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Canadian Pacific Holiday Train to deliver music, seasonal spirit
The Holiday Train will make stops in 20 communities across the state, delivering great music and picking up food and donations to help feed the hungry.
HASTINGS, Minn. — A special train will soon be rolling into Minnesota, carrying with it a load of holiday spirit, music and a commitment to helping those in need.
The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railroad Holiday train will make stops in 20 communities across the state, treating guests to top flight musicians performing holiday classics and new songs of the season while collecting food and cash donations to feed the growing number of people struggling with food insecurity.
Here is the list of Minnesota stops.
- Dec. 10, 2:45 p.m. – La Crescent
- Dec. 10, 3:45 p.m. – Winona
- Dec. 10, 5:45 p.m. – Wabasha
- Dec. 10, 8:15 p.m. – Hastings
- Dec. 11, 5:15 p.m. – Cottage Grove
- Dec. 11, 7 p.m. – St. Paul
- Dec. 12, 5 p.m. – Golden Valley
- Dec. 12, 6:15 p.m. – St. Louis Park
- Dec. 12, 8:15 p.m. – Minneapolis
- Dec. 14, 4:30 p.m. – Loretto
- Dec. 14, 6 p.m. – Buffalo
- Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. – Annandale
- Dec. 14, 9 p.m. – Kimball
- Dec. 15, 10:15 a.m. – Glenwood
- Dec. 15, 11:45 a.m. – Alexandria
- Dec. 15, 2:45 p.m. – Detroit Lakes
- Dec. 15, 4:20 p.m. – Mahnomen
- Dec. 15, 6:15 p.m. – Plummer
- Dec. 15, 7:45 p.m. – Thief River Falls
- Dec. 16, 4:30 p.m. – Elbow Lake
The train will stop and stay for approximately 30 minutes. Scheduled performers from Dec. 10 to Dec. 12 will be The Lone Bellow and Tiera Kennedy. From Dec. 14 to Dec. 16 holiday guests will hear music from Seaforth and Alana Springsteen. There is a special car on the train equipped with a concert-quality sound system and a large side door that drops down to reveal a stage.
“The Holiday Train unites people in the spirit of the season as it travels across Canada and the United States while generating critical support for our neighbors in need through the program’s support of local food banks,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “We are pleased to again send this magical train on a four-week trip across our network spreading holiday joy as we collect food and raise money to fight food insecurity. We look forward to again seeing all the smiles and cheers from people young and old coming together in the spirit of giving.”
While the event is free, those attending are encouraged to bring heart-healthy items or cash donations to stock local food shelves that have almost universally seen an uptick in clients. The need grows even greater during the holiday season.
Since 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has been the engine to collect more than $24.3 million and over 5.3 million pounds of food for community food banks across Canada and the U.S.
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s hard to say no when faced with adorable puppy dog eyes.
Pop star P!nk would agree, as she announced Wednesday that she is adopting her Minneapolis foster pup. P!nk got the puppy from local rescue The Bond Between in October and intended to keep him for a few weeks to raise awareness of fostering and have some company during her tour.
The dog, named Graham Cracker, won over the singer within a month. In an Instagram post Wednesday, P!nk thanked The Bond Between and promoted the rescue’s fundraising efforts for “Give to the Max Day.”
The U.S. Army says 19-year-old William E. Colby was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950. His remains were identified just this year using DNA technology.
MINNEAPOLIS — A young soldier from Minneapolis will finally be at rest, 74 years after his death while serving in Korea.
The U.S. Army says William E. Colby of Minneapolis will be interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on Dec. 3, seven months after his remains were identified using DNA technology.
Colby was just 19 years old and serving in the Korean War when he was declared missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit was attacked by the Chinese People’s Army as they attempted to withdraw from the Chosin Reservoir. The young solider could not be recovered following the battle, and the U.S. Army issued a presumptive finding of death on Dec. 31, 1953.
His fate was finally confirmed for family members by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on May 2, 2024, after Colby’s remains were identified from 55 boxes of remains returned to the U.S. by the North Korean government in 2018.
The Army Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Operations Division at Fort Knox, Ky., plays a key role in finding family members to identify missing Soldiers from WWII, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The process begins with obtaining a DNA sample from the living person identified as next of kin and then using several forms of DNA analysis to match remains.
Survivors then receive access to the soldier’s military benefits and a burial with full military honors.
This merger will include 70 banking centers across Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul-based Bremer Financial Corporation and Old National Bancorp announced a merger Monday.
After the merger is completed, Old National will become the third-largest bank in the Twin Cities, according to the press release. The smaller Bremer Bank had $16.2 billion in total assets, $11.5 billion in total loans and $13.2 billion in deposits as of Sept. 30.
“For more than 80 years, we’ve been honored to carry out the legacy of our founder, Otto Bremer,” Jeanne Crain, President and CEO of Bremer, said in a press release. “When our majority shareholder, the Otto Bremer Trust, reaffirmed its interest in selling Bremer Bank, we appreciated the opportunity to identify a partner through a collaborative process to ensure the best possible outcome for our customers, employees, and our communities. With Old National, we have confidence we found a great fit.”
The partnership includes 70 total banking centers in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. The merger is expected to be finalized in mid-2025.
For shareholders, each share of Bremer common stock will be converted into the right to receive 4.182 shares of Old National common stock plus $26.22 in cash, which equals about $116.76 per share, based on Old National’s estimate in the press release.
