Star Tribune
State confirms four new cases of canine influenza in the Twin Cities
Four more cases of canine influenza were reported in the Twin Cities on Wednesday by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, leading to “strong indicators of community spread” of the rare virus after a larger outbreak earlier this month, the state agency said.
The Animal Humane Society closed its three shelters in Woodbury, Golden Valley and Coon Rapids on April 6, after about 200 dogs were infected with the highly contagious virus — the largest outbreak ever of canine influenza in Minnesota. The nonprofit has paused all pet adoptions through at least mid-May, its longest closure ever because of an animal-related outbreak, leading to an uptick in pets at other local shelters and nonprofit rescues.
Since then, the Board of Animal Health has been flooded with calls from veterinarians about suspected cases where testing wasn’t done or was inconclusive. There are more cases of sick dogs than positive test results because the cost of testing is too expensive for many dog owners, Dr. Veronica Bartsch, senior veterinarian with the Board of Animal Health, said in a statement.
The four new cases are all in Hennepin County, according to the agency. Canine influenza causes similar symptoms as the flu in humans, including coughing and sneezing, a fever and runny nose, and dogs are sick and contagious for three to four weeks. The virus isn’t transmittable to humans or most other animals.
The first outbreak of canine influenza was detected in the U.S. in 2015. But until this recent outbreak, Minnesota has had only minor reports of the virus in 2017, when 13 dogs were sick.
The Board of Animal Health recommends that dog owners avoid their dog having contact with other dogs, including at dog parks, and keeping their pet at home if they’re sick. Dog boarding and day care facilities should separate symptomatic dogs and send any dog with signs of respiratory diseases home. To report a confirmed case of canine influenza or for more details on the virus, go to bah.state.mn.us.
The Lynx are in the hot seat.
The team lost Game 3 of the WNBA Finals series against the New York Liberty on Wednesday night 77-80, setting the stage for a decisive match at Target Center on Friday night. Fans in the arena reacted with resounding disappointment after Sabrina Ionescu sunk a three-pointer to break away from the tie game and dashed the Lynx’s chance at forcing overtime.
Before we get to the reactions, first things first: The Lynx set an attendance record, filling Target Center with 19,521 spectators for the first time in franchise history. That’s nearly 500 more than when Caitlin Clark was in town with the Indiana Fever earlier this year.
Despite leading by double digits for much of the game, the Lynx began the fourth quarter with a one-point lead over the Liberty and struggled to stay more than two or three points ahead throughout.
The Liberty took the lead with minutes to go in the fourth quarter and folks were practically despondent.
Of course, there were people who were in it solely for the spectacle. Nothing more.
The Lynx took a commanding lead early in the first quarter and ended the first half in winning position, setting a particularly jovial mood among the fanbase to start the game.
Inside Target Center, arena announcers spent a few minutes before the game harassing Lynx fans — and Liberty fans — who had not yet donned the complementary T-shirts draped over every seat.
DULUTH – The Minnesota and Wisconsin transportation departments will make upgrades to the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge in the summer of 2025, in preparation for the structure to become the premiere route between this city and Superior during reconstruction of the Blatnik Bridge.
Built in 1961, the Blatnik Bridge carries 33,000 vehicles per day along Interstate 535 and Hwy. 53. It will be entirely rebuilt, starting in 2027, with the help of $1 billion in federal funding announced earlier this year. MnDOT and WisDOT are splitting the remaining costs of the project, about $4 million each.
According to MnDOT, projects on the Bong Bridge will include spot painting, concrete surface repairs to the bridge abutments, concrete sealer on the deck, replacing rubber strip seal membranes on the main span’s joints and replacing light poles on the bridge and its points of entry. It’s expected to take two months, transportation officials said during a recent meeting at the Superior Public Library.
During this time there will be occasional lane closures, detours at the off-ramps, and for about three weeks the sidewalk path alongside the bridge will be closed.
The Bong Bridge, which crosses the St. Louis River, opened to traffic in 1985 and is the lesser-used of the two bridges. Officials said they want to keep maintenance to a minimum on the span during the Blatnik project, which is expected to take four years.
Red Wing will celebrate the grand opening of its first permanent set of pickleball courts next week with an “inaugural play” on the six courts at Colvill Park on the banks of the Mississippi, between a couple of marinas and next to the aquatic center.
Among the first to get to play on the new courts will be David Anderson, who brought pickleball to the local YMCA in 2008, before the nationwide pickleball craze took hold, and Denny Yecke, at 92 the oldest pickleball player in Red Wing.
The inaugural play begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday, with a rain date of the next day. Afterward will be food and celebration at the Colvill Park Courtyard building.
Tim Sletten, the city’s former police chief, discovered America’s fastest-growing sport a decade ago after he retired. With fellow members of the Red Wing Pickleball Group, he’d play indoors at the local YMCA or outdoors at a local school, on courts made for other sports. But they didn’t have a permanent place, so they approached the city about building one.
When a city feasibility study came up with a high cost, about $350,000, Sletten’s group got together to raise money.
The courts are even opening ahead of schedule, originally set for 2025.
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