedestrians to make way for those who choose to ride their bikes rather dismount and walk, the University has decided to fine cyclists for not complying with the University's requests.

"When they ride their bike, you have to basically move over to let them go through. It's kind of difficult because you're not knowing if they're coming or if they're walking it," said student Tim Horton for WCCO.

Mike Bryan , who biked across the bridge Thursday, told the MN Daily it was inconvenient to have to walk his bike.
“I don’t understand why [the bridge] needs to be closed for so long,� he said.

Police Chief Greg Hestness expects the portion of the bridge to remain closed throughout the rest of the school year.

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Construction on the I-35 bridge over the past year has led to "one of the most instrumented bridges in the nation" said Jon Chiglo, project manger for MnDOT, for the Pioneer Press. Once traffic files over the bridge in the next week, sensors embedded in the concrete at various points will feed the Minnesota Department of Transportation with information from how the bridge is managing the flow of traffic to when the steel faces the risk of corrosion.

The new technology included in the design will eliminate the required biannual inspections that have given enough time for steel to corrode and bearings to dislodge between maintenance checks on the old 35W bridge.

"We'll have a whole history of it, versus having snapshots at a set period of time," said Tom DeHaven, project engineer and design coordinator for Tallahassee, Fla.-based Figg Engineering, the company that provided the design.

The bridge features over 300 sensors on the deck that will detect whether chloride from anti-icing chemicals are becoming a threat to the steel reinforcements. Information collected by MnDOT and the University of Minnesota through fiber-optic cables will also determine how the concrete is holding up through strain gauges and measure movement in the expansion joints and bearings.

MPR reported Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other officials will appear on Monday to announce the specific opening time of the bridge this week. As much as $27 million will be spent in bonus money for finishing the bridge ahead of schedule.

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