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Minnesota candidates go all out in Election Eve blitz
The DFL incumbent rolled through the metro on a bus tour Monday, while his GOP challenger drew a crowd of supporters near Delano.
MINNEAPOLIS — Gov. Tim Walz and the man who wants to replace him, Dr. Scott Jensen, made their final pitches to the party faithful on the eve of the 2022 Midterm Election, both saying they’ve given it all they’ve got.
That was quite apparent with Walz, who had clearly lost most of his voice when he took the stage at a mini rally in Brooklyn Park Monday, just one stop on the DFL Party’s bus tour featuring the full slate of statewide candidates.
“To see you out here, to see this coalition that’s put together, this group of folks who think that Minnesota is for everyone, welcoming, inclusive, innovative and looking towards the future, it warms our heart,” Walz told the crowd.
“It’s not just coach-speak. We’re leaving it all on the field! Thirty hours. Thirty hours to control our own destiny. Thirty hours to keep Minnesota a shining beacon of progress in the upper Midwest!”
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon, State Auditor Julie Blaha, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and House Speaker Melissa Hortman were among those on the stage urging people to get their friends, family and neighbors to the polls.
Republican Scott Jensen, a longtime physician in Chaska, spent Monday afternoon closer to home. But Monday night he drew a huge crowd to the Rustique Barn, an event center five miles west of Delano.
He said it’s up to Millennials and Gen-Z Republicans to push back against the restrictions enacted by Gov. Walz during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s you who are gonna stand up. You are going to say, ‘I’m taking back my rights! I’m taking back the power! You don’t get to do this to me! You are not going to lock our kids out, you are not going to lock our parents and grandparents in, you are not going to lock our businesses down!’ You have to be the ones that say we’re not doing it anymore!”
Jensen accused Gov. Walz of undercutting police by endorsing Rep. Ilhan Omar after she had called for the Minneapolis Police Department to be dismantled following the murder of George Floyd. Walz opposed the unsuccessful Minneapolis Ballot Question 2, which would’ve replaced the MPD under the control of the mayor with a new public safety department controlled by the Minneapolis City Council.
Jensen also hit on a familiar theme from the campaign trail, that public school curriculum shouldn’t include topics on race and gender that parents would oppose.
“There is a new normal bubbling up. We’re not standing for it. You will not talk to our second graders about their choice of gender! You will not tell us about critical race theory!”
Earlier, Jensen told KARE 11 he has put everything he can into the campaign, referencing a quote from George Bernard Shaw, who once wrote, “I want to be thoroughly used up before I die.”
As Jensen put it, “We have not let any gas remain in the engine. We spent it all. There is no gas in the tank. Everything we could do, we did.”
Walz appealed to the crowd to think of the four unwritten words he believes are on the ballot.
“I would add that these are on the ballot – decency, civility, kindness and compassion!” Walz declared.
“Let’s make sure our democracy stays intact, let’s make sure we allow and trust women to make their own healthcare decisions, let’s continue to invest in our children, and let’s move forward addressing our toughest challenges, like climate change.”
Jensen has called for using some taxpayer dollars for scholarships to private schools. Running mate Matt Birk, who founded a Catholic school, said he wouldn’t benefit financially from such a change because the costs of running a private school will always outstrip the revenue from tuition.
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According to the report, the BPPD said Andre Lane has been missing since 11 a.m. this morning.
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — The Brooklyn Park Police Department is asking for the public to help find a missing man who has Alzheimer’s.
According to the alert, the BPPD said 57-year-old Andre Lane has been missing since 2 p.m. this afternoon.
He stands at 5’9″ and weighs roughly 250 pounds. Lane suffers from Alzheimer’s and dementia and may not be able to take care of himself, said the BPPD.
Lane was last seen wearing grayish-blue Levi’s jacket, black hat, black sweatpants, a gray long sleeve t-shirt and black Jordan shoes, according to the report.
Officials believe Lane left his residence, near the 6600 block of Tessman Terrace, on foot. The BPPD is asking people who live near Tessman Farm Road/85th Avenue North to check yards and properties.
Anyone who sees Lane is asked to contact the Brooklyn Park Police Department at 763-493-8222.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The driver in the vehicle involved is reportedly cooperating with police and the investigation remains open and active.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A woman has died after being struck by a vehicle in the parking lot of St. Louis Park’s Knollwood Mall.
A city spokesperson told KARE the incident happened Friday afternoon in the parking lot of The Shoppes at Knollwood. The city said despite life-saving efforts by emergency responders and paramedics, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver in the vehicle involved is reportedly cooperating with police and the investigation remains open and active.
The victim, an adult woman, has not yet been identified.
Known as “Jeff the Giant,” Jeff Pangburn is well-known around Oak Harbor, Washington.
OAK HARBOR, Wash. — Jeff Pangburn has lived on Whidbey Island for 43 years. It’s his home, even if he doesn’t technically have one.
“I stay out in the woods,” Pangburn said. “It’s my time with God.”
For the past 15 years, Pangburn has lived in the woods of Oak Harbor. He’s a friendly face known all around town. People honk and wave to him as they drive by.
“I’m a popular guy, I guess,” Pangburn said.
But a recent tragedy has cast a shadow on Pangburn’s spirit.
“I’ve been bawling my head off like crazy,” Pangburn said. “I was sobbing tears, you know?”
Pangburn was bedded down for the night in a gazebo on Dec. 2 when 15-year-old Grace Horn’s car came crashing just 4 feet away. She failed to negotiate the curve at the intersection of state Route 20 and Libbey Road. Horn was reportedly delivering food to make money for Christmas presents.
Pangburn said he immediately called 911 and tried to pull Horn from the car as it burned, but the flames were too much. A power pole was also burning. Pangburn feared he might be electrocuted if the wires came down, so he ran into the woods.
Pangburn said he was heartbroken he could not do more.
“I couldn’t get in,” Pangburn said. “I couldn’t get in the vehicle and then the fire. I couldn’t do any more than what I did. If you know me you know that must really hurt for me not being able to do anything.”
Pangburn returned to the scene and spoke with authorities about what he saw. He freely admits he was in and out of jail for two decades, but said he has been on the straight and narrow for 15 years.
“I was a lousy criminal,” Pangburn said.
He now makes his home among the trees where he is most comfortable. By day he pulls his overloaded cart to Spin Café, which helps people in need on the island.
“This situation has been very hard on him,” said Valerie Roseberry, a case manager at the café.
At 6-foot-10, Pangburn is known as a “gentle giant” with a heart to match.
In recent weeks he has been offering extra blankets to those who might need them at the café. No one is surprised Pangburn would try to help someone in a desperate, dangerous situation like the one Horn found herself in.
“Of course, Jeff would do that,” Roseberry said. “Of course, he would. Honestly, as a mom, I am so grateful he was there so that she had somebody.”
Community members established an online fundraiser for Pangburn.
Pangburn said he does not want to profit from the misery of others but would like to use any donations to buy an RV and move out of the woods.
People can also donate size 17 shoes, socks, 2XL sweatpants, 4XL-sized hoodies, coats, hand warmers, beanies and gift cards at DK Market in Oak Harbor.
The Washington State Patrol said there have been at least 23 crashes at the intersection where Horn died over the past five years.
Pangburn believes the best way to honor her and him is to demand safety improvements be made.
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