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St. Paul City Council gives cannabis zoning the green light

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Weed companies will be able to consider commercial real estate property as a possible site location

ST PAUL, Minn. — The St. Paul City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday for adult-use cannabis zoning within city limits.

“What we’ve done today is just set a zoning standard that says here is where you can consider and contemplate having those types of facilities,” said Council President Mitra Jalali.

These businesses can look at commercial real estate spaces within city limits.

“Other cities around the state frankly are rejecting the economic opportunity that’s possible saying ‘You can’t have these anywhere,’ they’re using really regressive zoning, and so I hope St. Paul can set another end of the spectrum and encourage other cities to follow suit,” Jalali said.

She said opening more of the city to cannabis operations could bring in more money.

“It’s really important to realize the economic opportunity it represents, right. We can generate and collect local sales tax. We can use that revenue to help the city in other ways,” Jalali said. “I think that we have regulatory structures in place to be able to support safety to make sure that everything is following state law. That is one of the cities rules.”

However, some people aren’t as excited. Zev Radziwall, executive director of St. Anthony Park Council, said his neighborhood is concerned cultivation facilities could impact public health.

“The biggest concern is air quality,” he said. “How do we mitigate that odor, so we don’t have the skunky smell permeating throughout neighborhoods and affecting residents.”

Jalali said there are regulations in place to control odor.

“The state law sets out a standard of how facilities have to regulate odors on and off the property line,” he said. “We took what state law said and we mirrored it into our local ordinance so the city can also be on the enforcement side of that and basically have an additional layer of regulatory support.”

Radziwall said he would have liked to see a more conservative distance including daycares. Currently, the ordinance mandates weed facilities to be at least 300 feet away from primary and secondary schools. The council talked about including daycares but decided to possibly bring up it for consideration at another time.

The ordinance would allow these businesses to cultivate and sell all under one roof. Radziwall said St. Anthony has a lot of warehouses where these businesses could potentially grow, which is why he would like to see tighter regulation.

“We hope that it’s the beginning of a conversation not the end,” he said.

Jalali said by allowing these businesses to open in more areas, it should help prevent over concentration in one area.

“Part of the logic actually in having the zoning being pretty permissive is that when you have less area that you can do these businesses in it does concentrate them, so I think what we need to do is look at the applications that come in, see if that’s shaping up in any type of way or pattern that’s cause for concern,” she said.



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Hugo man charged with murder after mother’s death

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Prosecutors charged 45-year-old Trevor Joseph Wunderlich with second-degree murder in the death of his 68-year-old mother, Charlene Gail Wunderlich.

HUGO, Minn. — The man who was the “person of interest” in the north metro search Monday night was charged Thursday morning in the murder of his mother.

Prosecutors charged 45-year-old Trevor Joseph Wunderlich with second-degree murder in the death of his 68-year-old mother, Charlene Gail Wunderlich. 

According to court documents, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call from a home in the 15000 block of Ingersoll Ave. at approximately 5:55 p.m. on Sept. 16. 

Dispatchers said they “could hear noises on the line consistent with an ongoing assault or struggle.”

When deputies arrived they found Charlene Gail Wunderlich on the kitchen floor severely injured, according to the criminal complaint. Deputies tried to “detain the defendant, but he ran into the basement of the home and fled out a rear door.” 

Charlene Gail Wunderlich told the deputies that her son beat her before she lost consciousness. She was rushed to the hospital but died from her injuries. 

Law enforcement agencies across the metro launched a manhunt for Wunderlich. Sheriff’s officials warned the public not to approach him as he was considered dangerous. 

Just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, a resident in the 9800 block of 152nd St. N saw a man matching Wunderlich’s description in their trailer. KARE 11 spoke to the woman who owns the trailer, and she says her dogs were growling at the trailer, and when she opened the door Wunderlich was sleeping inside. 

The woman said she screamed to her son who was working on the property to call 911. Her son had a brief conversation with Wunderlich and then Wunderlich ran down the road with no shoes to another property where, according to officials, police arrested him.

According to court documents, in 2021 Wunderlich was sentenced to 203 days in prison for violating a domestic abuse no-contact order. While serving that sentence, he was convicted of fourth-degree assault against a correctional officer.



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Health expert: How to help mothers with postpartum depression

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The FDA recently approved the first pill to help symptoms of postpartum depression.

Having a baby is an exciting time in many parents’ lives. But for some parents, that excitement can come with postpartum depression and other emotions that can be difficult to talk about. 

Dr. Lisa Saul, the national medical director of women’s health at UnitedHealthcare, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share tips for parents and loved ones affected by postpartum depression. 

First of all, what is it? The Mayo Clinic states that postpartum depression usually begins during or up to a year after a pregnancy. The symptoms include depressed mood, mood swings, crying excessively, difficulty bonding with the baby, withdrawing from friends and family, feelings of worthlessness, and additional symptoms.  

The experience is more common than you might expect, as it affects up to 15% of people, according to the Cleveland Clinic

In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first pill to treat postpartum depression. This medication may lessen symptoms. 

Saul also recommended talking about your feelings to loved ones and healthcare providers for support. 



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August has largest job gain in two years in Minnesota

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August was a promising month for employers, as 14,400 jobs were added.

Minnesota employers logged a remarkable August as they recorded the largest monthly increase in jobs in two years, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).   

In August, employers added 14,400 jobs. Employment grew by 0.5% in the state, exceeding the national average of 0.1%, according to DEED’s release. Unemployment rates increased to 3.3%, which still is lower than the national rate of 4.2%. 

“We added the most jobs in a single month in two years, reflecting employers’ ongoing appetite to hire more workers,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a statement. “September is Workforce Development Month in Minnesota, offering a reminder of the initiatives underway to invest in our economic future by recruiting and retaining workers and making sure Minnesota is creating the jobs of the future right here at home.”

Leisure and Hospitality jobs saw the most growth in Minnesota in August, increasing by 1.6%. Education and Health Services and Professional and Business Services also saw notable increases. 

As for wages, DEED reported that the average private sector hourly wage is $37.74, which is a 5.9% increase over this year. 

“Wage growth has consistently outpaced inflation, which is a good thing as we work to attract and retain talented workers for our labor force,” said Labor Market Information Director Angelina Nguyen in a statement. 



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