ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul’s Harriet Island will host runners, walkers and supporters on Sunday for the 20th annual Get Your Rear in Gear event. 

The fundraiser boosts money and awareness for colon cancer and the importance of screening for it. Attendees can enjoy music, snacks, a giant inflatable colon, timed 10K and 5K races, untimed 5K and one-mile memory walk and a Kids’ Fun Run. 

Chris Evans, the president of the Colon Cancer Coalition, and William Pierce, a caregiver who lost his mom to colorectal cancer, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share more about the event and the importance of screening. 

According to the American Cancer Society, about 2,550 Minnesota residents will be diagnosed and 830 could lose their life to colon cancer in 2024. 

ST PAUL, Minn. — Como Park Zoo & Conservatory debuted Wednesday the names of two ferocious new faces. 

The twin cubs were born Aug. 29 as the first Amur tiger births at Como Zoo in more than 40 years. Longtime volunteers named them Marisa and Maks. 

Volunteers named the female cub Marisa after a retired zookeeper who took care of large cats for 43 years at the park, according to Como Park’s website. The male cub was dubbed Maks, which volunteers said reflected his confident personality and early leadership skills. 

“It’s incredibly meaningful to have long-term volunteers, who have spent years educating the public about our large cats, help shape this important moment in the cubs’ lives,” Como Park Zoo & Conservatory’s Director Michelle Furrer said on its website. “Marisa and Maks aren’t just names; they’re a fun reminder of the passion and care that keep us committed to protecting wildlife every day.”

The cubs and their mother Bernadette are staying in a private maternity den, not visible to the public. This is the first birth for 7-year-old Bernadette and the cubs’ father Tsar. 

ST PAUL, Minn. — A man is in unknown condition after being pulled from a burning home in St. Paul early Thursday. 

St. Paul fire officials said engines were called to a home on the 10 block of Nelson St. just before 3 a.m. on reports of a fire. Crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from a tuck-under garage of the two-story structure. 

A number of people who escaped the home told firefighters that everyone was out, and the fire was knocked down. While searching the home crews discovered a man unconscious in the basement and pulled him from the home. 

The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition. At this time there is no word on his current status. 

Investigators say it appears the fire started in the garage and did not extend to the main living area, but the home was filled with thick, black smoke and likely experienced water damage. It is unknown if there were working smoke detectors in the house. 

St. Paul fire and police investigators are working together to determine the cause of the fire.