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Holy Angels hockey captain Mason Garcia cheers on teammates
Garcia suffered a traumatic brain injury less than two weeks ago during a pre-season scrimmage, but he’s already back on his feet.
RICHFIELD, Minn — Twelve days ago, Holy Angels hockey captain Mason Garcia suffered a traumatic brain injury after enduring a hit into the boards during a pre-season scrimmage.
First responders rushed him to Regions Hospital.
“I was conscious the entire time, even though I couldn’t feel anything or move,” Garcia said. “The uncertainty of whether or not that would be what the rest of my life would be like, that was pretty scary. But I knew I couldn’t accept that. And I had to kind of fight through that.”
Despite doctors telling him he may need to wait until December to leave the hospital, Garcia committed himself to grueling sessions of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, which helped him recover much quicker than anticipated.
Garcia left the hospital earlier this week on Tuesday – just in time for the Holy Angels home opener against Spring Lake Park on Thursday night at Richfield Ice Arena.
The senior captain did not play, but he accompanied his team into the locker room and cheered them on from the stands just above the bench. Although he moves slowly, Garcia is already back on his feet walking and has regained his major functions.
“I am very grateful for where I am. I know a lot of people that were in my position, going through the things I went through, aren’t this lucky,” Garcia said. “They’re not back walking, not out of the hospital yet, not able to move. I recognize that I am very lucky with this situation.”
His presence provided an immediate boost for teammates like Henry Lechner, a fellow captain for Holy Angels.
“I think it motivates the boys to go even harder, because he wants us to. He’s going to be here supporting us and cheering us on,” Lechner said. “Hockey and life are given to us, and it can be taken away from us very quickly. You’ve got to cherish every moment, and you’ve got to work hard every moment, because you don’t know when it will be your last.”
Holy Angels head coach Patrick Griswold, who has coached Garcia all through high school, said the captain’s role will not change moving forward.
“The only thing is, he just won’t be on the ice with us. He’ll be in the locker room before and after the game, he’ll be at every practice,” Griswold said. “Still one of our captains and leading our team.”
As Garcia continues his physical therapy and recovery process, he said he’s hopeful to get back onto the ice whenever possible.
Until then, he’s focusing on how to support his teammates from the bench.
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How are Minnesota teachers addressing kids’ bad behavior?
PEW Research Center found 68% of teachers said they’ve experienced verbal abuse from a student such as being yelled at or threatened.
ST PAUL, Minn — Bad behavior in classrooms is a nationwide problem that has only worsened since the pandemic.
A recent National Education Association (NEA) survey found teachers cited “disruptive and violent behavior” in the classroom last year as one of their top concerns. A PEW Research Center report found about 68% of teachers said they’ve experienced verbal abuse from a student such as being yelled at or threatened.
About 21% said this happens a few times a month.
Teachers also report students show disrespect by getting up in the middle of class or skipping class altogether. So the question many people have is why are we seeing this uptick in bad behavior? And how can behavior improve?
To learn more, KARE 11 morning anchor Alicia Lewis spoke with Angel Thomas from St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS). Thomas, a teacher by trade, is now a supervisor with the Office of School Support.
She talks with teachers about their day-to-day with students at SPPS and says there is a lot more pressure on both students and educators post-pandemic with mental wellness at an all time high.
“You have a class of 25 to 35 little people, right? They all have different lived experiences,” Thomas said. “We don’t know what they’re going through at any given moment, right? Some kids are wondering where their next meal is gonna come from. Some kids are wondering where they’re gonna sleep at night. Some kids may have experienced a traumatic event just the night before and they’re at school. It’s the same for adults or teachers, right?”
SPPS is one of 37 districts in the state that utilize the Minnesota Department of Education’s “Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports systems” also known as PBIS. It’s a multi-tiered program that trains educators on preventing problem behavior, teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors, and providing intensive interventions for students with more significant needs.
Thomas said PBIS is working.
“I always say the framework is simple for a lack of a better word. It’s not. But there are core components. What do we want students to do? How do we recognize them when they do it? How do we respond when they don’t? And then how are we using data to make decisions?” Thomas said.
“We know that recognizing positive behaviors is one of the best ways to actually change or to continue that behavior and to decrease the unexpected behaviors.”
Thomas added when students have a voice and feel a sense of community, they are more likely to exhibit good behaviors in the classroom. But what works for one student, in terms of dealing with behavior, might not work for another.
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Police investigate body found at south Indianapolis gym
Family told 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink visited a tanning bed on Friday and was found dead there this Monday morning.
INDIANAPOLIS — Police are conducting death investigation at a south Indianapolis gym after a man was found dead in a tanning bed Monday morning.
A sign on the door of the Planet Fitness on Hardegan Street Monday afternoon said “tanning is currently unavailable.”
Family confirmed to 13News that 39-year-old Derek Sink went into a tanning bed on Friday and was found dead there Monday morning. They said Sink struggled with drugs and a needle was found in the room with him.
The cause of Sink’s death has not yet been determined.
Sink’s aunt said they reported him missing on Friday. She said he was wearing an ankle monitor that helped investigators determine he never left the gym.
A woman who was at Planet Fitness that morning, before law enforcement showed up, said she and other members noticed a foul smell in the building that got worse near the tanning rooms. Now she said she’s wondering how something like this could happen.
“The tanning bed has a door, I believe, but still, why are we not concerned that the tanning bed has been closed for three days, potentially?” said Elizabeth Len.
Sink’s family called him a loving person. They said they hope to see stricter policies on cleaning and an end-of-day checklist for staff to prevent this from happening again.
13News reached out to IMPD and Planet Fitness. Police could only confirm they were investigating a death at that location and did not elaborate on the circumstances.
A spokesperson for Planet Fitness said they’re looking into what happened with the local franchise owner.
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Attorney General: Defunct nonprofit tied to Feeding Our Future
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said Jamal Osman and his wife, Ilo Amba, aren’t facing any charges, but Amba agreed to discontinue Urban Advantage Services.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has shut down a nonprofit he called a “sham” nearly four years after it was created.
Ellison called Urban Advantage Services (UAS) a “fraudulent shell company” created around the start of the pandemic to perpetuate fraud. It’s one of several nonprofits he sued last year linked to Feeding Our Future, the country’s largest COVID-related fraud scheme.
In complaint documents, Ellison alleges UAS was started by Ilo Amba to distribute meals in accordance with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Program in November 2020.
Amba is married to Minneapolis City Councilor Jamal Osman. The two of them are not facing any charges or wrongdoing.
Ellison ruled UAS racked up several violations and that it never registered as a charitable organization or filed tax forms, abandoned its registered office address and ceased its operations in January 2022.
“They didn’t keep proper records, they didn’t file tax returns and it’s been documented that this nonprofit took $461,000 out of these programs and there has never been any financial accounting for where the money went,” said Bill Glahn.
Glahn is a fellow with the Center of the American Experiment, a conservative public policy organization, and has covered the food charity for years.
“I’m not aware that Councilman Osman or his wife have ever answered any questions, other than perhaps to the attorney general, but certainly not the media or to the voters,” said Glahn.
Ellison said UAS’s participation in the broader scam called Feeding Our Future can be inferred due to the timing of its incorporation and lack of legitimate nonprofit activities. He also said that UAS has strong ties to other organizations whose officers and directors were indicted in that case.
The $250 million scheme exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the pandemic. The U.S. Attorney has since indicted 70 people, nearly 30 of which have either pleaded guilty or have been found guilty in court. More trials are expected to start next year in February.
“Minnesota has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons because of this scandal,” said Glahn.
The decision to dissolve UAS was announced by Ellison on Friday, although the agreement was settled in October. Neither Osman or Amba returned several voicemails and an email left by KARE 11.