Star Tribune
How a Minnesota childless cat lady transformed her home into a feline playground
That bench is courtesy of contractor AJ Penkert, who has helped numerous families make pet-friendly adjustments to their homes. He helped Tan — who moved into her home last year knowing she wanted to make it the best place for her cats — put the room together, installing pet-proof flooring that can weather even then biggest cat-trastrophy. It is scratch-proof and makes for easy clean-up without holding any smells, he said.
“I mainly work with dog owners installing dog doors and kennel runs,” he said. “This was my first full cat room that I’ve ever put together.”
The rest of Tan’s house is a work in progress, she said. Though she already has a big cat tree by a window for her cats to look out of, cat art hanging from the walls and cat toys scattered in the living room. In her other office, across from towering bookshelves on the ground floor, she has two small cat trees with beds overlooking the front patio. But all this doesn’t mean her living space is a cluttered mess.
“I’m going for a minimalist, modern look, partly to fight the crazy cat lady image,” she said. “When people think of women with cats, they think a dirty house. With this design, I wanted to fight that.”
Star Tribune
Trump’s campaign says candidate is safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity in Florida
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s campaign says he is safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity Sunday afternoon in Florida.
The campaign did not immediately provide any additional details.
The news comes roughly two months after the Republican presidential nominee was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
A man died after being found unresponsive in a Faribault manhole Friday.
The Faribault Fire Department and law enforcement responded to a call of a person unresponsive in a manhole on the 1900 block of Second Avenue Northwest in Faribault around 7:30 a.m. Friday, a Faribault Fire Department news release said.
Firefighters entered the manhole and gave the man oxygen before removing the man and taking him to a waiting North Ambulance helicopter, the release said. The manhole had high levels of hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide, as well as low oxygen levels, tests found.
“This is a tragic event and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the individual,” Fire Chief Dustin Dienst said in a statement.
The Faribault Fire Department and Faribault Police conducted an investigation and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified.
Her white house sits on a busy street not far from Lake Superior. She has limited mobility and enjoys the frequent passers-by, some of whom comment on the sea of blooms she’s packed into her tiny yard.
Flowers show up inside, too, with forget-me-nots on hallway wallpaper and roses on curtains. Last week, jewelry, décor and other odds and ends were stacked around the home as she prepared for a “fire sale” to clear some belongings ahead of her looming surgery. In the next month, she expects to undergo an unusual procedure at the University of Minnesota. Volz said her diaphragm has effectively “disintegrated” and her stomach is pressed against her heart and lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
It’s the latest in a lifetime of bad luck, said Volz, who has struggled with depression and spine, hand and ankle injuries. She receives a Community Access for Disability Inclusion waiver, one of many federally funded waiver programs the state uses to support people with disabilities, older adults, those with brain injuries and the chronically ill and medically fragile.
Direct support professional Blaire Alyssa Frost, left, helps Victoria Volz inside her home in Duluth on Tuesday. (Leila Navidi)
Her waiver covers a range of services, including occasional nurse visits and 30 hours a week of help from a support professional, which can include everything from shopping for groceries to going up and down stairs with laundry. A document Volz received from St. Louis County breaking down her waiver costs includes $53,000 for a year of services from the personal care assistant company.
She likely owes roughly $600,000 for the years of services she’s received since turning 55, Volz’s attorney Malcolm Davy estimated.
Trump “safe” after gunshots fired in his vicinity in Florida, campaign says; Secret Service investigating
Trump’s campaign says candidate is safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity in Florida
Donald Trump says “I hate Taylor Swift!”
Trump “safe” after gunshots fired in his vicinity in Florida, campaign says; Secret Service investigating
Trump’s campaign says candidate is safe after gunshots were reported in his vicinity in Florida