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Fridley man charged with fatally abusing 5-month-old son in March

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

A 23-year-old Fridley man has been charged with fatally abusing his 5-month-old son earlier this year, authorities said Friday.Aaron Michael Orlando Rathke, 23, was charged with murder in the second degree in connection with the March 2023 death of his infant son. (October 13, 2023, Anoka County Jail)The criminal complaint accusing Aaron Michael Orlando Rathke of second-degree murder gave the following details:Shortly before 7:30 p.m. March 1, Rathke and Ahnisah Simone Waters drove their son to the Fridley police department after he had stopped breathing. When they arrived at the police station, the infant did not have a pulse. Officers began CPR and the child was taken to Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.Rathke told police that when he arrived home after work on March 1, he took the baby into the bedroom to change his diaper. When he did, the infant vomited and stopped breathing. Rathke did chest compressions but they were unsuccessful so he and the mother to...

Big crowds gather for Oktoberfest in Soulard

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS - It's time to "Polka" in Soulard. Hundreds gathered Friday in the streets of Soulard for Oktoberfest. Friday marked the start of the three-day celebration, which celebrates German heritage through music, food, beer, dancing and many other activities. Oktoberfest is traditionally celebrated in Germany, but many in St. Louis are glad to have a piece of it at home. “We love to go to Oktoberfest. I lived in Germany for awhile so I'm crazy about them,” said attendee Ann Roads.   St. Louis youth football coach recovering after shooting, suspect charged The citizens of St. Louis have kept the Oktoberfest traditions in Soulard running strong for eight years. “There's a long German heritage in Soulard. Germans build Soulard," said attendee Theresa Schafer. Not only is this a celebration, but it is a fundraiser for the Soulard business community. All profits from Oktoberfest will be invested back into the Soulard businesses and community.  “Everything sold goes back to the neigh...

Denver housing market slowdown gives first-time buyers new opportunities

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

September’s Denver Metro real estate market experienced a seasonal slowdown, with new listings, pending sales, and closed sales declining.Although closed sales dropped about 20% from August, prices held steady at a median of $585,000, according to September’s monthly report from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.First-time homebuyers not tied to historically low-interest rates are leading the charge on purchases, said Libby Levinson-Katz, chair of the DMAR Market Trends Committee.“In many ways, this is the perfect market for first-time homebuyers to seize opportunities,” she said. “While interest rates are high, these buyers can negotiate instead of jumping into bidding wars where they might pay 10 percent over the asking price to secure a property like many did over a year ago.”Although the average close-to-list-price ratio is down year-over-year by almost 5 percent to 99 percent, more buyers want concessions like buydowns to reduce their ...

Despite slow start, Columbine whittles another team down to the bone in 42-14 win over Arvada West

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

LAKEWOOD — The Columbine coaching staff got onto their players about the sluggish start against Arvada West on Friday as the No. 2 team in 5A found themselves knotted at 14-all.The “hoggies,” as the Rebels’ punishing offensive line is known, took it personally. Behind a dominant second-half performance up front, Columbine (8-0) whittled another team down to the bone in a 42-14 win at JeffCo stadium with 28 unanswered points and a four-touchdown evening from senior running back Josh Snyder.“We’re just wear ’em down, roll ’em over and are always the more physical ones, the harder workers and the ones that can just longer in the game,” Snyder said.Snyder and fellow back Mason Moreno churned carry after carry for positive yardage, and Arvada West had no answers up front. It led to Snyder’s scores, all of which were from inside the 10-yard line. The Rebels ran the ball 20 times in the second half and passed it just once, also fo...

Man arrested on drug charges after 5 people found overdosed in home 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

Authorities have arrested a man connected to five overdoses at the same residence in Long Beach. Officers were dispatched to a home in the 800 block of Grand Avenue regarding an overdose involving five individuals at 2:52 a.m. on Sept. 24. Upon arriving to the scene, first responders transported three males and a female to local hospitals. A fifth woman was treated at the scene, according to reports from the Long Beach Police Department. LBPD Drug Investigation detectives began looking into the source of the drugs that caused the overdose and were able to identify a suspect and author a search warrant to further their investigation, police said. The search warrant was executed at 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 6 in the 400 block of Walnut Avenue and resulted in the arrest of 32-year-old Daniel Giannattasio.  3 soldiers of ‘Mexican Mafia’ convicted of killing man on behalf of imprisoned leader “Officers recovered drugs believed to be for the purpose of sales, an AR-15 lower receiver, ...

Single-family house sells in Alameda for $2.1 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

374 Tralee Lane – Google Street ViewA 2,299-square-foot house built in 1990 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 300 block of Tralee Lane in Alameda was sold on Sept. 8, 2023. The $2,120,000 purchase price works out to $922 per square foot. This single-story home presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and three baths. Additionally, the home includes a garage.Additional houses that have recently been sold close by include:On Justin Circle, Alameda, in April 2023, a 1,736-square-foot home was sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $922. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In July 2023, a 2,463-square-foot home on Sheffield Road in Alameda sold for $2,030,000, a price per square foot of $824. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,256-square-foot home on the 200 block of Stanbridge Court in Alameda sold in February 2023, for $1,745,000, a price per square foot of $773. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Wembanyama scores 23 in Spurs’ 120-104 victory over Heat

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 23 points in 23 minutes to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 120-104 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night.Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, sank 10 of 15 shots — 1 of 5 from 3-point range — and both of his free throws in his second preseason game. The 7-foot-4 center from France had 20 points and one block in 19 minutes in a 122-121 loss to Oklahoma City in the Spurs’ preseason opener on Monday. Wembanyama added four rebounds, four assists and three blocks on Friday and also had four of San Antonio’s 13 turnovers.Devin Vassell hit 6 of 7 from beyond the arc and finished with 21 points with three assists for the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan pitched in with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.Jamal Cain was 6 of 8 on 3-pointers and finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Heat. Duncan Robinson had 14 points and five assists.Jaime Jaquez Jr., the 18th overall selection this year, did not play after sco...

Brown sparks Tulane rally in 31-21 victory over Memphis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Wide receiver Yulkeith Brown scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 9-yard run five seconds into the fourth quarter and Tulane rallied for a 31-21 victory over Memphis on Friday night.The Green Wave (5-1, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) trailed 21-17 when Brown scored — one play after he hauled in a pass from Michael Pratt for a 29-yard gain on third-and-12. Pratt padded the lead with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Lawrence Keys III. The insurance score came four plays after Kam Pedescleaux picked off a Seth Henigan pass to give Tulane the ball near midfield.Henigan threw three unanswered touchdown passes for the Tigers (4-2, 1-1) after the Green Wave took a 10-0 lead on Makhi Hughes’ 2-yard first-quarter touchdown run and Valentino Ambrosio’s 26-yard field goal with 8:11 left in the second quarter. Heningan connected with Demeer Blankumsee for a 17-yard score following the field goal. He fired a 28-yard scoring strike to Joseph Scales with 45 seconds r...

Colleges and universities work to balance safety with community connection

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

After a mass shooting at Baltimore’s Morgan State University that injured five people on Oct. 3, university president David Wilson said the school’s proposing security upgrades, including a $6.4 million “security barrier” to protect the campus.This week, American University sent out a letter to students and faculty to say that it’s considering whether the university’s police force should “be armed with lethal force weapons.”Other colleges and universities in the D.C. area have made changes to deal with security on their campuses. Howard University hosted a public safety town hall in August after one student was stabbed not far from a residence hall.In April, George Washington University announced plans to arm some members of its campus police force.S. Daniel Carter, president of SAFE Campuses LLC, said one of the challenges universities face is balancing the need for safety with the desire to provide the “openness of a college or...

Prince George’s Co. police see increase in construction thefts targeting Latinos

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:36 GMT

A disturbing trend in Prince George’s County, Maryland, is now on the police department’s radar after Latino construction workers have been robbed at gunpoint of their tools and money on job sites.“These are individuals out here making a living. They’re out there working in the sun and in the cold, and you have individuals taking advantage of them,” said Capt. Saul Serpas with the Prince George’s County Police Department.He said thieves are looking for opportunities online.“Latino construction workers are also attempting to buy tools at a cheap rate on Facebook marketplace, and when they get to the meeting place — to the location — they’re robbed of their money,” Serpas said.There have been several cases of reported thefts targeting Latinos, he said, because they are known to carry large amounts of cash.“The reason they carry a lot of money is, oftentimes, they’re not able to open bank accounts because of their undocu...