Governor Jesse Ventura picks a police chief to lead the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources. The appointee investigated a well-known Minnesota missing persons case. And an amphitheater
is planned for this former farmland in the Twin Cities. Find out why a city near this
site thinks the proposal will create problems. Plus, just ask this mail carrier. January
in Minnesota means ice and snow. We go in depth to beat the groundhog to the punch.
See if a snowy January means anything for February's forecast. You're watching KSTP
Channel 5. Now, with news that matters to you, this is Channel 5 Eyewitness News at
6. Governor Jesse Ventura had to navigate some rough water with his first pick to head
the Department of Natural Resources. Alan Horner got away after some old fishing violations
surfaced. And this morning, the governor reeled in Alan Garber. He's the big fish at the Champlain
Park Police Department. But Garber admits he's not an avid sportsman. Good evening,
I'm Randy Meyer. And I'm Colleen Needles. Thank you for joining us. Governor Ventura's
first choice for DNR Commissioner Al Horner was forced to resign because of hunting and
fishing violations. His second choice won't face that same fate. Alan Garber doesn't
hunt and has rarely gone fishing. As Channel 5's Tom Hauser reports, that made the choice
of Garber quite a surprise. The suspense over who would be the next DNR Commissioner ended
when Alan Garber walked into the governor's reception room. Suspense was replaced by surprise.
I've done some fishing, a little fishing in the state of Minnesota. And before, I lived
in South Dakota, I did some fishing. But I've never hunted. That's right. The new DNR Commissioner
rarely fishes and doesn't hunt. But now he's in charge of overseeing Minnesota's hunting
and fishing rights and regulations. I'm a little bit in shock right now. Senator Bob
Lassard is chairman of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. He never
expected Garber's appointment. The governor has the right to appoint anybody. That's the
way it appears prerogative. I just hope that, again, that he surrounds himself with people
who know something about hunting and fishing. Garber recently served as Champlain Police
Chief and has an extensive background in law enforcement. As an FBI agent, he supervised
the Jacob Wetterling kidnapping investigation in the early 90s. Governor Ventura says Garber's
lack of hunting and fishing experience will help him bring a consensus on controversial
issues. And I wanted someone who I think can come in and do this job from the perspective
of no previously held bias. So when any changes that I make will be done strictly in the best
interests of the employees, the citizens and the environment. Despite his misgivings, Senator
Lassard doesn't think Garber will have a difficult time being confirmed by the Senate. But he
does say it might be a good idea for Garber to meet with groups of anglers and hunters
and convince them he's the right man for the job. At the Capitol, Tom Hauser, Channel 5,
Eyewitness News. As Police Chief and Champlain, Garber was in charge of 34 full-time employees.
The DNR has 2,000 full-time employees and a two-year budget of $400 million. Now, historically,
sportsmen and women are a traditional hands-on group. So news of today's appointment of a
DNR commissioner with no real hunting or fishing appetite surprises them. Eric Giselson has
a sampling of reaction from Minnesota's outdoors. Sportsmen and women did not want a new DNR
commissioner who had broken the law while hunting and fishing. Most we talked to today
weren't crazy to hear that the new one says he's never really seriously hunted or fished.
The initial reaction is surprise. We kind of expected someone who would have a fishing
and wildlife ecological background and we come up with a management person. It's too
soon to say. It's not to say that we can't because we have always worked with the past
commissioners. We'll find a way to work now. Smokey Swenson is with the Twin Cities Chapter
of Muskies, Inc. Jeff Finden is Executive Director of Pheasants Forever. No agency of
state or federal government works with more private landowners than Pheasants Forever
does and that's really where our interest lies and continuing to do the kind of work
we do and getting the cooperation we need from the department. Sportsmen's groups will
clearly have to take a wait and see attitude on this newly appointed DNR commissioner.
Sportsmen on the other hand, specifically those who ice fish, have plenty of time to
think about the new commission while they fish. It took it down but it went away. It
would be nice if he did have a background in hunting and fishing but I guess maybe they
decided they wanted a better administrator. If he got good men under him, but he should
be the number one man though. He should be the one who knows more about it than anybody.
Eric Iselson, Channel 5 Eyewitness News, White Bear Lake. And some of the issues that will
face the new DNR commissioner are the treaty issue on Lake Malax, Timber Wolf management
and the steel stud controversy in snowmobiling. Now working on this story we found a lot of
information about the duties of the Department of Natural Resources and we think you may
be interested. If you are, click on more on the story at our website at kstp.com. We have
a link to the DNR's website, again kstp.com. DFL State Senator Dallas Sams apologized before
the state legislature today for trying to hide payments he was getting as a consultant
to the University of Minnesota Ag School. The U paid Sams a $12,500 consulting fee for
work on an ag program he helped create. The Senate Ethics Subcommittee ruled Sams was
not wrong for making money off the program but he was wrong to try to conceal those payments.
This process has brought me to the realization that I have failed to meet my own standards
of ethical conduct. The full Senate reprimanded Sams for his conduct and stripped him of his
position as vice chair of the Human Resources Finance Committee. He remains the chair of
the Senate Ag Committee. Talks about tax rebates also rumbled through the Capitol Rotunda this
afternoon. The House Tax Committee passed by a vote of 21 to 3 a rebate plan put together
by Republicans. The rebate is based on 20% of your 1997 income taxes. Under the plan
farmers would get a $4 an acre farm relief payment. The House Ways and Means Committee
will now consider the rebate bill. Today's vote does not kill Governor Ventura's sales
tax rebate plan. Two girls from Brooklyn Park pleaded guilty this afternoon for being an
accessory to murder. Nikki Frank and Stacy Kerner helped a friend get rid of a young
girl's body. Both Frank and Kerner are 18 years old. Pania Lohr was raped and murdered
last September. She was only 13 years old at the time. Frank and Kerner drove to Elk
River with Lohr's body in their trunk and their friend directed them from the back seat.
Her friend Michael Medine is one of three men accused of killing Lohr. Frank and Kerner
are awaiting sentencing for their part in this crime. Northwest Airlines flight attendants
started a two week negotiating period today. They are looking to increase their base pay
and retirement benefits. Northwest is the fourth largest airline but ranks seventh when
it comes to paying flight attendants. Minnesota Orchestra thinks an amphitheater would land
many of the top music acts in the world. We've been following the orchestra's plans to build
on land at 101st and Winnatka Avenue in Brooklyn Park. Channel 5's Ross Kirgis is live at City
Hall in Brooklyn Park. Ross, the orchestra has to study what impact that outdoor music
venue is going to have on its neighbors, don't they? Well, some of those neighbors sounded
off until 4 a.m. in the morning last week. More than eight hours of public commentary
both for and against the amphitheater. I want to give you a live look at the council meeting
going on right now in Brooklyn Park. There will be no public commentary tonight. They
will talk about some environmental issues but you can see there are some signs out here
and they suspended the council meeting just a moment ago stopping people from holding
up their signs but this is still a hot topic as you can see here in Brooklyn Park and people
here displaying their opinions and people here have some very strong opinions. Some
of those opinions are coming from neighboring Champlain. Council members say they're getting
hundreds of calls from residents concerned about traffic and noise coming into their
city even though Champlain will have no vote in the amphitheater decision. What we want
to know and what our residents want to know is what impact does it have for a Champlain
resident? Is it 22 decibels? Is it 48? We know it's not 50 according to the EAW but
what is it? And we think that's a fair question to ask. The critics of the amphitheater are
portraying that sound is going to carry far and wide and we really believe we're going
to mitigate that and with the sound berms that really the sound isn't going to carry
as far as they're saying. Well Champlain has asked for a more wider ranging environmental
study. They don't expect it to get it from Brooklyn Park and if the MPCA signs off on
this in a couple of months and the Brooklyn Park City Council votes for it in a couple
of weeks this construction on this amphitheater could begin as early as this summer Colleen.
Well Ross we've talked about this same kind of issue on other building projects. Many
times a group will file a lawsuit to stop construction. Could Champlain file a suit
against Brooklyn Park in this case? Yeah they say they're really powerless. They can't
really file a lawsuit. They're saying Brooklyn Park has been a good neighbor. They're counting
on them to be a good neighbor and the orchestra is going to come out and meet with them and
hopefully quiet some of their concerns about the noise and traffic levels. Alright thank
you Ross. Police want to get the word out. They're looking for a murderer. They have
no evidence of a motive. Big question. Who shot John Oland at this home in Minneapolis
last week? And every other day in January you had to pull off the shovel or snow blower
to clear your driveway. You went to the people who watch the weather every day to see if
they think a snowy January will mean a snowy February. And we had an icy start to the day
but then as temperatures warmed up it turned to rain. I'm going to tell you if that's going
to turn back to ice with the updated forecast. Not bad huh? Here's a car commercial with
a little twist. I don't want to sell you a vehicle. I want to sell you a career in a
new car dealership. Come on let's check it out. We're looking for sales people, cashiers,
title clerks and finance experts, leasing agents, warranty specialists, service technicians
and parts experts. Hey there's a great opportunity waiting for you now. Think about a career
in the auto industry. Pretty cool. A message from your greater metropolitan auto dealers.
The human cotton ball. Eat less fat. Subway's great tasting freshly made tuna sub has 40%
less fat than McDonald's filet of fish. Try a fresh value meal made with the world's favorite
tuna today. Subway, the way a sandwich should be. There's an insurance company where employees
volunteer to help whenever disaster strikes. Committed men and women that treat every
claim regardless of scope or nature with diligence and follow through. People motivated to serve
not by job description but by character. If this sounds like a company you want to know
more about call 1-800-24-AMICA. AMICA, the people you want around just in case. It's
bigger, stronger, smarter, more powerful. The all new Chevy Silverado, Motor Trends Truck
of the Year. It's here now. See it at your Chevrolet dealer. You know moms like this often
wonder. What helps kids build strong bodies? Well they could lift 300 pounds a day or wear
this absurd costume. He's not fooling anyone. Or you can give them Wonder Bread with peanut
butter like my mom gave me. Wonder House apartments awesome onions. It's soft and delicious too.
So do what I do. Remember the wonder. Medic. I need a medic. A little more than a week
ago police found Joseph Oland dead in a home on the northeast side of Minneapolis. Tonight
Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $3,000 to find who shot and killed Oland.
Someone shot Joseph Oland on Sunday, January 24th. Just before nine that night police found
Oland's body at this home on Fillmore Street in a northeast neighborhood in Minneapolis.
Our contacts at the police department say this murder is different than most. There's
no evidence of a motive. So they need a tip from someone in that neighborhood. We've
had great cooperations through that community in the past in helping solve crimes. We asked
if this neighborhood has more violence than any other neighborhood. What is not a troubled
neighborhood? It's a blue collar neighborhood. A lot of hard working people in that neighborhood.
Investigators hope someone knows what happened to Oland. He was 29 years old. Information
leading to an arrest for the murder of Joseph Oland could be worth a cash reward of up to
$3,000. If you have information please call Crimestoppers now at 651-452-7463. That's
651-45-CRIME. You want the cold hard facts on the forecast? Dave Doll is your man. He's
up next. And then will February deliver the same amount of snow and ice we saw in January?
Our Minnesota weather experts keep you a step ahead of the storm. This eyewitness news weather
report is brought to you by U.S. West Express Calling Card. Napoleon, Alexander the Great,
Donald Trump, we're all cut from the same cloth. And that cloth is very, very large.
It's not too big, is it? No. Turn left on Trump Avenue. Everyone, do our New Yorkers
have such big mouths? Don't dig or go home. Because we eat big pizza, like the big New
Yorker from Pizza Hut. 16 inches of real New York pizza dripping with cheese at a very
un-New York price. $9.99. They've got to be losing money on this. The big New Yorker,
new from Pizza Hut, it's beautiful. Want a good reason to buy a neon? Here's one. Snow.
Lots of it. For months and months. But with front-wheel drive and 132 standard horses,
neon can handle that. Want a good reason to buy a neon right now? Here's one. Cash.
Lots of it. As in a $1,500 cash allowance on neon. See your Dodge dealer soon, because
the snow will be around for quite a while. But this great deal won't.
It's a style, a touch, small details mean so much. It's the little things in life that
make it better. It's the dream, your home, a place to call your own. The place where
your family and friends get together. Life with brothers. A life with brothers that
makes coming home feel so good.
Eyewitness News Morning, giving you new reasons to watch. Like getting a look at
current traffic conditions every five minutes. No matter when you tune in, count on a
traffic update in five minutes or less. Plus, get the day's forecast when you want it
with Weather Now, exclusively on Eyewitness News Morning. Look at the bottom of your
screen to see the weather forecast anytime during the morning news. Traffic every five
minutes and Weather Now, only on Channel 5. That's Eyewitness News.
And if you have information that might help Crimestoppers solve a crime, call
651-45-CRIME. That's 651-45-27463. Your information could be worth a cash reward
of up to $3,000. And Mondays don't get much gloomier. This was a lot of slick out
there. Yeah. Rainy days and Mondays. It's weird. Okay. You know, it's Groundhog Day
tomorrow. So, you know, this. You wouldn't have seen anything on a day like today.
You wouldn't have, but we're going to get rid of it. So, he's going to see a shadow.
That means six more weeks of winter, right? Okay. I can't keep. That's why we have you
around. I don't. That's great for us. I have no idea. But we are expecting to see the
fog finally clear out tomorrow morning. Overnight tonight, though, the good news is
it's staying above the thawing point. So, all the liquid that's been falling from the
sky is staying that way on the roadways. Just a real sloppy mess across much of
eastern Minnesota. Doppler or Storm Tracker 5 shows that moving on into Wisconsin.
Right now, it's covering the far western portion of that state, stretching from New
Richmond up through the Balsam Lake area and all the way up to about Hayward,
Wisconsin, moving toward the east northeast. Now, at about 15 to 20 miles per hour.
For us, though, a few scattered little drizzle areas left over the eastern portion of
the state. And I think we're going to see that trend continue for the next several
hours at least. And it should stay in liquid form. Out there right now, our
temperature above freezing at 34. The dew point, though, high at 32 degrees. That's
92 percent of the relative humidity. This is a live look at our Buck Hill Skycam.
And even though it's wet out there, it's a mild night for skiing. South wind now at
6 miles per hour. Today's high up to 35. 30, the low so far today. And a trace of
snow mixed with some of that liquid that we had. We had a few snowflakes earlier in
the day. Sunset for tomorrow is at 522. And we're going to be hard pressed to see
the sunset. Even though it's going to clear a little bit, that is the key there.
A little bit. We're going to see the clouds race in right during the latter part of
the day again tomorrow. Clearing line already pushing across the Dakotas, though.
And this is basically clear to partner cloudy skies over North and South Dakota.
For us, we're socked in still. And that extends all the way down through Iowa and
Nebraska. Not a lot showing up on the radars because a lot of this is very low.
Drizzle low to the ground. Drizzle showing up across much of southern Minnesota.
A little bit of snow, though. One to two inches has fallen up there in the Arrowhead region of our state.
Overnight tonight, we're going to see the drizzle and the light rain gradually taper off. And temperatures
will be mild almost across the entire upper Midwest. And then it will start to cool down
a little bit toward Thursday. We're going to look at temperatures probably below average.
But 34 here, 29 at Hibbing and 30 at International Falls.
All of those readings well above what they should be this time of the year. The Weather Center 5 forecast
calls for it to stay mild overnight tonight. Low temperature may be around 29.
That would occur after about two or three in the morning. We're going to see the temperature slip below the freezing points.
Some of the wet roadways could become a little icy. Then tomorrow morning
we're going to have a little bit of sunshine early. 30 in the afternoon, though, clouds increase
and temperature climbs up to about 33. As we look ahead, we're going to see some more snow
come in on Wednesday and then a rain and snow mixture by Friday.
And as you can see, these temperatures are still way above average for this time of the year.
The average high is 23. And just about every day there is above that.
We're doing alright, then. Not bad. Thanks, David. Well, this January topped out as the third
snowiest January on record. The snowiest was 46.4
inches in 1982. 1967 saw
35.3 inches and then this year measured up with just over
33. As Channel 5's Joe Bender reports, the recent warm spell
has Minnesotans talking about what kind of weather February will bring.
For Pete Boulay, tracking the
weather brings about a bit of nostalgia. Over 100 years of climatological
records are here in these files. The earliest one in there for port snowing, you know,
1820. It's kind of a human hard drive, set up back when the only way
to record information was the old fashioned way, with a pen and a piece
of paper. From Ada to
Zembrota. But there's nothing old fashioned about the nearly
1500 observers that help climatologists develop a system of averages,
what the weather should be like for this time of year. Last February
98 was an unusually warm month and also
we didn't get a lot of snow either. But typically we see around 9.2 inches.
Now if you've lived in Minnesota for any length of time, you know that the weather is
constantly changing. And just because the statistics say it's going to happen
one way, doesn't mean it necessarily will. So averages aside,
we decided to go straight to the weather authority. February
is probably going to start out mild, but I think it's going to end up on the cold side,
because there's a chunk of arctic air that has temperatures 80, 90 below zero
right now in the Siberia area across Alaska, and some of that's going to come down
our way, I think late in the month. So I think that's going to average out cold as the normal,
and probably because of the cold, maybe a little bit snowier than normal as our
January was. Not exactly the
February Dave Anderson was hoping for. In fact, he dreamed up his own
work week forecast. The deep snow is by far
the worst. 35 degrees and
continue to get warmer with no precipitation. Like the saying
goes, if you don't like the weather, just stick around for a few minutes, it's
sure to change. Joe Bender, Channel 5 Eyewitness News.
February also marks the beginning of longer days. We gain nearly
an hour of daylight between now and the end of the month when the sun will begin setting
at around 6 o'clock. That at least is good news. Channel 5 has learned a
Senate committee on Y2K is about to release a report predicting the failure of
at least part of the nation's electric utility systems. While Minnesota state officials
say its city's utilities will be ready for the year 2000, we found
some Twin Cities residents preparing for the worst. Do you remember
the year 2000? If you're among the more than 800 million people
who watch the Super Bowl, you likely saw this ad. Apple computers
promise that its Macintosh computers do not suffer from the Y2K
bug. The human programmers never taught us to recognize the year
2000. It doesn't mean it can't get fixed next month or six months from now.
But as of right now, if it were to happen,
we would be in a lot of trouble as far as confusion and chaos. Peter Kells
and his family have already started a pantry of non-perishables and bottled
water, stockpiling goods he believes he may need
if computer systems here in Minnesota fail. But Department of Public Safety
Commissioner Charlie Weaver says that might be going a bit too far. The worst
thing we do is overreact and start hoarding food and everyone
taking the cash out of their banks and putting it into their beds and things like that. That's the wrong
approach. Weaver tells Minnesotans what he thinks the
right approach is in tonight's Focus Five, how Minnesotans are dealing with Y2K.
That's tonight at 10 o'clock on Channel 5. It's another super
celebration for the city of Denver. Joe Schmidt will show us that next.
And I'm Chris Conangela coming up on IWN's News at 630. The Metropolitan Airport Commission
is getting ready to put forward a new plan to help control the way cab drivers do
business at the airport. Plus police helped clear up a few questions about a stabbing
at the Mall of America over the weekend. Hope you'll join us for these stories and a lot more
coming up in about nine minutes.
Buy what the pros buy. Bosch Power Tools from Minars.
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A variable speed jigsaw, $144. A 14.4 volt drill
kit, $178. Mowing bath faucets lasts a lifetime. This single
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shower faucet, $69.99. Plus save 10% on everything.
Even sale prices when you use your Minard Big Tards.
Save big money at Minard.
Really, Jack?
Ah, it's a little sparse in here, don't you think? Maybe you should go to Mervin's
entire stock sale. They have everything you could need or want. Like field crust towels, 25%
off. Athletic shoes like Reebok Classics, $39.99. 10 to 25%
off kitchen appliances. And all denim like women's Levi's. By the way, downstairs
neighbors, not happy. Mervin's entire stock sale, now through Saturday.
Silverado.
It has a more powerful V8 engine
than Dodge Ram and Ford F-150. It has a bigger extended
cab. And it's the only pickup with four wheel anti-lock
disc brake standard on every model. It's the truck.
The Motor Trend Truck of the Year. Silverado.
The truck from Chevrolet.
This one's serious. Get the bill.
What's the name? Jimmy. Jimmy.
We can do you taxes for you. Who are you? Bill, from H&R Block.
It's just that I thought
I'd try my own taxes. Jimmy, there have been over 800 tax law changes.
Why expect so much of yourself?
Here's my receipt. Okay, whoop. H&R Block.
We know. Do you?
Well, we were hoping for something
different, but it seemed an awful lot like last year.
Well, the Packers were in it last year. That was one thing that was different. Denver's tough.
The result was the same, if I recall. I'll have to think about that.
I'll look at my Super Bowl trivia and try to figure that out and see if Denver won it two years in a row.
I'm not sure the Vikings could have beaten Denver with all the injuries they had,
but I am sure they would have given the Broncos a better game than Atlanta did yesterday
in Miami. Denver is now one of six teams to repeat as the
Super Bowl champion. Next year, they'll try to become the first team to win three straight.
The city of Denver threw a party for the Broncos today. They held a parade
through downtown Denver and showed off the new Vince Lombardi Trophy.
In Atlanta, the Falcons were doing the Dirty Bird Dance,
even though they lost. Atlanta will host the Super Bowl next year, so the Falcons
will have motivation to return to the big game. The Vikings
will get their shot at the two-time Super Bowl champions next season.
The question is, will they get a shot at John Elway, too? Elway got his
Super Bowl MVP Trophy this morning in Miami. He also faced
more questions about whether he is going to come back next season. If he does
leave, the game yesterday was a fantastic finish to his Hall of Fame career.
He had his 80-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith. He also ran for a touchdown
in the Broncos' 34-19 win. He also had to give
some credit to the Denver defense. They pressured Chris Chandler into three
interceptions and held him to a total of eight completions
in the second half. It all added up to another Super Sunday
for Denver.
It doesn't get any better than that, baby.
Can we three-peek? Can we three-peek?
Right here, baby! Woo! How you doing, bud?
Absolutely, we can three-peek. Absolutely.
That will be the goal of this team.
Super Bowl 33 will be remembered for how John Elway and the Broncos
were able to repeat, but it will also be remembered for Eugene Robinson's
run-in with the law. On Saturday morning, Robinson won the
Bart Starr Humanitarian Award. Saturday night, he was arrested for soliciting
a police officer for sex. Robinson played in the game yesterday
and apologized afterwards.
Confession is good for the soul, but bad for the reputation.
And it is so true. Reputation, I can deal with that.
But the hurt, my wife, that means much, much more to me because
I truly do love my wife. I love her. I love my kids.
Robinson took off today for Hawaii. He will play in the Pro Bowl
next Sunday night. The goal for the Timberwolves in Friday's opener at Denver
is to be in February form. That may be tough. They only had
two exhibition games and they have a new member of the Big Three.
Joe Smith is taking Tom Gugliato's place and joining Kevin Garnett
and Stephon Marbury as the team's core. Last night on the rap,
Smith told me he's excited to be here.
I'm with a team that wants to go out there and win, a group of guys that are
going to go out there and play hard and play together. And that's something
that I don't feel I had the past couple years in Golden State and
the half a season in Philadelphia. He's got a bad ankle yet, but he says he'll
be ready by Friday in Denver. I think he's going to be a pretty good addition.
He's a player. He's a player and he's got a little chip in his shoulder.
Thanks, Joe. And that is it for Eyewitness News at 6. I'm Randy Meyer.
And I'm Colleen Needles. We hope to see you again tonight on Eyewitness News at 10.
Then after a break, Chris steps in with Eyewitness News at 6.30.
So, how's the job? Man, you know, pay the bills. Yeah.
By the way, Jake got a job at a new car dealership. No way!
Yep. Said it's cool. He's a service technician. Yeah.
Probably working on matchbox cars. Yeah, this is it.
Making good money, having a great time. Sweet car. Who is that?
Oh, that's Jake. And that makes horse. Think about a new career in the auto
industry. A message from your greater metropolitan auto dealers.
After visiting this popular tourist attraction, hungry travelers flocked to the bustling restaurants of Pisa.
Were they dying on spaghetti, spaghetti, and spaghetti?
If only they visited this popular tourist attraction, they could have enjoyed a buffet with over 80 different choices, including spaghetti.
I've always had a thing for the outdoors. So I jumped at the chance to help Walmart's environmental program adopt a section of the San Marcos River.
Our job is to keep it clean and make sure it stays the safe place for our kids, and even their kids.
But it's even more important than that, because it's not only our playground, it's also home to several endangered animals and plants.
That's why Walmart's been involved with the environment for years, because we live here too. And we believe good works.
Vehicle 111, progress report on Al?
Yeah, yeah, we got him. He's okay, but he's hungry.
How hungry?
He hasn't eaten in six days. He was stuck on his roof.
Begin starvation treatment.
Copy, we're on it.
Timberlod steakhouse. Hope you're hungry.
The Metropolitan Airport Commission wants to change the way it does business with cab companies.
We'll tell you what that means for you at the airport.
Plus, new information about a weekend stabbing at the Mall of America.
Find out how it happened, and if only. We'll take a look at what this day should have been like had the Vikings beaten the Falcons.
Live from KSTP Television, this is Channel 5 Eyewitness News at 6.30.
Hundreds of kids are being killed in the
Live from KSTP Television, this is Channel 5 Eyewitness News at 6.30.
Hundreds of cabbies fight for your fare out at the airport every day.
Now, the Metropolitan Airport Commission has a new plan they hope will help make things run more smoothly for you.
Good evening. It's a story you'll see first on 5.
Senior staff at the airport are trying to curtail the problem of too many cabs,
and an increase in the number of problems they bring.
Channel 5's Bob McNany is live at the airport with this story for us. Bob?
Chris, this is the staging area at the airport for cabs with a bullpen as it's more commonly known out here.
Airport police tell us in recent weeks they have responded to more calls here and at the adjacent Super America.
Tonight, airport officials tell us it's time to fix the problem before it gets any worse.
There are 600 cabs licensed here at the airport.
Airport officials say that's about twice as many as needed.
Senior airport staffers want to bring in a management company to oversee the cab business here.
They say that eventually would mean probably only a handful of companies doing business.
Well, we get complaints on a regular basis from the kind of service we get.
Frankly, I think it's because we have too many cabs serving the area,
and I think we can raise the professional level of the cab service.
Too many cabs means too much time sitting around for drivers.
The cab staging area and the Super America next door have seen an increase in problems.
These signs have just gone up.
The goal is to curb loitering and the crowds of cab drivers.
They say if you leave your car, we give you a ticket.
Airport police have stepped up their ticketing here in recent days.
They believe reducing the long lines may reduce the trouble out here.
Fewer cabs, fewer problems, better service. That's the goal.
The big question, of course, people at home will be wondering is,
if you reduce the number of companies out here, will that mean the fares go up when you leave the airport?
The answer to that is no, according to MAC officials.
They control the rates. They look at how the whole structure is run throughout the Twin Cities.
So the rate that you pay, the fare that you pay, would probably not go up,
even if there was even one company running all of the cabs out here.
As far as trying to get this thing implemented, it's going to take a little bit of time.
It has to go before the full commission to be approved.
Are there any other arrangements like that with management,
kind of rearranging the way people do business out at the airport, Bob?
There are. The best example perhaps would be with the restaurants.
You see the McDonald's and the Pizza Hut's and there are all kinds of restaurants that are operating in the main terminal.
But they're overseen by Host Marriott. They manage it.
They're restaurant people who understand the restaurant business for MAC.
This perhaps would be a cab company that understands how to run the cab business,
and MAC could use their enterprise. One final note.
One of the reasons that MAC comes out here, the reason that MAC comes out here with their police department
to issue citations is because this is actually airport property.
The Super America leases this space just the way somebody else would lease space inside the main terminal building.
Bob, thank you very much.
The wait is over and tonight we know who the new DNR commissioner is.
This morning Governor Ventura appointed Alan Garber to that position.
The announcement came as a bit of a shock to some because Garber rarely fishes and never hunts.
But Ventura says that was part of his appeal.
I wanted someone who I think can come in and do this job from the perspective of no previously held bias.
Any changes that I make will be done strictly in the best interest of the employees, the citizens and the environment.
Garber most recently served as police chief of Champlain. He was also an FBI agent.
He replaces Alan Horner who resigned because of controversy over hunting and fishing violations he had committed.
In November, an eyewitness to his investigation uncovered a possible conflict of interest.
Today, a state senator apologized for his actions.
DFL Senator Dallas Sams created legislation funding a program with the University of Minnesota Ag School
and then landed a consulting job with the school. The job paid him $12,500.
An ethics subcommittee ruled that Sams did not, repeat did not do anything wrong in accepting the money,
but was wrong to conceal the payments.
I have learned painfully that a lack of candor and the appearance of wrongdoing can be as troubling as an actual breach of ethical conduct.
The full Senate reprimanded Sams for his conduct and stripped him of his position as vice chair of the Human Resources Finance Committee.
He remains the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Two women pled guilty today to helping in the murder of a 13-year-old runaway.
Stacy Kerner and Nikki Frank admit they helped dump Ponyah Lohr's body in an empty lot in Elk River last September.
Both girls are 18 years old.
Three other men are accused of raping and killing Lohr in this park in Brooklyn Park.
The women will be sentenced in a few weeks. The men will go on trial this spring.
We'll learn more tonight about just how a janitor got stabbed at the Mall of America this weekend.
General Files Colleen Harry is live in Bloomington to tell us about that. Colleen?
Hey Chris, police say the victim is a 29-year-old Minneapolis man.
He was trying to get away from a group of people. They were chasing him through the mall,
but they caught up with him and stabbed him and a janitor who was trying to help.
Well tonight, managers here at the mall are hoping the stabbing doesn't cast a dark shadow on the mall.
Small chocolate, $4.41.
The business owners say it all the time. For them, the key to success is location, location.
Light me some whole little roasted peppers.
Colleen, Chili Traders has been selling hot, spicy food at the Mall of America for seven years.
They say this location has been good to them.
Now, some workers are feeling a little nervous.
I worry about whether you're going to be safe coming into work, whether the people at night,
my employees at night that work, whether they're going to be safe on their way home.
It's all because of the stabbing early Sunday morning. It happened just as the bars had closed.
Police say a group of people chased a 29-year-old man through the mall.
They ended up on the first floor near the doors to the east entrance.
The man spotted the janitor and begged for help. Both of them ended up being stabbed.
Is it unusual for the Mall of America? Yeah, we'd say it's an isolated incident.
Mall managers say more than 100,000 people walk through the mall every day.
That's more than a packed metrodome. Police say the mall accounts for only 10% of the crime in Bloomington.
Managers say it's safe here. Some workers agree, but others fear a bad element is invading.
You get worried sometimes. Worried, you know, you hope that everything's going to be okay.
Now again, managers stress in the mall's seven-year history, they've only had three major incidents,
so they believe the mall is very safe.
As for that stabbing, Sunday morning police say they're still looking for some suspects.
They talked to the two victims today hoping they can shed some more light.
Colleen, thank you very much.
A pregnant woman stabbed yesterday morning in Minneapolis is out of the hospital tonight.
Police believe the woman's boyfriend, Armando Garcia, stabbed the woman, her 20-year-old daughter,
and 22-year-old son after a night of partying.
The stabbing happened around 7 a.m. at this home on 24th and Ogeema Place.
Police are still looking for Garcia tonight.
Overall, violent crime may be down, but juvenile crime is on the rise.
Bloomington police are getting a hand-fighting juvenile crime from those closely affected, namely other children.
These two guys are part of Bloomington's Youth Crime Prevention Committee.
They wrote a booklet about juvenile crime and crime-fighting suggestions for police, legislators, neighbors, and teachers.
The responsibility falls upon everybody who's involved, not just a police officer.
Because if we don't do something now, it'll just keep getting bigger and bigger and worse and worse.
The booklets are available at the Bloomington Crime Prevention Association.
Results of Minnesota's Student Survey are out.
They show binge drinking and sexual activity are down, but tobacco and marijuana use are both up.
We spoke to students at Woodbury High School about the results.
The survey polls sixth, ninth, and twelfth graders.
It found seven out of ten high school seniors say they'd used alcohol in the past year,
and four in ten Minnesota seniors say they had smoked a cigarette in the last month.
It's sort of a common, accepted thing.
If you're at a party and someone's drinking, sure, they drink.
No big deal. You don't try and stop them or anything.
The Department of Children, Families, and Learning gives the students surveys every three years.
They are anonymous and voluntary.
The department uses the results to help plan policies.
An explosion kills at least one person at a Michigan car plant.
We'll have the latest on that coming up.
And a Super Bowl victory makes fans go a little nuts in Colorado.
We'll tell you just what these rowdy fans did on the streets of Denver.
And fog and drizzle are still plaguing much of southern Minnesota.
I'm going to tell you when that's going to get kicked out of the state
and what's in store for the rest of the week with the updated forecast.
From the 60s, Jerry O'Connell and Benjamin Brad.
Wow! Get it live.
Tomorrow at 9 on Channel 5.
Allie McBeal's link, Lucy Lou.
This ice queen has a hot new flick.
And Trixie Williams.
Next rosy.
Tomorrow at 4 on Channel 5.
Culligan is water, water for life. Culligan is water, water for life.
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Not bad, huh?
Here's a car commercial with a little twist.
I don't want to sell you a vehicle.
I want to sell you a career in a new car dealership.
Come on, let's check it out.
We're looking for salespeople, cashiers, title clerks and finance experts,
leasing agents, warranty specialists, service technicians and parts experts.
Hey, there's a great opportunity waiting for you now.
Think about a career in the auto industry. It's pretty cool.
A message from your greater metropolitan auto dealers.
Does dieting feel like a game you just can't win?
Does your hunger force you to surrender to fattening temptations?
If your diet feels out of control, you're not alone.
That's why over a million people turn to metabolife.
Metabolife is the only herbal dietary supplement
clinically tested for safety and shown to be effective for weight loss.
Look for the metabolife cart at most major malls.
There's only one metabolife.
Stay ahead of winter weather.
Let forecasts from Dave Dahl and Weather Center 5
help you make smart decisions for your day.
Then when conditions turn sour,
Doppler Radar 5 shows you who's in for the heavy stuff.
So go ahead, take on winter with accurate, easy-to-understand forecasts from Weather Center 5.
That's eyewitness news.
Monica Lewinsky has finished her latest round of testimony in the President's impeachment trial.
House managers questioned Lewinsky for five hours
during a videotaped deposition today in Washington.
White House lawyers did not ask her anything.
Senators will get a transcript and video of that questioning tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock our time.
That tape will not be made public. Depositions continue tomorrow
with the President's friend Vernon Jordan.
That will be followed on Wednesday by Sidney Blumenthal.
Meanwhile, President Clinton spent the day concentrating on the business of running the country.
This morning he announced his nearly $1.8 trillion budget proposal for the 2000 fiscal year.
He wants to use that money for housing vouchers, classroom construction,
tax credits for long-term Medicare, the environment and defense programs.
When all is said and done, that leaves a surplus of close to $117 billion.
Clinton wants to use that money to pay off federal debt and preserve Social Security and Medicare.
At least one person is dead and dozens more injured after an explosion at the Ford Motor Plant in Dearborn, Michigan.
The blast happened about noon our time in a building that supplies power to the plant.
Local hospitals say they've received 21 victims, at least 13 in critical condition.
Three other people are unaccounted for.
Investigators still are not sure what caused the blast.
No one was hurt, but at least 20 Bronco fans were arrested after this post-Super Bowl melee last night.
Police say rowdy fans turned over cars, broke windows and lit bonfires in the streets of Denver.
Officers in full riot gear eventually used tear gas to break things up.
2020 is expanding to four nights a week.
Coming up, hear from host Charlie Gibson and Connie Chung about the stories you'll see on tonight's debut of 2020 Monday.
Plus, we saw a little freezing rain and drizzle during this morning's commute.
Dave Dahl tells us what's in store for tomorrow.
And you're looking from our St. Paul sky cam at the evening commute, which is running along pretty well.
Winter in Minnesota. Some people just don't get it.
A guy actually thought that people lived in igloos in Minnesota.
Why do we take so much heat for being cold?
In a Focus 5 report, Channel 5's Dave Dahl reveals what's fact and fiction about the state's mythical weather.
Are we as cold as many people think?
It's 27 degrees out there. We have that in North Carolina, you know?
Focus 5 thaws out Minnesota's chilly reputation. Thursday at 10 on Eyewitness News.
Not bad, huh? Here's a car commercial with a little twist.
I don't want to sell you a vehicle. I want to sell you a career in a new car dealership.
Come on, let's check it out.
We're looking for salespeople, cashiers, title clerks and finance experts, leasing agents, warranty specialists, service technicians and parts experts.
Hey, there's a great opportunity waiting for you now.
Think about a career in the auto industry. It's pretty cool.
A message from your greater metropolitan auto dealers.
Lunch break.
Skippy brings out the peanut butter lover in everyone.
Oh, is that Skippy? Sure could use one of those.
At least I could use the roof. Okay.
How about some Skippy? How about a guest room?
Skippy, spread the fun.
Want to fire up the hot tub?
All the wholesome nutrition you can see in Brownberry comes a different way.
Brownberry sandwich breads.
Mmm, a little softer. A little wider.
Brownberry goodness inside and out means... Great sandwich.
Brownberry sandwich breads.
Demolition crews started making way for a dry pond in St. Paul today.
These two homes near Hoyt and Montana were badly damaged in the floods of 97.
The land in the area forms a basin and floods easily.
Eventually, 34 more homes will be torn down or relocated.
I wonder what spring's going to be like this year.
It is tough to think about that because up in the northwestern part of the state,
they have quite a bit of snow on the ground.
A couple of feet in many places and they did have a lot of rain last fall,
so let's hope that it's a gradual meltdown.
Hopefully, yeah, no repeat of the floods of 97.
Exactly. Let's hope it's not a real rapid thing.
Fog tonight. Is it dissipating?
A little bit of fog out there will dissipate late, Chris,
but if you're headed out this evening, it is a problem.
The good thing is temperatures are still mild, still in the lower 30s,
and that means above the thawing point,
so anything that does fall from the sky is liquid.
As you can see, temperatures right now, even up in northern Minnesota,
upper 20s and lower 30s, the coolest spot we could find there is Grand Moray at 28.
Most of the readings, though, at or above freezing.
We're one of those areas at 34 here, 34 in Mankato, as well as down in Marshall.
The official readings, then, to go along with that 34 out there,
as we take a live look from our Buck Hill Skycam,
a lot of folks on the slopes tonight, not a bad night for it,
34 for the temp, the dew point 32.
South wind, though, at 6 miles per hour.
Today's high, 35 degrees.
Low so far, 30. That's a far cry from the record.
28 below on this date in 1951, so it still can get cold.
Just none of that in sight yet.
Trace of snowfall out there.
We had some flakes mixed with some of that drizzle.
Sunrise tomorrow morning is at 731.
We should see the sunrise tomorrow,
and a little bit of light drizzle still going on across the eastern portions of the metro.
We are expecting to see that light snow and light rain gradually push in
across the western portions of the state.
It has been fairly light.
This is what was this morning, kind of a mixed bag this morning.
Then it turned to all liquid, so much of the afternoon hours,
temperatures above the thawing point changed over to all drizzle
and some light rain.
That is now pushing out of the state as well.
Not much left over out here in the west or the eastern Dakotas,
and the skies are actually clearing in the far eastern Dakotas.
You can see that, clouds.
We have been socked in all day with some low clouds and fog,
but there is the clearing line,
and we are going to see that spread quickly across the state.
But believe it or not, there are more clouds to come.
So even though we will have several hours of a little sunshine tomorrow,
I think by the middle of the afternoon,
skies will become cloudy again as another system kind of races in this direction.
31 in Duluth, but even back up in Minot.
That is behind the cool front, 28 degrees, so still mild there.
22 in Williston, though.
29 in Bismarck.
40 down in Oman.
42 in Kansas City.
Plenty of mild air for this time of the year.
Temperatures tonight staying in the upper 20s for overnight lows
and tomorrow's highs back into the lower 30s.
The Weather Center 5 forecast then for the rest of tonight.
A little bit of fog out there.
29, definitely some drizzle as well.
South winds at 10 to 15.
The winds will switch around to the west,
and I think that will clear us out.
Clearing in the morning, windy though, 30, and kind of a breezy day,
but clouds will increase as the day goes on in a high near 33.
As we look ahead, some more snow is on the way tomorrow night into Wednesday.
Not a big storm by any stretch, but maybe an inch or two here.
And then it warms it right back up.
32 on Friday and 30 with mixed precip.
Kind of rain and snow again Friday into Saturday.
Seems like a long way out there.
You'd be thinking about spring when you see a forecast like that.
Not bad, yeah.
Dave, thank you.
Twenty-twenty fans can now see that show four days a week.
Tonight on Twenty-Twenty Monday, the story of two men
who gave their lives when they turned in the mob.
Plus, Charlie Sheen's first interview since undergoing drug rehab.
Earlier today, I talked to the hosts, Connie Chung and Charlie Gibson,
about their stories.
I think everyone knows Charlie Sheen has star of Platoon and Wall Street
and movies like Big League Hotshots.
He has been seriously addicted for quite some time to both alcohol and drugs,
and it got so bad last May that he overdosed,
and I think he himself was worried that he might have been killing himself.
And he was ordered by the courts into rehabilitation.
He didn't want to go.
And he's really been for six months in a rehab center
wearing one of those ankle bracelets, you know, where they can track your movements.
And it took him a while, but after he'd been there, he began to buy into the program.
He is now clean.
This is the first interview he's given as he sort of comes out the other end of this process.
And I asked him if he were confident or scared about the future,
and he said both.
But as I think you'll glean, it's more scared than anything else.
And he's trying to put his career back together, and it's not easy.
He's very candid in all of this and talking about what he's been through,
not just in the last six months, but throughout his entire career.
And Connie, I wanted to ask you about your story tonight, which is truly, truly frightening.
You're doing a story about some people who decided to cooperate with law enforcement
and paid a horrible price.
Tell us about that.
You know, they're good citizens, law-abiding men, two men,
one was an environmentalist with a master's degree, the other who wanted to be a home builder.
But they took over their father's business, a garbage-holing business,
and it was just infiltrated by the Mafia.
So they agreed to help the government go after the Mafia.
I mean, can you imagine anything more frightening than that?
They wore hidden microphones.
They delivered to the government the Mafia kingpins in the New York area.
And the price they paid is beyond comprehension.
I mean, there are so many levels of outrage in this story.
I think in the end you're really going to wonder if anybody will want to help the government again in a worthy cause.
Well, they were murdered, apparently, by the Mafia.
Was this an aberration, Connie? I'm sorry.
Was this an aberration or does this send the message out that law enforcement is not able to protect you
if the Mafia wants to get you?
Well, I think there's a little bit of both in that the government should have protected these men
and should have given them full coverage in terms of protection, but didn't.
And, you know, in the end it's difficult to say, but I can tell you that a court did rule
that the state did not protect these two men and awarded their families more than $10 million.
But you'll see another outrageous part of this story in the end.
The state is appealing. The family has not seen one penny.
2020 Monday debuts tonight at 7 o'clock right here on Channel 5 directly following this newscast.
We know the football season is over, but what Minnesotan can't help think about what if.
You'll meet one man who was banking on the Vikings to make it to the Super Bowl.
You don't want to wait all morning for school closing announcements?
Turn to Channel 5's new School Watch Plus.
It gives you the fastest school closing announcements so you can move on with your day.
That's Eyewitness News.
School Watch Plus, sponsored by White Bear Lake Superstore.
On the premiere of 2020 Monday, Charlie Sheen, for the first time,
his account of his descent into a Hollywood hell of sex and drugs.
A heart-stopping exclusive, 2020 tonight.
You came to the Mall of America by the thousands, and at the sound of the horn...
You made a difference to kids with diabetes.
Because you put on your walking shoes and showed you care, you've made this year's JDF walk a huge success.
Channel 5 and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation thank you for helping raise more than $752,000
for the fight against juvenile diabetes.
Your gift helps fund the vital research to find a cure for this life-changing disease.
Helping you help others, that's Channel 5.
Hi, I'm Jason Lewis, asking you to help save abandoned animals.
The St. Croix Animal Shelter finds warm and loving families for seven of every ten animals they take in.
Call now and give generously. Please, support our shelter. Thank you.
Tonight at 10, the numbers are in on the race for Minnesota governor last fall.
We all know who won, but how much money did Norm Coleman and Skip Humphrey spend to lose?
And in Focus 5, some people are stocking up on food just in case the year 2000 computer glitch
causes chaos at the grocery store. Should you?
The preparations for Y2K in Minnesota at 10.
It's the day after the Super Bowl, a day for Bronco fans to celebrate a Super Bowl win.
Another day for Vikings fans to mourn what could have been.
As Channel 5's Rod Rassman shows us, nowhere is that more true than in the world of Vikings merchandise.
It's a new shopping season here in the halls of Ridgedale Mall.
A season that involves red, pink and hearts.
A few feet away what remains of the previous season.
A season of gold, purple and broken hearts.
It should have been. They should be wearing Super Bowl rings. Dirty rotten shame.
Yet today of all days since that Viking loss, it's a day of what should have been.
For example, Liz Ann Kaufman says it should have been...
Mass hysteria. Everybody would have had the day off today.
Which would have fit right into Paul Schillingstad's plans.
Good afternoon, Purple Rain. He runs this kiosk that's all purple.
We have everything from face paint to tattoos.
And now it's all on close out.
Everything's 30% off. Not what we would want it to be obviously. It would be a real frenzy in here.
Instead, it's not real exciting around here. At least not if you're pushing the purple.
Denver Broncos, Denver Broncos right there. Two time repeat.
Meantime, Paul Schillingstad is left with what is left of the season that almost was.
But he figures he'll only hold out until this weekend.
And of course there's no way they're going to sell all this stuff by Saturday.
Which brings back the phrase we've been hearing a lot in the past couple weeks.
There's always next year.
Rod Resman, Channel 5 Eyewitness News, Minnetonka.
If you're still trying to get over the Vikings loss to Atlanta, you're not alone.
ABC's Charlie Gibson shared this with me during our previous interview.
On behalf of all football fans, I want to say the Vikings should have been there yesterday.
Atlanta didn't show up and I kept thinking this would have been a much better game if Minnesota had been there.
Thank you Charlie. Thank you. A feeling shared by all of us, I'm sure.
And while an estimated 800 million people watched yesterday's Super Bowl on television,
we know of at least one person who had something better to do.
We would like to congratulate the producer of this program, Amy Legere and her husband Joel on their new arrival.
Little Emma Lynn was born around 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Congratulations to the Legeres from all of us here at Channel 5.
Is that a good looking baby or what? Isn't that gorgeous? Oh sweet.
Big one too, over 8 pounds. Incidentally. She's got rosy cheeks.
Talk about time. You know producers have to time stuff out.
We had 18 hours it took for that birth.
My goodness, it was late too. It was late. It was supposed to be about a week later.
It was late and it was long.
Okay, overnight tonight. Drizzle may change over to a little light snow as it ends.
29 for the overnight low. That means some of those wet sidewalks could get a little icy tomorrow, Chris.
So watch out for that tomorrow morning. I certainly will.
Okay. Alright, thank you very much Dave. That's it for today.
Thank you for watching. Hope to see you back here tonight at 10. Good night.
I like reading so much. I read past.
And Hugh Downs.
Tonight, a story that will outrage anyone who has faith in truth and justice.
The tragic murder of two men. They gave their lives to infiltrate the mob and because of them.
Some really famous and hard to get wise guys were put away for 100 years.
Their families say investigators pressed them into service. Promised to protect them.
Did the government promise to keep their identities confidential? Yes.
But their names were revealed and when the mob came calling, no one answered their calls for help.
A wife grieves and fights a 10-year battle for justice.
Can you just answer a few questions for us? No, I won't.
Connie Chung with the incredible outcome you won't believe.
Broken promise. Shattered lives.
And a 2020 exclusive. The dangerous lure of success.
A Hollywood star out of control. The hot parties that raged for days.
I would start rallying the troops and see what was available. You know, guys and girls.
And we'd go out and raise hell.