This week marks the anniversaries of two of Minnesota's most wrenching disappearances: Jacob Wetterling vanished on Oct. 22, 1989, and Paul Wellstone's plane fell off the radar on Oct. 25, 2002.
On Monday, the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center in St. Paul asks the public to leave a porch light on to honor Jacob, who was abducted near St. Joseph, Minn., 23 years ago. The case remains open and unsolved. The resource center, founded by Jacob's parents, works to educate families and communities to prevent the exploitation of children.
"In addition to turning on an outer light, we encourage individuals to let their own lights shine," the center said in a statement. "Help a neighbor and talk to your child about safety."
On Thursday, an event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone and seven others will be held at the Wellstone Memorial near Eveleth. An airplane crash killed Wellstone, his wife and daughter, three campaign staffers and two pilots. The event is organized by Wellstone Action, a progressive training center.
