Recently in Local News Category

A bright purple crab and four other species were found on the Philippine Island of Palawan.

This neon colored crab was discovered by Hendrik Freitag, of Germany's Senckenberg Museum of Zoology reported News 24.

These crabs are hard to miss in that their bodies are a bright purple color and claws are almost a florescent orange reported National Geographic.

According to News 24, these crabs lay their eggs in fresh water, and the eggs emerge into already young crabs. They normally forge for food at night.

Freitag told National Geographic that these crabs evolved by a fluke and that there is no real use for the color except for show.

An Oak Grove boy dies after an accident on his dirt bike while riding in his local motor cross track.

Nicholas Engler, a 9-year-old Oak Grove boy dies after a falling off his dirt bike reported Minnesota CBS.

Investigators say that Engler died of from head trauma and was later pronounced dead at the scene reported KARE 11.

According to Minnesota CBS, Engler went out to the track with all of his protective gear on, including his helmet, to fun the coarse a few time. Other kids in his neighborhood saw him and ran to grab their shoe so they could watch. By the time they returned Engler was on the ground motionless.

Englers father, an Oak Grove fire fighter, was the first to arrive on the scene reported KARE 11. He tried every means to save his son, but to no arrest.

According to Minnesota CBS, Engler would have turned 10-years-old in a month.

Minnesota bill would set up a wolf hunting season in November this coming right after wolves being removed from the endangered species list.

The bill is being pushed in order to protect live stock and other attacks from roaming wolves reported KARE 11.

In the 1990's the Department of Natural Resources held a conference to discuses the issue of the grey wolf and decided that if and when the grey wolf got off the endangered list there would be a five year hold on hunting them reported KARE 11.

During a special session this year the Legislature they removed the five year hold on hunting reported Minnesota Public Radio.

According to KARE 11, some of the American Indian society believe that they are spiritually connected to these wolves and the hunting of the wolves that aren't harming livestock or disturbing the peace. The Indians believe that if wolves are hunted it would mirror in their on lives, turning up in things like their economy, farming and way of life.

According to Minnesota Public Radio, hunters and farmers are pushing to pass the bill, but a fight between two state senators has recently halted the bill.

Hundreds of gay Minnesotans, and gay marriage supporters gathered in front of the Capitol during the yearly Equality Rally.

According to KARE 11 each year hundreds gather outside of the capitol Thursday to listen to speeches and songs about love and civil rights.

This years rally was very important due to the upcoming vote in November on the constitutional amendment that would potentially ban gay marriage in Minnesota reported the Star Tribune.

Governor Mark Dayton even joined the rally and told the crowd that he had a dream that voters defeated the amendment reported KARE 11.

Two groups at the center of the argument, Just Vote No and OutFront Minnesota, both spent Thursday morning learning techniques and lobbying against the amendment reported the Star Tribune.

According to the Star Tribune both sides of the amendment are increasing the money put toward their campaign greatly and advertising to sway Minnesotan voters before November.

The Just Vote No organization have started a door-to-door campaign in hopes to increase their support reported Star Tribune.

In June the annual Twins Cities Pride Festival will be a major rallying point for those to are against the amendment reported the Star Tribune.

A rally of thousands of hooded people gathered on the University of Minnesota campus to protest the shooting of an unarmed African America teenager.

Trayvon Martin, 17, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman because Zimmerman though Martin looked "suspicious" while walking down the street with his hood up on the night of February 29, reported the Minnesota Daily.

Minneapolis police told the Star Tribune that the rally on Thursday night had about 5,500 people dressed in sweatshirts.

According to the Minnesota Daily the police worked with the rally organizer, Jenny Belsito, to make sure that everything would go smoothly and safely. Many protestors carried signs and photos of Martin.

Among the many speakers were Brother Ali, a Minneapolis rapper. Ali told the Star Tribune that he has a privilege to wear a hoodie while others don't.

Belsito started the group rally over Facebook and thought that it would be just be 30 of her friends, but was surprised to see over 5,000 people show up reported the Minnesota Daily.

According to the Star Tribune, this rally was part of an online campaign called "A Million Hoodies for Trayvon Martin".

Wild gained their third straight victory, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4.

Erik Christensen and Devin Setoguchi provided the last shoot out goal after a no score overtime, ending the game. Setoguchi made the 1-1 shoot out tie breaker goal and game winning point over Chicago's goalie, Ray Emery reported the Pioneer Press.

Setoguchi scored the Wilds first goal of the game and his 19th goal at the 10:11 minute mark, which was answered 34 seconds later with a goal from Chicago's Patrick Sharp reported the Pioneer Press.

The Wild scored three minutes later making the score 2-1 reported the Star Tribune. In the second, Chicago slipped past Minnesota's defense and scored tying them at two at 5:28.

According to the Pioneer Press, the goal was answer 13 seconds later, by Wild's Clayton Stoner.

Chicago's Brodziak swept in a rebound while falling to the ice, 41 seconds later to make it 4-2 reported the Star Tribune. At 8:20 in the third Chicago's Kane brought it to 4-3.

According to the Star Tribune, Patrick Kane for Chicago scored the tying goal with 2:34 minutes left in the game.The goal was not to be answered until Setoguchi's shoot out final goal.

Chicago's goalie blocked 26 shots, and Minnesota's Harding made 31 saves reported the Pioneer Press. The Wild take their third straight game win.

New Vikings Stadium bill calls for electronic bingo and pull tabs in bars and restaurants within Hennepin County in order to help fund the almost $975 million construction.

In the newly proposed bill, the state would pay $398 million for the construction of the stadium with the help of the revenue from the bars and restaurants with electronic bingo and pull tabs reported the Star Tribune.

This would then give charitable gaming a $36 million tax break, but there still would be a $10 million gap between what the state needs to provide and what the revenue from the charitable gaming (bingo and pull tabs) would produce reported the Star Tribune.The bingo and pull tabs is suspected to bring in about $42 million a year for the charitable gaming industry.

Acording to the Pioneer Press, there are four back-up plans within the proposal if the bingo and pull tabs don't produce enough revenue which include a tax on luxury suits, a sport lottery game, the excuss sales tax being collected in Hennepin County or a stadium admission tax.

The proposal has had a Minnesota State senate hearing without a vote and is scheduled to have it first hearing in the House Monday, April 2 reported the Pioneer Press.

John Cowles Jr. whose family had a large part in shaping Minneapolis newspapers died of lung cancer Saturday.

Cowles Jr. was a chairman, publisher and editor of two major Minneapolis newspapers, the Tribune and Star, reported the Star Tribune. He was also known as a philanthropist and held influences in Minneapolis politics and art scenes.

According to The New York Times, Cowles Jr. continued to write for the Tribune and the Star, he reported aggressively, covering more art and science in the Minneapolis, while also pushing for civil rights.

In the early 1960s Cowles Jr. persuaded Tyrone Guthrie to build a theater in Minneapolis, and was able to raise 2.2 million to put toward the theater reported the Star Tribune. Guthrie did stay, building the famous nonprofit Guthrie Theater. Cowle was also an advocate for the construction of the Metrodome.

Cowles was born on May 27, 1929, in Des Moines, IA. His grandfather, Gardner Cowles, father John Cowles Sr. and uncle Gardner (Mike) Cowles Jr. all had worked within media publications reported The New York Times.By the 1941 the Cowles family owned the Minneapolis Journal, the Star and the Tribune.

Cowles graduated from Harvard and spent some time at Phillips Exeter Academy. After college he spent two years in the Army, when he came back he worked as a report for the Star and the Tribune. His family owned and worked at them for over half a century, until they sold the conjoined news outlets to McClatchy Company in 1998 reported The Star Tribune.

According to the Star Tribune Cowles was let go in 1982 from the Star and Tribune, but still held a spot on the executive board along with his sister and cousin.

After being let go Cowles was able do everything he enjoyed. He taught an aerobics class, traveled with a dance company, built a women's professional soft-ball league, and opened the Cowles Center, which is dedicated to dance reported The New York Times.

According to the Star Tribune, Cowles left behind his wife, Sage Fuller Cowles; a daughter, Jane Sage Cowles; a stepdaughter, Tessa Flores; two sons, John Cowles Jr. and Charles Cowles; a sister, Sarah Cowles Doering; a brother Russell Cowles; 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Unemployment is Minnesota's democratic Gov. Mark Dayton's top priority in his state of the state address.

Dayton addressed the Minnesota State Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court Justices along with many other high ranking state officials late on Wednesday, February 15.

"Even though 97,000 more Minnesotans are working today than at the depth of the Great Recession, there are still more than 168,000 Minnesotans, who want to work, but cannot find employment," Dayton said, "They must be our No. 1 priority. So, I say to legislators, let's take your best ideas and my best ideas and turn them into jobs! And let's do it now."

Dayton encouraged the Republican legislature to pass his bondage bill. Which is a $775 million bill that would go to help state colleges, revamp state parks, and finance many downtown reconstructions of cities. ABC Newspapers reported that Dayton also encouraged the officials to pass the new Vikings stadium legislation this session.

Dayton believes that this bondage bill will create many new jobs for unemployed Minnesotans and that the legislation is already "past the half way point" in creating new jobs the Pioneer Press reported.

Dayton also touched on the borrowing of money by the state at the expense of K-12 education and school districts. According to ABC Newspapers the state legislator has cut roughly $1.5 billion from education.

"The key to our future, as we all know, is education," Dayton said.

Dayton goes on to saying that if his proposal to tax the upper 2 percent more heavily had gone through, the state wouldn't be in the situation of having to borrow from schools or have a $1.3 billion deficit.

Still Dayton is hopeful for the future of Minnesota. "If we cooperate, if we share our best ideas, if we exchange our rigid ideologies for our shared ideals, we will revitalize our state," Dayton said, "And we will be doing the jobs the people of Minnesota sent us here to do."

First year University of Minnesota President is looking for "new ways to work smarter" for the University.

Eric Kaler gave his first state of the University address Thursday, March 1 where he touched upon the Universities budget plans and new educational goals. Among these goals are a proposal for a switch to a year-round academic calendar reported the Star Tribune.

"But all in all, in the balance, I think the benefits could outweigh the challenges, and this is an idea well worth driving forward." Kaler said in reference to his proposal of changing to a year-round academic calendar.

Kaler went on to talk about the recent declines in state investments to the University and how he will fight to bring the tuitions cost back down, lessing the over all student debt load.

He continued on to talk about how he has budgeted an increase of pay by 2.5 precent to all University employees, this was followed by half hearted applause reported The Minnesota Daily.

Kaler ended his speech with high hopes when looking toward the future of the University of Minnesota.

"In that future I see no other side to consider," Kaler said, "In that case, there is no counterbalance to our calling. As an efficient, effective, and engaged institution, this University will continue to change the world."