Star Tribune
Now’s the time to get out and see the fall colors
Most of Minnesota is at peak or near peak fall colors this week, though several locations across the northern part of the state are past peak.
Recent storms that swept through northern Minnesota have had significant impact on the fall colors, bringing down most of the remaining leaves and pushing the rest past peak quickly, according to the Department of Natural Resources’ Fall Color Finder.
The dry conditions have also made for a rapid season of fall colors, officials note. In areas that have rain or high wind in the forecast, leaves are expected to shed trees quickly after changing color. The DNR is advising leaf watchers to get out and enjoy the fall colors soon.
What should we expect in the coming days/weeks?
Cool overnight temperatures in the 40s over the next few nights are expected to spur more leaf change in central and southern Minnesota. The two biggest factors that affect leaf color change are shorter daylight hours and low overnight temperatures, according to the DNR. Sunny, shorter days with cool nights are the conditions that spur more color change, said Sara Berhow, public relations supervisor for the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division.
Where to catch best fall colors this weekend?
Trees such as poplars and aspens, which turn bright yellow, are at peak color in much of central and northern Minnesota, according to the DNR. Oak trees haven’t peaked yet, aside from those in the state’s far northern area, officials say.
Locations in the 50% to 75% peak category currently offer the most color variations since there will be a few more green trees in the mix, Berhow said.
St. Croix State Park, east of Hinckley
The leaves in Minnesota’s largest state park are changing — the bright fall colors making for a nice contrast with the green trees along the rivers. Oaks, birch, and aspen are starting to change, while the leaves on maple and ash trees have turned and dropped, according to the DNR.
St. Croix State Park has one of the state parks system’s five fire towers — strongly recommended for a view of fall colors from above the canopy. Tip: watch for eagles nesting by the river.
Wild River State Park, Chisago County
Maple trees have already turned red and orange in the southern part of the park. but the oaks haven’t changed colors yet.
For an adventurous fall color hike, the DNR recommends trying the Highland Hills Trail loops in the southwest part of the park.
Interstate State Park, Taylors Falls
Interstate is offering a mix of bare and still-green trees among muted patches of pale yellows, oranges and browns, according to the DNR. The cooler temperatures this week are expected to kickstart the leaf color changes.
Tip: Strollers don’t work well on most of the park’s trails due to rocky terrain, according to the DNR.
Check back weekly with startribune.com for more tips on top destinations for fall foliage.
A St. Paul man who was in critical condition following a fire last week at his home in the Battle Creek neighborhood has died, marking the city’s eighth fire death this year.
According to a news release from the St. Paul Fire Department, the man was found unconscious in the basement of a house on Nelson Street early in the morning of Oct. 17, after fire crews had extinguished a fire at the two-story residence. Paramedics undertook life-saving measures before taking him to the hospital.
No one else was injured in the fire, which was found to have been accidental and started in the engine of a car parked in the tuck-under garage. The fire was confined to the garage, but heavy smoke filled the house. Smoke detectors enabled others in the house to exit safely, officials said.
That hasn’t ebbed with Simpli-Fi. The startup incorporated in 2018 as a company based out of Florida that integrated technology systems together in commercial buildings to work as a single unit. But business sputtered when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and Campbell had to make staff cuts to his team of 16 employees. He called it one of “the worst times” of his life.
“But during that time is where we made a pivot,” Campbell said.
He set out to find a new technology, eventually spotting NASA’s electronic nose thanks to Brown Venture Group, a St. Paul based firm that supports Black, Latino and Indigenous tech startups. Campbell’s brother, Paul Campbell, is a partner at the firm but said he recused himself from the investment decision.
Chris Campbell was skeptical of the electronic nose’s capabilities at first but sprung for a commercialization license after spending a year researching the technology. By this past summer, he had moved the company to Minnesota and specifically the Osborne building because both are “known for device creation,” he said.
Simpli-Fi’s sensor packs some of the science of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry — which require huge machines — into a sensor the size of a dime, Campbell said. Using nanotubes, the sensor picks up metabolic qualities in the air and breath, he said.
For now, the company is focused on the C. diff-sensing Provectus Canary device, which scans the air around a hospital patient to detect the bacteria that causes the infection, which has gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea. The company is working toward the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval for using the sensor to detect various diseases.
A Minneapolis man was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for murdering his neighbor in their North Side apartment building last year.
Walter Lee Hill, 59, had pleaded guilty on Monday to second-degree intentional murder. He will get credit for having served nearly a year in jail.
Police were called to the Gateway Lofts on W. Broadway Avenue last November on a report that someone was shot. Officers found Donald Edmondson, 60, dead on the floor of his apartment with a gunshot wound to the chest.
A video camera in the hallway showed Hill knocking on Edmondson’s door, reaching into his sweatshirt pocket and firing his gun once. Hill then left in his Lexus, which officers found near Elliot Park downtown.
They spotted Hill walking nearby, asked for his ID and arrested him when he said something to the effect that they had the right guy.
A witness told police they saw Hill shoot Edmondson, and another said there had been an ongoing dispute between the two. Two days before the murder, Hill had called police because he believed neighbors were breaking into his apartment.
In a statement, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Edmondson “should still be alive. 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.”
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