Dayton Urges Swift Action On Flood-Aid Package
Gov. Mark Dayton says his administration needs Minnesota legislators to quickly approve a relief package for recovery costs related to last summer's severe flooding.
Gov. Mark Dayton says his administration needs Minnesota legislators to quickly approve a relief package for recovery costs related to last summer's severe flooding.
Fargo, North Dakota, Mayor Dennis Walaker, the man known as the "flood mayor" for leading the state's largest city through several successful fights against the Red River, died Tuesday at his home, city officials said. He was 73. Walaker had been battling kidney cancer for several months. Deputy Mayor Tim Mahoney said Walaker was hospitalized over the weekend from a reaction to his chemotherapy.
With 2014 starting to wind down and a whole new set of Top 10 Weather Days just around the corner, it's a perfect time to take a trip down memory lane. The past year was full of weather extremes. On the cusp of the change from fall to winter, Kylie Bearse sat down with the rest of the WCCO weather team to look back at all Minnesota has endured this past year.
The historic June floods left a permanent mark on a well-known high school basketball coach and his family. The record rainfall sent a mudslide cascading into the Carlson's Le Sueur, Minn. home, making it unlivable.
Less than a year after the state struggled through a severe propane shortage, another vital commodity is in short supply.
Although the federal government said no, Dakota County will get disaster aid to help with severe storms and flooding earlier this year. Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday directed Minnesota emergency management director Kris Eide (EYE'-dee) to provide state aid to Dakota County under the State Public Disaster Assistance Fund.
The U.S. Department has designated 18 more Minnesota counties as primary natural disaster areas due to heavy rain, flooding and cold temperatures from May 1 through July 1. The designation makes farmers and ranchers in those counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans if they meet the eligibility requirements.
Existing emergency accounts are probably sufficient to cover state costs related to severe June flooding and avoid the need for a special session of the Minnesota Legislature. That message was delivered Tuesday by Gov. Mark Dayton's administration.
Organizers say hundreds of volunteers have collected about three tons of trash during a cleanup of Minnehaha Creek near the Twin Cities following heavy summer floods. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District says volunteers and park workers spent most of Sunday cleaning up and assessing damage along Hiawatha and Nokomisthe lakes and the creek, which branches off the Mississippi River.
The summer was going just great until June 15 for many golf course owners in the Twin Cities. Then the rain started falling, and it flooded two of the five public courses in the city.
Thunderstorms have swept across western and central Minnesota, causing street flooding and wiping out an orchard's apple crop the day before it was to be picked. The National Weather Service reports 2.7 inches of rain fell at the St. Cloud Regional Airport on Wednesday.
The federal government has denied Minnesota's request to add Dakota County to a disaster declaration for recent severe storms and flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency notified the state about the rejection late Tuesday.
Hennepin and Ramsey counties have now been added to a presidential disaster declaration for damage from flooding and severe storms this summer. Gov. Mark Dayton's office says adding the two counties means 37 counties and three tribal governments are now eligible to receive federal and state aid to recover from damage to public infrastructure. Dakota County is still assessing its damages.
Months after the floods, one of the communities that saw some of the worst damage has a lot of cleanup and repairs to do. Heavy rain washed out major roads, triggered mudslides and flooded homes in the town of Blakeley, which is about an hour southwest of the Twin Cities.
A federal judge has ruled that a state lawsuit filed by upstream opponents of a Red River flood control project duplicates a federal complaint. U.S. District Judge John Tunheim on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction that prohibits the lawsuit from moving forward in Minnesota state court.
Another $5 million in federal assistance is bound for Minnesota to help repair roads and bridges damaged by severe flooding in June. Gov. Mark Dayton's administration said Thursday that the emergency repair money is on top of $5 million previously released by the Federal Highway Administration.
The federal government has expanded Minnesota's flood disaster declaration to 24 more counties and two tribal governments. Last month President Barack Obama declared a disaster in eight Minnesota counties damaged by flooding, unleashing federal funds to help repair millions in damages.
Minnesota officials have hired a contractor to start stabilizing a highway closed by flood and mudslide damage. The Minnesota Department of Transportation tells the Mankato Free Press that GeoStabilization International of Grand Junction, Colorado, has begun work on Highway 19.
Commercial barge traffic should fully resume on the Mississippi River as early as next Tuesday. Parts of the heavily used upper Mississippi River were left impassible to barge and tug traffic after recent flooding left behind an unwanted surprise.
Golfers like Roosevelt Elliott are returning to tee it up on Hiawatha Golf Course in Minneapolis. "Really, really excited," Elliot said. "I couldn't wait to get out here because I wanted to get some exercise. I've been chipping and putting, you know, for the past month or so."
President Obama has declared a disaster in eight Minnesota counties damaged by flooding, unleashing federal funds to help repair millions in damages. June and July storms hit more than 50 of the state's 87 counties, costing Minnesota an estimated $55 million for flood response and repairs.
The suburban city of Farmington is offering itself up as a temporary fill-in for the state Capitol. State Rep. Pat Garofalo says his city would be perfect to host a special legislative session to address spring flooding damage.
Residents in Prior Lake have been dealing with flooding for weeks now. Neighbors have already used a record number of sandbags, but water levels are just not receding fast enough.
Four weeks have passed since heavy rain invaded Watershed Trail in Prior Lake, Minn. Since then, people who live along the lake have dealt with floodwater that has closed streets, leaving boats as the only way to get into and out of homes. "Everybody has a boat that they use to pull their groceries in," said resident Julie Anderson.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will reopen Fort Snelling State Park after a three-week closure due to rains and flooding. The DNR will reopen the park Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. The parked closed June 22 when the main park road flooded.
A woman shot in Rochester early Sunday was likely targeted, police said.
President Biden pardoned two turkeys, Peach and Blossom that hail from Minnesota, where they will return.
A central Minnesota deputy assisting at the scene of a crash suffered serious injuries when another driver hit his parked squad car while he sat inside it, authorities said.
Microsoft said it's investigating an issue impacting access to Microsoft 365 and its Teams app.
Northern Minnesota will see snow Monday, but the Twin Cities will stay mostly dry as temperatures plummet.
As many as 80 million people will hit the roads and skies this week, according to AAA.
Passion and purpose are what brings a group of volunteer dancers together every holiday season to spread joy throughout the Twin Cities to those who need it most.
One of the most successful computer games of all time is currently being developed by Apple as a forthcoming movie.
A group of young adults wants everyone, regardless of what suburb or rural area they live in, to know what it's really like to live in the heart of the city and to sometimes not have a place to live at all.
The accident happened just after 10:30 p.m. Saturday near Chicago Avenue and Ninth Street South.
A woman shot in Rochester early Sunday was likely targeted, police said.
A central Minnesota deputy assisting at the scene of a crash suffered serious injuries when another driver hit his parked squad car while he sat inside it, authorities said.
The shooting happened just before 7 p.m. Thursday near 10th Street Southeast and First Avenue Southeast.
Authorities recovered multiple guns and a "significant amount of ammunition" from the home of a man accused of threatening his neighbor over her sexual orientation, charges say.
Minnesota will once again be one of the top states in the country for voter turnout.
Authorities are urging a Wisconsin man accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to come home and spend the holidays with his wife and three children.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is grappling with a case affecting whether the swing state's nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Documents say Steven Williams resigned from the Prescott, Wisconsin police force "in lieu of termination."
An attorney representing a conservative prosecutor struggled Monday to convince Wisconsin's liberal-leaning Supreme Court to reactivate the state's 175-year-old abortion ban.
Jennie-O turkey brand will display its float at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the fifth consecutive year.
A group of young adults wants everyone, regardless of what suburb or rural area they live in, to know what it's really like to live in the heart of the city and to sometimes not have a place to live at all.
Inside Catholic Charities St Paul Opportunity Center, local physicians, surgeons, and lawyers gathered on Sunday to support people experiencing homelessness.
A man is expected to survive after being shot during a possible drug deal in Minneapolis' Dinkytown neighborhood Thursday morning, police said.
A warm place to live may be taken for granted, but for a veteran taking over his family home, it's a gift.
Michael Fuller and Mahesh Mathew are finding purpose on Twin Cities running paths together.
President Biden pardoned two turkeys, Peach and Blossom that hail from Minnesota, where they will return.
President-elect Donald Trump is making his final selections for who might join him in the White House as part of his cabinet in January.
Ken Martin, who has led Minnesota’s DFL Party for more than a decade, now has his sights on the Democratic National Committee following bruising electoral defeats this month.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said that Pete Hegseth is "flat-out wrong" in his view that women should not serve in the military in combat roles.
Democrats say they're concerned or scared Trump will threaten their rights, but fewer than half feel motivated to oppose him.
The average price for a typical turkey is about $25 this year. That's 6% cheaper than last November.
"We literally walk in and dust off the jackets because they have been sitting for a while," she said.
Thieves capture radio signals from your key fob by using a device that grabs that fob's signal, even from long distances. That signal can be stored and re-used.
The price of housing in Minneapolis rose less over the last five years compared to other metro areas around the U.S.
The Wild also partnered with community food shelves to give out Turkeys this holiday season.
A woman shot in Rochester early Sunday was likely targeted, police said.
A couple from Connecticut is charged with allegedly orchestrating a retail theft operation that may have cost Lululemon as much as $1 million.
The shooting happened on the 1500 block of Lake Street East just before 8:30 p.m.
When cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson was murdered in Texas, U.S. Marshals assigned to the case used a unique tactic to track down her suspected killer in Costa Rica and bring the fugitive to justice.
The shooting took place just after midnight Saturday near Lowry Avenue North and Fremont Avenue North.
Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed new protections after a young woman testified about contamination in her community just before she died. Her sister is now carrying on the fight to protect other families.
The Minnesota Department of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture say they have confirmed a total of 15 cases of E. coli related illnesses in Minnesota.
PFAS are forever chemicals used in everyday items like nonstick pans, dental floss and food packaging that can build up in our bodies and harm our health.
A new Minnesota state law requires school districts or charter schools to adopt a policy on the use of cellphones in school by March of next year. But one nonprofit has gotten a jump start, working with students to help them find a balance between devices in and out of school.
The Mayo Clinic says surgeons there successfully performed a face transplant for a Michigan man who was severely injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound 10 years ago.
One of the most successful computer games of all time is currently being developed by Apple as a forthcoming movie.
Chuck Woolery was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978.
English hyperpop artist Charli XCX will be coming to Minneapolis on April 26, 2025.
After almost a decade of "Disney on Ice" performances, a Minnesota native is eagerly anticipating his first show at the Xcel Energy Center.
Post Malone announced Tuesday that the "Big A** Stadium Tour" will come to U.S. Bank Stadium on May 20, 2025.
Meet a student athlete from Chisago Lakes with endless drive, despite a surprise diagnosis. Plus, Becker and Totino-Grace battled at U.S. Bank Stadium for the Class 4A championship.
Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored two goals to help the LA Galaxy beat Minnesota United 6-2 to advance to the Western Conference finals.
Jaylen Brown scored the Celtics' first 15 points on five consecutive 3-pointers and finished with 29 points, before Boston withstood a late charge to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-105.
Sam Darnold threw for 90 of his 330 yards in overtime to set up Parker Romo's game-ending 29-yard field goal, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Chicago Bears 30-27 after giving up 11 points in the final 22 seconds of regulation.
Drew Allar passed for 244 yards and a touchdown, rushed for a score and completed a late fourth-down conversion to help No. 4 Penn State fend off Minnesota 26-25 on Saturday and stay on track for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
In this election, Klobuchar faired much better than all other Senate Democrats — she won by a significantly larger margin.
For Democrats the postmortem continues on why Vice President Kamala Harris and her Running mate Governor Tim Walz performed more poorly with almost every demographic than Joe Biden did in 2020. In Minnesota, Senator Amy Klobuchar did much better than Harris with some of those same groups.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
As Election Day nears, experts say voters in Wisconsin and other battleground states will decide the 2024 presidential election winner.
There are a lot of quirky town names in Minnesota: Embarrass, Nowthen, Clontarff, Kiester. But the people of Nimrod believe their name stands out from the rest.
Did you know that donkeys are fast, smart and can build life-long bonds with other animals and people? It's believed that donkeys are smarter than most dogs.
The Fitzgerald Theater is the oldest active theater in St. Paul — but is it also haunted?
Wisconsin bars are known for their pints and their patrons. About the last thing you'd expect to discover in such a place would be 55 feet of historic American artwork.
Did you know Minnesota has a real castle? Miller Castle, near Nisswa.
This holiday season, you might pull out a Betty Crocker cookbook to find a tried and true recipe.
Krueger is the third-generation owner of Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm. While he finds joy in knowing the evergreens will make a family happy, they might not realize the effort it took to reach these towering heights.
As President-elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet, there's one department for which he's yet to announce a leader. That could be because he promised it wouldn't exist after taking office.
The tiny sensory organs that cover our tongue allow us to detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami — which is a savory, rich or meaty flavor.
Grabbing a TV for a steal-of-a-deal is a popular move during the holiday season. This year, industry experts are expecting shoppers to go big — like really big.
Regions Hospital and Children's Minnesota share photos of their tiniest patients dressed to the nines for Halloween.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Thursday night due to the arrival of a severe geomagnetic storm.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Monday night.
Storms ripped through parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Thursday evening. There were several reports of tornadoes and trees were downed in the metro and beyond, including in Cottage Grove, Anoka, Champlin and Fridley.
A powerful thunderstorm tore through the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair on Monday night, delaying Tuesday's opening.
WCCO meteorologist Joseph Dames previews Minnesota's Thanksgiving forecast, which calls for colder temperatures and largely dry conditions.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Below average temperatures will persist for the next several days, with highs near 30 and lows in the teens.
Northern Minnesota will see snow Monday, but the Twin Cities will stay mostly dry as temperatures plummet.
Northern Minnesota will see snow Monday, but the Twin Cities will stay mostly dry as temperatures plummet.
Isaiah Allen, with College Possible, shares some tips for getting help with FAFSA, along with the Minnesota Dream Act application.
Dr. Timothy McManus, of Summit Orthopedics, shares some ideas for maintaining a strong baseline of mobility over the holidays.
Interestingly, the top-trending side dishes are different for every neighboring state, with North Dakota opting for mac and cheese, South Dakota going for stuffed mushrooms, Iowa selecting oven-roasted corn, and Wisconsin preferring sweet potato casserole.
Not surprisingly, the house from "Home Alone" stands at the top, at an estimated $1.56 million. It's followed by houses from "Die Hard," "Elf" and "Scrooged."
Research led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross, from the University of Plymouth’s School of Psychology, found that books with animal characters can boost young children’s psychological development.