Latest news with #KMSP
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- Miami Herald
4-week search through landfill ends with discovery of missing teen, MN cops say
A weekslong search through a 4-foot-tall section of a landfill ended when a missing 16-year-old boy's body was found, Minnesota deputies said. Jordan 'Manny' Collins Jr. was last seen on May 8 in Columbia Heights, but no phone or social media activity appeared since, Anoka County deputies said. 'Since that day, my life has been turned upside down. Every moment of every day has been focused on finding him— talking to authorities, sharing his story, posting flyers, and following every lead possible. My heart is breaking, but I refuse to stop looking,' Manny's mother wrote in a GoFundMe. Later in the month, deputies said one person of interest had been identified, but no one was in custody as hundreds searched for Manny, according to a May 28 update. That person's identity was not revealed. A search through the Waste Management Landfill in Elk River started in early June, and Manny's body was identified on June 30, the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said on July 1. 'I assure you it's a sobering experience to work in a landfill like that only to discover someone else's child,' Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise said during a news conference. A video located Manny's body in a dumpster in Columbia Heights, then into a garbage truck, where it was taken to the landfill, authorities said. Workers at the landfill identified a plot that is 200 feet by 200 feet by 4 feet where the garbage truck dropped off the waste, according to officials, prompting a four-week search. Manny's cause of death is under investigation by the medical examiner's office, officials said. Investigators believe Manny was taken 'against his will,' they told WCCO. The teen was last seen with his father, with whom he had been staying, KMSP reported. Manny's mother told the outlet the father was not cooperating with the investigation. Officials said the investigation is ongoing. Columbia Heights is a 5-mile drive north from Minneapolis.
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
How did Sen. John Hoffman's wife save their daughter from Minnesota shooter? Chilling details revealed
As masked shooter Vance Luther Boelter opened fire on the Minnesota state senator's family, the wife of the injured John Hoffman who was the target of a politically motivated assassination attempt shielded their daughter, as per the family and media reports. According to Hoffman's nephew, Yvette Hoffman dove on top of her adult daughter Hope as suspected assassinBoelter opened fire on her andJohn Hoffman inside their Minneapolis suburb dwelling early on Saturday morning. Shortly after 2 in the morning, police arrived at the Champlin, Minnesota, home in response to a 911 call, found the Hoffmans injured, and took them to the hospital for surgery. Ollig disclosed that his uncle and aunt are now stable. As of Saturday evening, Yvette Hoffman was still conscious and alert in the hospital, as per KMSP. 'Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of s–t dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle's house and shot him 6 times and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism. My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life,' Mat Ollig said in a post on Facebook. Stressing that that the couple is 'out of surgery and stable,' Ollig further wrote: 'These two are the kindest, most giving and caring people I know.' According to KARE11, one of the gunshots almost missed the Democratic senator's heart.
Miami Herald
16-04-2025
- Miami Herald
Podcaster sent show guest nude photo of woman without her consent, MN cops say
An online podcaster has been convicted after he was accused of sharing a woman's nude photo without her consent on-air, according to Minnesota court records. Aaron Imholte, who hosts the 'Steel Toe Morning Show' on YouTube, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, Stearns County court records show. His show boasts more than 13,000 subscribers. In 2024, Imholte was communicating on Signal with three other people, including a woman referred to as 'K.R.,' according to a statement of probable cause. The woman shared a nude photo of herself shortly before there was a 'breakdown' between Imholte and the other three people in the conversation. Imholte was on air May 27 when he was talking to a guest about K.R., authorities said. Imholte is accused of sending a nude photo of the woman to the guest. 'Your boy didn't do too bad did he?' Imholte is accused of saying before he and his guest engaged in 'explicit' talk, according to the court documents. The woman, who reported the incident to police in July, said she did not consent to having her photo shared with others, Stearns County authorities said. Imholte initially denied receiving or sending the image, but 'later said he did not want to 'definitively' say he never received a nude photo,' according to court records. Originally charged with a felony count, Imholte pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, records show. Imholte said on his show April 10 he 'will pay a $50 fine and then nothing else in life will change,' KADN reported. 'I sent it to (the guest) because I was a (expletive) dumb guy in a (bad) place,' he said on-air, according to KMSP. 'When I said, 'Boy didn't do too bad, did he?'… That was a guy who was looking for a little validation from a friend. I cannot urge you against something like that more.' Bring Me The News reported Imholte is a former host of 'Rockin' 101' for St. Cloud's WHMH. He resigned in 2020 after the publication said he referred to a woman on-air as 'fat,' 'a pig,' and 'diabetic.' Stearns County is about a 90-mile drive northwest from Minneapolis.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Authorities plead with visitors to stop 'troubling' behavior in bird sanctuary: 'Shock and disappointment'
A Minneapolis nonprofit is speaking out after receiving reports of people harassing owls at a local bird sanctuary. According to KMSP, two owls could be seen in deep conversation one evening, and the prospect of witnessing intimate animal communication up close enticed some reckless visitors to the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary, despite numerous signs asking guests to stay on the trail. According to one of the reports, one visitor even brought a ladder near the owls' tree to try and get a closer look. "People were going off trail trying to get a closer view by being near the tree," said Constance Pepin, a board member of Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary. "Apparently, we were told that it had been happening for a while." Should the government be allowed to control how restaurants run their business? Never Only in some cases Only for chain restaurants Yes in all cases Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In a Facebook post responding to the incidents, Friends of Roberts representatives wrote: "Besides the fact that Park Board rules prohibit going off trail and harassing wildlife, it's very troubling that anyone would think this behavior is OK anywhere, and especially in a bird sanctuary. No picture is worth harassing and harming wildlife, not to mention disrupting and alarming other visitors to the Sanctuary." Civilians interacting with wildlife remains a serious problem. People go viral frequently for trying to take close pictures of or make contact with animals, and scientists warn time and again that this behavior is ill-advised. It causes these animals stress and, in a worst-case scenario, could result in them leaving their habitats entirely. "It's pretty simple," said Stephen Rice, a Sanctuary board member, according to KMSP. "Just go out and go to this place or other places out in nature and just observe. I think the proper thing to do is if you see an owl in the daytime, observe quietly from the trail, take pictures, but don't get close, don't play recordings." "It was shock and disappointment," said Rice upon learning of the incidents. "They are nocturnally active. … During the day is their time to rest. It would be like somebody coming into your home in the middle of the night and waking you up." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Miami Herald
10-02-2025
- Miami Herald
Teacher records co-worker's abuse of toddlers at MN day care. ‘I had to do something'
A day care teacher has been fired after videos taken from her Minnesota classroom show her verbally berating and physically abusing toddlers. The videos, recorded by an assistant teacher in the classroom at Lil' Explorers Childcare Center in Plymouth, show the lead teacher screaming at multiple children, picking them up and forcefully slamming them into chairs. Yanni Thomas publicly shared the videos and announced Feb. 6 she was no longer employed at the day care center. She said in a Facebook post the facility's environment does not align with her ethics or morals. 'I wasn't going to leave my kids with her and in her care. I knew I had to do something to make it be known,' Thomas told KSTP. In a statement to multiple outlets, including KMSP, the day care center said it does 'not tolerate behavior of this kind.' 'The individuals involved are no longer employed with us. In addition, we have initiated an investigation into this issue and are fully cooperating with authorities,' the facility said. 'We are also providing proper notifications to our local licensing.' The day care said all of its employees have passed background checks and received extensive training. It called on employees to report concerns to management directly. Thomas, meanwhile, took a different approach, as she took her complaint to the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the day care's management company, according to KMSP. 'I didn't think the teacher was fit for the job,' Thomas told KARE. 'She didn't seem like she was mentally OK. And some action needed to be taken.' Thomas said she intervened at times to try to stop the outbursts from the lead teacher. She reached her breaking point, according to the Facebook post, when the lead teacher used derogatory language toward students and snatched them by their arms. The incidents are being investigated by the Plymouth Police Department, according to Bring Me The News. Parents and teachers react Several parents expressed their outrage about the incidents after viewing the videos. One parent, who learned of the abuse through Facebook, said she 'immediately' removed her son from the day care. Chandler Marnay described sadness and anger that leadership at the day care 'are not being held accountable.' 'I'M DISGUSTED and will not stop until I get justice for my son and the rest of the children affected,' Marnay said in a Facebook post. Nicole Miller, like Marnay, said her son will not be returning to the day care. She said she was 'absolutely disturbed' by the incidents, calling them 'unacceptable.' 'My heart breaks knowing I trusted this center to watch my baby and for the kids in those videos,' Miller said on Facebook. Serena Brambilla also removed her child from the day care, telling KSTP the force and anger shown by the teacher brought her to tears. Thomas is not the only teacher at the school who was fed up by what was uncovered in the videos. Donnia Webber, who worked at the school for just over a year, announced her resignation in a Facebook post Feb. 7. Webber said multiple teachers reported the acts by the teacher shown in the videos, but the day care's director did not take action until later. 'It's been an extremely difficult decision but I no longer feel I can be part of a daycare center that does not put the wellbeing and proper care of the children first,' Webber said. Thomas told KMSP she thinks the center 'should be shut down.' All of the children in the classroom shown in the videos are under 4 years old, according to WCCO. 'How can I trust somebody else? I can't afford a nanny, it's too expensive,' Erika Sopkowiak, whose daughter goes to the day care, told WCCO. 'Where do I go from here? I don't know, I can't afford to stop working.' Plymouth is a western suburb of Minneapolis.
