Kare11
WBA to honor Boyd Huppert with grant, writing contest in his name
The Boyd Huppert Education Debt Assistance Grant and Excellence in Broadcasting Writing Competition are looking to inspire the next generation of journalists.
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association is recognizing KARE 11’s Boyd Huppert for his contributions to journalism with a grant and writing competition in his name.
The Boyd Huppert Education Debt Assistance Grant and Excellence in Broadcasting Writing Competition have been established to help inspire the next generation of journalists.
“Boyd has been an inspiration for so many broadcast journalists throughout his career, we hope the grant and writing competition inspire a new generation to aspire to Boyd’s high standards for quality, creative journalism and public service,” Vetterkind said.
Huppert, who grew up on a dairy farm outside of River Falls, has spent 40 years in broadcasting since graduating from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He spent time at WSAW-TV in Wausau, KETV-TV in Omaha and Milwaukee’s WITI-TV before coming to KARE in 1996. Huppert’s heart-warming and inspirational storytelling has won him countless awards, and is on full display in his “Land of 10,000 Stories” series.
“As the beneficiary of a Wisconsin education, I am honored to have my name associated with this WBA writing award and debt forgiveness grant,” Huppert said. “I’m delighted for the students and young professionals this will help.”
The grant, which will be in the amount of $2,000, is aimed at helping post-secondary school graduates working in broadcast journalism. Applications will be accepted starting March 1 on the WCA Foundation website.
The writing competition will be part of the WBA Student Awards for Excellence, which opens Dec. 1 and closes Jan. 10. Huppert’s award will be given for excellence in writing a single hard news, feature, documentary or sports story, with the winner earning $250, while the runner-up and third-place finishers will earn $100 and $50, respectively. Donations for Huppert’s grant and writing competition are being accepted here.
“So many of us owe a great deal of our success to my dear friend Boyd, his exceptional writing, and his willingness to help others excel at crafting compelling journalistic narratives,” said WBA Education Committee Chair Mark Zoromski. “He was the key to my success in the classroom – students were so inspired by his stories that he became a hero to them.”
April Rodriguez was last seen Monday morning on the 5400 block of Chicago Avenue wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and carrying a Hello Kitty backpack.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis Police are asking for the public’s help finding a 13-year-old girl who never returned from school.
April Rodriguez was last seen Monday morning on the 5400 block of Chicago Avenue wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and carrying a Hello Kitty backpack. Officials believe she went to school, but never returned home.
April is 5-foot-6, 120 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.
Anyone who sees April should call 911, and anyone with information about where she may be is encouraged to contact the MPD at 612-673-5845 or at policetips@minneapolismn.gov. People can also leave anonymous information through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or by submitting them electronically here.
Travis Boyd’s journey to his Minnesota Wild debut reads like a Minnesota folk tale. A trek through snowy traffic in dress shoes, making it just in time for warmups.
ST PAUL, Minn — For Hopkins native Travis Boyd, the path to his Minnesota Wild debut, quite literally, involved walking through a storm. But after battling back from a devastating pectoral injury and weathering the uncertainties of the Arizona Coyotes’ relocation to Utah, a little Calgary snowfall wasn’t going to stop him from living out his childhood dream.
“I had my gear bag over my shoulder, trudging through the snow, cars barely moving on the road beside me,” Boyd recalled, a smile creeping across his face as he sat in the Wild locker room. “But honestly, it felt perfect. Like everything that led to this moment had prepared me for one more challenge.”
The former University of Minnesota standout’s journey to wearing forest green has been anything but straightforward. Last season, a torn pectoral muscle sidelined him just as he was finding his rhythm with the Coyotes, forcing him to watch from the press box as the franchise played its final games in Arizona before the announced move to Utah.
“That injury tests you mentally as much as physically,” Boyd explained. “You can’t even lift your arm above your shoulder for weeks.”
When the team’s relocation to Utah was announced, Boyd was a free agent and still recovering from his injury. He decided it was time to find a new home, but it only led him back home to Minnesota. Boyd signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Wild in the off-season. He’s been playing in Iowa for the AHL Wild affiliate all year.
Over the weekend, he got the emergency call up to play for the Wild after two-star players were out with injuries. He took three different planes to get to Calgary from Iowa.
After he landed and got his bags at 12:30 p.m., Boyd hoped into a car with the team’s services manager. Calgary’s notorious winter weather slowed traffic to a standstill around the Saddledome, Boyd found himself stuck in gridlock with game time quickly approaching. Rather than risk being late, he shouldered his equipment bag and set out on foot, trekking three blocks through the traffic in only a suit and dress shoes.
“I had maybe 15 minutes to get dressed once I got there,” Boyd said, shaking his head with a smile. “But you know what? It felt like coming full circle. From playing youth hockey in Hopkins to wearing the ‘M’ for the Gophers, and now this — walking through a snowstorm to play for the Wild. It’s very Minnesotan.”
The video of his snowy sprint became more than just a viral moment—it was a symbol of Boyd’s resilience. His ultimate goal remains clear: “I know I’m an NHL player. I just gotta continue playing, and I know things will start to come back. They already are.”
Travis Boyd’s journey to his Minnesota Wild debut reads like a Minnesota folk tale. A trek through snowy traffic in dress shoes, making it just in time for warmups.
ST PAUL, Minn — For Hopkins native Travis Boyd, the path to his Minnesota Wild debut, quite literally, involved walking through a storm. But after battling back from a devastating pectoral injury and weathering the uncertainties of the Arizona Coyotes’ relocation to Utah, a little Calgary snowfall wasn’t going to stop him from living out his childhood dream.
“I had my gear bag over my shoulder, trudging through the snow, cars barely moving on the road beside me,” Boyd recalled, a smile creeping across his face as he sat in the Wild locker room. “But honestly, it felt perfect. Like everything that led to this moment had prepared me for one more challenge.”
The former University of Minnesota standout’s journey to wearing forest green has been anything but straightforward. Last season, a torn pectoral muscle sidelined him just as he was finding his rhythm with the Coyotes, forcing him to watch from the press box as the franchise played its final games in Arizona before the announced move to Utah.
“That injury tests you mentally as much as physically,” Boyd explained. “You can’t even lift your arm above your shoulder for weeks.”
When the team’s relocation to Utah was announced, Boyd was a free agent and still recovering from his injury. He decided it was time to find a new home, but it only led him back home to Minnesota. Boyd signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Wild in the off-season. He’s been playing in Iowa for the AHL Wild affiliate all year.
Over the weekend, he got the emergency call up to play for the Wild after two-star players were out with injuries. He took three different planes to get to Calgary from Iowa.
After he landed and got his bags at 12:30 p.m., Boyd hoped into a car with the team’s services manager. Calgary’s notorious winter weather slowed traffic to a standstill around the Saddledome, Boyd found himself stuck in gridlock with game time quickly approaching. Rather than risk being late, he shouldered his equipment bag and set out on foot, trekking three blocks through the traffic in only a suit and dress shoes.
“I had maybe 15 minutes to get dressed once I got there,” Boyd said, shaking his head with a smile. “But you know what? It felt like coming full circle. From playing youth hockey in Hopkins to wearing the ‘M’ for the Gophers, and now this — walking through a snowstorm to play for the Wild. It’s very Minnesotan.”
The video of his snowy sprint became more than just a viral moment—it was a symbol of Boyd’s resilience. His ultimate goal remains clear: “I know I’m an NHL player. I just gotta continue playing, and I know things will start to come back. They already are.”
