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Ukraine’s ambassador to US visits Minnesota
Oksana Markova headlined the first stop in a tour designed to rally support for Ukraine’s battle with Russia.
MINNEAPOLIS — Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, visited Minneapolis Thursday to launch a whistle-stop tour to rally support for her nation’s ongoing defense against Russia’s invasion.
She shared the stage at the Ukrainian American Center with Heather Conley of the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Howard Buffett, the Nebraska farmer and philanthropist who heads the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
Ambassador Markarova said she deeply appreciated the support of Americans and the U.S. Government, and asserted it needs to continue.
“When we talk about values and principles on which our countries are built, if we are serious about them, then we have to defend them everywhere,” Markarova told the crowd from Minnesota’s Ukrainian community.
“If we allow Ukraine to fall, then how can we still go ahead and say these values are sacred to us?”
Organizers of the tour say it started here in Minnesota because of the state’s deep, historic ties to Ukraine. The ambassador said it’s not just a matter of money and supplies.
“The most important support is your voice, and the fact Americans who support us can say it out loud, say it by putting the flag outside of your home, by telling your neighbors why you support Ukraine,” Markarova told reporters after the event.
“Just continue supporting us because we can win. We can win this one.”
Buffett noted that the stakes are high for Americans in Ukraine, because Russian’s ambitions may extend into NATO nations that the U.S. has committed to defend in warfare.
“His intent is to destroy Ukraine, destroy the Ukrainian people and then move on,” Buffett remarked. “If Putin beats Ukraine and moves deeper into Europe, we will be sending our children to fight that war. That’s what’s at stake.”
Conley said her foundation is working towards restoring the war-torn nation, just as the U.S. and its allies rebuilt its former enemies after World War II with the original Marshall Plan.
“This entire whistle-stop tour is about making sure that communities in the United States understand fundamentally what’s so important about Ukraine, and that our communities are joining together,” Conley told reporters.
Some Congressional Republicans have wavered in their support of Ukraine and NATO. They’re willing to extend aid to Ukraine as part of a deal that also includes more money for security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
One goal of the tour is to draw empathy from American farmers to what Ukrainian farmers are going through. The farming region once known as Europe’s “breadbasket” has been hobbled by the invading Russians.
“You’re seeing combines that are blown up,” Buffett explained. “You’ve seen farmers that have died in their fields as a result of it. You’re seeing farmland with thousands of land mines that will need to be removed.”
Ambassador Markarova said the Russian blockade of Ukraine Black Sea ports has made exporting agricultural products much more difficult.
“By destroying the crops Russia specifically targets the grain storage, the sileages, the elevators.”
Among those on hand for Thursday’s event were severely injured Ukrainian Army soldiers being treated here through the Protez Foundation. The ambassador spoke to them in their native tongue.
Thursday’s press conference was held in the gymnasium of the Ukrainian American center. a space filled with medical supplies destined for those wounded on the battlefront or injured in Russian missile attacks.
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Stillwater Correctional Facility on lockdown after staff exposed to an unidentified substance
Officials told KARE 11 that “several staff were taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution.”
BAYPORT, Minn. — The Stillwater Correctional Facility was placed on temporary lockdown Thursday after staff members were exposed to an unidentified substance.
Minnesota Department of Corrections Director of Communications, Shannon Loehrke, told KARE 11 that “several staff were taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. The facility is on a temporary lockdown.”
The Minnesota Department of Corrections said an investigation is ongoing and they will provide more details as they become available.
No further information has been released.
Prosecutors charged 45-year-old Trevor Joseph Wunderlich with second-degree murder in the death of his 68-year-old mother, Charlene Gail Wunderlich.
HUGO, Minn. — The man who was the “person of interest” in the north metro search Monday night was charged Thursday morning in the murder of his mother.
Prosecutors charged 45-year-old Trevor Joseph Wunderlich with second-degree murder in the death of his 68-year-old mother, Charlene Gail Wunderlich.
According to court documents, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call from a home in the 15000 block of Ingersoll Ave. at approximately 5:55 p.m. on Sept. 16.
Dispatchers said they “could hear noises on the line consistent with an ongoing assault or struggle.”
When deputies arrived they found Charlene Gail Wunderlich on the kitchen floor severely injured, according to the criminal complaint. Deputies tried to “detain the defendant, but he ran into the basement of the home and fled out a rear door.”
Charlene Gail Wunderlich told the deputies that her son beat her before she lost consciousness. She was rushed to the hospital but died from her injuries.
Law enforcement agencies across the metro launched a manhunt for Wunderlich. Sheriff’s officials warned the public not to approach him as he was considered dangerous.
Just before 11 a.m. Tuesday, a resident in the 9800 block of 152nd St. N saw a man matching Wunderlich’s description in their trailer. KARE 11 spoke to the woman who owns the trailer, and she says her dogs were growling at the trailer, and when she opened the door Wunderlich was sleeping inside.
The woman said she screamed to her son who was working on the property to call 911. Her son had a brief conversation with Wunderlich and then Wunderlich ran down the road with no shoes to another property where, according to officials, police arrested him.
According to court documents, in 2021 Wunderlich was sentenced to 203 days in prison for violating a domestic abuse no-contact order. While serving that sentence, he was convicted of fourth-degree assault against a correctional officer.
The FDA recently approved the first pill to help symptoms of postpartum depression.
Having a baby is an exciting time in many parents’ lives. But for some parents, that excitement can come with postpartum depression and other emotions that can be difficult to talk about.
Dr. Lisa Saul, the national medical director of women’s health at UnitedHealthcare, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share tips for parents and loved ones affected by postpartum depression.
First of all, what is it? The Mayo Clinic states that postpartum depression usually begins during or up to a year after a pregnancy. The symptoms include depressed mood, mood swings, crying excessively, difficulty bonding with the baby, withdrawing from friends and family, feelings of worthlessness, and additional symptoms.
The experience is more common than you might expect, as it affects up to 15% of people, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first pill to treat postpartum depression. This medication may lessen symptoms.
Saul also recommended talking about your feelings to loved ones and healthcare providers for support.
