September 2008

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Reporter's Notebook: The Kim Couture Fight

Filed under: Mixed Martial Arts

Last June, close to 9,000 people were on hand inside the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas as Kim Couture, wife of Randy “The Natural” Couture, five-time UFC champion in two different weight classifications, fought Kim Rose. In the opening moments, Kim Couture catches a haymaker right from Rose. It splits her jawbone in half. But Couture battles through the remaining 15-minute fight, causing many to say the fight should have been stopped, and others, to question if women should even be in the ring.

In the history of women’s MMA, it will always be referred to as, “The Kim Couture fight.” Watch it for yourself. But know that Couture was grateful that referee Josh Rosenthal “had the sack to keep the fight going.”

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

And later, a closer up look at Couture's bottom row of teeth hanging at two different levels:

Posted by Bradley Campbell at September 30, 2008 5:30 PM | Comments (0)

 

Coleman brings the "aw-shucks" back into the campaign

Filed under: Elections

Sen. Norm Coleman's latest ad features Wyatt Rech, the adorable 6-year-old cancer survivor from Montgomery, Minn. who inspired his childhood cancer legislation. The bill passed in July and provides $30 million per year for five years to help fund pediatric cancer research.

Watch the ad after the jump.

We have to admit the video is pretty cute. The ad was so warm and fuzzy we almost forgot that Coleman is distracting us again from the big campaign issues like the economy or Iraq. We just hope Coleman doesn't drop this poor kid's friendship like old news when he gets reelected.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 4:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Madia campaigner stole scooter, had to use bathroom "real bad"

Filed under: Elections

Ashwin Madia, the DFL candidate running for Minnesota's 3rd District, can't seem to stay out of the news for non-issues this week. Yesterday we reported that one of his volunteers was caught on video taking his opponent's campaign signs from a public right-of-way. Then the DFL had to fire a new employee after he was caught stealing a scooter while passing out Madia campaign literature. The reason? Sean Folstad, 22, had to go to the bathroom "real bad" and needed to get to a local park ASAP.

Watch the video after the jump.

The DFL released a statement saying they acted quickly and fired Folstad. He was ticketed for theft and disorderly conduct and warned not to back into that neighborhood, according to FOX News.

We sort of feel bad for the guy. When you have to go, you have to go. Now he's unemployed and actually spoke to TV news and admitted he had to go "real bad". Public embarrassment at its best.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 3:00 PM | Comments (4)

 

Biking will kill off some Obama supporters, says Anti-Strib blogger

Filed under: Blogs/Web

The latest from the Anti-Strib blog is sure to get hardcore bikers and Sen. Barack Obama fans riled up. After recent reports of deaths and injuries due to the increasing numbers of commuters taking to their bikes for a primary mode of transportation, the Anti-Strib blog says it might help Sen. John McCain win the election.

Quotes after the jump.

According to the latest post on the site:

If you are biking to save the environment, keep it up and the law of averages says we'll have a few less Obama voters in November.

The blogger also takes a shot at low-income bikers:

If you are biking because you are poor, get a second job and take the bus. Odds are you might just be seriously hurt and then you'll be even poorer.

The blog labels itself as "a conservative blog that works to correct the lies, distortions and half-truths of the liberal MSM, particularly the Minneapolis Star Tribune."

We know blogging often hits pretty low, but this is really disheartening. In a week when many people across the Twin Cities are mourning the deaths of loved ones due to bike accidents, this isn't the best time to turn their grief into a tirade against Democrats.

Photo from The Bridge.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 2:09 PM | Comments (16)

 

What's wrong with Wisconsin?

Filed under: What's Wrong with Wisconsin?

We could almost publish a daily log of Wisconsin stories, but we resist. We don't want the Wisconsin-hating to go too far. But we present you with another round up of Wisconsin news, which is never good.

My totally rich uncle wanted to die, I swear
MADISON — A Wisconsin appeals court says family members who assist a relative in committing suicide can still benefit from the deceased person's will.

Teens get bored... drive around smoking pot
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Two boys, ages 13 and 14, are accused of stealing a car in Sheboygan after smoking marijuana.

Wisconsin and Germany fight global warming. Wait, what?
MADISON — Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and German officials say they are joining forces to reduce the causes of global warming. Looks like Wisconsin has said "screw the U.S." and decided teaming up with Europe would bring them more prosperity. Or maybe some name recognition.

Man convicted of duct-taping his two young sons together outside with no pants on
CADOTT, Wis. ― A Cadott man has been convicted of duct-taping his 6- and 7-year-old boys together and dousing them with water. Twenty-nine-year-old James I. Dickinsen is already serving a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for fifth-offense drunken driving.

Evening to-do list: Stab room mate, cook dinner, watch "American Idol"
APPLETON, Wis. - A Grand Chute man accused of fatally stabbing his roommate has been ordered into a mental health facility for a competency exam. Gerardo Galvan-Gomez has entered an insanity plea. Authorities say he stabbed his roommate in 2006, then went about his normal routine, making dinner for himself and watching TV.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 2:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

KSTP's Dave Dahl: Sun, not man, changes climate

Filed under: Environment

The few (if any) people in the Twin Cities who watch KSTP know meteorologist Dave Dahl for his weather forecasts and his global warming skepticism. Well he's come out full force over at MinnPost and made his position clear: Sun, not man, causes global climate change.

In fact, according to Dahl, the earth has been cooling in recent years. If it wasn't for a very recent uptick in solar activity, we could even be headed for another little ice age! Take that, Al Gore.

Watch Dahl's video explanation over at MinnPost.

Dahl, as well as KSTP boss Stanley Hubbard, are known skeptics of the "global warming caused by man theory" largely accepted in the science world. Hubbard has even produced a documentary, according to The Rake, "suggesting 'global warming' is rank alarmism at best, and a hoax at worse."

And according to Minneapolis St. Paul magazine's Brian Lambert, other local weathermen have come out with their global warming theories. We doubt MinnPost members knew their membership dues would be paying for this sort of rhetoric.

We agree with Lambert: meteorologists should stick to local weather forecasts and stop distracting from the bigger picture.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 1:00 PM | Comments (2)

 

Star Tribune sued for sexual harrassment

Filed under: Media

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Star Tribune today on behalf of female employees of the newspaper's mailroom, according to a Star Tribune email and report.

The complaint alleges that women were subjected to "sexual harassment (including, but not limited to, propositions for sex, sexually suggestive conduct, favoritism towards female co-workers who participated in sexually provocative conduct, and sexual comments), which further created a sexually hostile work environment," beginning in August 2005 and continuing today. The harassment occurred at the paper's Heritage facility.

Star Tribune officials are denying the allegations. Helen Wainwright, senior vice president for Human Resources and Labor Relations, wrote in a memo to employees today:

"At the same time, we also took steps to reinforce the Star Tribune's strong commitment to a respectful work environment, including implementing training programs for Heritage employees and their supervisors."

Read more at the Star Tribune. We will update if more information becomes available.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 12:09 PM | Comments (1)

 

Bachmann: Republicans stopped sucking their thumbs long ago

Filed under: Michele Bachmann

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann snapped back at Republican leadership Monday after the financial rescue bill failed. After the vote didn't pass, Republican Minority Leader John Boehner didn't waste time pointing fingers at the other side saying, “The speaker had to give a partisan voice that poisoned our conference, caused a number of members that we thought we could get to go south.”

But Bachmann said Republican reps aren't that childish.

Bachmann spoke at a Republican Study Committee press conference shortly after and fought back:

"I want to assure you that was not the case. We are not babies who suck our thumbs. We have very principled reasons for voting no."

We're not sure if she got confused about Boehner's accusations or is just standing up for herself. What a turn of events after the Republicans lifted her up as the shining example of a conservative female fighting minorities and ignoring her home district.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Metro Transit fares increase Wednesday

Filed under: Transportation

Don't forget an extra quarter for your ride on the bus or light rail Wednesday. Metro Transit fare increases, a quarter each way, will go into effect Oct. 1.

The increase will help reduce the projected $15 million budget shortfall next year with skyrocketing fuel costs and less revenue from motor vehicle sales taxes, Metro Transit officials say.

Here are the new fares:
Non-rush-hour regular service $1.75
Rush hour regular-route service $2.25

Non-rush-hour express service $2.25
Rush-hour express service $3

For more detailed fare charts and new bus pass prices, visit Metro Transit.

We will all probably complain for awhile, but just remember how much you can save if you aren't paying for a car. And it's pretty tough to whine about the cost of public transportation as a herd of bike commuters buzz by. If you whine, stop being lazy and bike instead. Just wear a helmet.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 11:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

University of Minnesota isn't on top, according to Trojan

Filed under: Sex

Last year the University of Minnesota proudly paraded it's ranking as the top sexually healthy school in the country, according to Trojan condoms.

But in just one year and a change in the ranking method, the U of M took a nosedive to No. 23. In other words, run to Boynton and get tested for STDs ASAP.

The Trojan condoms annual Sexual Health Report Card ranked 139 colleges and universities in 13 separate categories, expanded from 11 in 2007. Most notable is the addition of an electronic student opinion poll which allowed students to grade their schools and resulted in a significant rankings shake up. This new methodology caused the U of M to drop in the ratings, Trojan said.

Look on the bright side. In 2006, the U of M ranked 54th. And at least we can't claim the worst sexual health like DePaul University, which came in dead last at 139. Gross.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

9/30 Morning Must Reads

Filed under: Morning Must Reads

Tuesday's five most interesting stories printed on wood pulp.

Petters steps down during federal investigation
We reported this last night, but the news is still big this morning. According to the more detailed reports in the papers, Petters spoke to employees yesterday during a morning meeting and said he was stepping down because he was too much of a distraction. We tend to believe he left for other reasons. To distance itself from Petters, Sun Country is attempting to be financially independent by cutting its employees' paychecks in half for the rest of the year.

Did we get rid of Ventura for good? Maybe.
Former wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura will add a new career path to his already interesting list of accomplishments. Now he will be uncovering conspiracies and righting wrongs in the world. "I've been a mayor; I've been a governor. Now I get to be a detective and seek the truth," he said in a news release. Should he have been seeking the truth in government too? The show will run on TruTV (formerly Court TV) and filming starts next month.

Breaking down the bailout
The Strib's Mitch Anderson analyzes the Minnesota delegation's even split on the House financial bailout bill that failed yesterday. He says their split matches that of the House as a whole and has more to do with their geography and philosophy rather than their party affiliation. That's a first.

So much for that informant
We've been following the story of the man who is accused of strapping his beaten-to-death girlfriend to her crashed motorcycle to fake an accident. His brother is charged in the murder as well and now there is a new twist in this strange story. The brother, 31-year-old Timothy Boland, used to be a police informant for drug-related investigations. Clearly this guy had a reason to continue pretending to be on the side of law enforcement. It might work for crack, but not murders.

Media organizations really want to know who you voted for
The Minnesota legislature passed a law in April prohibiting anyone except for voters and election officials to be within 100 feet of a polling place. While it sounds well-intentioned, media organizations are pretty ticked off. The Associated Press, ABC, CNN, CBS, Fox News and NBC sued the state to challenge the law because they say it violates their First Amendment rights to gather information about the political process through exit polls. We think they might have a good case here, but why didn't they pursue this before the law passed or at least more than a month before the law will interfere with their work on Nov. 4? Smart move, media.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 8:58 AM | Comments (1)

 

9/30 Photo of the Day: Soap fountain

Filed under: Photo of the Day

Looks like someone stole their parent's laundry detergent for a night of fun in downtown Minneapolis. Too bad no one else was around to see the soap fountain.

Photos by ThirteenOfClubs, more photos on Flickr.

REMINDER: Submit photos for the Blotter's Photo of the Day post! We promise we won't laugh too hard if they are awful.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 8:10 AM | Comments (0)

 

Black Monday: Minnesota stock round up

Filed under: Economy

Before the final vote call on the U.S. House floor, stocks began to tumble.

By the end of day, the Dow had fallen almost 778 points, or nearly 7 percent, to 10,365. This point drop surpassed the tumble experienced the day after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

We checked back in with some of the top Minnesota company stocks from last week. While most value yesterday, most of the stocks are staying much about the 7 percent decline seen in the Dow.

Click below the jump to see Minnesota stock round up.

As of the end of day Monday:

United Health Group (UNH):
Last Trade: 21
Last Trade Sept. 23: 26
Last Trade Aug. 22: 30.61
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 49.56
*Shares of UnitedHealth had not closed below $22 since 2002; Monday they ended down $4.81, or 18.6 percent.

Target Corp (TGT):
Last Trade:47.35
Last Trade Sept. 23: 49.51
Last Trade Aug. 22: 52.66
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 64.3

Supervalu (SVU):
Last Trade:22.61
Last Trade Sept. 23: 22.52
Last Trade Aug. 22: 24.59
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 39.7

Best Buy (BBY):
Last Trade: 36.48
Last Trade Sept. 23: 37.87
Last Trade Aug. 22: 45.14
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 46.23

3M (MMM):
Last Trade: 66.32
Last Trade Sept. 23: 69
Last Trade Aug. 22: 72.28
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 91.81

Medtronic (MDT):
Last Trade: 49.36
Last Trade Sept. 23: 52.05
Last Trade Aug. 22: 56.5
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 56.94

General Mills (GIS):
Last Trade: 68.11
Last Trade Sept. 23: 68.05
Last Trade Aug. 22: 67.45
Last Trade Sept. 24, 2007: 57.88

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 30, 2008 8:08 AM | Comments (0)

 

Petters resigns as CEO

Filed under: Tom Petters

Tom Petters, CEO of Petters Group Worldwide, resigned effective immediately, according to the Star Tribune. His resignation comes after a federal raid last week of his home and business headquarters. "The FBI says it has recordings of Petters discussing the need for more capital at his financially stressed company. The FBI says Petters repeatedly admits hoodwinking investors in the recordings," according to Minnesota Public Radio.

Details after the jump.

Tom Petters resigned Monday as chairman and chief executive of Petters Group Worldwide in the wake of a federal criminal investigation into allegations of investor fraud.

Petters made the announcement in a meeting with employees at his company's Minnetonka headquarters.

"Events of the last few days have made it impossible for me to continue as the leader of these companies. My first concern is that these companies continue to go forward and that you as employees feel secure about working here," Petters said.

Petters' resignation is effective immediately. The company said he will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations of Petters Group and indepedent operating companies, including Polaroid and Sun Country Airlines.

Attorney Doug Kelley of the Minneapolis firm Kelley & Wolter has been retained by Petters Group Worldwide to assemble a management and legal team to oversee operations of the companies.

Petters Group headquarters, Petters' home and several other locations last week were served with federal search warrants in a coordinated raid by agents looking for evidence involving an alleged fraud operation.

Looks like Petters got himself into quite a fix. His legacy is quickly spiraling out of control.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 5:31 PM | Comments (3)

 

Bachmann conveniently misses flight home and cancels debate

Filed under: Michele Bachmann

We hate to say "we told you so," but we totally did. Rep. Michele Bachmann was in the Capitol today during the vote for the financial bailout. According to the Associated Press, Bachmann missed her flight home to participate in the first debate in the district during this election. Bachmann has received a lot of criticism for her lack of appearances and public debates with her challengers.

According to the Associated Press:

The debate in Congress over the financial bailout has scotched tonight's debate in Minnesota's 6th District race.

Michele Bachmann, the Republican incumbent, couldn't make her flight home in time. Spokeswoman Michelle Presson says Bachmann will likely attend a debate on Wednesday in Stillwater.

Bachmann faces Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg in the district that stretches from the Twin Cities northwest to St. Cloud.

The House voted to reject a proposed $700 billion bailout package. Bachmann was among those voting to reject.

Bachman better dominate her first debate after all of this extra rehearsing.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 3:23 PM | Comments (6)

 

Bailout package: How the Minnesota delegation voted

Filed under: Politics

The U.S. House of Representatives voted against the $700 billion rescue bill for the financial markets today, sending stocks plummeting.

See how your representative voted after the jump.

Here is how the Minnesota delegation voted on the package:

Yes:
GOP Rep. John Kline, DFL Rep. Betty McCollum, DFL Rep. Keith Ellison and DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar

No
DFL Rep. Tim Walz. GOP Rep. Jim Ramstad, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann and DFL Rep. Collin Peterson

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 3:15 PM | Comments (1)

 

Bachmann takes more heat for blaming minorities

Filed under: Michele Bachmann

Minneapolis Rep. Keith Ellison took offense to Rep. Michele Bachmann's comment last week when she blamed the financial crisis on a 30-year-old law that tried to fix racist redlining by lenders. And this issue just won't seem to go away as Bachmann spoke out in defense of her remarks and the Congressional Black Caucus demands answers. She doesn't want anyone to think she's racist. Read the back story on Blotter.

Last week, Democrats and those critical of Bachmann were furious when she said a federal program that gave home mortgage loans “on the basis of race and often on little else" was to blame for the banking crisis.

According to a Roll Call article on a Thursday hearing about the investment firms, Bachmann put some putting strong accusations into public record:

Bachmann kicked up a controversy on Thursday when she pinned the mess on former President Bill Clinton (yawn) and minorities (now Democrats are listening).

During an otherwise mundane hearing on the federal takeover of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, Republicans, specifically Bachmann, focused on Clinton’s administration and its push to provide loans to low-income minorities as a key reason for the downfall of the housing market.

The Clinton administration turned Freddie and Fannie into a “semi-nationalized monopoly,” Bachmann argued. Specifically, that administration decided to make loans through the Community Reinvestment Act “on the basis of race and often on little else.” Backpedaling on the controversial comments, Bachmann later added that the law was “well-intentioned” because ensuring that minorities have access to housing is important.

Here is the video of her statement:

On Friday, 31 members of the Congressional Black Caucus signed a letter that said Bachmann’s claims are “ridiculous” and asked Boehner whether her comments represent the views of the Republican Caucus:

It is clear from Rep. Bachmann’s comments that she believes that the bipartisan laws enacted over the past decade ensuring that minority communities have equal access to banking and other financial services are the cause of this financial situation... Shifting the blame for the current economic crisis to laws that allow equal access and opportunities to communities of color is ridiculous...

As members of the CBC, we simply ask if Rep. Bachmann’s position that it was lending to minority communities that caused the current financial crisis, represent the position of Republican Caucus?

Read the full letter at ThinkProgress.

On Saturday, she countered those accusations and clarified her remarks:

“It was an unfair characterization of my remarks,” she said of a published item in Roll Call newspaper. “I read a portion of an article critical of the Community Reinvestment Act, which I’m not a fan of. They were not my words.”

Ellison countered with this statement:

I personally am not going to just sit by and let people trash programs that helped folks get into housing who have been struggling to get in.

Fannie and Freddie — I don’t think are failed models. CRA certainly isn’t a failed program. These are important and good programs and should be protected. And If you want to find blame somewhere, let’s look at Gramm-Leach-Bliley. Let’s look at the very deregulation that so many people called for and clamor for and now we see what deregulation, lack of corporate responsibility put together with flat declining wages for the American people will bring about. It’s brought about this.

Well, at least Ann Coulter is on Bachmann's side. In her latest column, Coulter says:

A decade later, the housing bubble burst and, as predicted, food-stamp-backed mortgages collapsed. Democrats set an affirmative action time-bomb and now it's gone off.

Now, at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, middle-class taxpayers are going to be forced to bail out the Democrats' two most important constituent groups: rich Wall Street bankers and welfare recipients.

Political correctness had already ruined education, sports, science and entertainment. But it took a Democratic president with a Democratic congress for political correctness to wreck the financial industry.

Oh what a mess. We can't wait to see Bachmann dig herself out of this one. Maybe she will further bury herself during the debate tonight. If she shows up.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 2:30 PM | Comments (5)

 

Breaking news: Butt-lifting underwear designer coming to town

Filed under: Quality of Life

As a media organization, City Pages receives all sorts of press releases from just about anyone who can find our publication's name online. Normally they aren't even worth a read through and disappear into the deleted email abyss, but we had to share this one. It's not so much the press release that's great, but the product we are supposed to get excited about: Flashback -- the butt-lifting and contouring underwear for men, WonderWear -- the butt-lifting and contouring underwear for women.

Read the full release after the jump.

The release in its entirety:

Celebrity Fashion Designer Andrew Christian is coming to the Twin Cities area the first weekend in October for a fashion show extravaganza. Andrew is the man behind such innovative designs as the Flashback -- the butt-lifting and contouring underwear for men, WonderWear -- the butt-lifting and contouring underwear for women, the "Obama '08" boxer, Organic Cotton and Bamboo Fiber - both of which are "green" lines, and so much more! In addition to all that, Andrew just released two brand new lines "black by andrew christian" and his Spring 2009 collection.

Andrew is coming to the twin cities and he is available to media for print interviews Thursday afternoon (after 2pm), Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon, where Andrew can personally explain what "Andrew Christian" is and what he has to offer. Andrew could also bring in some of his edgy and contemporary underwear designs for the newspaper to feature or rate He is available for phone or email interviews prior to him coming to town as well. I have attached the Media Alert about Andrew coming to the Twin Cities area for you to look over, should you have any questions or would like to interview Andrew, please don't hesitate to give me a call at your earliest convenience.

Thank you,
Cathy

This doesn't even need an explanation. Thank you WonderWear for making our day.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 2:00 PM | Comments (1)

 

Asshole of the week: St. Paul dog tosser

Filed under: Puppies and Kittens

We've all been angry about break ups in our lives. Maybe you've thrown a book against a wall. Maybe even a cat.

But chucking a innocent pup off a balcony to face certain doom three stories below is a new one.

Sara Goff's ex boyfriend tossed her her new English bull dog from the third-floor balcony Thursday night. The dog, named Precious, sustained injuries that required her to put the dog down.

The reason? Her new boyfriend bought it for her, according to the felony animal-cruelty charges filed Friday and reported in the Star Tribune.

"Where'd you get that?" she recalled Dornseif saying when he first eyed the stocky pooch. "What do you want a dog for? I hate dogs."

Later, he'd tell police that Precious jumped from his arms and over the railing.

A police investigator, however, did not believe that story. Nor did Goff, who said Friday afternoon that while Precious was excitable, her short legs kept her from jumping.

The most heartbreaking part of this story? A two-year-old girl watched it all happen.

Two-year-old Elizabeth Mabry later described what she saw to her mother, Andrea Mabry, who also lives in the building.

"Doggie went boom," the girl said, throwing her arms wide.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 1:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Man admits to home-invasion and horrific rape near U of M

Filed under: Crime

A 24-year-old west metro man admitted in court this morning that he repeatedly raped a 20-year-old woman near the University of Minnesota campus after breaking into her home, according to the Star Tribune.

The woman heard footsteps outside her bedroom May 4 and found the man in the hallway. She tried to beat him with her curling iron before she saw his knife and was eventually raped. She escaped afterward by jumping from the second-floor in a towel and called authorities at the house next door.

The Star Tribune report has the full details on the rape:

Christopher E. Karls, of Wayzata, was to go on trial in Hennepin County District Court this week. Instead, he pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal sexual conduct, three counts of burglary and one count of kidnapping in connection with the May 4 assault.

Authorities say blood found in the home helped them tie the assault to Karls. A DNA profile developed from the blood led to a match to Karls' profile in the state's convicted offender database.

The woman broke her ankle after jumping from the bathroom window to flee Karls after he broke into her apartment in the Como/University of Minnesota neighborhood, held a knife to her throat and sexually assaulted her. Authorities believe he bent the aluminum frame of a storm window shortly after the woman arrived home the morning of May 4.

The victim, who shared her apartment with three other women, reported being in her bedroom when she heard footsteps and opened the door to see Karls, whom she did not recognize. When she slammed the door and locked it, Karls kicked in the door. The woman then beat him with a curling iron, but dropped it after she saw he had a knife.

After Karls told her he was "desperate" and asked for money, the woman offered him her camera and computer before he ordered her to undress and sexually assaulted her. Afterward he ordered her to shower. She tried to call 911, but he took the phone away. Then, wearing only a towel, she jumped to the deck below and ran to a neighboring house.

We haven't seen a case like this in awhile. Although stranger rape is very rare, this story is unbelievable and frightening.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

 

Madia campaign volunteer is so totally busted

Filed under: Politics

We know campaigns are getting dirty when volunteers start stealing. Or so we are led to believe. Erik Paulsen, the Republican running for the Third District seat (left open by retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad), has it right. As his campaign spokeswoman said, it's become "Minnesota Mean". But maybe what his spokeswoman didn't realize is that we've always lived in Minnesota Mean: we use nasty passive tactics behind the other person's back and run for cover when we get busted.

Ashwin Madia, the Democrat running for the open seat, issued an apology through a press release Saturday after one of his volunteers was caught on camera stealing Paulsen campaign signs from a roadside in Maple Grove. Public embarrassment is hard. Watch the video after the jump.

According to the Star Tribune story on the political drama, Paulsen's campaign couldn't forgive Madia until he gave them a personal apology. This is a tough pill to swallow.

"Bottom line is, it's outrageous," said Stacey Johnson, Paulsen's communications director, who noted that Ashwin Madia's campaign issued an apology by press release. "This isn't Minnesota Nice; this is Minnesota mean."

In reply to a media query, Madia campaign manager Stuart Rosenberg issued a statement that apologizes for the incident and says that staffers have been reminded not to touch Paulsen signs.

Hey, at least Madia can claim she was a clueless volunteer, even though she is the wife of the communications director. At least Madia wasn't busted for stealing Paulsen's campaign literature and swapping it for his own. Phyllis Kahn could teach him a thing or two about that Democratic tactic.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 12:00 PM | Comments (4)

 

Pirates arrrrrr not joking around

Filed under: Crime

You probably missed International Talk Like a Pirate Day(like most normal people), but now you are bummed out you didn't get to participate in pirate shenanigans. Well the Twin Cities Costumers Guild is giving you a second chance during their Pirates and Ninjas picnic and game day this weekend. We're sure it will be a park of uber nerds fake fighting and reliving their high school theater days. But nonetheless, we encourage you to participate. Go change your Facebook profile language to "English (Pirate)" to get some practice.

But pirates are no laughing matter...

Yes, pirates still exist and they are absolutely frightening. They've resurfaced in the news lately after the New York Times reported that pirates had taken over a ship with $30 million worth of grenade launchers, piles of ammunition and battle tanks off the coast of Somalia. The hijacking got the attention of the U.S. Navy who were in hot pursuit of the ship on Friday.

As of Sunday, the ship had been located and Associated Press reports say the pirates want a $20 million ransom for the ship and they will "fight to the death" if they are attacked.

We encourage picnic participants to avoid acting like "real" pirates, because frankly you might ruin the fun. Real pirates don't fight ninjas after all.

Here are the picnic details:

Dress up as your favorite Pirate or Ninja, pack a picnic lunch, and come for games in the park:

Saturday, October 4th from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Hidden Falls Park, St. Paul
North Gate Picnic Pavilion area

This event is free and open to all. Email questions to the Costumers Guild.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 11:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Franken and Coleman recess fight round up

Filed under: Elections

It was a long weekend of more non-news from our stellar candidates for Senate. If you are like us, you try to avoid all political coverage during the weekend to give your mind a break from the name calling, mud slinging and utter ridiculousness that these candidates come up with. So we have a round up over everything you missed.

A former DFL state senator is supporting Coleman's reelection. Doug Johnson, who represented northern Minnesota, said this is the first Republican he has supported in 40 years.

Al Franken begged for cash from MoveOn.org supporters. MoveOn.org sent out a letter to its supporters Sunday pleading for money so that the Democratic candidates slaughter their opponents Nov. 4. Here is an excerpt:

It's not enough to merely win this election. We've got to win big.

Great—I can tell from your nodding head that you agree. Now, let's make it happen—by helping three champs win tight, crucial races: Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Larry Kissell of North Carolina, and, ahem, Al Franken of Minnesota.

I'm not asking for $700 billion—just $10, $25, or whatever you can spare.

We hope to hear some serious talk about the issues on Sunday when Franken, Coleman and Dean Barkley will be debating in Rochester.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 10:00 AM | Comments (1)

 

9/29 Morning Must Reads

Filed under: Morning Must Reads

Monday's five most interesting stories printed on wood pulp

Woman found murdered on her motorcycle feared for her life
The Star Tribune has a powerful story about Natasha Waalen, 28, the woman found dead and strapped to her crashed motorcycle Sept. 19. Two days before authorities say she was beaten to death, Waalen told a co-worker that she was seeking a protection order against her boyfriend and that she "feared for her life". Authorities say her live-in boyfriend and his brother staged the crash.

Fourth cyclist dies in car collision
Virginia (Ginny) Heuer, 51 was biking on Summit Avenue in St. Paul Saturday morning when she was hit by a sport utility vehicle and died later that day. She is the fourth cyclist to die after a car collision in recent months. According to the Star Tribune: "Heuer was on her morning ride Saturday when a sport-utility vehicle hit her on Summit near Snelling. Though she was wearing a helmet, she suffered severe head injuries and died seven hours later at Regions Hospital in St. Paul." The paper raises questions about the safety of bikers in the Twin Cities as more people jump on their bikes to commute and exercise.

Students love four-day school weeks!
The MACCRAY school district is trying to save money, but students love their three-day weekend. Students now arrive 15 minutes earlier and stay 49 minutes longer than last year, but have Mondays off. Is it really news that students love going to school one less day a week? We could have written this story the second this idea was proposed.

Smoking ban turns one, we still love it
Employees and customers: take a deep breath next time you are in a bar or restaurant and appreciate that wonderful fresh air the state gave you. The Pioneer Press looks back at the good and bad that came out of the law. We are just glad most of the major whining (besides that of heavy smokers) has toned down. Or maybe the papers have given up on listening to them.

Now you'll be forced to deal with the kids in the blue polos
Welcome to the jungle of blue polos: Best Buy is trying to get exclusive retail to Gun N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" album, which is being touted as one of the biggest, or biggest budgeted rock album of the year. The album would be out by the end of the year. Now you'll have to navigate a sea of overly bored and awkward Best Buy high school workers who are convinced you don't know what you want to buy or where to find a single thing in their story. We hope they still sell this CD online somewhere.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 9:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

9/29 Photo of the Day: Cute kid + Honeycrisp

Filed under: Photo of the Day

October will be here in two days and that means autumn activities like apple picking, corn mazes and Halloween are just around the corner. This kid is adorable, but we have some confessions to make. He isn't the only reason we picked this photo. First, we have a pretty big TV crush on Jason DeRusha, the super reporter over at WCCO. And this photo of DeRusha's son comes courtesy of his Flickr, which we found through his WCCO blog. DeRusha convinces us that broadcast journalism personalities aren't all terrible. Oh, and we love honeycrisps.

REMINDER: Submit photos for the Blotter's Photo of the Day post! We promise we won't laugh too hard if they are awful.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 8:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Feds release documents on Petters raid

Filed under: Tom Petters

Court documents released Friday after the raid of Tom Petters' home and business headquarters Wednesday show a major fraud investigation in what could be a long fight for the self-made millionaire.

Petters has yet to be charged or arrested, but the search warrants show an elaborate fraud that could be upwards of $2 billion. To catch up on the story, read our previous Blotter entries last week and then read the details after the jump.

According to the Star Tribune, Petters said through his lawyer that he is innocent and will fight any charges that arise from the investigation:

In a search warrant filed in federal court in St. Paul, the FBI describes Petters as the key figure in a high-stakes fraud scheme that began in the mid-1990s and continues unabated.

Scores of agents herded employees of Petters Group Worldwide into the company's Minnetonka cafeteria, told them to turn off their cell phones, then escorted them from the property. Petters was out of town and had to quickly fly back to the Twin Cities.

In the meantime, agents with the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the IRS criminal investigative division worked from morning into the evening and left with trucks and vans packed with paper and electronic documents. A stunned business community could only wonder what it was all about.

And the nitty gritty to top it off?

One of Petters' associates was secretly recorded saying the fraud exceeded $2 billion. The affidavit says Petters and a handful of associates enticed investors into deals that were allegedly secured by retail products. But there were no products and the purchase and sale of those products was fictitious, according to the government.

Whoops. Who let the cat out of the bag?

Petters is also the board chairman of Sun Country Airlines, which the Star Tribune reports is taking steps to get as far from him as possible:

"My goal is to become financially independent and not seek any additional cash from Petters Group Worldwide for the rest of this year," Sun Country CEO Stan Gadek said. "I'm confident that Sun Country will be able to achieve that goal."

We can't rush to any judgment just yet... The guy hasn't been arrested or charged for a single thing. But seriously. Isn't $2 billion stretching your luck a little too far?

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 29, 2008 7:30 AM | Comments (2)

 

City Pages: We know where the hunks are

Filed under: City Pages

Looking for hunks? Well, you came to the right place, according to Macalester College's student paper, Mac Weekly.

The newspaper's weekly "What I Learned in Bed" dating column published a letter from a senior student who is single and wanted to know where to meet men in the Twin Cities:

Trust me, there are some serious hunks elsewhere in this city and they are just begging you to ask them out. Some great places to scout for men of all sorts are the downtown Minneapolis library, First Ave (Too Much Love, a band you like), Dinkytown (Kitty Kat Club, Starlight Coffee)-the list goes on. Check out City Pages or Vita.mn for other ideas.

Make sure you stop by the offices too. You'll be surrounded by hotties looking for a night with a lonesome lady.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 3:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

Another Minneapolis designer to be featured on 'Project Runway'

Filed under: Pop Culture

A second Minneapolis designer, also employed by Target, will get his shot on the hit reality TV show, "Project Runway" Season Six.

The rumors were confirmed by the Star Tribune today:

Earlier this month, rumors started swirling that Ra'mon-Lawrence Coleman, a local clothing designer, was in Los Angeles to shoot Season Six of Bravo's hit reality TV series. Sources now confirm that the rumors are true.

Like all "Project Runway" contestants, Coleman is muzzled by a confidentiality agreement. But he broke the news to a few members of his inner circle at a small party he hosted on Sept. 12.

Katherine Gerdes, a former Target textile designer, was a contestant on season three of "Project Runway" two years ago. Coleman is still employed at Target as an apparel designer.

The season will kick off in January on Lifetime (switching from Bravo) and will be filmed in L.A.

Can we officially call ourselves the Mini-apple yet or is that still too embarrassing?

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 2:04 PM | Comments (2)

 

Bachmann realizes only her district can reelect her

Filed under: Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann has been getting a lot of criticism this election season for her cancellations or lack of appearances at debates and events in her own district. There was Farm Fest in August and then two more no-shows at candidate events in Elk River and Scandia. Many speculate that the national spotlight got the best of her, with her nearly back-to-back interviews in the last two months with CNN, Fox News and the Bloomberg news network.

Her biggest enemies over at the ultra-watchdog blog, Dump Bachmann will now have to find something else to complain about because she has now agreed to her first debate this election cycle.

Unless she cancels again.

Bachmann agreed to a debate next week. Here are the details from Minnesota Public Radio:

Bachmann has confirmed that she'll participate in a candidate forum Monday night in Monticello.

The first debate among 6th District candidates is sponsored by the Monticello Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Monticello Community Center. A chamber spokeswoman said invitations were sent to Bachmann and DFL candidate Elwyn Tinklenberg. She said Independence Party candidate Bob Anderson was not originally invited but would likely be added to the lineup.

If she ditches us again for Larry King, we will have to start wondering...

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 2:02 PM | Comments (2)

 

Tom Petters is inconvenienced and annoyed by federal raid

Filed under: Tom Petters

Tom Petters made big news earlier this week when his home and business headquarters were raided by federal officials. Read the back story on Blotter.

According to the Star Tribune, Petters is publicly blowing off the investigation as an "unnecessary situation."

Speaking at an event Thursday night celebrating a new Petters Aviation facility, Petters voiced confidence that his companies will thrive and he plans to develop more aviation businesses. "We'll be adding more jobs in Minnesota," he told the crowd of more than 100. "We're excited about that."

The Star Tribune's Liz Fedor and David Phelps speculate about the long-term consequences of the investigation on Sun Country Airlines during a particularly bad year for airlines and the upcoming slow season.

The low-fare carrier has not had a full year of profitability since 2003. Petters has subsidized operating losses for the carrier, which finished the second quarter with a slim, $2.3 million cash cushion. Petters has loaned Sun Country more than $25 million in recent months, according to the airline's top executive.

It remains to be seen whether Petters will be able to continue such support during a major federal investigation. On Thursday, Petters retained former federal prosecutor Jon Hopeman, of Minneapolis, as his attorney.

We all know denial is the best cure for public misery.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 1:35 PM | Comments (3)

 

Unemployed? Make working a publicity stunt like Daniel Seddiqui

Filed under: Economy

The economy blows, you're a recent grad and you still can't find a job after failing 40 to 50 interviews. Daniel Seddiqui left all of you in the dust with the greatest "poor economy stunt" we've seen in awhile. How about trick companies into hiring you for a week and the ridiculous idea will actually get some press. And also trick Americans into believing that lacking long-term employment is cool. Seddiqui, 26, plans to have 50 jobs in 50 weeks in 50 states. We love a bad stunt when we see one and are frankly jealous we didn't think of it first.

Starting next week, Seddiqui will be working in Elk River for a medical, industrial, computer and aerospace device company. This will be his fifth week on the mission. He's already lined up 35 jobs including working as a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado and announcing for the South Dakota Rodeo Association. This week he's was a cartographer in North Dakota.

According to the Star Tribune story:

Seddiqui came up with the idea of working in every state - and possibly finding his dream job - after he bounced from job to job after graduating with an economics degree in 2005 from the University of Southern California. "I failed 40 to 50 job interviews," Seddiqui said.

Undaunted, he has held a raft of positions ranging from coaching cross-country running at Northwestern University to painting steps to tutoring elementary school-age children and doing accounting for a biomedical firm. He even coached football, even though he never played the game.

Seddiqui admits that spending eight months on the phone securing one-week paid and non-paid positions "is an odd way to find jobs and an odd way to get into most careers."

We won't argue with you on that one. Check out his Web site photos and blog for more info.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 12:45 PM | Comments (0)

 

RNC riot police over radio: "Guy defecating in hand"

Filed under: Protest News

MinnPost's David Brauer has a brilliant anecdote in his story about reporters during the Republican National Convention. Besides violence and chanting, reporters got to experience other human acts they probably only see performed hands-free in the privacy of their own bathroom.

As written in the MinnPost story:

Maria Awes watched in curiosity, then repulsion, as the man crouched down near the Dorothy Day Center during a protest on the Republican National Convention’s second day.

“There he was, crapping in his hand,” a still-amazed Awes recalls.

She wasn’t an accidental eyewitness; Awes was an “embedded” journalist who — in return for not reporting on police procedures until the four-day event was over — had access enough to hear a police radio crackle: “Guy defecating in hand.”

The WCCO-TV investigative producer says she didn't see the poop hurled. It also never hit the airwaves; Awes was on the opposite side of the police line from her cameraman, Tom Aviles.

Read the rest of his story here. This anecdote is so good, we have nothing more to add.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 12:22 PM | Comments (1)

 

Ohio State makes the Gophers look like a youth park league

Filed under: Sports

Minnesotans are often caught complaining about the massive heaps of funding dumped into University of Minnesota athletics. Well count us lucky because it could be so much worse.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal has a nice comparison of athletics funding to preview the Gopher football team's game tomorrow. The budget for the U of M athletics department barely topped $69 million this year, compared to Ohio State's whopping $115.4 million spending cap.

Ohio State’s football team alone generates more than $60 million in annual revenue — almost as much as all 25 Gophers sports teams combined and more than many local companies including Shakopee-based Canterbury Park Holding Corp. ($54.2 million), Maple Grove-based Vascular Solutions Inc. ($52.9 million) and Eden Prairie-based Compellent Technologies Inc. ($51.2 million).

The U of M hopes its behemoth of a stadium set to debut in less than a year will rack up some serious dough for the department. Don't count on academia cheering on a team with the lowest freshman ACT scores in the conference. We haven't been convinced quite yet, but are hopeful it at least keeps the underage drunks contained on the campus rather than dispersing throughout downtown and disturbing everyone else. Go Gophs!

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 12:00 PM | Comments (0)

 

WCAL-FM advocates void MPR Current deal, return cash

Filed under: Media

In the never-ending drama of WCAL-FM (the classical music radio station housed at St. Olaf College that the school sold to Bill Kling's MPR for more than $10 million, and which was turned into The Current) we have more news to report. For the back story, check out our Blotter entry earlier this summer and our feature story from last summer.

According to Minnesota Independent, the radio station advocates requested yesterday that the Rice County District Court declare the sale to MPR void and return the cash from the sale.

Advocates for the former WCAL-FM public radio station asked the Rice County District Court today to declare the station’s $10.5 million sale to Minnesota Public Radio void and return the cash. Check out the petition for the nitty-gritty details.

SaveWCAL wants the court to return the money to WCAL’s charitable trust, along with the fund’s $3 million endowment and the building the trust constructed on the St. Olaf College campus in Northfield, Minn. The group also wants St. Olaf removed as trustee for liquidating the station’s charitable trust without judicial approval.

This story is so drawn out, it's almost too exhausting to write about it. It's like that complaining friend you have. Sooner or later you just can't keep listening.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 10:59 AM | Comments (2)

 

Photo of the Day: A call for entries!

Filed under: Photo of the Day

As a regular post on Blotter, we want to highlight some of the best photos of the Twin Cities. If you, or someone you know, is a photographer in the area, we want to feature your work! We are particularly interested in photos that are newsworthy. For example, if you attend an event over the weekend, we'd love to run a photo early in the week. And we always love pictures that show the hilarious or ironic side of our great cities. We welcome amateurs (bloated egos aren't accepted).

Send submissions to ekaiser@citypages.com. We will contact you if your photo is used and include a link to your other work in the post. At the very least, think of it as a really pathetic five seconds of fame.

Thanks and happy shooting!

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 10:05 AM | Comments (0)

 

Photo of the Day: U of M McNamara Alumni Center

Filed under: Photo of the Day

The University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center is a strange piece of architecture that reminds us of the Aggro Crag from Nickelodeon's underage gladiator hit, GUTS.

Well, it's so popular with the graduates that they have plans (and the cash) to add an addition to the structure. The University Board of Regents approved plans for a $9.7 million addition earlier this month.

According to the Star Tribune report:

Construction is scheduled to be completed by next September, in time for the opening of TCF Bank Stadium. The proximity of the new football stadium was another factor in expansion.

View more by this photographer on Flickr.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at September 26, 2008 9:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

9/26 Morning Must Reads

Filed under: Morning Must Reads

Friday's five most interesting stories printed on wood pulp.

Newest money saver idea: defend yourself
A fired Met Council employee couldn't find someone who would fight the all-mighty and "totally evil" Met Council, so she decided to do it alone. And it worked! According to the Star Tribune: "the civil complaint she filed alleges unequal treatment and numerous crude behaviors among her former co-workers. She alleges she was told she was fired for moving a security camera away from a women's restroom, interfering with an investigation, and being insubordinate and disruptive." She won a reward of $150,000.

Pawlenty seeks fame abroad
We're still convinced Gov. Tim Pawlenty is a little sour after Sen. John McCain dumped him for such a qualified woman. So now he is looking to Europe to stroke his ego. The Guv has a five-day trip to Spain and Britain next week to promote trade, renewable energy and economic cooperation, his office announced Thursday. We're sure he will love the newfound attention after being left behind by the United States and will take full advantage of the situation by begging Europeans to buy our stuff and save our economy.

Star Tribune provides free Target advertisement
We can't seem to find a link on the Star Tribune site to prove how ridiculous this is, but maybe it wouldn't kill you to pick up a real paper for once and turn to B3. The page features a giant photo of Bullseye the Target dog during his "press conference" of sorts to celebrate Target's continuing takeover of Minneapolis as the Hollidazzle sponsor. They must be too embarrassed to show it off on their site and figure no one reads the print edition anyways. Slow local news day, huh?

Minnesotan probed for stealing from children, elderly and the disabled
What a great group of residents to rip off, right? "Federal officials are investigating a Minnesota Department of Human Services worker suspected of embezzling nearly $1 million from a health care fund, sources," the Pioneer Press reports. The employee used the money for personal purchases from the Medical Assistance program. The program is mostly funded with state money and if the employee is convicted of the fraud, it could be the largest in state history. Talk about being busted. Like we say to other criminals, run for it, man. There's nothing to lose.

Breast milk ice cream? Count me in
This isn't exactly a local piece, but we couldn't resist and Minnesotans love ice cream more than the normal city. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is pleading with Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream to switch to breast milk to produce their product. Why, you ask? "It would reduce the suffering of cows and give ice cream lovers a healthier product." Gross. We feel like we are reading the Onion. And the company politely refrained from calling PETA absolutely insane: "We applaud PETA's novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," company spokesman Sean Greenwood said in an e-mail.

Posted by Emily Kaiser at Sep