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Want to build more vibrant cities? Just look to the State Fair’s urban design, geographers say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

With its grid street structure, tree-lined sidewalks and ‘districts’ like the animal barns or the old Machinery Hill, the Minnesota State Fair has the look of a real city. It even has its own branded water tower and police chief.If the State Fair were in fact its own city, it would be the world’s most bustling metropolis, by a significant margin. By average daily attendance, its population density trounces St. Paul’s by over 50 times.That kind of vibrancy is the stuff of city planners’ dreams — and clearly Minnesotans’, too, given the hundreds of thousands of us who flock to the fairgrounds during each of the Fair’s 12 precious days.However, in ways that notably differ from some actual American cities — including Minneapolis, as Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea humorously pointed out when he was in town — the Great Minnesota Get-Together offers plenty of public amenities to support people actually getting together. Benches are widely available, water fountains and restrooms are fr...

Stillwater prison on lockdown after 100 inmates reportedly decline to return to their cells

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

The Stillwater prison was placed on emergency lockdown Sunday after about 100 prisoners in a living unit declined to return to their cells, authorities said.It’s not yet clear why the inmates are refusing orders, according to a Minnesota Department of Corrections press release. No injuries have been reported.Staff have been removed from the housing unit’s common areas at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater.Two correctional officers are safe in the unit’s secure control area and “in communication with facility command personnel,” the press release said.The department said it has activated a crisis negotiation team and deployed a special operations response team “out of an abundance of caution.”Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Man shot to death and found lying outdoors in Frogtown early Sunday Crime & Public Safety | Hastings man dies in car crash on Highway 55 Friday night Crime & ...

Aurora Walmart evacuated after upset customer threatens to “shoot up the store”

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

A Walmart in Aurora was evacuated Sunday morning after an upset customer allegedly threatened to “shoot up the store,” according to the Aurora Police Department.It happened around 9 a.m. at a Walmart Neighborhood Market located at 10400 East Colfax Ave., in Aurora.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Two suspects arrested in connection to Aurora shooting death Crime and Public Safety | Aurora homicide suspect arrested; allegedly beat man to death at RTD station Crime and Public Safety | Six face murder charges in Aurora organized crime investigation Crime and Public Safety | Why Denver police quietly stopped using no-knock warrants Crime and Public Safety | Aurora dentist accused of killing wife by poisoning her protein shakes expected to plead not guilty The man was located at a nearby bus stop and arrested on an active warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, according to Joe Moylan with...

Identifying an NFL coach goes way beyond hiring the hot coordinator under an established coach

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

What makes a good NFL head coach?Few things are more elusive than an accurate formula to answer a question that has been around since the league was founded 103 years ago.College coaches — even the most successful ones — are hit and mostly miss. So teams tend to look to former NFL head coaches or, more likely, hot young coordinators in hopes of taking a losing franchise and leading it to the promised land.In the end, it’s still a roll of the dice because of myriad factors that determine success, such as the coach/general manager relationship, how much interference comes from ownership and even blind luck when it comes to injuries to key players.49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is six years in along with general manager John Lynch and has lost three assistants to head coaching jobs: former defensive coordinators Robert Saleh and DeMeco Ryans went to the New York Jets and Houston Texans, respectively, and former offensive assistant Mike McDaniel was hired by the Miami Dolph...

Oakland youth football team moves game to Santa Rosa for safer environment

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) -- Oakland's East Bay Panthers youth football team is looking for somewhere new to practice after the team experienced two shootings in less than a week at Verdese Carter Park. On Saturday, they moved their game from Oakland to Santa Rosa to ensure everyone would be safe.Parents of these kids say there are a lot of bad things happening in Oakland. But, a football team like this keeps their kids from getting involved in trouble. However, after two shootings in such a short time, many kids and families want to quit because they're afraid to participate. Bay Area team named greatest prep football squad of all-time by ESPN "Just to see the children running for their lives and just scrambling not knowing where to go and on the ground and running behind cars. It was very scary," said one parent.A practice cut short twice by shootings.The East Bay Panthers football and cheer team used to practice at Verdese Carter Park near 98th and Bancroft Avenue in Oakland. B...

Virginia opossum named Basil finds new home at National Zoo

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

Lions and tigers and and bears — and Oh-Possum!The National Zoo welcomed a Virginia opossum named Basil to the Small Mammal House earlier this summer.Basil was previously at local wildlife rehabilitation center City Wildlife in northwest as a non-releasable animal before he made his way to the zoo.Before being found, Basil had been injured and lost one of his eyes during a predator attack. He was brought to City Wildlife to be treated and recover. The National Zoo says that young opossums are at large risk for predation by birds of prey, larger mammals and snakes.Officials said it was unlikely that Basil would survive long in the wild with limited eyesight.He was brought to the National Zoo to be an ambassador for his species, according to a news release.Opossums are sometimes mistaken for rodents, but they’re actually marsupials. They’re in the same family as kangaroos and koalas — and they’re the only marsupials native to North America.The National Zoo says that ...

Union Berlin finally loses at home after 24 Bundesliga games as Leipzig wins 3-0

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Union Berlin fans rose to their feet to applaud their team despite Leipzig substitute Benjamin Sesko scoring twice to end Union’s long unbeaten run at home in the Bundesliga with a 3-0 defeat on Sunday.Sesko’s second goal in the 87th was his second in three minutes and it confirmed Union’s first loss at Stadion an der Alten Försterei after 24 league games unbeaten – a club record.Another 20-year-old, Xavi Simons, let fly from the edge of the penalty area to open the scoring in the 51st minute.Former Germany forward Kevin Volland made his first start for Union and was sent off in the 64th for a foul on Mohamed Simakan, when he clipped the back of his ankle. The Leipzig defender was substituted shortly afterward.It’s Leipzig’s first win over rival Union in the Bundesliga at the fifth attempt. Union won their previous four meetings, all by scores of 2-1.The home fans stood for six minutes of injury time, clapping as they sang: “FC Union, our love, our team, ou...

Aberg wins European Masters, USA rallies for Walker Cup win

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg surged to a two-shot win at the European Masters on Sunday and right into the Ryder Cup picture for Europe.Aberg stunned former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick by reeling off four straight birdies through the 17th hole to close with a 6-under 64.Fitzpatrick faded to a tie for third, three shots back, though he secured one of the six automatic spots for the Ryder Cup team. Captain Luke Donald will announce his six wild-card selections on Monday, and Aberg is likely to be one of them.Fitzpatrick had led by three strokes when he birdied the par-5 14th, but just 30 minutes later — and back-to-back bogeys by the Englishman — a five-shot turnaround left Aberg clear by two. He finished at 19-under 261, two ahead of Alexander Bjork (66).Robert MacIntyre of Scotland finished 16 shots behind but still accrued enough points to earn a spot on his first Ryder Cup team. The other automatic qualifiers are Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Vik...

Yazici’s free kick gives Lille a 1-0 win against Montpellier

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

PARIS (AP) — An early free kick from midfielder Yusuf Yazici was enough to give Lille a 1-0 home win against Montpellier in the French league on Sunday.The Turkey midfielder struck a hard left-foot shot into the bottom corner after only two minutes for his first goal of the season, as northern side Lille moved up to fifth place.Southern club Nice got its first win when it beat Strasbourg 2-0 at home to go seventh. Right back Youcef Atal controlled a high pass before hitting a fine curling shot in first-half stoppage time, and striker Terem Moffi dinked the ball over goalkeeper Matz Sels in the 75th.Later Sunday, French champion Paris Saint-Germain was at struggling Lyon. Winger Bradley Barcola was set for a hostile reception from home fans after joining PSG from Lyon near the end of the transfer window.In other matches, Toulouse conceded a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time in a 2-2 home draw with Clermont, which equalized through central defender Florent Ogier.Promoted Le Ha...

Arsenal and Liverpool win in Premier League to keep in touch with Man City

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:12:55 GMT

A run of last-gasp wins fueled Arsenal’s unlikely title challenge in the Premier League last season.Maybe it’s happening again.Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus both scored deep into stoppage time for Arsenal in its 3-1 win over Manchester United that had the Emirates Stadium rocking again on Sunday.United knows that feeling all too well, having conceded a decisive goal in the 90th minute in the same ground last season. There were many others — remember Reiss Nelson’s winner against Bournemouth in the seventh minute of added-on time? — and late flourishes are starting to become a habit for Mikel Arteta’s team.“It’s the best feeling in the world,” said Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, the team’s other scorer.Liverpool, on the other hand, got its business done early against Aston Villa with a 3-0 win at Anfield.Two goals in the opening 22 minutes preceded another strike by Mohamed Salah amid so much speculation about his future following a mega-money of...