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Forest Lake mom fears missing girl left with online acquaintance: ‘We want you to come home.’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

Miranda “Mandi” Lufsky was leaving for work when she last saw her daughter Desiray Kappes about 8 a.m. May 19.“It was just a regular morning,” said Lufsky, who works as a personal care attendant in and around Forest Lake. “I said, ‘Bye, I’m going to work. I’ll see you when I get back. Love you.’ And I walked out the door. I came home five hours later, and she wasn’t there.”Desiray, who turned 14 on May 3, left their Forest Lake home on her bicycle around 8:30 a.m., according to surveillance camera footage from a nearby house.Desiray left a note saying she was going to be “traveling around the United States with her boyfriend,” Lufsky said. “I don’t know of any boyfriend. She didn’t have a boyfriend.”Lufsky is concerned that Desiray made a connection with someone online and that he may have lured her to leave.“She never left the house. Hardly ever,” she said. “It was like pulling teeth to get her to leave. She would never leave on her own, so somebody got into her h...

After fall of Roe v. Wade, Minnesota saw 20 percent increase in abortions in 2022

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

Minnesota saw a 20% increase in abortions from 2021 to 2022, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.The health department is required by state statute to produce an annual report on abortion statistics.According to the 2022 report, “Induced Abortions in Minnesota January – December 2022,” about half of the increase was among Minnesota residents and half from out-of-state residents.After the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion in 2022, Minnesota passed legislation in 2023 that put the right to abortion, as well as other reproductive health care, into state law.Minnesota also passed new protections against out-of-state laws restricting abortion.The laws went into effect as many other states, including Minnesota’s neighbors, moved to restrict abortion.Related ArticlesHealth | Why some doctors stay in US states with restrictive abortion laws and others leave Health | Judge blocks Wyo...

South Troy Pool reopens for the summer season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The city of Troy is kicking off summer with the opening of the South Troy Pool. When it comes to the 4th of July weekend, families know where to cool off in between all of the festivities. With the start of summer, who doesn't think of going to the pool? The Boys & Girls Club helps Capital Region youth through a variety of programs. The group employs lifeguards and offers free swim classes to keep the pool safe. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Devaunte Thornton with the Boys & Girls Club says from young kids to adults, knowing basic swimming skills is important, even for those who don't use pools. "You never know when you'll find yourself in a situation when your near water or someone else is. It's good to know how to save yourself or someone else. Not only is it an open swim between 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., we also offer swim lessons 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.," explained Thornton.Mayor Patrick Madden says th...

Calls to fix cellular dead zones in Colonie

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) —  Colonie town supervisor Peter Crummey gathered emergency response leaders near the intersection of  State Route 9 and Menand Rd — a cell phone dead zone for many carriers — to call for an improvement to the busy area’s cell service. “The brazen lack of urgency to address cell phone dead zones in Colonie are unacceptable” said Peter Crummey.MORE NEWS from NEWS10Crummey said there’ve been 3,300 dropped calls logged by local emergency dispatchers.Bad cell service doesn’t just hinder calls but mobile internet data as well. EMS Chief Paul Sugrue says it’s necessary for paramedics to use an app to notify hospitals of their arrival.Colonie Police Chief Mike Woods said people's reliance on mobile phones have made reaching for help in areas with no reception increasingly difficult. “Everybody has cell phones now. What's happened is they have given up many times in the residence, their landline or they're hard line phone to their house so they rely on their cell...

FOX 2's Shirley Washington inducted into the 2023 Silver Circle Mid-America Emmys Award

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Our very own FOX 2's Shirley Washington was inducted into the 2023 Silver Circle at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Mid-America Emmys Award.We surprised Shirley with the announcement on-air Thursday night.NATAS Mid-America Emmys Silver Circle award honors media professionals for 25 years of distinguished service to the television news industry.To learn more about Shirley's career, click here.

Semi driver hurt in collision with train in Warren County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

WARREN COUNTY, Mo. - A semi driver was hurt in a collision involving a train Friday afternoon in Warren County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the crash happened around 12:30 p.m. Friday on Veterans Memorial Parkway, just east of Archer Road. Expired tag or derelict? Police called as city tows truck from private driveway Investigators say the semi driver, a 54-year-old man, failed to yield to an oncoming train at a crossing before his car was struck. MSHP says there was not signal at the specific crossing where the collision happened, just some railroad crossing signs that were displayed. MSHP Troop C, which covers most of the St. Louis region, is investigating the collision.

Busy weekend for holiday travel at Lambert

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS - It’s a busy holiday weekend for travelers heading to their destinations to celebrate the 4th of July, and St. Louis Lambert International Airport is getting ready and making sure travelers have a smooth travel experience.A TSA spokesperson said the biggest volume of people came through Friday morning, but they expect it to stay busy throughout the day and the holiday weekend.Airport officials said Friday is the busiest travel day this holiday weekend.“We’re coming out to see the grandparents, and to see Cardinals game, and to celebrate the 4th of July,” said Patrick O’Neil.He said it’s been an easygoing experience for him and his family.“I have to say everything was pretty smooth. I know that’s probably not the popular thing out there because a lot of people are having problems, but we had a pretty good trip," O'Neil said. "Minus some screaming on the plane from my little ones. What can you do?” This St. Louis suburb named among Money.com’s ’50 best places’ to live Lam...

Colorado fourteener visitation plunges after record high in 2020

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

Visits to Colorado fourteeners declined 8% in 2022 and have plunged 33% over the past two years, according to an annual report released Friday by the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative.Deriving estimates from numbers recorded at automatic electronic counters, peak-specific visits to a fourteener website and projections from a mathematical model it has used since 2015, the fourteeners initiative estimates that 279,000 people hiked Colorado fourteeners in 2022. That was far below the record 415,000 set in the pandemic year of 2020, and it was the second-fewest CFI has tracked since the inception of the annual reports.CFI executive director Lloyd Athearn could only speculate on reasons for the decline.“Maybe people are thinking this is becoming too much of a hassle,” Athearn said, pointing to parking restrictions and peak closures that have come about due to liability concerns.“That would be one bucket to look towards. Another might be demographic issues — the bulg...

Free and discounted things to do in Denver this month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

RTD fares free in July and AugustAll aboard! RTD is making July and August “fare for all,” whether you’re a regular passenger or occasional rider on public transit. During those su mmer months, RTD is offering free fares across its entire system for all passengers, as part of the Zero Fare of Better Air initiative to help reduce ozone levels. The freebie is the perfect opportunity to hop on a bus or light rail and explore the city this summer without worrying about gas or parking. rtd-denver.com/zerofareHelen H. Richardson, Denver PostThe Colorado Lottery is offering a deal for music lovers this month. (Denver Post file)Colorado Lottery concert ticketJust like love, getting a discounted concert ticket can be a battlefield. However, the Colorado Lottery is offering the ultimate deal for music fans: a free concert ticket. Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are playing the Colorado State Fair on Sept. 3 and fans can rock out with the legendary duo for free. Through Sept. 3, purchase a qualif...

Joseph Pedott, 91, Dies; Made Chia Pets an ‘as Seen on TV’ Sensation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:36 GMT

Joseph Pedott, whose decades of commercials for the zany plantlike figurines known as Chia Pets launched them into the pantheon of American consumer culture, died on June 22 in San Francisco. He was 91.The cause was cardiac arrest, said Sherry Ettleson, a family friend.The origins of the Chia Pet’s popularity can be traced to March 1977, when Pedott (pronounced PEE-dot), an independent advertising executive, wandered around a Chicago home and housewares trade expo looking for new clients. He asked the head of sales at the Thrifty drugstore chain about his bestselling product.“He said, ‘There’s this stupid item called the Chia Pet. I don’t know why anybody buys it,’” Pedott later recalled.The sales executive faxed Pedott a picture of the stupid item in question. It was a terra cotta figurine manufactured in Oaxaca, Mexico, sold along with a chia seed spread. When watered for a week or two, the seeds sprouted hairlike grass.However odd the Chi...