Stern's Blog

Woman Murdered, Husband Injured in Burglary

2010-04-25T23:31:07Z

A man allegedly broke into a house in St. Paul and killed a woman and injured her husband on Sunday, Kare 11 reported.
The husband and wife woke up in their home at 1794 Minnehaha Ave. to a burglar in their house, Kare 11 reported. The burglar shot and killed the wife and shot the husband in the leg.
Authorities pronounced the wife dead at the scene, WCCO reported.
The husband was taken to Regions Hospital and has been released, Kare 11 reported.
Police have not found any suspects, but are still investigating the scene, Kare 11 reported.

Rollover Crash Kills 3 Teens

2010-04-24T16:07:17Z

A rollover crash killed three teenage girls and injured one more on Friday near Altura, Minn.
The girls rolled over in their pickup truck at 3:20 p.m., on County Highway 27, Kare11 reported. They were just let out of school.
Authorities identified the three girls who died as Shauna Ruhoff, 16, Morgan Zeller, 13, and Katie Hornberg, 14, WCCO reported. Cydney Maker, 12, is in critical condition at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, Wis.
Authorities are still looking into what caused the accident, WCCO reported.

China Mourns Quake Victims

2010-04-21T15:34:49Z

China lowered its flags to half staff on Wednesday to mourn the victims of the earthquake that killed over 2,000 people last week.
The whole country mourned for the victims of the quake. Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a silent tribute from Beijing, while the Qinghai province - where the quake was centered - observed three minutes of silence Wednesday morning, CNN reported.
The death toll for the quake reached 2,064, with 175 people still missing and 12,135 other injured, CNN reported.
The earthquake struck the Qinghai province, which is near Tebet, and had a magnitude of 7.1, the New York Times reported. Many buildings, including schools, collapsed in the impoverished area.

Oil Rig in Gulf Explodes, Injuring Many

2010-04-21T15:17:41Z

An explosion at an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana left 15 people injured and 12 missing Tuesday night, MSNBC reported.
The explosion occurred about 52 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana at 10 p.m. at a rig called Deepwater Horizon, CNN reported. 126 people were on board the rig.
The Coast Guard sent helicopters and cutters to the rig to help with the disaster, CNN reported.
Most of the people on the rig are believed to have escaped safely, MSNBC reported.

Bear Spotted in Blaine Tree

2010-04-21T15:02:17Z

A bear climbed up a tree in a resident's front lawn in Blaine on Tuesday.
Someone called 9-1-1 Tuesday morning after spotting a black bear near the intersection of Davenport Street and 132nd Avenue Northeast, Kare11 reported. The bear crawled up a tree in a front yard and was still there as of 3:45 p.m.
Witnesses said the bear appears to be around two years old and it came from a wooded area near the neighborhood, Kare11 reported.
The Department of Natural Resources advised authorities to leave the bear alone and said the bear will likely move on to a different spot overnight, WCCO reported.
The bear seemed calm, but authorities are concerned because the crowds that have been gathering to see the bear could agitate it, Kare 11 reported.
The exact location of the bear was not released because authorities do not want to attract a large crowd to the scene, WCCO reported.

Missing Man Found in River

2010-04-19T00:42:07Z

Authorities in Hutchinson found the body of a missing man Sunday afternoon who fell into the Crow River last Tuesday.
Authorities found the body of 37-year-old Jeffrey Degn in the river near Tartan Park, Kare11 reported. They found the body after someone called the police after spotting a red jacket floating in the river.
When police arrived at the River, they found Degn, WCCO reported.
Authorities had been searching for Degn since he slipped on rocks near a dam on Main Street in Hutchinson and fell into the river, Kare11 reported.

Man Falls Into River, Search is On

2010-04-14T15:49:09Z

A man is missing after he slipped and fell into the Crow River in Hutchinson on Tuesday.
Jeffrey Degn, 37, fell into the river near a damn in the city after he slipped on some rocks at 7 p.m., Kare11 reported. The fast-moving river carried him away.
Authorities have been searching for the man since he fell in, but have not found him, WCCO reported. They are using boats, helicopters, and search dogs to look for him.
The city is bringing in specialized search equipment from Hennepin County to search the bottom of the river near the damn, WCCO reported.

Man Murders Family in Chicago

2010-04-14T15:27:58Z

A man allegedly shot and killed his wife, his son, and two nieces in his home early Wednesday morning, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The gunman, whose name as not been released, allegedly killed the victims in a bedroom in his home in Marquette Park at 4:25 a.m., the Tribune reported. He also shot and wounded two others.
Family members identified the two wounded as the gunman's mother and nephew, the Tribune reported.
The gunman also tried to kill a 12-year-old girl who ran to tell the police about the incident, but he missed as he tried to shoot her, the Tribune reported.
The two wounded are in critical condition at a local hospital, CNN reported.

Massive Earthquake Kills Hundreds in China

2010-04-14T15:11:05Z

A series of massive earthquakes killed around 400 people and injured thousands more in China Wednesday morning, CNN reported.
An initial earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the impoverished and mountainous Qinghai province in western China at 7:49 a.m. local time, CNN reported. A series of aftershocks followed as buildings were reduced to rubble.
Many buildings in the area were made of wood and mud, making them very susceptible to earthquakes, MSNBC reported. The buildings easily collapsed, leaving the people inside the buildings trapped.
Many of the casualties were children, as many schools were reduced at the start of the school day, MSNBC reported.
Chinese authorities sent thousands of soldiers and medical staff to the region to help with disaster relief, CNN reported.

Barn Fire Kills 70 Pigs

2010-04-14T15:02:40Z

A barn fire killed at least 70 pigs in New Prague early Wednesday morning, Kare11 reported.
Firefighters received a call at 4:30 a.m. about the fire, Kare11 reported. They put out the fire by 7:15 a.m., but only after between 70 and 90 pigs were killed.
The fire did not injure any people, WCCO reported.
Authorities have not determined the cause of fire, Kare11 reported.

Analysis on Diversity

2010-04-12T04:11:34Z

I will be analyzing "China: Wealth, Lifestyle, and Culture" from CNN.com.
I talked with my roommate, Wenlin, who is from China. He grew up in China and did not step foot on American soil until January of 2009. He is an international student here at the University of Minnesota.
He said the article is not stereotypical, but the article could go more in depth about China and its lifestyles and cultures.
The story does not have any quotes and it is not very detailed.

New Orleans Shooting Spree Wounds 7 People

2010-04-12T00:25:02Z

Two gunman shot and injured seven people right after the French Quarter Festival in New Orleans Saturday night, CNN reported.
The gunmen shot the victims at 9:15 p.m. on the 700 block of Canal Street, NOLA News reported.
The gunmen intended to shoot a 17-year-old man, but instead shot seven people, six of whom were bystanders at the festival, CNN reported.
Authorities are still looking for the gunmen, CNN reported.
All of the victims were taken to a local hospital, CNN reported. There are no reported deaths at this time.

Strong Earthquake Hits Spain

2010-04-12T00:02:46Z

An earthquake hit parts of southern Spain early Sunday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake, with a magnitude of 6.2, struck 15 miles southeast of Granada at 12:08 a.m. local time, CNN reported.
The quake struck nearly 400 miles underground, so it did not cause a lot of damage, CNN reported.
There have not been any reports of injuries or deaths, CNN reported.

Pawlenty Has Not Mailed Back Census

2010-04-09T14:52:45Z

Governor Pawlenty has not mailed back his census form that was due on April 1, the governor told WCCO.
Pawlenty received two census forms: one for his home in Eagan and one for the governor's residence, Fox9 reported. He plans to fill out the form for his home in Eagan.
"I'm going to fill it out in a timely manner," Pawlenty told WCCO.
The law requires everyone to fill out a census form by April 1. If one does not do so, census takers will go door-to-door to get the form.
This year's census will decide whether or not Minnesota will lose a seat in Congress.

Teen pleades Guilty to Robbery at U

2010-04-07T15:15:09Z

A Minneapolis teenager pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a crime he committed on the University of Minnesota campus on Jan. 25.
Derrell Jacori Cole, 17, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony and first degree aggravated robbery for a crime he committed outside Moose Tower on the East Bank campus, WCCO reported.
Police believe Cole's crime is connected with a string of other crimes and the shooting of a University of Minnesota student, the Minnesota Daily reported.
Authorities sentenced Cole to a juvenile program, probation, and a stayed prison sentence, the Daily reported.
Cole also pleaded guilty to a crime he committed in north Minneapolis the same day, the Daily reported.