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Remains of Korean War solider from Minneapolis to buried
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.
Biden relished the brief ceremony with the pardoned turkeys, named for the official flower of the president’s home state of Delaware.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden kicked off his final holiday season at the White House on Monday by issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in southern Minnesota.
The 82-year-old president welcomed 2,500 guests to the South Lawn under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom” and sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency after a half-century in Washington power circles.
“It’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful,” Biden said, taking note of his impending departure on Jan. 20, 2025. That’s when power will transfer to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, the man that Biden defeated four years ago and was battling again until he was pressured to bow out of the race amid concerns about his age and viability.
Biden relished the brief ceremony with the pardoned turkeys, named for the official flower of the president’s home state of Delaware.
“The peach pie in my state is one of my favorites,” he said during remarks that were occasionally interrupted by Peach gobbling atop the table to Biden’s right. “Peach is making a last-minute plea,” Biden said at one point, drawing laughter from an overflow crowd that included Cabinet members, White House staff and their families, and students from 4H programs and Future Farmers of America chapters.
Biden introduced Peach as a bird who “lives by the motto, ‘Keep calm and gobble on.’” Blossom, the president said, has a different motto: “No fowl play. Just Minnesota nice.”
Peach and Blossom came from the farm of John Zimmerman, near Northfield. Zimmerman, who has raised about 4 million turkeys, is president of the National Turkey Federation, the group that has gifted U.S. presidents Thanksgiving turkeys since the Truman administration after World War II. President Harry Truman, however, preferred to eat the birds. Official pardon ceremonies did not become an annual White House tradition until the administration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
With their presidential reprieve, Peach and Blossom will live out their days at Farmamerica, an agriculture interpretative center near Waseca. The center aims to promote agriculture and educate future farmers and others about agriculture in America.
Later Monday, First Lady Jill Biden will receive delivery of the official White House Christmas tree that will be on display in the Blue Room. Then the Bidens will travel to New York City for an evening “Friendsgiving” event at a Coast Guard station on Staten Island.
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.”
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.
