Star Tribune
Iowa man Jason Halkias completes quest to visit every Pizza Ranch
When Jason Halkias dug into a slice at the Pizza Ranch restaurant in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Tuesday, he was able to mark off the 244th — and last — location on his list.
“The quest is complete,” Halkias said Tuesday night.
Halkias, a 38-year-old resident of Davenport, Iowa, began visiting Pizza Ranch restaurants as a hobby in 2014. He said he started visiting different locations while dating a woman who was a fan of the pizza chain. After the relationship ended, he said he wanted to keep visiting Pizza Ranches.
Halkias, a custodian at a YMCA, self-funds his trips and said he does not receive money from the Orange City, Iowa-based restaurant chain. Megan Lovin, a spokeswoman for Pizza Ranch, confirmed in September that Halkias is paying his own way.
His pizza pilgrimage has brought Halkias all over America, including to all 44 locations in Minnesota. On his trips, he often takes detours to see the sights on the way, such as the remnants of the Oregon Trail in Wyoming.
On a recent “swing” to visit a Pizza Ranch in Tennessee, he visited the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, he said.
At home, Halkias has a closet overflowing with gifts from all the pizzerias he’s visited: hats, hoodies, a squishy football.
On Tuesday, the restaurant in Sioux Center, Iowa, gave Halkias a plaque recognizing his dedication.
Star Tribune
4 months in jail for road rage attack in Lakeville that left victim permanently disabled
Henderson added that his health has steadily deteriorated since the attack, noting, “I now have issues with my speech, and my need for oxygen has become almost permanent. … My back hurts more than it ever has, often leaving me bed-ridden. … I struggle to walk even short distances due to the pain.”
Also speaking at sentencing was Sharon Henderson, who said of her husband, “The funny, joyful man I once knew is now a shadow of himself — sad and depressed, acutely aware that he has lost the best years of his life. … The laughter and light that once filled our lives have been replaced by sorrow, a daily reminder of what we once had.”
According to the criminal complaint:
The day after the attack, Henderson told police an SUV was closely following him after he had exited Interstate 35 at 210th Street W. After the two parked, the other driver confronted Henderson, yelled obscenities, accused him of cutting him off and threatened to beat him.
Beckett then ordered Henderson to go behind the Walmart, saying he wanted to be somewhere without surveillance cameras.
Henderson was with his mother-in-law and told her to go inside the store to get help.
Star Tribune
For the first time in years, Metro Transit could lower fares for most buses and trains
“Some of the proposed changes are really trying to address the post-COVID ridership trends and help encourage riders back on the system,” Linnell said.
In addition, eligibility for the Transit Assistance Program (TAP) for low-income passengers would be expanded from one year to two, meaning passengers won’t have to sign up every year. Launched in 2017, TAP features $1 rides for the nearly 4,800 people currently enrolled in the program.
Metro Transit may decrease peak fares during rush hour, the first fare change since 2017. (Janet Moore/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
If the proposal is adopted, annual fare revenue would drop $4.1 million. but ridership is projected to increase by about 926,000rides.
“We anticipate that we’ll still increase our revenue but it won’t increase quite as fast as anticipated,” said Dennis Dworshak, Metro Transit’s senior manager of revenue operations.
However, one member of the Met Council asked why fares weren’t being increased rather than decreased.
“It seems like we’re putting a lot of money into making a nice [transit] system, but it’s worth less and less and less to our customers, and that’s concerning to me,” said Wendy Wulff, who has served on the council since 2009 after being initially appointed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty to represent the southern suburbs. (Members of the Met Council are appointed by the current governor.)
Star Tribune
Is it COVID or the flu? New tests can check for both.
Most of the new products are antigen tests, meaning they pick up on specific proteins in the viruses. Only one, made by Pfizer, is a molecular test, which is more sensitive because it searches for genetic material. That test is pricier, at around $40.
Many combination tests function just like regular at-home COVID tests: Typically you swab the inside of your nostril, dunk it in a solution and squeeze droplets of the mixture onto a test strip.
As with at-home COVID-only tests, the combination tests likely work best when you have symptoms. If you are vulnerable to COVID or the flu, you may want to test as soon as you feel ill, said Dr. Davey Smith, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Diego.
That’s because the antiviral medications that can reduce the risk of severe cases of COVID and the flu, like Paxlovid and Tamiflu, need to be taken early on.
It’s also crucial to test more than once with the combination tests, and at least 48 hours after the first try if the result is negative, said Nathaniel Hafer, an associate professor of molecular medicine at UMass Chan Medical School. The more you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus, the better your body gets at recognizing it, triggering symptoms as the immune system combats the infection. You can have a hacking cough and full-body fatigue for days before enough virus has built up in your nose to turn a test positive.
If your first test is negative, but your symptoms worsen within 48 hours, there’s an increased chance that you’re sick with COVID or the flu, Smith said.