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Rapidan Dam Store building in Blue Earth County demolished
Blue Earth County officials helped the Hruska family and friends by removing chairs, tables and other appliances from the building on June 27.
BLUE EARTH COUNTY, Minn. — Blue Earth County officials moved to purchase and demolish the Rapidan Dam Store building due to concerns of continuing soil erosion.
The officials initially brought a contractor to the site to explore the possibility of moving the building, but the contractor felt the project was too dangerous, according to a release from the county.
Blue Earth County officials helped the Hruska family and friends by removing chairs, tables and other appliances from the building on June 27, out of concern the building would be swept into the river.
According to the officials, significant erosion continued overnight and in an effort to protect other properties downstream, officials presented a purchase agreement to the Hruska family to remove the building.
“The Dam Store was an integral part of the community and remains embedded in the memories of many residents. Our thoughts are with the Hruska family and everyone close to them,” said a release from county officials.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Gymnastics fans came from across America to watch the trials in person and see the best athletes in the country.
MINNEAPOLIS — After a fun week of gymnastics excitement, the Olympic trials are wrapping up in Minneapolis.
The city hosted thousands of gymnastics fans from across the country this week.
Sunday night the Incline Gymnastics team from Highlands Ranch Colorado waited in line nearly two hours to watch night two of the women’s trials.
“This will be our fourth night coming here and waiting in line,” a teammate says.
The trials are a ticketed event with assigned seating, so the only benefit of waiting in line for so long is to get into the Target Center a few minutes earlier than everyone else.
“We just want to be there for a few extra minutes so we can watch warmups and be around the athletes for longer,” another teammate laughs.
Two gates down from them Beth Lillstrom had the same idea.
“We’re here to see warmups every night and then we have been in our seats until they kick us out. So, we’ve been those people,” Lillstrom laughs.
Lillstrom is also from Colorado.
She started competing in gymnastics in 1985 at the age of eight.
“I competed all the way through high school, and I’ve been a fan ever since,” Lillstrom says.
She may never get a chance to see the Olympics in person, but she says the Olympic trials are the next best thing.
“I’ve been getting lots of very thoughtful, kind offers on Instagram to go to Paris and these amazing hospitality options that I cannot afford, but I can come to Minneapolis and see this for four days,” Lilltsrom laughs.
Loretta Wickins and her daughter Macy traveled all the way from Missouri.
“We’re from a tiny town called Koshkonong Missouri,” Wickins says.
“So, coming to Minneapolis is a big city for us, but it’s been fun.”
Wickins says this is her 2nd time watching a world class team trial in person.
She traveled to watch the Gymnastics World Championship trials in 1999.
“It was fun back then, but they really make it fun now. I think USA Gymnastics has done a good job trying to make it more fun and more of a spectator sport,” Wickins says.
USA Gymnastics says the Olympic Trials in Minneapolis was their biggest event ever.
It was the first time the organization has held their four main events all at the same time, in the same city.
Besides the Olympic trials the organization also hosted their annual trade show and several competitions at the Minneapolis Convention Center this week.
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Troopers said two people died when an SUV struck a car, but the car’s driver took off from the scene.
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota State Patrol is searching for one of the drivers involved in a fatal collision on Saturday afternoon in Eagan.
Troopers said the driver of a Lincoln MKX ran a red light at the intersection of Highway 55 and Lexington Avenue, hitting the passenger’s side of a Volkswagen Jetta. Two passengers in the Jetta were killed; however, troopers say the driver of the Jetta fled the scene before law enforcement arrived and has not been located.
The names of the deceased have not been released. The driver of the Lincoln, a 41-year-old woman from Eagan, was not injured according to the Minnesota State Patrol’s initial accident report.
MORE NEWS: Worker finds body in Maple Grove on Saturday
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Authorities said the man had taken his grandchildren fishing and swimming Saturday when he drowned.
MIKANA, Wis. — Authorities in western Wisconsin said a 71-year-old grandfather died in an apparent drowning after saving one of his grandchildren from the water on Saturday.
According to a social media post by the Barron Co. Sheriff’s Office, the man had taken his two grandchildren fishing and swimming just below the Mikana Dam when one of the children started to struggle.
“Grandpa went in to help the kids, got them to where they could stand again and they made it to shore,” the post read. “For an unknown reason the male went under and drowned.”
First responders were initially unsuccessful in their efforts to find the man, until a dive team later recovered his body.
Authorities said both children were wearing life jackets and were safely out of the water.
The man’s identity has not been released.
MORE NEWS: Worker finds body in Maple Grove on Saturday
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Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
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