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As state moves to ban ‘forever chemicals,’ law will be named after young Maplewood cancer victim

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

Minnesota is on the verge of banning nonessential uses of “forever chemicals.” And lawmakers say they are naming the legislation after a young Maplewood woman who spent the last months of her life campaigning for restrictions that will be some of the toughest in the country.Legislators, environmentalists and family members paid tribute Tuesday to Amara Strande. She died two days shy of her 21st birthday last month from a rare form of liver cancer. She grew up in the suburban east metro, where the groundwater is contaminated by PFAS linked to 3M Co. manufacturing, and believed the chemicals were part of what caused her cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 15.“Through her pain and exhaustion, Amara was willing to be a voice of those who have become the victims of illnesses that are linked to these forever chemicals,” said her father, Michael Strande. ”Amara called on the lawmakers of Minnesota to do what is right in passing laws that will not only protect our environment, an...

Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels misses out on NBA’s All-Defense teams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

Despite being considered by many to be one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders this season, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels was snubbed from either of the NBA’s two All-Defensive teams that were released Tuesday.McDaniels was listed as a forward — meaning he had to compete with the likes of Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Golden State’s Draymond Green for spots on the All-Defense rosters, which only have room for four forwards.Jackson and Mobley were first-team All-Defense, while Green and Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby earned second-team honors.McDaniels finished sixth among forwards in voting, behind Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 22-year-old received three first-place votes and 34 second-place votes out of 100 total media voters. McDaniels almost certainly would’ve fared better had he been classified as a guard and dueled the likes of Memphis’ Dillon Brooks or Boston’s Derrick White ...

St. Paul lawyer gets 16 months in prison for car-crash scheme involving chiropractors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

A St. Paul personal injury lawyer was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison Tuesday for defrauding auto insurance companies with phony injuries from car crashes.Brad Ratgen, 52, admitted in November that between 2015 and 2021, he paid runners to recruit car-crash clients who would seek treatment from chiropractors who were in on the scheme.Ratgen sought $59,483 in fraudulent payments and ended up with $22,748, according to federal prosecutors.The Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau informed Ratgen in July 2021 that he was the target of an undercover investigation. Yet, Ratgen continued negotiating with State Farm on behalf of recruited client, reaching a $3,500 settlement months later.U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen told Ratgen on Tuesday she was “struck by the determined approach you took to committing the crime,” even after he was interviewed and other defendants were indicted. “It still didn’t click that you should stop.”Prosecutors charged Ratgen in October, and he pleaded guil...

Dog attack reveals alleged squatting in building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (News10)-A recent dog attack that sent a woman to the hospital has uncovered some complicated underlying issues at a property in Troy. The problem involves a battle between a woman who claims to be the current property owner and the people who feel they have the right to live there."That should not happen to her, and I feel sorry for her. But I don’t feel sorry that she was here. If she wasn’t here, it wouldn’t have happened.” That's how Debbie Plante, views the dog attack at 876 River Street in Troy. "There’s not even supposed to be dogs here," added Plante.  Troy Police say the woman suffered wounds to her arm and leg during the unprovoked attack by the American bulldog but is expected to make a full recovery. The dog, which police say belongs to the injured woman, is being held at an area shelter until a determination over what to do with the animal. Monday's attack has exposed a larger more complicated problem. The building is currently in foreclosure. Plant...

Mesa County deputy involved in fatal shooting identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

A deputy who fatally shot a man in Mesa County has been identified amid an ongoing investigation by the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man in vehicle at La Salle Family Dollar fatally shot by police; investigation launched Crime and Public Safety | Family-fight standoff, knife attack leads to fatal shooting by Denver police Crime and Public Safety | Greeley police shoot, kill man who allegedly shot at them; no officers injured Crime and Public Safety | Four bystanders shot by Denver police officer in LoDo file civil rights lawsuit over “life-altering injuries” Crime and Public Safety | Aurora police officers cleared in death of man after 120 mph chase that ended at DIA Deputy Andrew Baca, who has been with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office for five years, “discharged his duty firearm” during an April 28 inciden...

Jeffco considers middle school closures as it moves to next phase of consolidations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

The full story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. Jeffco Public Schools is laying out a roadmap for the next phase of school closures and consolidation in anticipation of fewer students enrolling next year and for several years to come.Recommendations for middle school closures could come as soon as August under a resolution the school board is expected to approve this week. The resolution would put a moratorium on any high school closures while the district works on other plans around the future of high school. Jeffco is planning to take a more comprehensive look over the next year at enrollment patterns, school boundaries, and feeder zones, as it considers which schools to close and where to consolidate. The resolution also lays out unsustainable enrollment as a factor for middle school closures, as well as one new factor: the accountability clock.Being on the state’s accountability clock — the name for when schools have re...

CPW warns residents about bear-resistant trash cans after cub’s death in Manitou Springs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. — A bear cub recently died in Manitou Springs after it got into a trash can, was frightened and scurried up a nearby power pole, where it was electrocuted.It’s just the latest example of how trash attractants are killing black bears, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s southeast division said. The garbage bins were not bear-resistant.“Lock your garbage! Be Bear Aware. Keep cubs alive,” it said in a tweet Tuesday morning.Manitou Springs has a wildlife ordinance that says all trash containers must be secure from wildlife at all times and garbage must be stored in wildlife-resistant containers or in a secure location inaccessible to wildlife.Read more on Denver7.

Eagle County jail was aware of mental health issues of recent inmates who died by suicide, reports show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

A man who is suspected to have died by suicide while in custody at the Eagle County detention facility had threatened suicide on numerous occasions leading up to the incident, according to police reports.The reports date back to Dec. 5, when the man called a crisis line saying “he would 100 percent kill himself when he hung up,” according to a report from the Avon Police Department.After attempting to locate the man and making contact with his family, a ping to his phone revealed he was in Adams County at the time, and the information was passed along to Adams County. But it wouldn’t be long before he popped up in Eagle County again.On Jan. 30, Avon police responded to a disturbance in progress call at the man’s home and found that he had a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear in court on a driving under the influence case. He was placed in custody, at which time he became violent and threatened suicide.On Feb. 4, Avon police responded to a trespassing call at a residenc...

Gabriel Landeskog will miss another season. What does it mean for Colorado Avalanche in free agency?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

Timing might be a crummy silver lining, but the last seven months have shown the Avalanche just how important it is.Gabriel Landeskog is out for the year, again. Colorado’s captain is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season after a cartilage transplant in his right knee scheduled for Wednesday in Chicago. Landeskog, whose most recent appearance was Stanley Cup-clinching Game 6 in June 2022, maintained Tuesday that “I have not contemplated retirement at all” despite this being his fourth surgery since September 2020 attempting to repair the chronic injury to his patellar cartilage.This particular transplant procedure was first brought up to him last September, while he was deciding on a course of action for the 2022-23 season. He ultimately settled on an arthroscopic surgery in October that was supposed to take 12 weeks to recover from. Instead, Landeskog only started skating individually Feb. 21 and hasn’t made significant progress on the ice since then.Re...

Details emerge in Summit County snowmobiler assault case involving social media influencer David Lesh

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:14:27 GMT

A Denver-area man notorious for controversial social media stunts and snowmobile-related offenses allegedly strangled a man during a dispute while snowmobiling in Summit County in March, according to court documents.David Lesh, 37, is facing charges of second degree assault by strangulation, a Class 4 felony, and third degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. He is scheduled to appear in Summit County court in Breckenridge on Wednesday, May 10, for an appearance on bond.JB Katz, a defense attorney representing Lesh, declined to comment on the assault charges he is facing beyond stating, “Facts will come out in court, not in a newspaper.”On March 25 around 1 p.m., a Summit County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the west end of Spring Creek Road, north of Heeney, according to an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant filed in the assault case.Read the full story at SummitDaily.com.Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.