Star Tribune
St. Paul man steals car in the midst of driver’s sobriety test, police say
St. Paul police say a man stole a car while its owner was taking field sobriety tests during a traffic stop, then arrested later the same night.
The suspect has been identified as Kyle Stuart Vanwert, 39. He is also facing burglary charges from a case in April.
The incident began just after 6 p.m. on Sunday, when St. Paul police pulled a car over in the 800 block of West 7th Street on suspicion of drunk driving. While the woman was undergoing field sobriety tests with police, a man “suddenly” jumped into the car and drove off with it, St. Paul Police Sgt. Mike Ernster said.
The owner told police she had an AirTag tracking device inside the car. Officers from multiple police agencies were alerted to help locate the vehicle, Ernster said. Richfield and Bloomington police officers located the vehicle in Richfield near the intersection of Nicollet Avenue and 77th Street.
The officers arrested Vanwert, and Ernster said police identified him as the man who took the vehicle on 7th Street. He was booked into Ramsey County Jail and remained there on Monday.
The woman whose car was stolen was found to not be driving over the legal limit for alcohol concentration and her vehicle was returned to her, Ernster said.
On April 24, Vanwert was charged with first-degree burglary, after charges say he caused property damage to a fifth-floor apartment at the Dorothy Day Residence complex, where Vanwert lived. He was accused of breaking into another resident’s apartment with a hammer. His attorney for the burglary case did not return requests for comment Monday.
Vanwert was issued a conditional release on Sept. 10, after posting $10,000 bail. The release was granted on the requirement that Vanwert be transferred to in an in-patient treatment facility.
If you live in southeastern Minnesota, did you happen to get a letter from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture last May?
If you did, did you open it?
The state sent out 1,186 letters in May to residents of Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona counties, and only heard back from about 320 of you.
If you got a letter, that means the nitrate level in your well water is too high. The state was offering to purify your water for free or at a reduced cost, especially if you’re pregnant or if you have an infant in your home. They’re starting to install treatment systems in October.
Even a tiny amount of nitrate in drinking water can prevent a baby from absorbing oxygen, a condition called “blue baby syndrome.” Scientists are starting to discover risks for adults, too, such as faster heart rate and nausea. Some studies have found a connection with higher cancer rates, especially gastric cancer, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, but scientists just don’t know enough yet to understand that connection.
The southeastern counties are by no means the only region of Minnesota where wells contain harmful nitrate levels. Wells in southwest and central Minnesota are also at risk. But in 2023, environmental groups asked the U.S. EPA to intervene in the southeastern region, calling nitrate an “imminent” danger to human health given the region’s unique geology. In several townships, more than four out of 10 private wells tested positive for nitrates.
Last spring, the Minnesota Legislature allocated funding for 800 to 1000 reverse osmosis systems in southeastern Minnesota as part of a $16 million package to address contaminated wells.
Some homes with high nitrate levels have already installed treatment systems on their own, said Margaret Wagner, in charge of pesticide and fertilizer management with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, which has contracted with Olmsted County to administer the grant for the eight counties.
Star Tribune
The Farm Bill expires (again). Minnesota farmers look to lame-duck Congress for renewal.
Still, producers feel the heat, literally. Last Thursday, at the orchard, farmers and state officials in temperatures resembling the State Fair more than late September stood baking under a midday sun while John Jacobson, the orchard’s owner, spoke about missing those average summer temperatures. Instead, the mercuy bounces up and down during the prime growing months.
“Minnesotans are feeling the impact of climate change from higher temperatures to more extreme storms with more intense flooding,” said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Regarding the political climate, most say the farm bill’s next best chance for passage is the lame-duck session of Congress.
Repeating a refrain he heard from advocates during a recent barnstorming trip to Washington D.C., Lourey said “next year is not our friend,” suggesting few are willing to wait for a new Congress and president in 2025 to decide the bill’s fate.
A stalled motorhome on the side of Interstate 35E in Eagan caught fire Sunday, killing a 30-year-old driver inside.
The incident was reported at 10:18 p.m. on northbound I-35E at Northwood Parkway, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
It’s unclear how the motorhome caught fire, but the driver was unable to exit in time. The State Patrol identified the driver as Steven R. Tekautz of Inver Grove Heights.
The state patrol did not immediately respond to a request for more information Monday.
Reverse osmosis systems will remove nitrate contamination in karst region
Foodie Finds: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Amalia Moreno-Damgaard
The Farm Bill expires (again). Minnesota farmers look to lame-duck Congress for renewal.
Reverse osmosis systems will remove nitrate contamination in karst region
Foodie Finds: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Amalia Moreno-Damgaard