MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Within the next two weeks, a civilly-committed sex offender will be released for the first time from the state hospital in St. Peter — and people are outraged.

Clarence Opheim has been considered a sexual psychopath for nearly 18 years.

Within 15 days, he will be provisionally released to a halfway house.

Lucinda Jesson, the state Department of Human Services Commissioner, said if Opheim does anything wrong, he’ll go back into the treatment program.

That, however, doesn’t sit well with Republican lawmakers.

“We think it’s premature when we look at the report by the department just from last May, when it says the risk for Mr. Opheim’s re-offense is high,” said House Majority Leader, Matt Dean.

The Department of Human Services denied Opheim a provisional discharge May.

Opheim admits to more than 100 criminal sexual acts. He was able to commit them by gaining the trust of 29 victims by offering them pop and candy, according to documents WCCO-TV received Monday.

The documents show he paid one victim to keep quiet.

Opheim was involved in a fight where his brother got stabbed. All of his 29 victims were neighborhood children or children of women he befriended in bars.

“We were just really questioning what really happened between then and now that this should be the first person to be released,” Dean said.

WCCO’s Susie Jones Interviews Dennis Benson, The Director of The Minnesota Sex Offender Program

One factor came from a new report by Dr. James Alsdurf, a court appointed evaluator in this case.

“You simply don’t go into court with some kind of shallow suggestion,” Alsdurf said. “I have my reputation on the line and so does everyone else.”

Based on his findings, a panel of three judges issued the written order for Opheim’s release.

“I’m not going to make a recommendation to the court in which I’m not absolutely convinced that the data is solid and consistent with the law, that’s it,” Alsdurf said.

The Department of Human Services says state law allows civilly-committed sex offenders to become eligible for release once they have completed treatment.

In a letter to Republican leaders Monday Gov. Mark Dayton defended the actions of the Human Services Department.

However, Republican lawmakers will hold hearings at the Capitol about the release later this week.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It’s been a trend for years on the coasts: Women in their 20s and early-30s getting Botox injections to fend off wrinkles. Now, it’s a trend in Minnesota, too. But does someone that age really need to spend hundreds on anti-wrinkle injections?

Jillian Gessell, 31, is a mother and a professional chef. Since she was 29, she’s been getting Botox treatments.

“I feel fresher,” she said. “I feel more revived looking.”

However, she said some of her friends and family have questions.

“In fact, my dad said, ‘you get Botox? You don’t need Botox,’” said Gessell.

Dr. Brian Zelickson said in the past year in his Edina practice he has treated more women earlier in their life.

Thirty-four-year-old Alison Utne a sales professional says she was starting to notice lines in her forehead. She has had two treatments and regrets not doing it earlier.

“I love the results. I am going to come about three to four months to get filled in. I feel younger and fresher,” she said. “If I start doing it now, the less I may need it in the future.”

While older women can have noticeable before and after results, Botox in younger women is more subtle.

“It can keep the wrinkles from even appearing or getting worse,” said Zelickson.

Even so, the effects wear off between three and six months and its expensive — an average of $300 a session.

Zelickson says it is not for everyone, but it does work.

“It’s an easy fix that we can do and if it’s makes them happy and they can afford it, then there is very little downside to doing it,” said Zelickson.

While Botox is available in many salons and even dentist offices, Zelickson says if you get a treatment, go to a medical professional who does the procedure frequently.

Botox is a form of the toxin found in Bocculism. If it’s given incorrectly, it can lead to side effects like droopy eyes.

Doctors know the number of knee replacement operations has surged in the past decade, especially in baby boomers. But until now, there was no good fix on the total number of people living with them.

The estimate is important because it shows that a big segment of the population might need future knee-related care, said Dr. Daniel Berry, president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was not involved in the research.

People with knee replacements sometimes develop knee infections or scar tissue that require additional treatment. But also, even artificial knees wear out, so as the operations are increasingly done on younger people, many will live long enough to almost certainly need a second or even third knee replacement.

The new estimate comes in an analysis being presented Friday at the academy’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

“These data are sobering because we didn’t know what an army of people we’ve created over the last decade,” said Elena Losina, lead author of the analysis and co-director of the Orthopedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “The numbers will only increase, based on current trends.”

Replacement joints can greatly improve quality of life for people with worn-out knees, but they’re not risk-free and it’s a major operation that people should not take lightly, she said.

Modern knee replacements in the United States date back to the 1970s. Since then, advances in materials and techniques, including imaging scans to create better-fitting joints, have made the implants more durable and lifelike, surgeons say.

Losina and colleagues came up with their estimate by analyzing national data on the number of knee replacements done from 1998-2009, U.S. census data, death statistics and national health surveys.

For example, in 2009, more than 600,000 knee replacement operations were done nationwide. The study estimate includes people who had knee replacement operations that year and in previous years who are still living.

Overall, 4.5 million Americans are living with artificial knees. That includes an estimated 500,000 who have had at least two replacement operations on the same knee.

Knee replacements are most common in people older than 80 — 1 in 10 people in this age range have them, the study found. Though they’re less prevalent in people younger than that, there are still more than half a million Americans in their 50s with the artificial joints, and based on current trends, operations in that age group are expected to increase.

According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, knee replacements tripled in people ages 45 to 64 between 1997 and 2009.

Doctors think two trends have contributed to that increase: the nation’s obesity epidemic and amateur athletes who don’t adjust workouts to spare aging or even injured joints. Both can lead to or worsen arthritis, the main reason for replacing knees.

Donna Brent, 63, is in the latter category. The Deerfield, Ill., administrative assistant says decades of racket ball, tennis, softball and other sports took a toll on her knees, but she got used to living with the pain, even when she became bowlegged and developed a limp. When pain “started getting in the way of some of my sports,” she gave in to her doctor’s advice and had the operation last June on her right knee. She said she feels better than ever, is back to exercising and plans to resume tennis and softball when the weather warms up.

During knee replacement operations, surgeons slice off a small portion of the worn-out surface on the ends of both leg bones that meet at the knee, then implant an artificial joint usually made of plastic or metal. Typical operations last about two hours, require a few days in the hospital, and cost roughly $40,000.

Artificial knees generally last 15 to 20 years. While some are promoted as lasting 30 years, these estimates are generally based on use among older people more sedentary than baby boomers who expect new knees to let them be as active as they were before surgery. Sometimes that’s possible, though doctors often discourage knee replacement patients from engaging in high-impact sports including jogging.

The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases paid for the study.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — There’s something about babies. They are part miracle, part mystery. They are so full of innocence, and so full of promise, yet it turns out these simple, seemingly undeveloped infants are actually wired to do so much more than most of us realize.

So to explore the depths of what we understand about kids, we went to a pool. We’d heard that babies just instinctively hold their breath underwater. We had seen the Nirvana album and YouTube videos, but wondered if it was just too good to be true.

“There’s still a little fear when it’s your own,” said Swim Instructor Michelle Lasserud, who put her fears aside and did an experiment with her 12-week-old son, Harley. “When he goes under water, I do know he’ll be okay. But when he cries, every mother is nervous when their baby cries.”

Lasserud teaches classes at Foss Swim School, and teaches children as young as 6 months, but she’s still as interested to see the results as we are.

“I think we’ll get the arms in the air, and the mouth going back,” she predicted.  “We might get a couple tears after that.”

John Foss has been working with young swimmers for decades. He is Lasserud’s boss, and he led the way.

“It’s a natural thing,” said John. “Once the face hits the water, it kind of closes up.”

As we’d been told, Harley loved it. There was no coughing, choking or gurgling, just a serene baby looking like he was born to do it. In a way, he was.

Foss stresses that this should only be done with a professional. He limits babies to six passes under water, not because of their breathing but because of how much water they might drink. Every time he sees it, he’s as amazed as the rest of us.

“There’s something really remarkable about the human condition that was something to do with water,” he said.

So what’s at work here?  WCCO-TV went to the University of Minnesota to find out.

“Holding breath when you’re under water is certainly a very adaptive thing,” said Dr. Al Yonas. “I don’t think the baby is helpless, because the baby is very effective at doing what that baby needs to do to survive.”

Dr. Yonas said our understanding of babies has changed dramatically in the last 60 years. We now know that babies are born with a bundle of instincts and reflexes, many built around survival.

Babies won’t crawl over a ledge, because they’d get hurt. Babies distinguish the faces, sounds, and smells of their mothers, to help them find food. And as we learned, they won’t breathe in when they’re under water.

“I think the very young infant has many, many adaptive behaviors ready to go that respond to the way the world is and what the demands are,” he said.

Because babies like 5-month-old Evelyn can’t give direct feedback, researchers at the University’s Institute of Child Development must devise creative ways to figure out what she can see and feel. Enter the Einstein mask. Adults can tell which one is concave, and which one is convex. But can Evelyn?

With a patch over one eye, she sees two dimensions and reaches for what she thinks is sticking out: The middle of the face. Without the patch, she doesn’t, showing that even infants have depth perception, which is also crucial for their survival.

“If we didn’t have depth perception we would run into things,” said graduate student  Sherryse Corrow. “We would go to reach out for things and we would miss it.”

Almost as interesting, some of these early abilities fade away. For example, we are born with the ability to recognize all of the language sounds of the world. But with time, we stop recognizing the sounds that aren’t part of the language we use.

“Think about how hard it would be for us to go to Budapest and learn Hungarian,” said Dr. Yonas. ”But for a 1-year-old, that’s the easiest thing to do.”

It’s called perceptual narrowing. We are wired to ignore differences that don’t matter, like those sounds, or whether printed letters have serifs or not, so we can focus on what does.

And one more thing about babies and survival: “Their noses are shorter, their faces are chubby and cute and adorable, so they’re born to be taken care of,” said Dr. Yonas.

And if their cute faces weren’t enough, at around eight weeks babies develop something called the social smile.  It’s the thing that melts a mother’s heart, and brings us back to the pool, Michelle and her beloved baby Harley.

“The mother instinct is in a category all of its own,” she said while hugging him tightly.

It’s interesting to note that babies stop holding their breath on their own sometime between six months and two years. Over time, fear of water can creep in. To avoid that, Foss recommends showers for babies to make sure they’re used to getting water on their faces, and not scared of the water when you do teach them how to swim.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Minnesota mother is pushing all parents to vaccinate their kids after a case of whooping cough put her baby in intensive care for nearly a month.

“This didn’t have to happen and we’re so, so fortunate that we have a happy ending but it could have been so much worse,” said Emily Stevenson.

Her baby, Everlee, is four months old now. Even this early on, she’s already found her voice. Those who know her are sure she’s making up for lost time.

“It was awful. It was awful,” Emily said.

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, a note came home from their 9-year-old daughter’s class. The Stevenson family was told a child in her class had pertussis, or whooping cough.

Meanwhile, Everlee seemed to have a cold.

“I just had this horrible feeling that, ‘could this really be pertussis?’” Emily remembered.

Emily’s fears were confirmed at the hospital. For more than three weeks, her 5-week-old baby struggled to breathe, hooked up to oxygen and a feeding tube in the ICU. Her heart rate often dropped from 150 to 15 beats per minute.

Doctors told Emily the disease is so contagious her daughter likely brought home the bacteria on her clothes. This happened just weeks before Everlee would have been given the vaccine.

While Dr. Mark Schleiss did not treat Everlee’s whooping cough case, he is troubled by the growing trend of parents who choose not to vaccinate.

“Vaccine refusal has led, unfortunately, to a lot of severe illness and even death in children,” Schleiss said.

State data analyzed by the Associated Press in November reported 6.5 percent of Minnesota families opted out of shots before kindergarten. Many people blame personal reasons.

“I think our role is to make sure families have knowledge of the truth of the real information. Not only about the safety of vaccines, but the severity of the diseases that we’re trying to prevent,” Schleiss said.

The Stevenson family knows how serious it can be. Emily is on a mission to tell anyone who will listen, and if Everlee could talk she’s sure she’d say the same thing.

“I just want to tell every parent to have their kids vaccinated. This didn’t have to happen,” Emily said.

Doctors say whooping cough can sometimes attack children who haven’t received the recommended dose of the vaccine. Kids should get five doses by the time their six. The shot can be given all the way through age 65.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Jenna Privette, a hockey player from St. Croix Lutheran, is fighting every day to get her life back to normal as much as she can.

Just a week after Jack Jablonski suffered a paralyzing hit into the boards, Privette suffered an injury during a game she was playing with Minnehaha Academy against the St. Paul Blades.

She has been in the hospital ever since and still has no feeling in her legs. Doctors are calling her injury a spinal concussion. It won’t happen quickly, but her doctors said they expect her to make a full recovery.

Privette, a senior at St. Croix Lutheran, said its her goal to walk at her school’s graduation ceremony. She talked about her injury Thursday for the first time since it happened. WCCO-TV was there, watch the video above for the whole story.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Doctors at a Twin Cities hospital just made a South American boy’s life a whole lot better after one surgery corrected 10 different bones.

Santiago Quintana and his family traveled several thousand miles for a surgery they couldn’t get at home. He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy that affected his ability to walk.

Walking has always been terribly tiresome, and pain has been a problem too for Quintana. His knees and feet are bent inward, so standing straight has never been something the 12-year old could do.

“It’s normal for me to walk like this,” he said.

Santiago developed slower than his siblings, and, as he got older, walking has become more and more difficult. He drags his feet.

“He walks with a walker. He goes to school with a walker. He uses crutches also in short walks,” said his mother, Conchita.

She always hoped for an easier life for her son, but the needed surgery in South America wasn’t possible until a twist of fate brought him to America.

His orthopedic surgeon in Santiago, Chile, referred him to Dr. Tom Novacheck at Gillette Children’s Hospital.  Gillette surgeons travel to South America annually to provide orthopedic care for children with disabilities, and that’s how Santiago’s doctor knew about Dr. Novacheck.

“I saw a bright kid, energetic kid, kid and family who are hopeful, and i thought we could help them,” Dr. Novacheck said.

He also found Santiago was using four times as much energy to walk as compared to normal children.

“It was becoming more and more difficult for him to walk, so he was losing ground,” Dr. Novacheck said.

He performed a single multilevel surgery, realigning Santiago’s bones and joints, straightening his knees and realigning his feet. He now walks straight and upright.

“So being upright hopefully less pain, should be less pain, and should be able to walk the longer distances,” said Dr. Novacheck.

Santiago recently went home to start his new life.

“I’m hoping that i can walk good and do other stuff,” Santiago said.

He will work with therapists more to develop muscle strength.  He someday dreams of ditching his crutches and walker and walking on his own.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A dietician who helps professional athletes lose weight has written a book to help the rest of us: The “Active Calorie Diet.”

Leslie Bonci says the diet is not about counting calories but making calories count. All calories are not the same. In other words, there are certain foods you eat that when you eat them, your body actually expends more calories to break them down.

The book has more than 140 recipes and suggestions of how to order an active plate at a restaurant.

For more on the foods that may help you burn more calories, watch Jamie Yuccas’ report above.

Dayton and Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson visited the hospital in St. Peter on Wednesday so the governor could get a first-hand look at the facility serving the state’s hardest-to-control patients.

His bonding proposal includes $40 million to remodel the hospital, including improving narrow hallways and poor sightlines to increase patient and staff safety.

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Dayton said he had his visit planned before several of the hospital’s psychiatrists left over the management style of new administrator David Proffitt, who has been on the job since September. The resignations give the funding new urgency, he said.

“Some of the substandard, obsolete conditions make it more difficult for the staff … and make it easier for patients to begin exhibiting the wrong behaviors before they are protected,” he said.

Dayton said he didn’t discuss the resignations with Proffitt, saying he has confidence Jesson is handling the situation. Jesson hired an attorney to investigate allegations that Proffitt created a hostile work environment.

Profit did not return a phone call seeking comment.

“If you come in and people do things differently, not everybody is going to jump on board,” Dayton said. “But as they describe the direction they are going, from punitive to a more supportive environment, that’s a much better mental health approach than treating somebody like they’re in a prison.”

Dayton said the facility is shifting its approach to emphasize support and empathy over restrictions. He said it will take time for staff to learn new skills, and for patients to realize they are in a different environment.

“It sounds to me like they are going in the right direction in terms of a more therapeutic approach, and at the same time separating individuals from society until they are in a condition where they can function in some way, under supervision,” Dayton said.

According to information from Human Services, seven psychiatrists recently left Minnesota Security Hospital, or are leaving effective this month. The number includes three resignations, a contract that ended, transfers, and one firing. An eighth doctor is on leave.

DHS said the reasons for the resignations are not public.

But an attorney representing most of the doctors said Proffitt created a hostile work environment. Greg Corwin said his clients claim Proffitt interfered with medical decisions and treatment and made his own decisions on use of restraints, leaving many doctors fearing they’d lose their license or be fired.

“I would characterize it as a reign of terror,” Corwin said.

The doctor who was fired, Michael Harlow, said he was told his values were not in line with the direction of the organization and his methods were deemed “non-therapeutic.” He was fired Dec. 20 after he placed a patient in seclusion who had threatened to kill a female nurse.

Harlow said that up until the point of his firing, there hadn’t been any official changes in hospital policy or procedures. He claims his firing was without merit.

DHS said there are over 800 employees at the hospital serving about 380 patients, but Harlow said the doctors who left represent all of the psychiatrists on staff. Terry Gunderson, Human Services spokeswoman, said the hospital is in the process of hiring a new medical director.

Proffitt came to Minnesota from The Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine, which was fined $11,700 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to provide a safe workplace for employees — after violent patients assaulted staff 115 times from 2008 through 2011.

OSHA began investigating after employees complained that Proffitt’s efforts to eliminate the use of restraints had let to a sharp increase in worker injuries.

Last September, Proffitt told the AP he he’d never prohibit all use of restraints, but would work to reduce the need for them.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — For most of us, retiring at age 65 is something we would welcome. That’s not the case for 64-year-old Charles Van Heuveln of St. Paul.

Van Heuveln has cerebral palsy, and turned to a state run medical program to help him live and work. He said the very same program will now force him into retirement, and worse, poverty, along with hundreds of others.

“I’m angry and frustrated. Downright scared,” said Van Heuveln.

Van Heuveln is one of thousands of Minnesotans that are part of the Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities program, known as an incentive program to help people with disabilities become more self-sufficient, allowing them access to the health care they need.

Through MA-EPD, Van Heuveln said he is able to afford his personal care attendant and a condo adapted to his needs while working at a job he loves. For 18 years, he’s worked with students who have disabilities in the St. Paul School District.

But when Van Heuveln turns 65 in May, he’ll age out of the program and be placed on state medical assistance, which he said is $677 a month.

“I will probably have to let this home go because I won’t have enough to make my mortgage,” he said.

Van Heuveln wants to work, but he said then he won’t qualify for the medical assistance he needs since the assistance is based on income, unlike the MA-PED program. To get his basic services, like his personal care attendant, he said it’ll come from his own pocket, or pension, what is known as a medical spend down.  A fate he said will be faced with poverty and public housing.

“Or a nursing home until death. I don’t want to live that way, and I know that nobody else does. I’ve earned enough to support myself if they let me keep it,” said Van Heuveln.

He said he’s written more than 200 letters to Minnesota lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton, with only one response in return.

“I don’t know what’s coming. I am not looking forward to a nursing home,” said Van Heuveln, who said nursing home care for people in his situation will cost more than expanding the age limit in the MA-EPD program.

Last session, lawmakers voted down an amendment to waive the age limit for people like Van Heuveln, which WCCO-TV learned would cost about $1.7 million.

Loren Colman, an assistant commissioner with the Department of Human Services, said with disabled baby boomers living longer, the state worries the problem will only get worse. Colman adds that his department is struggling with a policy derived from a different time. The program was founded in the late 1990s.

Today, a growing population of disabled Minnesotans is thriving past 65.

Colman said 17 people in this program turn 65 this year. Next year, it’ll be 175 people, and the years after even more. He said his agency is working with lawmakers and the Governor to revisit the issue this session.

Van Heuveln said he’s not asking for special treatment, just what he, and many others, have earned.

“And I think we have just as much right to enjoy our own retirement as anyone else,” he said.

Here’s a YouTube video chronicling Charles Van Heuveln’s dilemma
Learn more about the MA-EPD program

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Taking a nap during the day would be a dream for most of us. But doctors say dozing off can actually improve our health and productivity.

Now some companies are waking up to the idea.

Terrell Brown has the full report, watch the video clip above.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Raising a big amount of money hasn’t come easy for one Woodbury mom who’s trying to do something special in honor of the daughter she lost.

Madison Claire Millington died August 2004 when she was only 2 years old. When she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, her mom, Dana Millington, was told that Madison Claire only had one year to live.

Almost eight years later, Millington calls her youngest daughter Emerson a miracle. Emerson had a one in four chance of inheriting the same deadly muscular disease that took her sister, Madison Claire.

To ensure that Emerson wasn’t born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Millington and her husband used In Vitro Fertilization and a process which tests the eggs for genetic abnormalities before they’re fertilized.

The time spent with Emerson is special considering the difficulties of parenting a child with SMA.

“(Madison) had her special stroller. We had oxygen tanks we had to take with,” said Millington. “Even going to the park, we couldn’t go through the sand and rocks for me to also be with my other two children.”

It was that specific challenge that compelled Millington to help others. After Madison died, she made it a priority to raise enough money for a playground that every kid could use, in honor of her daughter.

“Initially, I thought this was going to be such a needed thing that our community in the east metro doesn’t have and everybody would just jump on board, and it’s been tough,” she said.

After four years, the Madison Claire Foundation has raised a little more than half of the $650,000 needed.

“It’s going to be about 15,000-square feet and there will be rubber surfacing and the entire structure will be ramped,” said Millington. “The big thing I’d pushed for is that it was ramped from end to end.”

Dana knows there’s a lot of money left to raise, but it helps her to remember what Madison would’ve thought about that type of playground.

“She would’ve loved it,” said Millington. “She loved being around people. She would’ve had a good time.”

The City of Woodbury has donated the land for the playground which is next to the city’s sports complex. Members of the Minnesota Air National Guard have agreed to donate the labor.

Work on the playground is scheduled to begin this summer.

To donate, click here.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — When pilots learn to fly they have flight simulators to help.

But what about Doctors? Most have to rely on doing their first major procedures on real live patients. Now at Regions Hospital there is a different way.

They have a special simulation center, where mannequins worth tens of thousands of dollars can be made to simulate everything from giving birth to a heart attack.

The center opened in 2010, and it just became the first nationally accredited center in the five state upper Midwest region.

At the Simulation Center at Regions, there are mannequins that are child and adult sized. All are breathing and have pulses. Every now and then, the mannequins simulate a full blown crisis. When staff send one mannequin into cardiac arrest, medical students and young medical residents rush in to help.

They are evaluated on their performances. For resident Dr. Morgan Groth, it’s an invaluable lesson.

“I think practice makes perfect and I think having as much practice prior to actually doing it is going to be best for the patient,” Groth said. “The lifelike mannequins not only teach young doctors how to handle crises, but also how to improve bedside manner and other situations that can be stressful.”

Bedside manner can be among the toughest things to teach. Gail Johnson, the director of clinical simulation for Regions Hospital said it helps people practice interacting when they are not using medical speak.

A mannequin called “Noelle” gives birth. Simulating a live birth allows doctors to train for critical complications.

“It can be a matter of life and death if you don’t know what steps to take,” said Dr. James Pete.

The mannequin called “Noelle” cost around $40,000, and other mannequins can cost as much as $200,000.

In a new list of saltiest foods, the CDC puts bread and rolls at the top.

They say they’re not actually saltier than other foods — people just tend to eat more.

Other top salty culprits include cold cuts, pizza and even chicken.

Health officials say salt should be limited to about a teaspoon a day but most Americans eat more.

Officials said the incident happened on March 18, 2011, at the Adams Health Care Center south and east of Austin. Staff interviews and a review of the staff scheduling did not identify the person responsible for the resident’s meal assistance on March 18.

Officials said a night nurse came in early that day to aid with staffing needs. That nurse delivered a meal tray to the resident’s room and helped set up preparation for the meal, but was not sure that they should stay to assist the resident through the meal.

The resident’s nurses had specific instructions from the resident’s medical history on what to feed and how to feed the resident, including telling the patient to swallow each bite twice, clear the throat often, eat slowly and elevate the head of the bed 90 degrees while eating and down to 45 degrees for 30 minutes after eating.

Health officials said the resident had a history of pneumonia and difficulty breathing. Because of that, the resident was at risk for choking and loss of breathe during a meal and nurses are required to be in the room during resident’s meal.

At about 6:03 p.m. on March 18, the resident’s wife reported to nurses that the resident started coughing during his meal. When nurses got to his room, the resident had stopped breathing and had no heart rate.

The resident died as a result of choking and losing ability to breathe during the meal, according to health department officials. The incident is still under investigation.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — We love our dogs. It’s estimated Americans spend billions each year on veterinary care, grooming and food — and the choice in that last category can be tough to pick.

There are 5,000 different types of dog food in the country, and Courtney Opdahl is on the lookout for what’s best for her constant companion – Chloe, a 7-year-old Labrador retriever.

“I read food labels. I care about what my dog eats, because she’s a part of my family,” Opdahl said. “The first thing I did was look at the ingredients list.”

But the ingredients list on the back of dog food bags isn’t the one a University of Minnesota clinical veterinary nutritionist looks at first. Dr. Julie Churchill eyes go straight for the letters: AAFCO.

The AAFCO – the Association of American Feed Control Officials – is a group run by those who regulate animal food. Minnesota follows the AAFCO’s guidelines, and each bag of dog food sold in the state must have a Nutritional Adequacy Statement.

But that statement can be hard to find, even for trained professionals.

“It’s often on the side of the bag, or the back of the bag,” Churchill said, adding that it’s often in small print.

(credit: CBS)

WCCO-TV’s Dog Food Findings

WCCO-TV bought dog food from five different stores across the metro, including a specialty pet store, drugs stores and grocery stores. WCCO then brought the food to the University of Minnesota for Churchill to examine.

“By law, all of these pet foods must have a pet food statement,” Churchill said.

WCCO-TV found a statement on each bag and each said the food was nutritionally balanced and fit to eat. But the statements on the bag were written in two ways.

On most of the statements, the food was said to be formulated. That word appeared on four out of five bags of dog food.

Formulated, as it appears on dog food nutrition labels, usually means the food is sent off to a lab for chemical analysis, which is not very expensive to have done.

“So, formulated tells me that the nutrients are probably in this bag, but they tell me nothing about the quality, the digestibility,” Churchill said, adding the questions: “Does it get in my pet? Does it do that job?”

The second statement that can be found on dog food is: animal feeding tests. This statement means that a group of dogs was studied while eating said food.

“This food then had to be fed to a colony of dogs,” Churchill explained. “They had a physical exam, blood work and body weights at the beginning and throughout this study. And they had to be fed for a minimum of 6 months.”

These tests can cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars, because they usually do the formulation first and then commit to the feeding trial, Churchill said.

“When I’m counseling an owner to pick a food, I first say pick one that’s done an animal feeding test. Then I match it to the needs of the pet,” Churchill said.

Courtney And Her Lab, Chloe

When we took at a look at what Opdahl feeds Chloe, we found she picked up a formulated brand- the kind not tested on dogs.

“No one has talked to me about this,” Opdahl sad. “I was more interested in the makeup of the ingredients.”

But Churchill says that formulated brands are not bad by any means. They just don’t tell the pet owner if the dog food company invested to test the food on pets.

Having tried a few other dog food brands, Opdahl said she isn’t ready to switch just yet – even if it means keeping a closer eye on Chloe.

Your Dog And Its Food

If the dog food you buy is working for your dog, Churchill would advise you to ask questions during exams about how your pet is feeling, especially if you have any concerns about your pet’s behavior.

The AAFCO statement must be on dog food, but you will not find it on treats or biscuits.

Another tip from Churchill: Save your money on senior-labeled dog food. She says it’s just a marketing claim, and that it isn’t any better for your older dog.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Robots may be able to help humans who suffer with sleep apnea sleep easier.

The robots help surgeons reach places in the patient’s mouth that are difficult to reach by hand. The robots, with their tiny tools, cut out excess lymphoid tissue and opens up the patient’s airways.

Dr. Jeffrey Ahn, of Columbia University, says the new technology boosts the ability of surgeons.

Doctors warn people shouldn’t dismiss sleep apnea as snoring, because it can lead to serious health problems like depression and heart attacks.

Obstructive sleep apnea affects 10 to 12 million people. It occurs when someone’s airway is blocked during sleep.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The group Occupy Minnesota stepped up their efforts Saturday to prevent foreclosures.

Occupy Minnesota set up a fence around an entire south Minneapolis neighborhood block and they call it a foreclosure-free zone.

They want to save the home of Bobby Hull, a former Marine and Vietnam War veteran. He has lived in his home since 1968.

Recent health problems caused Hull to fall behind on his mortgage.

Hull and his family will be evicted this month if the bank doesn’t modify his loan.

“They have been calling me, trying to negotiate,” Hull said.

Organizers say Bank of America can start the foreclosure process after Feb. 17.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Minnesota researchers conducted the first ever study of its kind, looking at mercury exposure levels in newborn babies.

The Minnesota Department of Health set out to see how much mercury newborns have in their blood, since small amounts can harm tiny brains and developing nervous systems.

In 2008, researcher Pat McCann started the project, testing 1,465 babies’ blood samples from the state newborn screening program in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

McCann says the majority of babies had little exposure, but overall, 8 percent had unsafe levels of mercury. In Minnesota, however, the results were higher with 10 percent of babies with unsafe levels of mercury.

No Michigan samples were above the U.S. EPA dose limit, and 3 percent of the Wisconsin samples were above the limit, according to the report.

Babies born in the summer had higher levels than those born in the winter, which led McCann to look deeper at how much fish is eaten in Minnesota, since fish consumption is higher in the summer.

“Some studies have reported that people in Minnesota eat more fish than Wisconsin and Michigan as you might expect, also walleye and northern along north shore of Lake superior Basin are more contaminated in mercury than other parts of the state,” said McCann, who added that it’s clear the exposure to infants in Minnesota is too high.

The pollutant is environmental and can be distributed by wastewater treatment plants, mining and coal fired power plants.

New mothers at the Amma Parenting Center in Edina say they learned preventing mercury exposure begins even before pregnancy.

Patricia Kendrick of Edina knew to practice one guideline when she was pregnant.

“I limited it to once a week for fish, which is hard when you love fish,” she said.

Michelle Ugurlu of Plymouth said she followed Minnesota Department of Health Guidelines when she was pregnant with her 3-month-old daughter Hazel.

“I was given a pamphlet that told how much I could fish I could have at a time, certain types, large fish versus small fish, fresh water versus salt water,” said Ugurlu, who says she’ll monitor even more closely with her next child. “I hope that the literature gets out to new moms and expectant moms.”

The Minnesota Department of Health has safe fish eating guidelines for women of child bearing age and children under the age of 15.

McCann says women should still eat fish, which is good for developing babies, but eat fish low in mercury. She says the general rule of thumb is to eat smaller fish, since large predator fish that eat other fish have more mercury.

“Because they haven’t lived as long, they haven’t had time to accumulate as much mercury,” said McCann, who warns that predator fish have higher levels.

“Walleye and Northern because they are at the top of the food chain and have the most mercury, “ she said.

Fish like salmon and shrimp and tilapia you can eat twice a week.

If you like canned light tuna or sunfish from our lakes, you can eat once a week. Once a month, it’s OK to eat fish like halibut, or smaller walleye and northern pike.

Fish to avoid In Minnesota include walleye longer than 20 inches and Northern Pike longer than 30 inches. As far as ocean caught fish, avoid shark and swordfish.

Read more on the study here.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Super Bowl is the biggest game of the year in football, but what would it be without some big calorie food?

Some of us eat two or three days worth of calories on Super Sunday.

Americans will consume more than a billion chicken wings. About 6,000 tons of nachos will be eaten, and 32 percent of people plan to dip chips.

So what will it take to burn all that junk food off? We need to be whipped into super shape.

Hannah Cross from HealthPartners provided us with some tips for staying healthy despite all the treats on Super Bowl Sunday.

You could go for the celery and maybe the carrots, but no, we go for the chicken wing like most Americans, who will eat an estimated one billion wings during the game.

“Yep, it’s good on the lips but not so good on the hips,” Carlson said.

The average buffalo wing has 72 calories, and that’s in just one wing. To burn that off, you’ll need to run a full football field 12 times.

“You want to feel good about what you’re doing at the end of the day right?” Carlson asked.

Eat a full plate of nachos and you’ll need to run around the football field 79 times to burn those calories. Another option might be jumping jacks, but for an hour straight, to get rid of the average 470 calories that are in a six ounce serving of nachos.

Two tablespoons of cheese dip, without the chips, is about 80 calories. That means you have to do squats for about 15 minutes to burn that off.

“Next time you can save yourself the effort and just have some healthier options instead,” Carlson said.

Our health coach recommended fish fingers instead of wings, shredded chicken quesadillas with whole wheat tortillas instead of nachos or a southwestern bean dip over cheese.

Each year the Minnesota Department of Human Services does random inspections of licensed tobacco retailers in the state as part of a national program to make sure they aren’t selling to youth and are following tobacco age of sale laws.

According to the 2012 Synar annual report, state retailers had a 97.6 percent compliance rate — Minnesota’s highest on record.

Enforcement of the law is why the state was able to get such a high rate. Often, officers escort teens who volunteer to attempt to buy cigarettes from stores. If a store sells to the youth without a valid ID or no ID, they get a citation and fine.

During the past year, law enforcement issued 591 citations and 579 fines to store owners and clerks; and 2,394 citations, fines and warnings to minors.

There were 19 tobacco permits suspended due to tobacco violations. During the year, there were 286 retailers randomly selected across the state.

“This high compliance rate is a tremendous accomplishment for businesses across Minnesota and one that will play a huge role in preventing young people from taking up the tobacco habit,” said Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. “Over the long term, Minnesota will be healthier for this effort.”

States that do not meet federal standards regarding youth tobacco sales are at risk of losing a significant portion of their Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

To see a copy of the Minnesota 2012 Synar report, go to the DHS website.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — There are some promising signs for paralyzed high school hockey player Jack Jablonski.

His family updated his Caring Bridge website Thursday night, and despite ups and downs, they said Jack is doing some amazing things.

During therapy this week, Jack was able to raise his right arm and feed himself.

On Thursday, he was able to sit up by himself and use his arms to balance and hold himself in place.

A day before that, he sat up for seven hours — much longer than previous weeks.

His family posted that they are so proud of his determination and positive attitude.

Jack was paralyzed by a hit from behind while playing hockey in December. He plays for Benilde-St. Margaret.

If you would like to donate to the Jablonski family’s fund, click here.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As busy parents, we don’t always make the healthiest choices for ourselves but when it’s meal time, we try to make the best choices for our kids.

We check food labels for whole grains, less fat and low sugar but something extra, added to everything from cereal to fresh fruit, could be causing behavior problems in children. Concerns about food dyes led manufacturers in other countries to change their recipes, but they’re still sold here.

Kelly King is certain of the difference food dyes make in her 6-year-old daughter Kendall.

“She’s always had a lot of energy,” King said.

Doctors diagnosed Kendall with ADHD last year and put her on powerful drugs.

“We were going to need to medicate her all day, then give her another pill at 4 p.m., then give her a medicine so she could sleep. It just didn’t feel right to me,” King said.

A few months ago, the King’s heard about a possible connection between dyes and hyperactivity. Within weeks of taking dyes out of her diet, Kendall didn’t need the medication.

“We’ve had amazing results.  She’s like a whole new child and she’s herself again,” King said.

King said it’s been much easier to find dye-free food than she thought. With what they used to spend on medication for Kendall, the cost of food has evened out.

Taking dyes out of kids’ diets is a big part of Dr. Arlen Lieberman’s practice.

“It’s definitely a big factor in what I look at when I talk to the parents is what kind of food are you giving your kid?” Lieberman said.

At the Golden Valley clinic he shares with his daughter, they’ve seen again and again the change food dyes make.

“They have risks and they have no benefit really the only benefit that they have is the look,” Dr. Krystle Lieberman said.

Food manufactures in the U.S. can use up to nine dyes in food. The dyes Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 make up 90 percent of the market and cause the most concern.

Take a shopping trip and you’ll see them everywhere. They’re listed on a bright cereal box, even the more covert packaging of a pickle jar. From cough syrup to toothpaste, and waffles to crackers.

Synthetic dyes are sometimes even sprayed on fresh fruits to sharpen their shades.

Dr. David Wallinga at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy said he believes the science is there for customers to be concerned. He cites more than two dozen studies that point to problems.  Most were done decades ago while we eat more dyes than ever before, a 5-fold increase in 50 years.

Wallinga said dyes mess with our metabolism. The yellow dyes deplete zinc levels enough in some kids, he said, to cause hyperactivity.

An added concern: The chemicals come from petroleum products that Wallinga said have shown carcinogenic to cause effects.

“There is no necessary reason to put petroleum dyes in food.  Period,” Dr. Wallinga said.

Countries across Europe have already responded to the controversy. For the most part, you won’t find the dyes in food on grocery store shelves. The European Union requires foods using synthetic dyes to carry a warning label.

Rather than scaring customers away, American companies like Kellogg’s, General Mills and Kraft did away with the synthetic dyes overseas.

“Why shouldn’t American consumers be treated with the same respect, and conversely, why should the U.S. be the dumping ground for worrisome food dyes?” Dr. Wallinga asked.

The FDA took up the issue last spring. Its scientists found that dyes could affect children who already have behavioral disorders. But the agency said most children won’t see a reaction. So the FDA voted against putting warning labels on foods, but it believes more research is still needed.

Some grocery chains, like Whole Foods, have made the decision themselves and won’t sell synthetic dyes.

Ted Labuza, a professor of Food and Science at the University of Minnesota, said he believes it comes down to customers making choices. While other countries operate out of precaution, he sees our system as limited.  In this country, food additives can’t be tested on people so scientists have to rely on several different factors for study results.

“There’s no way to be 100 percent safe. You can’t test your way to safety. You can’t inspect your way to safety,” Labuza said.

One potential solution to the food dye question is being developed in a small lab in St. Paul and planted in the ground in southwest Minnesota.

The company Suntava started as a way to breed corn resistant to common pests.  Scientists found something much more powerful in their purple corn, a compound called anthocyanin with more antioxidants than blueberries.

Suntava CEO Bill Petrich said it’s a huge find.

“I believe this is a game-changing technology that can positively affect many lives for years to come, ” Petrich said.  “I think the market is global, it’s not just U.S. it’s global.”

The research led to the realization of the corn’s potential as a natural color.  Natural food colors can be as much as 20 times more expensive to produce.

The Hopkins School District decided it was worth the investment.  It’s taken dramatic steps to get dyes out of its schools.

Barb Mechura, the school’s nutrition director, said it’s changed their approach to cooking.

“Our kitchen looks a little differently because we need additional equipment for scratch cooking,” Mechura said. “We don’t need as much room in the freezer right now because we don’t have all the frozen, manufactured foods.”

Cooks are constantly checking labels for food dyes and if they can’t find a natural substitute, it won’t be served.

An important part of the curriculum for all of their kids includes reading food labels. For the last few years, the district’s lunchrooms have been considered leaders in school nutrition. After making many changes, teachers said they see fewer outbursts in class.

“It makes sense that if we’re going to put a lot of synthetic and artificial stuff into it our cells aren’t going to have the energy they need to create a healthy body, a healthy brain, help us be happy,” Mechura said.

In a statement, the FDA said “Approved food color additives are considered safe. There has not been a cause and effect relationship established between color additives and hyperactivity in children.”

A spokesperson from General Mills said “We comply with all regulations where we do business and monitor global regulatory developments. Differences around the globe in product formulation have long existed, and are due to different laws or consumer preferences.”

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – When it comes Super Bowl Sunday, people love to chow down.

A recent survey found people eat all day — most without caring about counting calories.

But what if you are looking for some healthier options?

WCCO talked to Cub Foods and got plenty of great recipes you can serve up without compromising flavor.

First things first when trying to watch what you eat — pay attention to the portions. Controlling how much you put in your mouth is just as important as what you eat. A little taste of the fattier foods is OK as long as you mix in a good number of low calorie options.

But if you like to snack through the whole game, try making alternatives to game-day favorites.

Make dips with low fat and fat free options of sour cream, mayo or cream cheese.

Choose crackers and chips that are baked or made with high fiber and whole grains.

Popcorn can also be a great healthy snack. Boost the flavor of fat free popcorn by spraying with a non-fat spray then sprinkling with cayenne pepper. The cayenne actually speeds up your metabolism and decreases your appetite.

If you’re looking for recipes for guilt-free snacks, click here.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Politics before health: That’s what a growing number of people say of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to pull grant money from Planned Parenthood.

The foundation announced it’s pulling funding for breast screenings and other health services from 19 of Planned Parenthood’s 79 affiliates. Last year alone, Komen gave nearly $700,000 to the organization.

While Planned Parenthood of Minnesota is not a recipient of the funds, WCCO-TV talked to some who say the recent move is enough to make them stop supporting the prominent breast cancer charity all together.

“I was disgusted,” Minneapolis resident Amanda Oleson said.

Oleson has participated in several of the Susan G. Komen Foundation events in support of several women in her life.  She said she was appalled to hear of the charity’s decision, especially given its slogan.

“One of the things that they say is ‘Because everyone deserves a lifetime,’ and I was disgusted because they clearly don’t mean that pulling this kind of funding from such a large organization providing preventative care for women,” Oleson said.

Planned Parenthood of Minneapolis said it believes the charity is giving into the voice of a vocal minority, and doing it at the expense of those who need healthcare the most.

“[Planned Parenthood] succumbed to the pressure that they were receiving from politically motivated groups, groups who are opposed to abortion, to end their partnership with Planned Parenthood because we provide abortion care,” Jennifer Auwles with Planned Parenthood of Minneapolis said.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation disputes that claim, saying the decision was made because of a congressional investigation into whether or not Planned Parenthood uses federal funds for abortions.

Pro-life advocate Ann Marie Cosgrove said she fully supports Susan G. Komen’s decision, and she will now participate in their walk again because of it. Cosgrove has abstained from those walks for the last decade.

“We play politics with everything that matters to us, and so if it has to be that way, it is that way, and if we can bring attention to the issue that way, then that’s what happens,” Cosgrove said.

Others disagree, and say when the opportunity comes, they won’t be afraid to show it.

“This makes me angry enough that I would not do their walks in the future. I’m willing to just give my money to Planned Parenthood, honestly,” Oleson said.

Officials with the Susan G. Komen Foundation told WCCO-TV they are concerned about the fallout from this. In a statement, a spokesman said if people choose not to give, it’ll only diminish breast-health programs for more women. They added that the women they serve are their highest priority in all they do.