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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 12-22 Gunman sought in credit union holdup PIONEER PRESS MainPage 1 of 4 Christmas weekend storm could bring rain, snow, both Minnesota Computer models are predicting a major winter storm somewhere in the Upper Midwest for the Christmas weekend — and the National Weather Service is sounding the trumpet early for holiday travelers. The storm hasn’t even developed yet, but models Wednesday morning continued to show it reaching Minnesota on Christmas Day with a wintry mix of rain, sleet, freezing rain or snow in the south and heavy snow in the north. It remained unclear where the dividing line will be, however, and when the snow will start on Christmas Day or how much snow will fall. But the weather service says upward of 6 inches of new snow is likely somewhere in the region. As of Wednesday morning, the heaviest snow was expected north of U.S. 2 along a line from North Dakota, across northwestern Minnesota and into Ontario — but forecasters said that track could change over the next four days. It’s possible all of Minnesota could see rain and/or freezing rain on Christmas Day, the weather service noted. The precipitation is expected to begin as a wintry mix in the southern half of Minnesota, then turn to rain as warmer air lifts north into the region. As much as an inch of rain and a few thunderstorms are possible late Sunday, according to the weather service. Travel on Christmas Day and Monday could be hazardous or difficult. — Forum News Service St. Paul Park permit lottery to be held on Jan. 3 St. Paul will host its lottery for parks permits on Jan. 3. The Parks Permit Office at 1100 N. Hamline Ave. will issue lottery numbers during a half-hour window from 6:30 to 7 a.m. The lottery is open to residents and businesses. The city uses a lottery system because of the high demand to reserve certain dates and locations. Customers arriving after 7 a.m. will be issued permits on a firstcome, first-served basis. Proof of St. Paul residency is required. Businesses must bring in documentation such as letterhead, stationary or a business card. On Jan. 4, permit applications will be accepted by telephone at 651-632-5111, with credit card payment only. Online shelter permits will be available as of Feb. 1. Nonresidents may apply for parks permits as of Feb. 1, as well. For more information, visit stpaul.gov/parkpermits. — Frederick Melo ‘Promise’ program loses federal grant http://saintpaulpioneerpress.mn.newsmemory.com/ee/_nmum/_default_bb_include_infra...12/22/2016 MainPage 2 of 4 St. Paul has come up short on a federal grant competition for providing birth-tocareer support to disadvantaged children and their families through the schools, nonprofits and other organizations. The St. Paul Promise Neighborhood, now in its seventh year and serving Jackson, Maxfield and Ben Mays elementaries and St. Paul City School, was hoping the grant would finance expansions into Ramsey Middle and Central High schools. The organization has other funding sources that will enable those expansions, but it won’t happen as quickly, director Muneer Karcher-Ramos said last month. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday announced a total of $33 million in promise neighborhood awards to six projects in Kentucky, New Jersey, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and California. — Josh Verges North suburbs MAPLEWOOD Gunman sought in credit union holdup Maplewood police and the FBI are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who held up a credit union on Wednesday afternoon. Police were called to Unity One Credit Union at 1535 Beam Ave. about 2:35 p.m., after the robber approached a teller and demanded all the money from the cash drawer, according to a statement from Maplewood police. He held a silver handgun under his other arm. The suspect drove off in a blue Honda Ridgeline, which officers found abandoned in a nearby store parking lot. Detectives determined that the getaway truck had been stolen from a car dealership nearby. The suspect is described as a white man, 35 to 45 years old, 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 145 to 175 pounds. The robber has a distinguishing feature, police said: A raised, skin-colored mole on his left cheek that’s about dime-sized. He was wearing a dark-colored overcoat, a purple dress shirt, dark pants, and dark sunglasses. Surveillance video images can be viewed with this report at TwinCities.com. Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call 911 or 651-767-0640. Anonymous information can be texted using the keyword Maplewood and the tip information to 847411 (TIP411). — Lisa Legge Washington County LAKELAND http://saintpaulpioneerpress.mn.newsmemory.com/ee/_nmum/_default_bb_include_infra...12/22/2016 MainPage 3 of 4 Reward grows $5K in City Hall arson The Lakeland City Council decided Tuesday to add $5,000 to the reward in the arson of a controversial new City Hall that had been under construction. The new City Hall building was destroyed Nov. 13 in a blaze that was determined to be arson. A $5,000 reward for information leading to the arsonist previously was offered by the Minnesota chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators. So far there’s been no word of progress in the investigation, according to Richard Glasgow, a city council member and the mayor-elect in Lakeland. So the city council decided to add another $5,000 to the reward. “We thought maybe $5,000 would help in the process,” Glasgow said. “It’s dangerous anytime somebody burns down a building. It’s extremely dangerous whether it’s occupied or not.” The project divided the city and became an issue in the mayor’s race. Glasgow wanted to stop construction on the new project and preserve the historic city hall while his opponent, incumbent Amy Williams, favored the new construction. The council on Tuesday split on a 2-2 vote on whether to move forward on spending $108,000 to repair the burned building site. Glasgow said the consensus of the new city council that takes office next year will be to remodel the old City Hall. Anyone with information about the fire should call the Washington County sheriff’s office at 651- 430-7882. — Richard Chin West metro CARVER COUNTY Paddleboarder’s body found in lake An ice fisherman using an underwater camera Tuesday led to the recovery of the body of a man who went missing Nov. 26 while paddleboarding on Lake Waconia. Lt. Patrick Barry of the Carver County sheriff’s office said the body of Andrew John Stifter, 35, of Waconia was recovered about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Barry said the ice fisherman using an underwater camera spotted the body and alerted police. The Carver County sheriff’s dive team then recovered the body from under the ice. “It’s sad, but I think it certainly helps the family and starts the healing process,” Barry said. According to a GoFundMe page, Stifter was married and had two young children. His wife is expecting their third child in early May. http://saintpaulpioneerpress.mn.newsmemory.com/ee/_nmum/_default_bb_include_infra...12/22/2016 MainPage 4 of 4 Stifter had gone to Lake Waconia to photograph wildlife from his paddleboard on Nov. 26 when he went missing. Sheriff’s deputies found Stifter’s paddleboard upright and anchored offshore, with a personal flotation device tethered to the front of the board. Barry said the cause of Stifter’s death is still under investigation, but no foul play is suspected. — Richard Chin Minnesota BRAINERD Woman, 60, dies in mobile home fire Firefighters recovered the body of a 60-year-old woman Monday night from a fireravaged trailer home just outside of Brainerd. The Crow Wing County sheriff’s office reported Tuesday that the body of Suzette Rhea Scheeler, 60, was sent to the Ramsey County medical examiner’s office for autopsy. Preliminary autopsy results indicate Scheeler died of smoke inhalation as a result of the fire. Reached by phone Tuesday, Teasha Scheeler of Brainerd confirmed that her mother died in the home Monday night. — Forum News Service Thursday, 12/22/2016 Pag.A05Copyright © 2016, St. Paul Pioneer Press. Please review new arbitration language here. 12/22/2016 http://saintpaulpioneerpress.mn.newsmemory.com/ee/_nmum/_default_bb_include_infra...12/22/2016