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Juvenile eagles release delayed due to warm start to MN winter
The University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center is currently waiting to release 11 eagles until more waterways freeze over.
MINNESOTA, USA — The bitter cold couldn’t come soon enough for The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.
Eleven young bald eagles have been in the center’s care for months. They should have been released weeks ago to learn how to hunt and survive from wild eagles that spend winters in Minnesota, but our warmer-than-average winter is pushing those plans back.
“They can get pretty darn feisty when they’re feeling good, which thankfully all 11 are,” said The Raptor Center Executive Director Dr. Victoria Hall. “They’re all pretty darn close and we’re really just waiting on the weather.”
Dr. Hall says that the juveniles have to be reintroduced to large groups of fellow eagles that gather at the select few areas of the Mississippi River that stay open throughout winter.
But with so much water that isn’t frozen yet, the wild birds are more dispersed – instead fishing all across the state, making that connection nearly impossible.
“We like to release these youngsters into groups of at least 50 eagles,” said Dr. Hall. “They can further refine and hone their abilities to hunt or to scavenge by watching other eagles. So the adult, wild eagles are having lots of places to pick from to hunt, it’s just this specific group of these juveniles that this weather is causing some changes for.”
Last year, The Raptor Center cared for 170 injured eagles. Some are now part of the school, living there as an ambassador for the program.
“A lot of these injuries can be human-caused like hit by cars or running into windows, but oftentimes these birds are just found on the ground not doing well and people know who to call,” said Dr. Hall.
The birds ready to be released may not graduate from “Eagle University” just yet, but Dr. Hall is certain the delay won’t impact their development.
“We’re very confident these birds will have a fantastic second chance at life,” said Dr. Hall.
For a look at some of the birds and a further explanation of how the wacky winter weather is disrupting the eagle’s plans, click here.
The Raptor Center’s budget and clinic work is also funded nearly entirely by community donations. If you’d like to help, click here for more information.
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At least one of the sites was immediately cleared in response to the shootings.
MINNEAPOLIS — By Monday afternoon, there wasn’t a tent in site along the railroad tracks off of E 44th St between Hiawatha and Snelling Avenues. There was only some leftover crime tape.
Just 24 hours prior, two men were killed and a woman was critically hurt in a triple shooting there.
Sunday, a neighbor told KARE what started with one tent in August grew in recent weeks. Police Chief Brian O’Hara and Mayor Jacob Frey held a press conference that day.
“The Third Precinct, this part of the city, has the greatest concentration of homeless encampments so it remains a very serious public safety issue,” O’Hara said. “As soon as these encampments move in, we have a significant increase in crime in the general area and once we’re able to clear them, crime generally does go down.”
Monday, a City of Minneapolis spokesperson confirmed the encampment was “closed earlier today” and that “debris was cleared” from a smaller encampment where yet another triple shooting occurred early Saturday morning.
This one was near E 21st St and 15th Ave S. Three men were shot and one of them died.
Monday afternoon, there was a small fire going and a couple of adults seated outside. A memorial was also placed beside the fencing. The city says there weren’t any structures to remove from the location.
Frey’s office confirmed the immediate closure of the E 44th St encampment was a result of the shootings. However, there were prior discussions about closing it in the near future.
The Mayor’s Office sent KARE 11 the following statement Monday evening:
“The tragic and unacceptable loss of life at homeless encampments underscores the need for immediate action. Encampments are plagued by fentanyl abuse, drug trafficking, and gun violence, and they do not provide a dignified way to live—not for encampment residents and not for the neighbors in surrounding communities.”
“As new encampments form, we are committed to closing them while continuously offering shelter, addiction recovery resources, and support to our homeless residents.”
– Office of Mayor Jacob Frey
A city spokesperson also sent a statement saying the “Minneapolis Homeless Response Team is working right now with the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County and other service providers to offer unsheltered individuals at both locations the necessary resources, services and shelter.”
“We want to help our residents find suitable arrangements in the most supportive and humane way we can. All of our Minneapolis residents deserve better,” the statement continued.
A police spokesperson confirmed no arrests have been made in either case.
The suspect was 17 at the time of the shooting, but he was charged as an adult.
A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, more than two years after a drive-by shooting left a 17-year-old dead.
Casimir Semlak, of St. Paul, was charged with shooting 17-year-old Anthony Skelley in May 2022 during an apparent drug deal in South St. Paul. Police say a search of Skelley’s cell phone uncovered that the last number he was in communication with was linked to the suspect.
Semlak was also 17 at the time but was charged in the adult court system.
Following his death, family members told KARE 11 in a statement that Skelley was a junior attending St. Paul Public Schools’ Gateway to College program, and had “a beautiful soul with a cheerful presence and a joyful spirit.”
Semlak will be sentenced in January 2025.
The Moorhead Police Department said Paige Reinke was last seen Sunday wearing a blue sweatshirt and gray sweatpants.
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Officials are asking for the public’s help locating a 17-year-old Moorhead girl that is believed to be endangered.
According to the Moorhead Police Department, Paige Reinke was last seen Sunday near the 2600 block of River Drive North wearing a blue sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) describes her as 5-foot-4, 155 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Moorhead Police Department at 701-451-7660.
