Eight-year-old Isaiah Risland is on his way to Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare for inpatient rehabilitation therapy.

His two younger brothers died when the sailboat they were in with their dad tipped over in Clearwater County last month.

On his CaringBridge site, Risland’s family says he is now able to walk well in his ankle braces, and he’s able to feed himself.

The family says they’re grateful for the continued support and prayers they’ve received.

City officials say the fire started around 3:15 p.m. on the 6800 block of 23rd Street West. A neighbor called 911 and reported smoke coming from the house.

City firefighters knocked down the fire, although officials say it caused “significant damage” to the house’s southwest corner.

Crews from Edina, Golden Valley and the Hennepin County Medical Center also responded to the scene.

The fire’s cause is not yet known.

Walker faces a rare recall election June 5 spurred mostly by anger over his successful push to strip most public workers of collective bargaining rights last year, but also by his stewardship of the state economy.

Walker swept to office on the promise to add 250,000 private sector jobs during his first four-year term, and initial figures gleaned from monthly employment surveys suggested Wisconsin actually lost 33,900 jobs last year, which would rank it last among the 50 states.

The initial figures gave Democrats and their candidate, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, powerful ammunition with which to attack Walker’s record. Then on Wednesday, the governor took the unusual step of releasing fourth-quarter data due out in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ June 28 national employment report that show Wisconsin added 23,300 public and private sector jobs last year.

The new numbers are a more accurate reflection of what’s happening, but they still show very slow job growth for the state, said University of Wisconsin-Madison economist Andrew Reschovsky. Since they’re being released early, it’s impossible to tell how Wisconsin compares to other states, he said.

“The real story is the picture of anemic job growth in Wisconsin over 2011, very far from the goal that the governor set,” Reschovsky said. “They tell us the economy, if it is growing, it’s at a slow pace.”

The difference between the new numbers and what is released monthly lies in how the numbers were generated.

The new numbers come from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, produced for inclusion in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ national report to be issued on June 28 — more than three weeks after the recall. Those figures are based on actual job counts reported by 160,000 Wisconsin employers as required by law as part of their tax and unemployment insurance reports.

The numbers that had previously been reported monthly and used by Walker and everyone else as a gauge of how well he was meeting his job-creation promise came from the Current Employment Survey, which surveys about 5,500 employers, or 3.5 percent of Wisconsin businesses.

Wisconsin and every other state rely on the survey for reporting job creation numbers until those figures are updated based on final figures from the quarterly census.

The data released Wednesday by Walker more accurately reflects the job market in Wisconsin and is supported by other positive indicators, including a spike in the amount of tax money collected, said Brian Jacobsen, an economist with Wells Fargo Funds Management in Menomonee Falls.

It doesn’t tend to get as much attention because there’s a six-month lag in what is reported, versus a two-month lag in the monthly data, he said. The monthly information, because it is based on such a small sample of businesses, is “fraught with problems,” Jacobsen said.

Releasing the data now, ahead of when the Bureau of Labor Statistics processes it, is “unconventional and unusual, but it’s not unethical or illegal,” Jacobsen said. While the numbers are preliminary, the bureau typically only makes clerical revisions to the numbers submitted by the states, he said.

Barrett, who will face off with Walker in the upcoming recall vote, said Walker was “cooking the books” and he had no idea whether any of the numbers released Wednesday were accurate.

“He’s clearly scrambling to do everything he can to put himself in a better light,” Barrett said.

Walker held a news conference last summer to tout monthly jobs numbers based on the Current Employment Survey that showed dramatic improvement in Wisconsin. But as the recall has neared, and the jobs numbers showed Wisconsin had the worst record of any state in job creation, he’s looked to distance himself from them.

Walker embraced the new numbers and launched a television ad touting them hours after they became public.

“Mayor Barrett, you said this election is about jobs; I couldn’t agree more,” Walker said in the ad.

Speaking to reporters earlier Wednesday, Walker said the numbers can’t be denied.

“No matter what you feel about the timing, no matter what you feel about the process, the facts are the facts and facts don’t lie,” Walker said after speaking at a meeting of the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin, in Brookfield.

Reggie Newson, the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and a Walker appointee, said he did not consult with Walker about releasing the information early and his decision to do so had nothing to do with the pending recall vote.

“We felt the need to share it with the public because employers, job creators and job seekers need to know the truth about the actual job picture in Wisconsin so they can make informed decisions,” Newson said on a conference call.

The latest jobs numbers for the month of April, which are based on the survey Walker is attempting to discredit, are to be released on Thursday. That will be the final such release before the recall.

A new Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday shows voters believe Walker would do a better job than Barrett in creating jobs, 48 percent to 41 percent. At the same time, 37 percent said they believed the state lost jobs over the past year, compared with 20 percent who believe there have been job gains.

The random telephone poll of 704 registered voters has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points and was conducted between May 9 and Saturday.

The poll also showed Walker ahead of Barrett 50 percent to 44 percent among 600 likely voters, with a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points on that question.

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

On Wednesday, William Dudley Cummins, 22, was sentenced to 141 months in jail – nearly 12 years – on one count of second degree murder, according got the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.

According to the criminal complaint, Cummins was at a party on New Year’s Eve near Bay Street and 7th Street West in St. Paul.

Patrick Joseph Jaworski was also at that party, according to a number of witnesses, who said they found Jaworski hunched over and bleeding not long after midnight.

He was taken to United Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner said he sustained multiple stab wounds — one to the neck, one to the chest and another to his abdomen.

According to the charges, Cummins was seen taking his girlfriend’s phone and leaving the residence where the party was being held. Cummins’ girlfriend was seen asking Jaworski to help get it back.

A number of witnesses saw the two begin fighting. One witness said he saw Cummins stab Jaworski in the struggle, and another described the weapon as a pocket knife with a four-inch blade. One partygoer thought the fight was beacuse Cummins’ girlfriend was seen dancing with Jaworski earlier.

Witnesses said Cummins fled the scene on foot, came back to retrieve his vehicle, and drove off. Police found him at his mother’s home and arrested him.

Cummins told police he “did not think he stabbed him.” When informed that Jaworski was dead, the charges state he claimed, “It was self-defense. I didn’t think I stabbed him, I just pushed him back.”

Vincent Mark Smith recently entered a petition to enter a guilty plea on two counts of simple robbery. The plea was accepted. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 58 months in prison.

Smith robbed a Walgreens on the 3200 hundred block of Lake Street in Minneapolis on Nov. 18. Two days later, on Nov. 20, he struck again in Hopkins at a Walgreens located on the 500 block of Blake Road North. Then on Nov. 23, he robbed a Walgreen’s on the 2400 block of Hennepin Avenue South.

All of these robberies occurred at or before 9 a.m. Authorities said Smith flashed a gun at Walgreens employees.

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Chandralall Thakur, 29, has also been charged with making terroristic threats. Both of his charges are felonies.

According to the criminal complaint, Thakur and the victim got into an argument on May 5. When Thakur told her that he had feelings for her, she said she didn’t want to have a relationship, the charges state.

She said Thakur had been calling her repeatedly in recent weeks, as many as 40 times per hour. He offered to pay part of the victim’s cell phone bill.

On May 5, despite her misgivings, she got into his vehicle and they went to a car dealership, police said. It was then that Thakur allegedly beat the woman and bit her.

He then allegedly told her, “You know what I want, get in the back seat.” The victim said he pulled a knife on her, cutting her hand.

The victim told police he also ripped out some of her hair before apparently feeling remorse for his actions and offering to drive her back home. Once there, one of the victim’s family members contacted police.

When approached by investigators, Thakur eventually admitted to hitting the victim, but said she had been cut on the hand because his knife was in the vehicle’s cup holder. Police found a pair of pants with blood on them and what appeared to be a clump of hair in the pocket, the charges state.

The panel made up of experts voted unanimously to recommend the approval of the OraQuick In-Home HIV test. The FDA typically follows the advice of such panels.

“We want to see as many people as possible get tested and know their HIV status,” said Bill Tiedemann, executive director of the Minnesota AIDS Project.

He says the one of the best prevention methods for HIV is people knowing if they’re infected.

Tiedemann says they encourage people to get tested in the way that works best for each individual.

“Testing and then treating HIV is critical in maintaining one’s health,” Tiedemann said. “We encourage individuals with HIV to find the support and health services they need.”

Some FDA reviewers have raised questions about the accuracy of the tests. Tiedemann says while there would be concerns about false negatives or false positives with a home test kit, he says hopefully it would lead to further testing in clinical setting.

“(We) would request those individuals who have questions about their test to seek a second test through their doctor or the Minnesota AIDS Project,” he said.

The Minnesota AIDS Project holds its annual Minnesota AIDS Walk and Run for the Ribbon on Sunday at Minnehaha Park.

According to the complaint, Amanda Marie Butcher, 30, was intoxicated when her daughter’s father reportedly arrived late on Saturday for the birthday party on the 3400 block of Russell Ave. N. Police said she then threw multiple items at the man before tossing a steak knife that hit him directly in the leg.

When police arrived on the scene, they said the man was walking down the front steps of the home yelling, “she stabbed me.” Authorities said blood was running down his leg and that he had a puncture wound.

Butcher, who is in police custody, now faces up to seven years in prison and/or a $14,000 fine for the felony charge.

On April 25, 2012 at 7:54 p.m., police were called to Children’s Hospital on the report of a 15-year-old boy stabbed in the leg. The responding officer met with the boys’ father, who said that his sons had been wrestling across the street from their yard, when the older son got angry and stabbed his younger brother in the leg, police said.

The victim later told police that he and his brother, identified as Shawn Michael Sherman, were wrestling and that he was able to flip Sherman over onto his back. He said he then got up and walked away towards his father who was standing in the yard, which was when his older brother took out the knife and stabbed him in the left calf.

Sherman has been charged with one felony count of third-degree assault. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $10,000.

Because of an error, hundreds of Northeast Iowa Community College diploma covers featured a misspelling — the state was spelled “Ioma.”

Tracy Kruse, the college’s director of external relations, told the Telegraph Herald that the error wasn’t noticed until shortly before last week’s ceremonies at the Peosta and Calmar campuses.

About 300 graduates saw the misspellings.

Kruse says each graduate will receive a new cover when their signed diplomas are sent out when grades are completed.

She says the college has worked with Continental for many years and expects the company to pay for the new covers.

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

A local expert says the price may be too high. The price per share expected on Friday is now up to between $34 and $38.  Brad Allen of KC and Associates of Minneapolis has 25 years of investor relations experience, and thinks General Motors sent up some red flares this week.

“I think the actions of General Motors in deciding not to continue their paid advertising on Facebook raises some questions about the Facebook business model,” said Allen.

GM’s decision could signal to potential investors that social networking, while popular, won’t deliver the advertising revenue expected to keep the stock price attractive.  However, Allen said that doesn’t mean Friday won’t be exciting.

“I think it is going to be one of the more interesting, closely watched wild rides for an IPO in a long time. It’s got great entertainment value. I think it’s going to be instructive in terms of what the market overall is going to do with these social networking site IPOs,” said Allen.

Allen said he believes Facebook’s share values are expected to climb for a few days after the sale, before finding their base.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 26-year-old Kenyon man is accused of trying to hire another man to kill the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend, according to charges filed Wednesday by the Rice County Attorney’s Office.

Jesse Allen Helgeson has been charged with conspiracy to commit premeditated first-degree murder in connection with the incident, which happened sometime between May 9 and Monday.

According to the complaint, Helgeson contacted an unnamed person via text message and wanted the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend killed. Helgeson and his ex-girlfriend had a child together, the complaint states. Helgeson told the person he wanted the new boyfriend killed because he had threatened him and the child.

Helgeson told the person he did not have any money to pay, but would give the person a golf cart and a four-wheeler, the complaint states.

The person contacted police after Helgeson reached out. An undercover officer made contact with Helgeson and arranged for a meeting at the Flying J Truck stop in rural Northfield on Monday. That’s where he was arrested and taken into custody.

The complaint also shows Helgeson is facing burglary and assault charges in connection with a incident in Mower County back in January involving the same man he was allegedly attempting to kill.

If convicted, Helgeson faces up to 20 years in prison.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Talks between eight Twin Cities hospitals and thousands of employees are underway in an effort to reach a new contract and avert a walkout.

The 3,500 members of the Service Employees International Union voted over the past few days, with 91 percent of union members voting in favor of authorizing a strike.

The eight Twin Cities hospitals a strike would affect include Bethesda, Fairview Riverside, Fairview Southdale, Methodist, St. John’s, North Memorial and Children’s Hospitals in both St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The strike would last from two to five days. The union members include nursing assistants, technicians and support staff.

Jeremiah Whitten, spokesperson for the hospitals that would be affected, issued a statement: “We are disappointed with the outcome of the vote. Throughout the negotiations we have worked to achieve a contract that is fair to both sides.”

Whitten continued, “We’re looking forward to resuming negotiations today.”

Both sides are going back to the negotiating table Wednesday in hopes of stopping the walk-out. Legally, SEIU has to wait 10 days before they strike.

The two sides have been negotiating since January. The major issues have been wages and health insurance; the hospitals want the workers to contribute more toward their coverage.

Douglas Theodore Meyer, 51, was arrested on May 6, after store employees found the stolen items. They told police they recognized him from a previous shoplifting incident in April, when he reportedly stole more than $500 worth of items.

Meyer denied to police that he committed theft.

As police arrested Meyer, they found a small baggy in his wallet that contained methamphetamine.

He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

The team announced Wednesday that players will report to Minnesota State University in Mankato on July 26 and break camp three weeks later on Aug. 16. This will be the 47th straight season the Vikings train at MSU.

Specific practice dates and times have not yet been finalized, but this will be the longest training camp for the Vikings since a three-week stay in 2008.

Counting the number of days from the first to the last open-to-the-public practices, the Vikings were in Mankato for 14 days or fewer in each of the last three years. Last season, the NFL lockout cut into camp time and the Vikings were only on the field there from Aug. 1-11.

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

Eugene Edward Rivetts was charged with criminal vehicular homicide shortly after the crash. He pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2009.

According to court records, Rivetts was driving a Hummer at a high rate of speed on Country Road 17 in Stearns County on Aug. 16, 2009, when it hit a 1990 Toyota Corolla being driven by Ryan Dezurik. Rivetts initially told authorities he was a passenger in the car during the accident, but later admitted to police that he was driving the Hummer after evidence linked him to being behind the wheel.

Rivetts was convicted on two counts of criminal vehicular homicide on March 16.  Rivetts admitted that he had been drinking throughout the day, but his blood alcohol level was never measured because Rivetts said he wasn’t driving.

Rivetts also had a history of DWI and was convicted of criminal vehicular homicide in 1989.

In addition, Steven Cross was sentenced to 45 days in jail, with credit for 32 days served. He received a stay of execution for the remaining days.

The court ordered Cross to pay an $80 fine and restitution costs of $2,520.

Until the custody hearings are completed, Cross cannot have any direct or indirect contact with his son. He must also remain law abiding and not use alcohol or drugs.

Cross was convicted of one count of gross misdemeanor child neglect, after leaving his son alone on July 18, 2011. Cross’ home had been lost in foreclosure and police say he left behind letters telling the boy, Sebastian Cross, to go to a neighbor’s home and ask if they would become his legal guardian.

Authorities arrested Cross on Aug. 29, 2011 in California. Sebastian is currently living in foster care with his aunt.

Bon Appetit Magazine bestowed the honor in its debut of the BA Daily Top 10, where it lists and recognizes some of the best new restaurants in the country.

Masu made the list, thanks in big part to its visionary, Katsuyuki (Asan) Yamamoto. The bar’s horseshoe shape and colorful decor are also noted in the article.

Masu General Manager Brent Sokup said they were contacted by Bon Appetit to verify the restaurant’s info, but were merely told it was a possibility that they would make the final list.

When the list was released Tuesday, Sokup said they were thrilled.

“We were very excited, we were very pleased and we’ve been thrilled to have Asan. He’s kind of our homerun hitter, if you will,” he said.

The blog suggests ordering Masu’s Firecracker roll or sashimi offerings and gives shout-outs to their highly popular ramen and sustainable menu.

The announcement comes at a great time for the restaurant, which is in the midst of construction on their second sushi spot, inside Mall of America.

Sokup said depending on the construction schedule, they’re looking to open the new restaurant in late July. The Mall of America spot will be very similar to the northeast location, he said, with just a few minor changes to the menu and a slightly faster approach for service.

Click here to see the full article.

“It’s one of those things that should not have happened,” said former marine, now republican U.S. Rep. John Kline to WCCO’s Dave Lee following passage of a bill Tuesday.

It will restore up to 27 days of paid leave to nearly 50,000 guard members nationwide, 2,000 of which are here as part of the Minnesota Red Bull contingent.

Kline who was angry that Pentagon officials played a classic “bait and switch” with soldiers — promising a month of paid leave for them to re-enlist for extended deployment, then drastically reducing paid leave, after many had signed on the dotted line.

“Our soldiers deployed, the pentagon then changed the program on October 1st and did not ‘grandfather’ our soldiers in, thereby causing them to lose up to 27 days of this paid, leave. It’s just not fair,” said Kline.

The U.S. Senate is now taking up the bill where it is expected to easily pass on a bipartisan line.

“Senator (Amy) Klobuchar has got the bill in the Senate, they are working to push it through the Senate now, and I am feeling pretty good about finally being able to step up and do the right thing for our troops,” said Kline.

Kline said fulfilling the promise is not only the moral thing to do, but soldiers need the paid leave to aid their assimilation back into civilian life.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Diets would be a lot easier if cravings for things like ice cream, chocolate and chips didn’t get in the way. A crave can throw off your nutrition for the whole day.

You can eat well and balanced all day and then end up blowing the whole thing on a huge slice of cake.

Overall, the best ways to control cravings are to snack healthily, take a walk, drink some water. However, some recommend that you indulge just a little, as deprivation can cause you to crack and go overboard.

Here are some of the most common cravings:

Red Meat

A lot of people feel like a meal isn’t a meal unless it has a hunk of red meat. It’s the protein you’re looking for, and the key is choosing a healthier cut. Flank steak has about 700 calories, maybe more if you don’t trim the fat. A better alternative is a pork chop, which has only about 170 calories.

Chocolate

According to a study, almost half of American women crave chocolate on a regular basis. One theory on that crave is that it helps with mood swings. The key here is to not reach for a candy bar. Instead, have a square of high-cocoa dark chocolate. That can even be good for the heart.

Ice Cream

It’s a pretty common food to crave — sweet, creamy, cool. Well, the bad news is that a typical serving of vanilla has 230 calories. The good news is that a cup of slow-churned ice cream has less fat and half the calories.

Pizza

It’s another good news/bad news situation. The Good news is that a typical slice has fiber and a serving of vegetables. The bad news is that it can have calories in the 300+ range, depending on your toppings. Make the pizza at home and use whole-wheat crust and reduced fat cheese. Then just top it with fresh veggies like tomato slices, broccoli, or whatever veggies you like.

Pasta

According to a study, pasta is one of the top foods in America. The trouble is most people eat white pasta made with refined flour. And then if you add sauces, you can completely kill your diet. A large bowl of fettuccine alfredo has up to 1,200 calories. A better bet is whole grain pasta with a veggie-based sauce.

French Fries & Potato Chips

A lot of people crave salt. If you’re not getting all of the minerals you need from other foods, you may start craving it. Unfortunately, fries can be just as bad as eating a burger. A typical order of fries has 500 calories. And if you were to eat a full bag of chips, you’re looking at a whopping 1,200 calories; you might as well be having that serving of fettuccine alfredo. Your better option is a side salad or a fruit cup.

Coffee

Typically this craving has more to do with a caffeine addiction. But the problem with coffee drinks is that they can be loaded with cream, sugar, syrups, whatever you take. If you order a large flavored latte or mocha, it can have more than 400 calories. A better option is non-fat or soy milk with your coffee and just skip the flavors.

Lora Ann Wright, 45, was shot to death by her husband, Sammie Lee Wright, 52, before he took his own life. Also injured in the incident was Lora Wright’s son, who was shot in the leg and suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Three others also live in the home where the incident took place, according to police.

To donate to the family’s memorial fund, head to the Wells Fargo Bank in St. Anthony at 2700 39th Avenue and ask for the Goodman Wright Memorial Fund.

Playing for the sixth time in 11 days, Los Angeles gave San Antonio its toughest first half of the playoffs before fading fast. And unlike their stunning Game 1 comeback at Memphis in the first round, the Clippers didn’t have the wind this time.

Manu Ginobili added 22 points for the Spurs, who’ve won 15 in a row. It’s the longest winning streak sustained in the NBA playoffs since the 2004 Spurs won 17 straight.

“It’s the playoffs. It’s going to be physical. We knew that coming in,” Duncan said. “We just expected to attack the basket as much as possible.”

Eric Bledsoe led the Clippers with 23 points.

Game 2 is Thursday night.

That gives the beat-up and banged-up Clippers one full day of rest — which is all the time they’ve had to recover between games for the past week and a half.

Los Angeles couldn’t even fly home first after knocking out the Grizzlies on Sunday in Game 7 of a grueling series that had the Clippers hobbling next to Texas. Blake Griffin scored 15 points in 28 minutes a day after estimating his sprained left knee had him feeling “80 percent” at best.

The Clippers said the injury is bad enough that their All-Star and leading scorer might be missing up to two weeks if this were the regular season. But unlike in Game 7 on Sunday, Griffin didn’t take a seat in the fourth quarter until the Spurs were safely ahead in the final minutes.

Rookie Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, hitting all three of his 3s, and Danny Green added 15 points for the Spurs.

The marquee matchup of the series — All-Star point guards Tony Parker and Chris Paul — was a fizzle. Paul, who ended the first round with an aching hip, scored just six points and didn’t make a single basket in the second half. Parker had seven points and 11 assists.

Caron Butler scored 15 points and Nick Young had 13 for the Clippers. Los Angeles cut the deficit to single digits with a 10-burst in the fourth quarter before San Antonio, which hasn’t lost in a month, ran away with its 11th double-digit victory during this dominating winning streak.

The Clippers didn’t even need San Antonio’s help getting more bumps and bruises: Mo Williams, already playing with his sore right fingers taped, took a lump on the head when teammate Reggie Evans kicked him with an errant foot after Williams fell on his back in the lane.

Williams wobbled when he tried standing, sat back down, and the Clippers burned a timeout. He never left the game, but the Clippers weren’t getting any fresher.

Parker, meanwhile, finally felt the hard knocks and slow-him-down shoves that Utah repeatedly promised but never delivered in the first round. Sometimes, the All-Star looked in vain to officials when the whistle didn’t blow. When that didn’t work once in the first quarter, he kept jabbering about a no-call on the last possession while lining up to shoot free throws on the current one.

Popovich, pacing and sensing an impending technical foul, silenced his leading scorer.

“Tony!” Popovich snapped from the sideline. “Shoot!”

Parker waved off the NBA Coach of the Year — he was under control. But his frustrations didn’t end there. He was 1 for 9 despite playing 38 minutes, scoring all but two of his points at the foul line.

Notes: Before this became the deepest Spurs team yet under Popovich, Butler said he came so close to signing with the Spurs after the lockout that he canceled a flight to San Antonio when the Clippers counteroffered. “They made a great pitch,” Butler said. …Leonard finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting, the highest finish for a Spurs player since Ginobili finished fourth in 2003. Said Popovich: “He’s done a good enough job to make me trust him to be in the starting lineup. I’m happy for him.”

David West scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, George Hill added 15 and the Indiana Pacers took home-court advantage away from Miami by beating the Heat 78-75 in Game 2 of the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.

LeBron James scored 28 points for Miami and Dwyane Wade finished with 24, but both missed big chances for the Heat late. James missed two free throws with 54.3 seconds left and Miami down one, and Wade was short on a layup that would have tied the game with 16 seconds remaining.

Mario Chalmers’ 3-pointer to tie bounced away on the final play, and the series was tied 1-1.

Danny Granger scored 11 points and Paul George added 10 for Indiana, which took advantage of Heat forward Chris Bosh’s absence and outrebounded Miami 50-40.

Game 3 is Thursday in Indianapolis.

James had a chance to give Miami the lead with 1:22 left, but his shot was blocked from behind by George, who was fouled two seconds later. He missed both free throws, keeping the Indiana lead at 76-75. And after Wade missed a jumper, James was fouled by Granger — his sixth — battling for the rebound with 54.3 seconds remaining.

James couldn’t connect on either, and the Heat didn’t score again.

Bosh is expected to miss the rest of the series with a strained abdominal muscle. Without him, James and Wade combined for 52 points — and no other Miami player scored more than five.

A dreadful third quarter by Miami — 3 for 17 shooting — allowed Indiana to lead by as much as 11, before the emotions picked up considerably in the fourth.

Wade was steaming when he missed a shot after trying to create contact with Indiana’s Dahntay Jones with 9:53 left. As Wade argued, Jones went the other way and set Leandro Barbosa up for a score that put the Pacers up 63-56.

Chalmers turned the ball over on the next possession, and as the Pacers took off for what set up as a 2-on-none break, Wade caught Darren Collison from behind and knocked him over. A flagrant-1 was called, Collison hit both free throws, the Indiana lead was nine and tensions were suddenly high.

It all seemed to spark Miami.

The Heat scored the next six points, James — who got hit in the head by Granger with 7:25 left, sparking a bit of shoving that led to double-technicals given to both players — added a putback off an offensive rebound and Wade did the same about a minute later, getting Miami within 69-66 with 5:57 left.

James missed a free throw that would have tied it with 4:30 remaining, but after George got the rebound, James dove in to create a jump ball situation. The MVP easily won the tap, sending it to Wade, whose bank shot over West put Miami back on top 72-71.

Barbosa scored on the next Indiana possession. The Pacers weren’t rattled, and left celebrating minutes later.

Indiana scored 16 points in the first seven minutes of the first half, then scored 17 in the next 17 minutes. And even after a drought like that, Miami’s lead was only 38-33 at the break.

George missed four shots in a 60-second span early on, setting the tone for an icy-cold half by the Pacers. Indiana was up 16-9 midway through the first when the Heat went to a smaller lineup that paid quick dividends.

Three baskets at the rim — a layup by Wade, then James firing a pass to Turiaf for a dunk, followed by a Wade touch pass to James for another slam — erased most of the early deficit, and defense did the rest. Indiana missed 24 of 29 shots in one stretch, and after Hibbert used his size advantage to get three shots in the first 1:11, he only got two attempts over the rest of the half.

Miami was 0-for-7 on shots that would have pushed its margin to double digits in the first half, continuing a trend from Game 1. Neither team ever led the series opener by more than nine either, and when George made a 3-pointer with 6:09 left in the third, the Pacers had pulled into a 46-all tie. A steal and dunk by George followed on the next possession, putting the Pacers back on top.

Before long, the Pacers had that first 10-point edge of the series. Collison’s jumper with 1:29 left in the third put Indiana up 59-49, and the margin was 61-52 entering the fourth.

For as bad as Indiana’s first half was offensively, Miami’s third quarter was equally dreadful — the Heat were outscored 28-14 on 3-for-17 shooting in the period, the third-worst shooting effort by the reigning East champs in any quarter this season.

Tyler Glenn Swaser was charged with one misdemeanor count of littering on a highway in connection with the incident.

According to a complaint, the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office was called on Nov. 8, 2011, to the area of Orlando Avenue and 267th Street in Douglas Township on a report that a man was dumping garbage in the ditch. An officer reported that he had seen two men with and East Metro Lawn Care truck back their vehicle up to a ditch and take a tarp off the back of their truck.

A sheriff’s deputy later found a large pile of garbage near the area that had been dumped on the west side of the road. It included lawn bags with plastic bottles and trash, fertilizer bags, pink plant holders, a broken shovel, a bag from a lawnmower, tarps and fast food packages, the complaint states.

There were also four signs with a phone number for Swaser with East Metro Lawn Care. Swaser returned a phone call from police saying he had permission to dumb garbage on a property.

Police then informed Swaser that they found garbage, including his signage, a mile down the road in a ditch.

If convicted, Swaser faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Los Angeles dominated the opener and was even better in Game 2, withstanding Phoenix’s initial push and string of penalties for a 2-0 series lead.

Dwight King scored his third goal in two games and Quick tied a team record with his third career playoff shutout to give the Kings a dominating lead heading into Game 3 Thursday night in Los Angeles.

The Kings have won nine straight road playoff games in two seasons, matching the NHL record set by the New York Islanders from 1982-83.

The Islanders won the Stanley Cup both of those years.

Quick matched Felix Potvin’s team record for playoff shutouts and Carter finished off his first career playoff hat trick in the third period, securing the Kings’ seventh straight win overall.

The Coyotes played better early and fell apart late, becoming frustrated after being unable to contain the more-skilled Kings.

Phoenix was hit with a string of penalties starting late in the second period, including a game misconduct to captain Shane Doan for boarding Kings center Trevor Lewis. Martin Hanzal also received one for boarding Dustin Brown in the third period and the Coyotes had 13 penalties for 56 minutes — most coming after the final 5 minutes of the second period.

The Kings won the opener 4-2 by outplaying and outhustling Phoenix.

Knowing Phoenix’s makeup, the Kings figured to get more of a pushback in Game 2.

And the Coyotes were much more aggressive early, winning some of the individual battles they lost in Game 1 while creating some decent scoring chances.

Even with all of Phoenix’s hard work and a couple of line changes by coach Dave Tippett, the Kings still managed to score first. King got it, redirecting a shot by Drew Doughty that beat Mike Smith stick side late in the period.

Hard work in the corners by Mike Richards set up Los Angeles’ second goal, by Carter. He muscled the puck past Smith’s glove side as he was going down on a feed from Dustin Penner that made it 2-0 early in the second period.

“I’ve been working hard in practice to get my game where I wanted it,” Carter said.

Then things completely unraveled for the Coyotes.

Doan, who was suspended three games for elbowing earlier in the season, was given a game misconduct and a five-minute boarding penalty for ramming Lewis from behind. Defenseman Keith Yandle was already in the penalty box and Daymond Langkow joined him after a slashing penalty, giving Los Angeles a two-man advantage for more than 2 minutes.

Brown was sent off for diving on a slash by Smith, but that didn’t bother the Kings. Carter scored his second a few seconds later on a redirect of a shot by Anze Kopitar, putting Los Angeles up 3-0.

“It’s no secret we been struggling a bit with the power play and to get some goals will give us confidence on it,” Carter said. “We have some pretty skilled guys out there on the power play.”

With the Coyotes racking up penalties seemingly on every shift, Carter finished them off with his fifth career hat trick, punching in a rebound with the Kings on a two-man advantage after Hanzal’s hit on Brown.

Notes: The Kings were without D Colin Fraser, out of the lineup attending to a family matter. … Coyotes LW Ray Whitney played in his 100th career playoff game. D Michael Stone played his first with Adrian Aucoin still out of the lineup and David Schlemko still not fully healthy. … Rocker Alice Cooper, who lives in the Valley, attended the game. … The last team to win seven straight road playoff games in one season was Chicago in 2010.

Target’s results illustrate that Americans are beginning to spend cautiously as economic uncertainty persists. The job and housing markets are still shaky, but falling gas prices have given shoppers hope.

Target, which became a discount darling by offering stylish clothes and trendy decor under the same roof as toothpaste and cereal, has had some success with drawing customers in with a larger selection of foods and a program it started in 2010 that offers a 5 percent discount for those who pay with Target-branded credit and debit cards.

“We’re very pleased with our first-quarter earnings, which benefited from better-than-expected sales,” Gregg Steinhafel, Target’s CEO, said in a statement.

The retailer, based in Minneapolis, earned $697 million, or $1.04 per share, in the quarter ended April 28. That compares with $689 million, or 99 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 5.9 percent to $16.86 billion. Results beat the earnings of $1.02 per share on revenue of $16.83 billion analysts polled by FactSet were expecting.

Revenue at stores opened at least a year rose 5.3 percent, the strongest performance in six years for that period. The measure is considered a key indicator of a retailer’s health.

Going forward, Target faces some challenges. Some shoppers have been looking online for lower prices. And rivals are copying its formula of partnering with designers.

Also, like most retailers, Target’s business in April was disappointing as warmer-than-usual weather earlier in the year pulled sales forward. But the company raised its full-year profit guidance by 5 cents. Target now expects earnings per share to be in the range of $4.60 per share to $4.80 per share. Analysts had expected $4.28 per share.

“While our outlook for the remainder of the 2012 reflects continued economic uncertainty, we are confident in our strategy,” Steinhafel said.

Target’s stock rose $1.20, or more than 2 percent, to $56.28 in pre-market trading..

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

Nick Dickhut, a 23-year-old Sergeant from Rochester, died last month while battling enemy forces in Afghanistan. Dickhut had been stationed in Fort Lewis, Wash.

Officials said Dickhut’s memorial service will be held Wednesday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which is  a military base located southwest of Tacoma, Wash. Before his tour of duty in Afghanistan, Dickhut served in Iraq in 2009.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — “Bizarre Foods” star Andrew Zimmern has taken quite a journey to get to where he is now.

Before he moved to the Twin Cities 20 years ago, Andrew Zimmern lived a much different life.

“I actually had a pretty highly developed food career in New York and L.A., and was operating a group of restaurants with some friends in New York city,” said Zimmern. “It all completely fell apart when my addiction and my alcoholism just when into full-blown life-cratering mode.”

Zimmern says he was addicted to both hard drugs and alcohol, including cocaine, Quaaludes and heroin.

When you look at him today, you’d never guess the star of a hit TV franchise was once homeless in New York City for the better part of a year.

“I really didn’t want to go on with my life, I think the emptiest feeling a human can have is complete failure and feeling hopeless and really legitimately homeless,” he said.

Ready for what he calls “the last attempt to help myself,” Zimmern came to Minnesota.

“Andrew was like a lot of us trying to learn how to live life sober, live life responsibly,” said William Moyers, the vice president of public advocacy at Hazelden.

He was treated at Hazelden using the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

“Part of our treatment regiment is helping the addict or the alcoholic understand that the disease is not their fault, but that treatment recovery is their responsibility,” said Moyers.

It worked. As part of the process at Hazelden, Zimmern was encouraged to find work.

“I started dishwashing and busing tables,” said Zimmern.

Then one day, Zimmern filled in for a chef who had called in sick.

“I think within a month I was the executive chef at the restaurant and had replaced a lot of the staff,” he said. Without the destructive power of drugs and alcohol to get in the way, Andrew’s comeback began.

“The minute I stopped having everything be about me and had everything be about other people and got out of my own way, things started happening in my life, started happening in my life that were the things I’d wanted all the time,” Zimmern says.

Part 1 of Chris Stanford’s 2 Part Story

Fire crews responded to a house fire at about 10:36 a.m. on April 30 on the 10500 block of Tranquil Road in Lake Edward Township in Crow Wing County. When authorities arrived, they found two bodies inside the residence. They were later identified as 56-yeawr-old Kenneth Alan Ponsness and 57-year-old Kathleen Marie Ponsness.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday the incident was ruled a murder-suicide. They said Kenneth Ponsness set the fire to take Kathleen Ponsness’s life before taking his own.

Effective Wednesday, state burning restrictions will be lifted in Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Pennington, Polk, Roseau and St. Louis counties of northern Minnesota. Next Monday, the DNR plans to lift burning restrictions in Lake and Cook counties of northeastern Minnesota.

The DNR says that last move will remove all spring seasonal restrictions on open burning throughout the state. However, special burning restrictions continue in portions of Pine County in the St. Croix Valley because of large amounts of downed wood from the blowdown storm last July 2011. And local restrictions may apply elsewhere.

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

The Simplest Safeguard: Lighting

“People in their sixties need three to four times normal household lighting,” said Alissa Boroff of Access Solutions. “More lighting makes the home safer from trips and falls and helps seniors function better. Be careful not to have table lamps where they can be bumped or create a falling hazard.” Brighter bulbs and more lighting sources may be all you need.

The Biggest Safety Hazard: Bathroom

“Most older adults need bathroom accessories,” said Boroff. “There is a trend toward comfort-height toilets. People with limited mobility may need them just to sit down and get up. People of all ages find them more comfortable.” Safety bars and grips for getting in and out of the shower — avoid tubs — prevent accidents for people of all ages.

Biggest Barrier in the Home: Stairs

Converting a spare room on the main floor into a bedroom is the easiest solution. Getting a lift or an elevator may be needed depending on your home design, especially for steps into the house. Minnesota homes are seldom built at ground level, making handicapped accessibility a problem for many citizens. You may need to build a ramp if mom’s mobility is hampered. Lifts and elevators can do the job as well.

Just Being There for Mom

“You can get pretty frazzled worrying about all the personal care details if you have not arranged for home health care,” said Shelly Elkington of Avenues for Care, an organization that provides Personal Care Assistants in the home. “What many forget, with two people working outside the home during the day, someone may have to give medications, prepare meals, drive the parent to the clinic or to do their hair.” Elkington recommends calling your Minnesota county social service agency for senior care services and additional assistance tips in your area. Here are a few places to help get you started.

The following local businesses may be able to help you get started:

Access Solutions
1007 E. 14th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 238-5429
www.accesssolutions.org

Alissa Boroff of Access Solutions, a division of Augustana Therapy Services, can check your home for accessibility issues or help your parent stay in his or her current home with a few minor alterations.

Avenues for Care, Inc.
101 S. 1st St., Ste. 200
Montevideo, MN 56265
(320) 269-2929
www.avenuesforcare.com

Avenues for Care provides home cares services in western and central Minnesota.

MinnesotaHelp.info
Senior LinkAge Line
(800) 333-2433
www.minnesotahelp.info

Seniors, their families and caregivers are encouraged to use Senior LinkAge Line to find help. This comprehensive website, a part of MinnesotaHelp.info has an abundance of information on senior accommodations.

Related: Minnesota Tops In Elderly Care
Related: 7 Signs Your Home Needs a Professional

For more great tricks, tips and advice about your home, visit CBSMinnesota.com/YourHome.

Robin Johnson was born in Annandale, Minn. and graduated from the University of Minnesota where he studied Political Science, Business and Industrial Relations. A writer for Examiner.com, he also consults with a variety of organizations and individuals helping them develop and grow. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

MANKATO, Minn. (WCCO) — The body of a woman who disappeared while tubing in southern Minnesota has been found and identified.

The victim is 21-year-old Jenny Mae Kraling of Mankato. The incident happened along the Blue Earth River in Rapidan, a town south of Mankato. Karling’s body was found around 7 p.m.

Police said they aren’t sure if she’d been drinking and added that her body was found just yards from where she went missing. According to authorities, she was with three men when she went under and it’s not clear if she got off her tube on purpose, or if she fell in.

“The stronger current from the moving water is a contributing factor,” said Chief Deputy Mike Maurer, of Blue Earth County police. He added that the lack of a life jacket also contributed to the death.

Police said the currents were dangerous because of recent rain.

Mike Dombroske, who initially called 911 after seeing Kraling go under water for nearly a minute, said a man told Kraling a number of times that she was getting too close to the current.

“She’d come up and was hanging on the tube with them; then she swam away a little bit again,” Dombroske said. “The…they couldn’t get to her in time.”

Dombrokse said the men tried to help.

“I’ve seen close calls,” he said. “And I haven’t ever seen anything happen like this.”

KEYC News Director Dan Ruiter said at least five departments assisted in the search for the woman.

Ruiter said that stretch of the river is popular for canoeists and kayakers, but not necessarily tubers.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – For 10 weeks, the New York Times fiction best sellers list has been topped by a trilogy of books that some call “mommy porn.” One book, E.L. James’ “50 Shades of Grey,” has set the publishing world on fire; it’s arguably the biggest-selling erotic romance in decades.

But why are romance novels so hot?

By a previously unknown author, “50 Shades of Grey” has sold an incredible 3 million copies, in just a couple of weeks.

“It’s not just your mom’s romances anymore,” said Jessica Moyer, PhD., a literary education assistant professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who has taught classes on romance novels.

She says the romance novel is being rediscovered.

According to the Romance Writers of America, a largely female audience spent nearly $1.4 billion on romance novels in 2010. That’s more than double the amount spent on mystery novels, according to the group.

“There’s been books like this for ages,” Moyer said. “They’ve just been really small. This particular type of romance with a strong domineering hero and submissive heroine, are very reminiscent of the 1970s historical romances, which used to be called the bodice rippers.”

“50 Shades” started as an online story, posted on a fiction site for fans of the “Twilight” novels, called “Master of the Universe.” One year later, it was self-published as an e-book, where romance makes up half the books sold.

The lack of racy cover art is a bonus with a Kindle, Moyer said.

“Because you could read whatever you want without people making fun of you,” she added.

Now, like a heroine leaping towards her long-lost lover, the publishing industry is going all-in on erotic romance novels.

Moyer said there are romance novels with more graphic sex scenes, and novels with better written storylines. So why did this one blow up?

“If I knew, there’s a publisher in New York that would pay me a lot of money”” she said. “Everybody’s trying to figure that out.”

For people interested in the “50 Shades” series, Moyer hopes they’ll explore other romance novels. She recommends the works of Maya Rodale and Anne Calhoun.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Minnesota’s largest airline is making changes after we uncovered frequent flyers were paying more for some plane tickets.

It was an online booking a few weeks ago that left Patrick Smith and his business partner asking why they were paying so much more.

Delta didn’t have any answers for them until we got involved.
WCCO investigates the surprising results we found when we compared prices and what Delta’s doing about it now.

Most of us will take anything that makes life a little easier in the labyrinth of air travel. Whether it’s a
a better position in the security line, priority seating or bonus miles, but paying more to fly?

Business executives Patrick Smith and Steve Lisle happened to be booking flights side-by-side from MSP to St. Louis a few weeks ago.

“We were a bit shocked and confused as to how this was happening because we were booking the exact same flight,” Smith said.

They were getting nearly a $300 difference for an economy fare. Lisle was getting the cheaper ticket and he wasn’t logged in to his Sky Miles account. They thought a call to Delta would clear things up.

“She said that’s the way their system works, that’s the way their system is set up and that was the end of the conversation,” Smith said.

“We’re like you’ve got to be kidding me, right?” Lisle added.

The men set out to see how often this happens, thinking they’ve overpaid for who knows how long.

We were there when they checked five trips with the same dates and the same flight numbers.

This time, Smith’s not logged into his frequent flyer plan.
They found from MSP to LAX a $124 difference for economy fare and more than $1,000 separated the first-class fare.

The same thing happened for two more trips. So in three-out-of-five tests, the frequent flyer would be paying more. The other times the prices were the same.

“We haven’t found one yet where the frequent flyer gets a better price,” Lisle said.

We tried three cards in tests of our own. Again, we found without the card in one trip of the three, it was cheaper. There was a $168 difference. When we called Delta they blamed the price differences on a computer problem they’ve now fixed.
In a statement, Paul Skrbec, a Delta spokesperson said, “The differences of how information was presented between logged in and non-logged in customers has been resolved. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused while we worked to resolve the issue.”

The company couldn’t tell us how long it went on and said they wouldn’t be notifying customers of the problem but if travelers call, they will look into it on a case-by-case basis.

Passengers who thought they were getting something for all they do spend, now are considering their options after something Delta calls a computer glitch — that may cost the airline in the end.

“I am considering taking my airline business elsewhere and working with a different airline,” Smith said.

The founder of a consumer website called airfarewatchdog.com said he wasn’t surprised by this story. He said he hears about computer problems with the airlines all the time.

George Hobica says in most cases, frequent-flyer programs are a great way to get rewarded for being a loyal customer, but he says passengers shouldn’t buy stuff without going to the online shopping mall of an airline first. He says there are often extra-mile rewards when you spend money on anything from vases to aspirin.

If you’re looking for more information, check out airfarewatchdog.com or evreward.com.