November 2011 Archives

By Lauren Regnier

I looked at the article "Black voters give Obama advantage in Virginia" by MSNBC with an African American student, Rich, who grew up in St. Paul. He and I both think that this article doesn't really go beyond stereotypes. He said that it makes it seem like black people vote for Obama simply because they are black, and not because of his views, values, etc.

The following passage in particular implies what Rich's thoughts were:

"For a Democratic presidential candidate, in a competitive race, Barack Obama has a better chance than any Democrat -- current or past -- to be able to carry a state like Virginia or North Carolina, due to his strength in the African-American community and their willingness to turn out in large numbers."

He suggests that this statement implies that if a black person has a choice to vote for a black Democrat or any other race, they will side with the black Democrat, solely for that reason and no other.

We both felt that at the end of the story the reporter tried to look more objective by saying, "Obama did better with white voters than Kerry," suggesting that Obama not only wins with the African American voters, but white voters as well. However, I feel this is a poor attempt.

By Lauren Regnier

A woman was hit and killed Thursday morning after lying down on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis.

According to the the Minnesota State Patrol, the incident happened around 6:40 a.m. in the southbound lanes of I-94 and Broadway, reported Fox 9 News.

The woman's name has not yet been released, reported WCCO.

According to Lt. Eric Roeske of the State Patrol, the woman walked on the road and laid down before being hit by several cars, reported WCCO.

The right two lanes of I-94 were closed for two hours for investigation, reported Fox News 9.

The State Patrol believe the two cars that stuck the victim were a small car and a pickup truck, reported WCCO.

By Lauren Regnier

Hundreds of passengers traveling from India to Britain were stranded in Amritsar, India Thursday after being asked to help pay for fuel for the remainder of the trip.

This is the second time in the last week that the charter airline Comtel asked passengers to fund fuel for the remainder of the trip on the same route, reported the Miami Herald.

Passengers are not allowed to leave Amristar unless the pay 10 thoudand rupees, about $200 each, reported the Miama Herald.

Days before, when Comtel stopped on the same route to re-fuel in Vienna, they held passengers on the plane until they could provide 20 thousand pounds or $31 thousand to fund the rest of the trip, reported Channel 4 News.

"Children under two went free, my little one went free cause she's under two," said Reena Rindi, a passenger on board with her two daugters. "If we didn't have the money, they were making us go one by one outside, in Vienna, to get the cash out," reported the Miama Herald.

According to Birmingham officials, Comtel flights are canceled this weekend, reported the Miami Herald.

By Lauren Regnier

An 11-year-old Minnesota boy who was sick of his parents' marijuana smoke in his house, took photos of the drug and sent them to police.

Drug agents served a search warrant on the home near Hastings last month, reported the Pioneer Press. Heidi Siebenaler, a Dakota County probation supervisor, and her husband, Mark Siebenaler were arrested and faced charges.

Eight pounds of marijuana were found in the house, reported MSNBC.

"It's disappointing when someone in law enforcement gets caught breaking the law," said Washington County Attorney Pete Orput, according to the Star Tribune. "In this case it is particularly disappointing," reported MSNBC.

In a criminal complaint the boy told investigators that he had complained to his mother several times about the smell, reported the Pioneer Press.

According to MSNBC, Mark Siebenaler said he smokes marijuana for medical purposes, but police suggest that the amount found was more typical of those intending to sell the drug.

By Lauren Regnier

Police are investigating whether the mother of a missing Washing toddler created a dating profile seeking a "sugar daddy."

Police contacted the owner of the dating website seekingarrangement.com, Brandon Wade, last week and asked for information about Julia Biryukova, the mother, reported Fox News. He gave police login information and messages on the account.

The free profile does not require proof of identity, reported CBS News">CBS News. The creator identified herself as "JB."

The page was created by someone in Washington in July and was last accessed on Oct. 26, reported Fox News.

According to the profile "JB" wants $3,001 - $5,000 per month, reported CBS News.

The profile contains nine pictures of Biryokova says she is a "mommy of two beautiful babies," reported CBS News.

Biryokova told police that her 2-year-old went missing on Nov. 6 after she left him in the car for an hour while her and her 4-year-old daughter went to get gas when they ran out, reported Fox News.

Police said the car started and ran fine when they took it for a test drive.

Police have recieved 900 tips about the missing toddler and have hundreds of investigators searching for him, reported CBS News. Police have reportedly said that suspect foul play in the boy's disappearance.

By Lauren Regnier

A bicyclist was killed in a hit-and-run Saturday morning in Minneapolis.

Thomas Malloy, 61, was on his way to a religious service when he was hit around 11 a.m., reported FOX 9 News. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene.

Malloy was pronounced dead at HCMC at 2:25 p.m. from multiple blunt force injuries, reported FOX 9 News.

The 27-year-old suspect, Wesley Gubbin, turned himself in about nine hours after the incident, reported the Bemidji Pioneer.

He will likely be charged with Criminal Vehicular Operation, reported FOX 9 News.

Witnesses said Gubbin didn't slow down after hitting Malloy, he took off at high speeds, reported FOX 9 News.

Malloy's brother, James, told WCCO-TV that Thomas rode his bike often and took advantage of the weather Saturday to ride, reported the Bemidji Pioneer.

By Lauren Regnier

In the story "Seeking a Cure for Troubled Hospitals in Brooklyn" by the New York Times, there is a plethora of numbers used in many different ways.

However, the reported keeps the numerical information clear by varying the ways in which he presents the data/statistics and tailors it to be the most easily understood by the readers.

For example, when explaining about how high occupancy rates could be if one of the three hospitals closed, the reported used "130 percent" and "one third more visits" which simplifies the statistics for the reader so they can understand them more clearly. In other words, they did the math for us, so we don't have to.

They also attributed these statistics well by stating who the study was submitted by and what that group represented. This gives the reader reassurance that these numbers are coming from a reliable source.

However, there are a couple paragraphs where the reported tried to fit a lot of numbers into one or two sentences, which made me have to reread them a few times in order to understand what they meant.

An example is in this sentence: In 1980, Brooklyn had 26 hospitals; now it has 15, and 41 percent fewer acute-care beds -- 2.3 beds per 1,000 residents, compared with Manhattan's 4.7, the state's 3.1 and the nation's 2.6.

They could have at least made this into two separate sentence. It just feels crowded and overwhelming.

Overall, I was pleased with how the numbers were presented in the story and that the reported did the number crunching for us to make that statistics more understandable.

By Lauren Regnier

A Minn. State Trooper jumped in a lake near Alexandria Thursday afternoon to save a woman whose had a seizure and lost control of her car.

Sgt. Jesse Grabow was patrolling Interstate-94 near Alexandria when he witnessed the car topple into the lake, reported the Pioneer Press.

"It was like something out of a movie -- I couldn't believe my eyes," said Grabow in a story by Valley News.

He said the car shot about 10 feet into the air before leaping over the edge of the road, which was a 15-foot drop off, reported Valley News.

Grabow jumped in the lake as the car began to sink and he and another trooper that had fled to the scene brought the woman to safety reported the Pioneer Press.

The woman, 27, was from out of state and is expected to be ok.

By Lauren Regnier

An Eden Prairie woman was charged with murder after allegedly injecting heroine into her husband in July.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office charged Melanie Razo, 29, with third-degree murder Tuesday, reported the Pioneer Press. However, her charges were not made public until Wednesday night when she was arrested on a warrant.

On July 6, police were called to Razo's home where they found her husband unconscious in the basement, reported the Pioneer Press.

According to the criminal complaint, Razo "indicated she talked the victim into taking some heroin" and then injected some into her husband, reported Kare 11.

Razo and her husband have a baby girl and were renting out the basement of her mother's house, reported Kare 11.

An autopsy determined that the cause of death was a mixture of drug toxicity of heroin and a blood alcohol concentration of .10 percent, reported the Pioneer Press.

By Lauren Regnier

A daredevil surfer shattered a world record by surfing a 90-foot wave off the coast of Praia do Norte in Portugal.

Garrett McNamara, 44, of Hawaii, is part of an elite fraternity of extreme surfers who seek extremely large waves around the globe, reported ABC News.

McNamara was in Portugal with two other wave enthusiasts, Andrew Cotton and Al Mennie, as part of a study with the Portuguese Hydrographic Institute to understand why such gigantic waves are formed in the deep-water canyon off Nazare, reported The Telegraph.

"This wave, this abnormal-sized wave, just popped out of nowhere. It was like it was meant to be," McNamara said in a telephone interview from Portugal with ABC News.

Cottons towed him onto the mammoth wave.

"I had the best seat in the house as he dropped down the face of the biggest wave I've ever seen. It was incredible," said Cotton in a story by The Telegraph. "Most people would look scared but Garrett looked in control as he went down the most critical part of the wave.

The previous world record was set by Mike Parsons in 2008, who rode a 77-foot wave at Cortes Bank in California, reported The Telegraph.

By Lauren Regnier

Two tanker trucks collided and burst into flames on a freeway near Phoenix Wednesday morning, killing one of the truck drivers and closing Interstate 10.

The crash happened around 7:45 a.m. when a milk truck rear-ended another tanker truck carrying 7,700 gallons of diesel gas byproduct, which caused an intense eruption of flames and billows of black smoke reported the Star Tribune.

The milk truck driver died, reported the Star Tribune. The driver of the petroleum tanker got out on his own, uninjured, Phoenix Fire Department pokesman Capt. Scott McDonald said.

City of Chandler police ordered evacuations and moved people from hotels, homes and business within a 1-mile radium east of the freeway, reported the Star Tribune. On the west side of I-10, residents were cautioned to stay in their homes.

Horizon Learning Center located just southeast of where the collision took place, was closed and evacuated, reported ABC 15.

Parents had to fight the traffic caused by backups from the crash, reported ABC 15. The school kept the children indoors and released them as their parents came to pick them up, which was a two-hour process.

Both I-10 lanes plan to be reopened by 5 a.m. Thursday.

By Lauren Regnier

A man's body was found Tuesday in Rice Lake in Lino Lakes after being reported missing last week.

The man has not yet been identified. Anoka County police said he was reported missing Friday, reported the Pioneer Press.

Accounting to the Anoka County's Sheriff's Office, no foul play was suspected and they are not pursuing any suspects, reported the Star Tribune.

His vehicle was discovered at Trapper's Bar and Grille located on the shore of Rice Lake Monday afternoon, reported the Pioneer Press.

According to the Star Tribune, the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office is investigating the death.

By Lauren Regnier

The obituary written for Allen J. Bernstein, owner of Morton's of Chicago steakhouse chain, by the New York Times follows the classic structure and style of an obituary.

The lead starts with who he is and his "claim to fame" followed by when and where he died, and how old he was. This standard structure gives you all the necessary information in a clean and concise way.

There are only three sources used in this obituary; Bernstein's wife, Bernstein himself, and Inc. Magazine. Although not very many quotes were used, I feel that it was the perfect amount to provide little bits of color throughout the piece.

Obituaries such as this differ from resumes because it's presented more as a story of what made this person honorable, rather than a list of their achievements. It highlights not only their career achievements, but their character as well. It's almost like a tribute or celebration to that person.

By Lauren Regnier

A man broke into a Portland home Sunday to watch television, police said.

Police said Jason Bastrom, 32, let himself in through the front door and sat on the couch to watch television, reported the Oregonian.

The homeowner called 9-1-1 and then called a family member who lived close-by, reported the Oregonian.

According to authorities, the family member confronted Bastrom and struck him in the head knocking him unconscious, reported the Huffington Post.

Authorities took him to the hospital when they arrived, reported the Huffington Post.

According to the Oregonian, Bastrom was charged with criminal trespass in the first degree and booked into the Multnomah County Jail.

By Lauren Regnier

Suicide bombers attacked a military base Friday around a northeastern Nigerian city that is under siege from a radical Muslim sect, officials said.

Lt. Col. Hassan Ifijeh Mohammed said that no soldiers were killed in the attack by the group known as Boko Haram, reported Providence Journal.

These are the most complex and coordinated attack by this group, reported The Star.

Borno state police commissioner Simeon Midenda said that explosions went off near an Islamic college where parents had arrived to pick up students, reported The Star.

The bombers driving a black SUV tried to get into the military base that was largely used for protecting the city from Boko Haram fighters, but couldn't enter, reported The Star.

Mohammed said attackers detonated explosives inside the SUV, which damaged surround buildings, reported Providence Journal.

Mohammad said explosions went off in three other locations in Maiduguri, reported The Star.

By Lauren Regnier

CIty officials toured the future 7-acre dog park Tuesday under St. Paul's High Bridge.

The park is expected to open on Memorial Day 2012, according to Mike Hahm, the city's park and recreation director, in a report by the Star Tribune.

The park will be located near the Mississippi between the Upper Landing housing development and Xcel's natural gas-fired power plant, reported the Pioneer Press.

Excel will continue to own the 7-acres, but the park will be maintained by the city, reported the Pioneer Press.

The park will have a gat and parking just below the bridge that connects Irvine Park to the West Side Bluffs, but won't be lighted for now, reported the Start Tribune.

The city estimates the cost of a fence and double-gated entry to be a few thousand dollars right now, reported the Star Tribune.

Nearly one-third of St. Paul residents own dogs, but there is only one off-leash park in the area, which is located in Arlington/Arkwright on the East Side, reported the Star Tribune.

By Lauren Regnier

Two people were killed and 13 others were injured in a four different shootings in New Orleans early Tuesday morning.

The first shooting took place on Bourbon Street shortly after midnight, reported WAFB.

A 25-year-old man who was shot died at the hospital, reported CNN. Seven others were injured whose ages ranged from 19-50.

The second shooting broke out at near Canal Street shortly before 2 a.m., where two men and two women were shot and one died, reported WAFB.

Police caught a two men in a foot-pursuit after they heard gunshots and saw two males fleeing the scene, reported CNN. One of the them was released after questioning, but a 24-year-old faces charges of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder, police said.

By Lauren Regnier

A two-year-old fell six stories from an apartment building Sunday in St. Paul while playing on a couch near a window.

She fell at about 5:30 p.m.from one of the Lewis Park Apartments in the 100 block of Wayzata Street, reported the Star Tribune. She was in serious condition at the Gillette Children's Hospital Monday.

According to investigators Patia Lamaya Amiella Cotton was playing with another child when she accidentally fell out of an open window, reported KSTP. She was dancing on a couch directly below a window when she lost balance and fell.

Patia's mother, Nakita Patton, and another adult were also present at the time, reported the Star Tribune.

Susan Michaletz, president of Tapestry Management LLC that owns and operates the apartments, said she doesn't know of any complaints about the unit's windows, reported the Star Tribune.

"We're looking into what happened, and we're waiting for a police report," Michaletz said in a report by the Star Tribune. "As far as I know, it's simply an accident."