I'm Paul Majors up next on Caroleleven news at six police in Wade Park look for
suspects in the city's first murder in 13 years will have the story.
Plus firefighters determine the cause of a damaging fire at uptown and it's not
what they originally thought. And the city of Minneapolis accepts the blame
in a fatal accident involving a police car that is tonight's top story.
Good evening two months ago a Minneapolis squad car rammed a vehicle in
South Minneapolis killing two men. Tonight for the first time the city admits the
officer was in the wrong and plans to pay the victims families the maximum
allowed under state law. The squad car officer Doug Leiter was driving the
squad car he was driving slammed into a pickup truck on November 27th. A report
concludes the officer ran a stop sign with no emergency lights or sirens. Today
the mayor and others offered apologies to the families of the two victims and
Caroleleven's Bernie Grace was there. I don't think we can say I'm sorry enough
but I'm sure that we'll say I'm sorry over and over and over again. The mayor
and other city leaders admitted the city was liable in the deaths of Steve
Winkle and Jeff Carlson and they've offered three hundred thousand dollars
to each of their families. It's the right thing for the aggrieved families it's
the right thing for the residents of our city who expected us as a council to act
with integrity and swiftness which we believe we've done. I think they're trying
to put me to bed and get rid of me. Jim Winkle has gathered every police report
in this case and scoured them time and again. He points to statements by police
officers citing what he says are numerous inconsistencies and
contradictions ranging from having their son's vehicle going the opposite
direction that it was, wrong location of the accident and even wrong color of his
son's truck. Unbelievable sloppy police work these are these are the offices
that are have been trained to protect us and they can't get the color of a truck
right. Also upsetting to Winkle are appearing contradictions and
statements given by the driver of the squad car. Later turn his emergency lights
on and slow down for a stop sign. He then continued into the intersection and heard
his partner yell truck. But Winkle says that flies in the face of other
statements found in the accident reconstruction report. Later went through
a stop sign with no emergency equipment activated. This officer's lying through
his teeth so if he's lying I want I want those lies brought out. I don't I don't
want a settlement or anything like that I want them to say this officer is
covering up everybody's covering up. I mean they can't even get their two
people are dead and they can't even get their facts as to what street corner
they're on or what color the truck was. What kind of an investigation is this?
Well all I can say is that the reports speak for themselves and that those
reports have been turned over to the county attorney for their review for any
criminal activity. Chief Olson says there's an ongoing internal police review
that could lead to disciplinary action. It could well be that we frankly have a
good policy it was just disregarded. It's a highly unusual move just as the police
reports are finished in such a tragic accident. The city attorney's office
steps up to the plate and offers the payout to the victims families the
maximum amount allowed under state law $300,000 and it appears attorneys for
the victims families will sign off on this deal if allowed to attach a couple
of conditions. In Minneapolis, Bernie Grace, Carol Levin news. The officer in
question is now on death duty in the past he's refused comment on the
accident he was unavailable today. A St. Cloud man released from prison just
weeks ago is back in jail tonight he's accused of killing his ex-girlfriend. The
body of 20 year old Jermaine Chicano was found in a basement yesterday in Waite
Park just outside of St. Cloud. It's the city's first murder in 13 years and as
Carol Levin's Rhonda Kinslow reports the murder leaves a nine-month-old baby
without his parents. Nine-month-old Tate will never again be able to rely on his
mother's hands to stand up. 20 year old Jermaine Chicano was found dead Tuesday
afternoon. The prime suspect a former boyfriend also Tate's father. When I
heard about what happened it was a shock. Friends and family hadn't seen Chicano
in the past seven days and they were worried. Deborah Johnson Fuller says
Chicano spoke with her last summer about an abusive partner. And he was in jail at
that time and I guess I just didn't realize how strong of a hold he had on
her. You know even through jail even through through prison. Johnson Fuller
says Chicano told her she'd been abused repeatedly by her boyfriend. And
yesterday at 1230 I got the call. The news was bad and it implicated the
former boyfriend. Police chief Ken Dickinson says a call came to the
department from the victim's sister. The suspect called her and told her to have
the Waite Park Police Department check the basement of this house.
That there we would find the body. The body was found in the basement floor
apartment. The victim's boyfriend had been staying in the lower level unit
after being released from prison January 20th. The murder of Chicano is a
spiritual loss for the Dakota Indian community of Waite Park. Friends huddled
around the victim's mother who says her pain runs deep since Stearns County
authorities have now taken her grandson from her and placed him in temporary
foster care. Community members and friends say Chicano may have felt alone
but since her murder it's clear she never really was alone. The suspect has
not been charged in this case and here's why. He's currently being investigated
for a parole violation. As we said he was released from prison just two weeks ago
and was on home monitoring. We don't know how much time he has served for that
but we've learned he was convicted of endangering Chicano's life in a car wreck.
The police chief tells us the suspect will be charged after the parole
violation in about a week and we've also learned just moments ago from the police
department that the cause of death is strangulation. Back to you. Thanks Rhonda.
Rush hour traffic is at a standstill tonight on 494 near the site of a fatal
accident in Mendota Heights. It appears a vehicle smashed into a barrier in the
median on 494 westbound at Dodd Road. Rescue crews responded around 3 o'clock
this afternoon and are still on the scene there. They say one person died.
State police are now investigating. A warning for milk drinkers tonight some
cartons out there could be contaminated. Lando Lakes is recalling 10 ounce single
servings of 2% milk. The cartons are dated February 10th or 11th with the
plant code PLT 27416. Lando Lakes says the milk could be contaminated with a
type of listeria, a bacterial food poisoning that can be fatal to people
with a weak immune system. A lawsuit over tainted maltomule cereal has become a
class-action case. A Hennepin County judge ruled the suit could represent
everyone in the US who became sick. The Centers for Disease Control confirmed
211 cases of salmonella last spring believed to be related to the
Minneapolis-based company cereal. The city of Minneapolis faces another lawsuit
for the deadly holodazzle accident. The suit filed on behalf of three injured
victims and a family member claims the city and the downtown council are
responsible. Attorneys say the accident was the result of careless training and
supervision of the van driver officer Thomas Sawena. Fire investigators say
arson is the probable cause for a fire that destroyed an uptown business in
December. Authorities believe a man started the fire using trash. He's also
being investigated for two smaller fires in the uptown area. And excavators have
turned up five new graves on the campus of St. Cloud State. Archaeologists at the
school are digging at that site, believed to be a cemetery for early
Minnesota pioneers. It was discovered during construction of the university's
new library. We're going to take a break but still to come a creature feature
that will make you batty. And also up next the continuing search for the
Pioneer Press Medallion will tell you why the treasure hunt has turned into a
free-for-all. Annem Kambarlow on the backyard. Get ready, winter is about to
make a return visit but will it last? I'll let you know in just a few minutes.
Coming up in sports from St. Paul to Hastings to New Hope. The state's top
football players signed national tenders. We'll have the story. Plus it's not just
signing day for football stars. Check it out. And the Gopher basketball team needs
more than Quincy to win tonight. Stay tuned for sports.
With Paul Majors, Pat Miles, Ken Barlow and Randy Shaver. You're watching
Carrie Levin News at 6.
Fortune seekers were hard at work today digging up St. Paul and what do they have
to show for it? Well as a matter of fact somebody's got a lot to show for it.
We just found out that the medallion has been found. Carrie Levin's can speak has
been over in St. Paul all day long searching hither and yon. Alas you had no
luck. I didn't hear you guys yeah but I'm assuming you're wanting to come to
meetings. Folks are just kind of standing around stunned at the moment.
They hadn't realized it had been found. I hadn't realized it had been found and
we were all ready to show you folks determined to keep searching because
they're convinced that as a matter of fact some of them still are convinced
that that medallion is hiding beneath the snow here in Conway Park. Somewhere
here because there's the library, there's the water tower, there's 3M, there's the
translucent peak. Yeah it's out here somewhere but might go to the last clue.
I don't know. We'll see. I've been out here for the last three nights. I'm going on
about four hours of sleep in the last two days. It's been nuts. Conway Park
looks like a battlefield as if every cubic inch of snow has been moved and
moved again. Listen the sound of shovels, ice chopters, pickaxes, fireplace shovels,
trowels, rakes, hoes. A few folks get a little extreme sometimes. Some dug up
landscaping, some smashed home plate in the ball field but most just enjoy the
experience. They must just think we're idiots or something. You know here we got this
wrestling governor and these are the people they voted for. The folks who voted for him.
There was a kind of frantic feeling throughout. Folks wanting that $10,000.
Sue Miller and Chris Mullinarchick came from Video Update corporate headquarters.
They were on their lunch hour and Sue Altman was serving up hot dogs and hot
chocolate. Keep them going. Yeah some need food and some may appear to take
a rest from time to time but most well that $10,000 prize just kind of keeps
them going. It would be horrible if everybody was in the wrong part. The rings aren't of
equal size so I don't know. Something's not coming together. I have to wait till
tonight but I will be here at 1130 tonight. No she won't because if I
understand correctly folks at the TV station tell me that the medallion was
found here in the park and we got a huge crowd around us now folks wondering
where who when because apparently whoever found it did it very quietly
slipped it away somewhere and took it down to the Pioneer Press. We're going
down to this conference shortly. We'll tell you more. Yeah well I yelled bingo
once and I didn't have it so. Oh the story is about how close they were are
just right out here. There's so many of them. That's right. Still ahead the
winter thought continues. Ken has a warm forecast coming up and he'll have the
details when we come back.
Heart healthy. Ken Barlow joins us now. We had a warm day but snow on the way.
Fantastically warm. Yeah as a matter of fact we get a little mix out here a
little rain, little snow, a little something for everybody in the family I
guess but the warm air is just about run its course at least for the next 24 to
36 hours and then the warm month of February will continue on and through
the weekend. Here's what's happened on this date 39 degrees. Amazing the high
temperature. Believe it or not it's in the teens and single numbers from
Alexandria to St. Cloud North. That's the kind of cold air headed this way. The
winds by the way up there also gusting to 35 to 45 miles per hour. That too is
headed our way. Not much accumulation you know we thought there might be a
dusting or a half inch or so but it's kind of raining mixed with some wet snow
out here right now. Here's a time lapse from earlier today. We did have some
sunshine at times and we'll look at Doppler first. Okay that works for me.
We've got some scattered rain showers and snow showers all around the station.
You can see that's in the middle of the dial there. That's Carol Evan and most of
the heavier stuff is to the northwest of the Twin Cities up in fact well to the
northwest of the Twin Cities up toward Crookston and other areas that way where
they did see a half inch to one inch of rain and snow mixed but here this is the
beginning of the end of the warm air. Look at this 38 degrees and cloudy at
the airport but it's only going to be a temporary end to all the warm stuff
that we've had lately. We're going right back into the 30s and even 40s in the
extended forecast. The wind chill is 31. The winds are out of the west at 10 and
the barometer is on the way up from 29.39. Here's a look at radar now and
you can see a whole mix of junk headed in from the west. Watch what happens though.
A lot of it expanded over Wisconsin. It was snowing like heck at Eau Claire and
Wausau earlier. Now that's moving on through. We have this one band of mixed
precip to put up with and then the winds will howl when the temperature is going
to drop like a rock. Here's a forecast overnight tonight. Expect it to turn much
colder. Turning windy as well within the next two hours the winds will begin to
pick up. Actually pretty dramatically winds gusting to 35 miles per hour.
Temperatures by morning around 10. Tomorrow the Sun will be back but so
will the February air. It'll be like it should be at this time of year with the
high and low 20s and then here it comes again. That warming just won't end. 35 on
Friday with some drizzle and then clearing in the afternoon. Saturday looks
good. Sunday even better and if you like that you'll love Monday and all of next
week looking very very warm. But look to the north. Bemidji 5 below 0. St. Cloud
close to 0. Everybody warms a little bit but typical for this time of year. So a
one-day cool down Paul and Pat and then it's right back on the right track. If
you like the warm stuff it'll be back here on Friday. All right thank you very
much. Ray de Schaver is here now. Sports a lot going on today. Yeah Robert Smith
named you the Pro Bowl short time ago. I guess he was vacationing in Anchorage,
Alaska and had to beg him to come to Honolulu but I think I'm just kidding.
He's gonna replace Barry Sanders. 10 Vikings in the Pro Bowl that's a record.
Wow. Yeah very impressive. On to other things. For some high school football
seniors. On to other things. For some high school football seniors it's the most
important day of their young lives. Signing day. Today they back up that
verbal commitment with a signature. Minnesota did not produce many Division
One players this year but of the nine in-state recruits six are staying home
and that includes big-time player Thomas Tepe. The most sought-after football
recruit in Minnesota made it official this afternoon. Johnson High running
back Thomas Tepe signed with the Gophers. So the young man who burned St. Paul
Conference defenses at a record pace over the past two years, 3,700 yards, 51
touchdowns will officially take his skills to the U of M. That's like giving
a piece of me away but I guess something good is gonna happen later on.
Just gotta wait and be patient. That's it. Tepe's close friend and neighbor Phil
Archer also signed with Minnesota today. In fact Thomas showed up at Crete and
Durham Hall to watch. Archer will play linebacker at the U. At 6'2", he made
90 tackles, 16 for losses last fall. He's excited about his future. I'm happy with
the decision I made and I feel it's probably the best decision for me and I
think I'm gonna have a lot of fun there. This was a big day for Dan Nystrom of
Cooper High School and his parents. Nystrom signed with the Gophers. Dan is
a big-time kicker and that's what he'll do at the U. He made two field goals over
50 yards last fall but at 5'11", 2'10", Dan's also an all-around tough
athlete. Today is a dream come true. It's just been fun you know it's the
hometown kind of thing and you know I love staying around here I love
Minnesota so it's gonna be a great plan for the Gophers. Hastings High School
star Ben Utech signed on the dotted line today. He'll play for Glenn Mason. He's
the only receiver the Gophers signed today. Utech at 6'6", 2'10", runs a 4'5",
40-yard dash. He's one of the better players in the Midwest. The Gophers also
landed offensive tackle Anthony Debruzzi of Stillwater. He's 6'8", 2'80". He had
more than 20 pancake blocks last fall. Gopher head coach Glenn Mason was free
to talk about his recruiting class today. Glenn is pleased with his in-state
player. We effectively closed the border so you know we're really excited about
that last year because it was the perception was the first time in a long
time and now we've done it again and and I just got done talking to coaches I
don't want to underestimate that. I want to make sure that we keep the
pressure on at all times. Two other big-name players signed but with
Northwestern Lewis Ienny a top running back from state champion Woodbury and
Regis Eller the son of former Viking great Carl Eller both signed 10
with the Wildcats Regis number 81 they signed with Northwestern today. National
Signing Day isn't reserved for just football players either. How about this
scene in Burnsville just over an hour ago? Nine of Minnesota's top volleyball
players all signing tenders at the same time with nine different colleges. Lisa
Axel the Buffalo star and the top player in the state signed with the Gophers.
She's the only one of the group to play for the Gophers but a lot of great
talent they all played for the Northern Lights team out there in Burnsville in
testament to the outstanding volleyball programs in the state. Switching gears to
basketball the 18th rated Gophers men's basketball team hosts last place Illinois
tonight the Gophers need this win to stay on track for an NCAA berth and they
need more offense than just Quincy Lewis against Wisconsin Saturday he scored 25
points but Joel Prisbilla the big guy inside no points no rebounds no blocks
the Gophers need to find a balance to beat the lineup. People have bad games you
know I have bad games everybody have bad games you know it's not a time for us to
you know no one's getting down on nobody the confidence is still high you know
people on this team have put up big numbers and we'll put up big numbers you
know right now it's just slumping you know and we just we'll have that
production and we get that and get everybody clicking on the same cylinders
that's when you need to watch out for us. Game starts at seven o'clock while
highlights at ten. Well he's good isn't he? He is a very good player. But they need more than just him.
Kevin Clark and Joel Prisbilla, Miles Tarver even the offensive end they need
to step it up. Right. Up next a creature feature that you might see crawling out
of the woodwork. But at first here's a look at closing numbers on Wall Street
today and we'll be right back.
Well you normally don't see these creatures at this time of year but thanks
to our abnormally warm weather they've come alive just a little bit early.
Nancy Gibson is back once again with a couple of buddies. That's right they are the big
brown bats and whether you like them or not they can use your help. Ouch! Now listen
most people think of bats and they think this is dread and ick and ooh and really
they should be just delighted to have bats around. I have a bat house in my
yard and I just think it's great because it does take care of the mosquitoes. I'm
holding... Oh yeah they made Minnesota a mosquito free zone. We need more bats. No I know
they eat mosquitoes. We need more. Sure. Yes I agree. Now I am holding... Out in the bat
houses. Yes well we need more bat houses. I'm holding a little female right here
a little brown bat. Actually it's a big brown bat but they're kind of small.
She's eating mealworms. This little girl's name is Sally and unfortunately
she got the bat end of a tennis racket and so she had her her left wing was
just amputated so she cannot go back into the wild. You are holding Oscar. I
need to turn this up. Yeah you want to turn that up. This is a special bat house. Yeah just
so we don't want Oscar to get loose. No. Poor Oscar. Yeah Oscar is a...
This is a special bat house just made for television. That's not normally what
they look like with a plexiglass cover on it but these are the sort of things
that I have up in my yard and you can actually get bat houses and have them
put up in your yard and it takes a couple years but they will eventually
attract bats and of course that will certainly help with the mosquito problems. Great climbers.
Yes you were noticing earlier the claws they have on it. The little hooks they have on the side.
That's why they can hang upside down. They do it very very efficiently.
We should mention the tax form. Yes and in fact if you want more information
about bats contact the DNR. They can give you plans for the bat house. They can
tell you if you're having some bat problems what to do with it and
while you're calling them talk about the non-game wildlife program.
Yes but please check off the check off right there on the loon. That's right tax
deductible right for the following year right? For the following year and it
helps 500 different species in Minnesota. One of them is just the bats. Thanks Nancy. We appreciate it.
Thanks Oscar. Yeah Oscar's doing a good job today. Yes he's hanging just like he's supposed to.
He's hanging in there. He's hanging in there.
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