Recent content from Jenna Ross
Marilyn Carlson Nelson named chair-elect of Minnesota Orchestra board
The businesswoman has a long history with the orchestra, and even funded its trip to Cuba.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra adds Francisco Fullana on principal violin
Fullana will split his duties with Kyu-Young Kim, the orchestra's artistic director and other principal violinist.
The final push to finding Jacob
Blogger's quest and DNA clue reversed nearly three decades of false starts, missed opportunities, bad tips and dead ends.
Jared Scheierl gave voice to Jacob Wetterling, and new life to case
"That day in court … there are no words for it," he said Thursday. "It was so long awaited, so necessary and so moving."
In court, loved ones confront awful truth of Jacob's last hours
"On Oct. 22, 1989, did you kidnap, sexually assault and murder Jacob Wetterling?" Danny Heinrich's answer filled the federal courtroom in Minneapolis with tears and bitter questions.
Paynesville is reeling as search for answers is just beginning
As residents tried to make sense of the news, they wished that it might offer some closure to Jacob Wetterling's parents, Patty and Jerry, with whom they've worried and hoped for years.
Jacob Wetterling's remains found on a farm
Danny Heinrich, a suspect in Jacob's disappearance 27 years ago, provided authorities with information about the location.
Retired Minn. teacher's final assignment: Giving back his students' stories
Richard Roach retired from teaching 23 years ago, but he's still passing back "autobiographies" he assigned decades ago.
Hooks fly as Northfield debates downtown fishing ban
Pub owner wants to limit casting from Riverwalk; anglers push back
Obituary: Charles Wetherall, author, adventurer and a lot more, dies at 76
In 1979, a reporter had some fun with Charles Wetherall’s many careers: “He’s been a charter boat captain, photographer, writer, inventor, publisher, designer — and…
Police ID victim shot by elderly housemate in Northfield
"Initial information was that the shooting was related to an intruder in the home ... but that turned out not to be true," Police Chief Monte Nelson said.
Willmar cafe welcomes folks living with dementia
New outstate 'memory cafe' modeled after Twin Cities gatherings.
Patty Wetterling brings clout to board working to prevent clergy abuse
She joins effort to prevent abuse by Catholic priests.
Soudan Mine lab faces uncertain future as it loses research projects
The lab's signature experiment — an enormous detector that captures glimpses of neutrinos fired at northeastern Minnesota from Illinois — recorded its final data in late June.
Obituary: Stephen Frank, St. Cloud State professor and pollster
Professor Stephen Frank started the poll as a class project, a way for his students to understand research methods.Over the years, the St. Cloud State…
The Inadvertent Cafe is a hit, but who will keep lights on?
In small-town Clinton, Minn., the grant-funded eatery is nearing its four-year end date. Brent Olson never intended to run a small-town cafe.
Willmar mourns the drownings of two fourth-grade boys
Dozens of women crowded the homes of fourth-graders Ahmed Hashi and Idris Hussein, whose families live not far from one another in Willmar, to offer the families comfort and prayers.
'Person of interest' in Jacob Wetterling case won't get venue change for child-porn trial
Danny Heinrich's attorneys had sought the move for his federal trial.
Austin's Hormel Institute cancer research center expands again
Expansion at Austin facility will add jobs, accelerate cancer research
Prosecutors push back against request to move Danny Heinrich's trial from Minnesota
Court documents filed Wednesday outline similarities between Jacob Wetterling's abduction and a Cold Spring assault.
Smaller family resorts becoming a threatened Minnesota species
The loss of a summer tradition is lamented, even as one young Detroit Lakes family bucks the trend.
The cafe that never closes: Lange's Cafe in Pipestone sticks to tradition
PIPESTONE, Minn. – The old glass door to Lange’s Cafe has been repaired, its hinges replaced. But not once in 55 years has it…
Danny Heinrich, 'person of interest' in Jacob Wetterling case, is sued by 1989 kidnapping victim
The suit, filed Wednesday in Stearns County District Court, claims that Danny Heinrich grabbed Jared Scheierl, forced him into his car and sexually assaulted him.
Wetterling 'person of interest' appears in court for hearing in child pornography case
The pretrial hearing in Danny Heinrich's federal case focused on a search warrant.
'Person of interest' in Wetterling case wants child porn trial moved
Motions in child porn case to be heard Wednesday in Minneapolis federal court.
Linda Doebbert: Teacher, painter, artist
Linda Doebbert's soft paintings of cabins hang in many Detroit Lakes homes. Those commissions might have constituted her career. But Doebbert loved experimenting, pushing her…
Canning its old location, Austin's new Spam Museum opens
It was relocated within Austin in an effort to boost local business.
Body found in Lake of the Woods 6 months after 3 boaters went missing
The discovery comes six months after three boaters went missing on the massive lake when their boat capsized. The bodies of two of the men were recovered last fall.
Mankato home of beloved Betsy-Tacy character on, off market
Neighborhood draws Maud Hart Lovelace fans from all over country
Lawsuit challenges ICE's detention of immigrant at Sherburne County jail
The case challenges ICE's "blanket" policy for holding immigrants.
Duluth tries out new tiny house for homeless
A nonprofit developer has big plans for a 336-square-foot prototype
Fire tears through late 19th-century church in south-central Minnesota
No one was in the church at the time. Sanctuary is "a total loss," authorities said.
Surfers discover the icy appeal of Lake Superior's winter waves
A good storm kicked up the big waves on Lake Superior's North Shore, drawing surfers in search of a chilly adventure.
Hundreds of bison bones in lake could reveal picture of early Minn.
A state archaeologist found that the number and condition of the bones found in an Alexandria lake hint at an American Indian gathering place — a bison kill site, hundreds or perhaps thousands of years old.
Detroit Lakes man discovers a new world walking every mile of Becker County's roads
Lowell Deede trekked every public road, or 2,156 miles, in the northwestern county.
Bernie Sanders takes presidential campaign to Minnesota's Iron Range
The candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination appeared at a rally in Hibbing Friday, saying 'if we can win here in Minnesota, we've got a real path to victory.'
Wetterling 'person of interest' pleads not guilty to porn charges
Danny James Heinrich, in federal custody since October, faces 25 charges related to possessing and receiving child pornography.
Lake Pepin ice offers clues to start of shipping season, spring
For the first time this year, a team measured the ice thickness, stopping at 18 points in what many see as a truly Minnesotan sign of spring.
Fargo officer shot at domestic dispute dies hours later
Jason Moszer was the first Fargo police officer to be killed on duty in 134 years. His suspected killer was found dead inside a home.
Minn. woman allegedly stole donations for missing boaters' families
Charges against the Baudette woman allege that she took funds intended for the families of three men who went missing on Lake of the Woods in October.
To save or raze? Austin debates future of power plant
The old power plant that stands on the edge of the Cedar River here no longer cranks out electricity. The turbines were taken out years ago, the boilers broken down.
White Earth Band wants road signs to reflect Ojibwe language
Becker County Board members want more details about a White Earth plan for bilingual signs
Victim identified in carbon monoxide death in Leech Lake fish house
Three others were sickened in an unventilated converted camper on Leech Lake.
Author and activist Robert Treuer dies at 89
The land was worth little. Robert Treuer bought it — 200 acres of barren, abandoned farmland near Bemidji, Minn. — in 1958 for about $2,000.He…
Another small-town Minnesota grocery store calls it quits
Aurora residents are saying so long to Zup's as rural shopping habits shift.
Northfield's last rail depot moving to a new home
The depot, built in 1888, was saved from demolition by a group of concerned residents.
Jan. 1: Behind the person of interest in Jacob Wetterling investigation
Long before he was named in the Jacob Wetterling abduction, Danny James Heinrich, now 52, led a troubled early life of burglary, drinking and financial difficulties, records and interviews show.
Wetterlings bring St. Joseph, Paynesville communities together
Residents affected by the latest developments in the Wetterling case came together.
Judge will decide whether to hear case on man who died in Stearns County custody
The 22-year-old had turned himself in. Jerome Deon Ladette Harrell went to Stearns County jail to take care of outstanding warrants for failing to have…
Report: State's homeless numbers drop
Fewer Minnesotans were homeless at the start of this year than in 2014 — the first drop in several years and one more dramatic than the national average.
Paynesville victims recount rash of attacks before Wetterling case
Authorities now believe the string of 1980s assaults of boys in Paynesville may be connected to more serious crimes that followed: the kidnapping and sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy in Cold Spring and the unsolved abduction of 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling in St. Joseph.
'Person of interest' in Jacob Wetterling case to stay in custody
A man identified last week as a "person of interest" in the kidnapping of Jacob Wetterling 26 years ago will remain in custody on child pornography charges, a federal magistrate ruled Wednesday morning.
Patty Wetterling: 'We were caught off guard, like all of you'
Patty Wetterling said she and her husband were surprised when authorities told them they had identified a person of interest in their son Jacob's abduction 26 years ago.
Assault victim seeks answers in Wetterling abduction
Investigators have long explored possible links between the Jared Scheierl assault and Jacob Wetterling abduction. "The whole reason I kept on continuing this was for the sake of the Wetterlings finding answers," Scheierl says.
String of attacks on Minn. boys in late 1980s draws fresh scrutiny
Eight assaults against Paynesville boys ages 12 to 16 take on new significance with the person of interest in Jacob Wetterling's disappearance.
Deal to remake Oak Park Mall in Austin moves forward after year
Austin Port Authority approved the $2.9 million agreement, City Council gave the OK
Same-sex couple who filed historic case donate papers to U collection
The files chronicle the love story of Michael McConnell and Jack Baker, who in 1970 became the first same-sex couple to apply for a marriage license. They told the larger history of the fight for gay rights in Minnesota and elsewhere.
3,000 people pour into tiny Aitkin to bury slain deputy
Family members, neighbors and about 2,000 law enforcement officers from across North America gathered Friday to honor Deputy Steven M. Sandberg.
Grand Rapids river theater tradition to end
The city ended Showboat's lease at the park, saying site is meant for industrial use
Influential Minnesota newspaper publisher Veda Ponikvar dies at 96
In fifth grade, Veda Ponikvar decided that she would someday run a newspaper. She did — two of them, for nearly five decades. With them,…
Lake of the Woods area mourns 3 lost fishing guides
"Everybody's hurting" after three experienced anglers went missing in the tight-knit community. Two bodies have been found.
Plans to re-open Grand Mound move forward
Though center will be razed, aim is to staff American Indian site.
Rochester OKs later weekday sales of liquor, growlers
City Council voted to allow the change over some liquor store owners objections.
Crash near Braham between car, dump truck leaves two dead
Two people are dead after a head-on crash midday Monday along Hwy. 65 south of Braham, Minn. The crash, between a 2011 Ford Fusion and…
Rochester taprooms, liquor store owners face off over off-sale rules
On Monday, the City Council must weigh the trickier question of whether to extend off-sale hours for all, including liquor stores.
Ya, you betcha: Linguist tracks how folks speak on the Iron Range
Linguist Sara Schmelzer Loss grew up in the area and wants to see how language changes
Nice Ride's Bemidji program tests outstate bike sharing
Some say the rentals have boosted the broader bike culture. But Nice Ride also has learned a few hard lessons.
Obituary: Gene Hennig had a life of adventure and caring
Gene Hennig didn’t start a bucket list after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, at age 65. He was already well on his…
Bemidji shelter will give homeless alcoholics a place to go
A downtown church is being turned into a nighttime shelter for a set of homeless people who they say have too few options: chronic alcohol and drug users.
Effort to recall Willmar council member falls
The city attorney determined that petition to remove member from office was not valid
Brainerd, St. Cloud lead cities back to Mississippi riverfront
Smaller Minnesota cities are building better trail connections, revamping parks and finding other ways to draw folk to a sometimes overlooked river.
Mankato police chief's license suspended after training errors
Agency cited for training errors in its rush to train 12 part-time officers.
July 12: Tiny Clinton, Minn., steps up to save its sole grocery store
Neighbors pledged pledged $18,000 through Kickstarter to keep Bonnie's Hometown Grocery in business.
43 years later, couple's fight for marriage vindicated
Their intuition came from different sources: Jack Baker, from his time in law school, and Michael McConnell, from his belief that "love is the most powerful force in the universe."
Group of Willmar residents tries to recall 'bulldog' council member
The campaign stems from an earlier controversial move to can the city administrator.
More from Star Tribune
- Will debate shift race? It might not mean as much as you think
- They let Trump be Trump, and it was bad
- Clinton holds comfortable lead over Trump in Minnesota polls
- Trump: 'They gave me a defective mic' at debate
- Clinton, Trump clash over taxes, terror, visions for the future
- Striking nurses' rush hour protest briefly clogs downtown Mpls. traffic
