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Minneapolis couple restores Pillsbury Castle

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The mansion has sat in the Whittier neighborhood since 1903. The project involves 30 designers working on 30 different rooms.

MINNEAPOLIS — Many of us would like a bit more space at home, whether that’s more storage or extra room for hobbies. But can you imagine buying a castle? 

That’s what one couple did in Minneapolis and they’re working to bring it into the 21st century while preserving its original charm.

“This is what we’re deeming the Pillsbury Castle,” Matthew Trettel said.

Trettel and his partner Ryan Hanson are restoring the mansion and planning to live in the home once it’s complete, calling the effort the Pillsbury Castle Project. 

“Alfred Pillsbury was the son of the cofounder of Pillsbury so, think of the doughboy,” Trettel said. “When his father passed away, we believe this is what he spent his inheritance on.”

The mansion has sat in Minneapolis’ Whittier Neighborhood since 1903.

Trettel and Hanson are redoing the HVAC, plumbing, electrical and more. They’re also focusing on deconstruction rather than demolition for the wood floors, light fixtures, tile and other elements of the home, working with Birch Group and others to reuse much of the home. 

“1,000 square feet of this beautiful birch flooring is going to have a new home down in Clear Lake,” said Jeremy Marshik with LumberStash.

The couple said the project has been a huge undertaking of time and cost. 

“We got creative, partnerships with NARI (National Association of the Remodeling Industry) and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) have allowed us to bring in sponsors. Like Warners’ Stellian is sponsoring all the appliances in the kitchen. A lot of companies are coming forward to help us with the project because they understand the value of maintaining the important residences of Minneapolis,” Trettel said. “It’s the only Pillsbury Mansion that’s left as a single-family home. Everything else has been destroyed, sadly, or converted.”

Trettel noted many of the unique details in every room. 

“This is Honduran Mahagony,” said Trettel, pointing to details on the wall. “Each room has a different species of wood, which is really interesting.”

The floors in the home creak with every step.

“It’s a technique called the Nightingale Technique. It’s a Japanese way that floors are installed. It’s meant to creak,” Trettel said. “It was a security system of 1903 so you would know if somebody else was in the house because you could hear them.”

The basement features a library and a full bank vault, as well.

“Shipped it over from England. It’s a 17th-century library. They basically built the house around it,” Trettel said.

The couple said they’re proud of this project and the opportunity to be stewards of the home.

“We want to have a family so, for the next 20 years, this will be our family home,” Trettel said. “To realize that we’re taking a piece of history and we’re moving it forward. It will be our legacy. It will be what we are remembered for.”

The project involves 30 designers working on 30 different rooms in the home. 

The home will open to the public as the Design Home 2024 with the ASID for tours in May 2024, following the restoration. The tours will benefit an area non-profit. 

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Police looking for man charged in murder of pregnant ex-wife

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Prosecutors say Mychal Allan Stowers was on work release from prison when he shot his pregnant ex-wife, and then shot another man during a carjacking.

ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul police are looking for a man now charged with two counts of second-degree murder after allegedly shooting his ex-wife and her unborn child. 

A criminal complaint filed against 37-year-old Mychal Allan Stowers details the two murder counts as well as carjacking and assault charges associated with his getaway. 

St. Paul squads were dispatched to 139 Sycamore St. E. just after 9 p.m. Oct. 19 on reports of shots fired. Arriving officers were met by residents who told them they heard gunshots in apartment 3. Police entered the apartment and found a woman laying on the floor surrounded by spent 9mm shell casings. Paramedics responded and declared the victim dead just before 9:30 pm. 

Police later identified the victim as 35-year-old Damara Alexis Stowers.

Investigators on the scene found a loaded handgun on a bed in a different bedroom, along with photos from an ultrasound. In the apartment mailbox were two letters, one addressed to the victim and the other to a Mychal Stowers. While officers were in the apartment a cellphone rang, and the contact name that showed was “My$hon Stowers.” 

Neighbors described seeing a heavyset man in his late 30s or 40s running from the scene. One told officers he heard four or five shots from the apartment, walked outside, and soon heard two more from a few blocks away. 

The owner of the building told police the victim was in the process of being evicted, and that her ex-boyfriend had been living in the apartment with her, which was against the lease. 

Additional officers were dispatched to 99 Acker Street, a few blocks from the apartment shooting scene, at around 9:15 p.m. on reports of a carjacking. They found a man who had been shot in the leg, breaking his femur. The victim’s friend said they were standing outside a running vehicle when a heavyset Black male ran up, said something they did not understand and then shot the victim. The assailant then stole the running gray Audi. 

The complaint states that on the same day an employee of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office reported that Mychal Stowers called, said he had shot someone and wanted to turn himself in. Despite the call, Stowers did not turn himself in. 

Records from the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) show Stowers was released from prison in March after serving time for another murder, was on work release and supposed to be living at a halfway house. He had had been granted a pass to visit his “ex-wife” at 139 Sycamore. 

Preliminary tests show the same gun fired spent shells recovered at both the murder and carjacking scenes, and the defendant matches descriptions of the shooter from witnesses at both scenes.

At this time Michael Stowers is not in custody.  



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Man gets 20 years in north Minneapolis apartment murder

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Donald Edmondson suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest at his north-side apartment building on Nov. 24, 2023.

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis man who pleaded guilty to entering another man’s apartment and shooting him to death last year was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office released a statement saying 59-year-old Walter Hill was sentenced on second-degree intentional murder charges in 60-year-old Donald Edmondson’s November 2023 killing.

Prosecutors said Hill was given 337 days of credit for time already served.

“Mr. Edmondson should still be alive,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. “A violent act committed with such disregard by Mr. Hill has taken him from his family. This sentence delivers accountability and protects our community, and I hope it brings some measure of peace to Mr. Edmondson’s loved ones as they attempt to move forward with their lives.” 

According to police, Edmondson suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the chest at his north-side apartment building on Nov. 24, 2023. 

The attorney’s office said Hill entered his guilty plea Monday.



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Kris Lindahl, ‘Call of Duty’ partner on new billboards

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Turns out, Twin Cities realtor and billboard personality Kris Lindahl is in on the joke.

MINNEAPOLIS — The makers of the video game “Call of Duty” launched a new, locally inspired campaign Friday, coinciding with the release of the franchise’s newest installment, “Black Ops 6.”

Motorists might notice real estate agent Kris Lindahl, famously seen with his arms out over every interstate in town, was replaced by *ahem* “The Replacer,” an Activision character played by actor Peter Stormare. 

For the next few weeks, The Replacer will step in for Lindahl not only on billboards but also on advertisements across television, streaming and social media platforms.

But why does Lindahl need The Replacer’s help, you might ask? 

So he’s free to play “Black Ops 6,” of course.

The Replacer isn’t new to Minnesota. He also once stepped into the shoes of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.



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