Kare11
Friends surprise disabled veteran with customized man cave
Kyle Anderson suffered a life-altering head wound while serving in Iraq.
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. — If life is a balance between give and take, Kyle Anderson has given more than his share.
At age 30, Kyle stocks the coolers at an Inver Grove Heights Walgreens.
His right arm hangs by his side, while his left hand flips bottles of soda into their slots.
Kyle’s speech, at times, can be hard for newcomers to the store to understand.
“I am done, when I am done,” the gregarious Kyle says with a laugh.
Twenty years have passed since Kyle nearly gave his life in service to his country.
Seth Anderson, Kyle’s best friend from Simley High School, still remembers being summoned by his wrestling coach to receive the news.
Glancing at Kyle, Seth recounts the day. “I think the first news we got was that you got hit and you weren’t going to make it, so we thought Kyle was dead,” Seth says.
Years earlier, Kyle had taken the younger wrestler under his wing when Seth joined the team after moving from Iowa.
“Kyle was Mr. Popular,” Seth says. “Everybody knew him in high school.”
Kyle capped off high school by winning a state wrestling championship his senior year.
“That’s Kyle walking off the mat,” Seth says, holding up a photo of Kyle’s victorious moment.
After high school, Kyle joined the Marines. He was deployed to the war in Iraq, where the course of his life was altered.
“October of 2004, right?” Seth asks his friend for confirmation.
Kyle isn’t certain what hit him, perhaps shrapnel or a rocket-propelled grenade.
But there is no uncertainty about the impact’s effects.
“They ended up removing most of the left lobe of your brain and the skull was gone,” Seth says as Kyle listens intently.
Walgreens gave Kyle the opportunity to work.
But while he’s at the store, work of another kind has been going on back at Kyle’s house.
For months, some two dozen contractors have been giving time and materials to give Kyle something special.
Chris Biljan, the owner of Great Northern Builders, stands inside the now-completed two-stall garage and man cave, which includes a fancy bar, a large TV, and a pool table covered in red felt and displaying a large Marine logo at the center.
Chris stands in the middle of the garage. “I think it looks great,” he says, “considering there was nothing here before except dirt.”
Chris was pulled into the project by his brother, Nate Biljan, another of Kyle’s high school wrestling buddies.
“What he’s gone through,” Nate says, “he deserves it.”
“If a guy can go through all of that, and be that positive, have that kind of outlook on life, why not do something like this for him,” he says.
For weeks, Kyle has been locked out of his own garage. But on a chilly morning, friends begin arriving at his house.
“It’s your special day,” one of them tells Kyle as hugs are exchanged.
Red ribbons hang across each of the garage doors as Nate takes the microphone. Several dozen people — friends, contractors, classmates, and Kyle’s mom — stand in a semi-circle.
Kyle stands next to Nate, smiling broadly.
“I know I speak for everyone,” Nate says into the mic, facing his friend. “I can’t thank you enough for your service.”
The high school buddies exchange an embrace as the crowd applauds enthusiastically.
Oversized scissors appear and a red ribbon is cut.
In unison, the garage doors open.
Kyle’s face lights up as he catches his first glimpse of desert-colored floors and a wall of reclaimed wood.
“Oh, wow!” he keeps repeating as he walks through his new space.
His service to his country took much from Kyle.
Now, two decades later, his friends are giving Kyle a reminder.
“Amazing work for an amazing hero,” one of them says.
Through the give and take of life, they haven’t forgotten his sacrifice.
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The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a plan to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on Thursday.
The resolution comes after decades of protests against the massive North Loop trash incinerator that burns roughly 365,000 tons of garbage a year.
“Today is a big step towards protecting the health of our communities and addressing longstanding environmental injustices that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said councilmember Robin Wonsley, in a statement.
The resolution calls for the incinerator to be permanently closed by Dec 31, 2027 and for the entire facility to be shut down by Dec 31, 2033.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
In October 2023, the Hennepin County Board signed off on a plan to close the HERC between 2028 and 2040, depending on how quickly the county can transition into a zero-waste system.
Of the garbage burned at the HERC, 75% comes from the city of Minneapolis. The other 25% comes from a dozen other cities in the area. The HERC produces enough energy to power more than 25,000 homes and half the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.
At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 10, Jenni Lansing with the City of Minneapolis Health Department provided analysis on the air pollution impacts of HERC. She said the health department supports working towards a zero-waste future and the ultimate closure of HERC, but said closing it now is not the solution.
“Overall emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by on-road and non-road, mobile and nonpoint sources, and these sources drive the cancer and non-cancer risks to health in Minneapolis,” Lansing said.
Hennepin County defines zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The snow is really coming down in some places with Maple Lake getting 3.5″ so far.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The wettest Halloween storm ever — is making mischief before little trick-or-treaters hit their neighborhood’s slushy streets.
Officials are reporting several power outages and car spin-outs.
There have been over 14,000 power outages, according to Xcel Energy.
The Minnesota State Patrol has responded to 169 crashes and 94 vehicles off the road, as of 2. pm. Thursday.
Meteorologist Beny Dery said an additional 1 to 2″ of snow is possible before things taper off this evening.
So far some of the totals around town are: 3.5″ Maple Lake, 3.0″ Buffalo, 2.5″ Dassel, 2.4″ Windom, 2.0″ St. Bonifacious, 1.5″ Maple Plain and 1.5″ in Bethel.
The snow is expected to let up from west to east and should wrap up for the metro between 5 to 6 p.m.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
