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Remembering fallen Fargo Officer Jake Wallin
“He was proud to serve in both the uniform of his country and his community,” said Jonathan Norling, who served in the military with Wallin.
ST MICHAEL, Minnesota — In his own words, Officer Jake Wallin said in a video released by the Fargo Police Department, “Throughout my entire life, I’ve always wanted to work in some sort of position that had purpose behind my job and a police officer is always what kind of came to me.”
Tributes are coming in for Officer Wallin. The St. Michael native was killed in the line of duty at the age of 23.
On Friday, a gunman killed Wallin and critically wounded Fargo police officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes. The suspect, 37-year-old Fargo resident Mohamad Barakat, was shot and killed by another officer. A 25-year-old woman was also seriously wounded in the shooting.
Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski said the officers were out investigating a “routine traffic accident” when Barakat opened fire. Chief Zibolski said it did not appear the suspect had been involved in the crash police were working on. You can read more about the investigation, here.
Referring to the video FPD posted, Jake’s father, Jeff Wallin, told KARE 11’s Kent Erdahl, “I don’t know what to say that he didn’t say perfectly himself in that video… That is exactly who he was.”
Wallin is a 2018 graduate of St. Michael-Albertville High School.
STMA Football released a statement saying, in part, “Jake played linebacker for the STMA Knights and was a hard worker that always brought a big smile. The Knights Football program would like to express our condolences to the Wallin family, friends, and communities that Jake was an important piece of and will be greatly missed.”
Jared Essler, a history teacher and head football coach at STMA, said Wallin played football for STMA for four years. Essler coached him on the varsity team for two years.
“I think we’re all kind of collectively grieving as a community,” Essler said.
Essler was visiting Fargo at the time of the shooting and later learned that Wallin was the one killed.
“I just always remember his smile. He genuinely enjoyed other people and being a part of the team,” Essler said. “You could just tell he’d be successful in any sort of career path that he went into.”
The Minnesota National Guard said Army Sgt. Wallin entered into service in Dec. 2017 as a cannon crewman before deploying to Afghanistan and Iraq from Nov. 1, 2020, to July 19, 2021, with the 1-194 Field Artillery Battalion. He was currently serving with the 151 Field Artillery Battalion.
“The citizen Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard extend our deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Sgt. Jake Wallin. His death is a loss to our military family as well. He lived a life of service- not only to his state and nation but his community. We are grateful for his commitment to others even in the face of danger,” said Army Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, the Guard’s adjutant general.
Jonathan Norling, who served in the military with Wallin, said, “He was one of the greatest soldiers that I have ever had the privilege to serve with. His personality, dedication, and motivation were contagious to those around him. His laughter and smile had the ability to brighten any situation. He was proud to serve in both the uniform of his country and his community. This is a tragic loss to his family, friends, brothers, and sisters both in the Army and in the Fargo PD. He will be missed, loved, and remembered by those who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Wallin was also a graduate of Alexandria Technical and Community College (ATCC) and an attendee of the American Military University.
“It’s a very tough time,” said Dr. Shawn Williams, associate dean of Educational Services at ATCC. Williams currently leads the law enforcement educational programming on campus. Williams confirmed that Wallin graduated from the two-year program in 2021. Dotas also graduated from the program in 2015.
While Williams does not personally know any of the officers involved, he called law enforcement a family and said, “I have spent a number of years in this profession myself. When this happens, you start thinking, ‘Why?’ You want to know why… but on the same token, you still remember that these gentlemen were there to serve and protect with courage. So you applaud that piece but you still think, ‘Why?'”
In the same video released by FPD, Officer Wallin said, “I don’t want to be sitting in the office wondering why I’m here every day. I want to be out. I want to be doing something that I can tell myself, at the end of the day, I made a difference somehow.”
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The “Westopolis” name is meant to highlight the cities’ vibrancy and proximity to Minneapolis.
The marketing and tourism organization formerly known as Discover St. Louis Park has rebranded this fall with a bold, new name:
The organization, which launched in 2011 and grew to also incorporate Golden Valley in 2017, began using the “Westopolis” name this month. According to Westopolis President and CEO Becky Bakken, the name is designed to highlight the vibrancy and urban character of St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, which both border Minneapolis and have a combined population of nearly 75,000.
“A lot is behind the name,” Bakken said. “Westopolis just kept speaking to us. In this process, we really leaned into the fact that we are the closest neighbor to downtown Minneapolis. To be honest, we are closer to downtown than parts of Minneapolis are. And it really felt like our primary differentiator.”
Bakken said the change to “Westopolis” is also meant to help the organization communicate better with event planners and out-of-town vendors, who sometimes confuse “St. Louis Park” with St. Louis, MO. Between St. Louis Park and Golden Valley, the cities boast nine hotels with nearly 1,500 combined rooms, and the tourism organization now known as Westopolis plays a key role in drawing visitors and filling those rooms.
“When people are looking for a place to go, that aren’t from this area, they know the big city. They know Minneapolis. We wanted to make sure they knew how close we were to that, and once they’re here they discover all the other things,” Bakken said. “The name is unique, it’s different. It’s not on a map, we understand that. We think the name is edgy, and when we’re working with planners, they’re gonna lean in and say, ‘tell me more about this place.'”
This week, Westopolis is enjoying a nice boost from the Twin Cities Film Fest, a staple of St. Louis Park that draws talent and crew members to the city’s West End from across the country. It’s the kind of annual event that Westopolis would love to see more of in the coming years.
“The West End was sort of the rationale for why Discover St. Louis Park — and now Westopolis — exists. It’s this great area that is a real driver for visitors,” Bakken said. “But both communities have their thing. Golden Valley has a big chunk of Theodore Wirth that we love to claim, and Brookview that has a lot of outdoor activities, so we really like to lean into this urban oasis.”
To unveil the new brand, Westopolis rolled out a website and held a launch party this fall.
“Change is change, and that’s always interesting,” Bakken said, “but mostly people are really excited about the new name and we’re ready to market the new name.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned the legality of the new measure while issuing his veto on Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS — The City of Minneapolis will move ahead with new carbon fees after a contentious back and forth at City Hall concluded with the council overriding the mayor’s veto.
The new fees, which target carbon emissions from city businesses, will be implemented on July 1, 2025, according to the council.
Minneapolis already has a pollution fee system, known as the Pollution Control Annual Registration or PCAR. The fees go into the city’s Green Cost Share program, helping pay the costs companies incur bringing down their emissions.
The current PCAR system covers emissions of other air pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, heavy particulates, and sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides, lead, and carbon monoxide. Companies are required to report their emissions levels to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which, in turn, charges fees of $100 per ton.
The City Council voted Oct. 2 to add carbon dioxide to the list. The resolution seeks to impose a $452 per ton fee for carbon dioxide.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey questioned the legality of the new measure while issuing his veto on Wednesday.
“I am all on board for PCAR fees—but it’s time the Council stops playing games and follows the processes in place to enact lasting change,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, in a statement to KARE.
Before his veto was overridden, Frey had told KARE that if the measure were to move forward, companies hit with the fees would likely sue the city and win.
Council Member Robin Wonsley, who co-authored the measure, took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to Frey’s veto on Wednesday night.
Wisconsin law enforcement said Katrina Baur, and her partner, Jesse Vang, are facing charges in connection with 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s death, including obstruction.
TWO RIVERS, Wis. — About a month after 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s remains were recovered from a private property in Wisconsin, state authorities announced Thursday that charges have been filed against the boy’s mother and her partner.
Wisconsin law enforcement said Katrina Baur, and her partner, Jesse Vang, are facing charges in connection with 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s death, including obstruction.
Vue went missing in February and it wasn’t until September that his body was recovered and identified.
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