Kare11
Minneapolis receives $120K donation to plant trees
The money will be used to plant 1,000 native and climate-resilient trees in areas that need environmental improvements.
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis will soon be getting a little greener, particularly in areas that need environmental improvements.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board received a $120,000 donation through the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Fund of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation to “enhance climate resilience in economically disadvantaged and environmentally justice designated neighborhoods in Minneapolis,” according to a release from the city.
The money will be used to plant 1,000 native and climate-resilient trees in areas most in need. City officials say the trees will improve air quality, support wildlife and help remove carbon dioxide. Planting is expected to begin in 2025.
“We continue to be deeply grateful to the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Fund of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation for recognizing the need for climate resiliency in some of the most economically disadvantaged areas of Minneapolis,” said MPRB Superintendent Al Bangoura in a statement. “These funds will help contribute to the well-being of Minneapolis’ underserved and climate-vulnerable communities.”
The donation will also be used to purchase native plants, particularly at Harrison Park to help support the conversion of turf grass to natural areas.
Kare11
Minneapolis Police asking for help locating missing teen
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.
Kare11
Hopkins native, former Gopher standout goes viral for Wild debut
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.”
Kare11
Hopkins native, former Gopher standout goes viral for Wild debut
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.”