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California crash kills Belle Plaine man, injures wife
A GoFundMe account says Ally Giesen is recovering from serious injuries after the wreck that claimed the life of her husband Marcus and the couple’s beloved dog Sky.
VISALIA, Calif. — Family members and friends are reaching out to help a Belle Plaine native recover following a crash that claimed the lives of her husband and the couple’s beloved dog.
A GoFundMe account set up for Ally Giesen says she, her husband and high school sweetheart Marcus, a friend and the couple’s doodle Sky were headed to Yosemite National Park for a getaway the morning of Saturday, July 13 when the crash occurred. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) says the vehicle they were in left the road near Pixley, Calif. and struck a guard rail.
Marcus Giesen was airlifted to a hospital in Visalia where he died from his injuries. Ally was taken to the same hospital by ambulance with critical injuries, including a fractured skull and associated brain bleed, along with broken bones in her arm, hand, wrist, neck, back and face.
The couple’s dog Sky also died in the crash, while the person who was driving was treated at the scene. The CHP says everyone in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
“In addition to the heartache of losing her life partner, Ally is facing a long recovery to be made physically whole again,” reads the GoFundMe post. “As if these devastating tasks have not been enough to navigate, the process is made more difficult by the fact that not only is Ally being treated hundreds of miles from her and Marcus’ home near Los Angeles, their parents, Robin (Duffney) & Matt Fink and Nicole (Wallat) & Dan Giesen, have traveled nearly 2,000 miles from their home state of Minnesota to be there to support Ally, all while grieving the loss of Marcus.”
Organizers say donations to the GoFundMe will be used to cover Ally’s medical bills and continuing care, plus help with the financial hardships faced by family members traveling to California to help with her recovery. So far more than $59,000 of the initial $60,000 goal has been raised.
Ally’s mom Robin posted on her CaringBridge page that her daughter remains in the ICU for extra care while her neck and back heal. She had her first physical therapy session on Wednesday and was able to sit up for the first time since the crash. She thanked everyone who has reached out and included Ally in their thoughts.
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.”
