Rick Kupchella's - BringMeTheNews.com

Here for some shopping, eh? Canadians may swarm MN stores this summer

Thu, 17 May 2012 03:04:27 +0000

An economist is forecasting a surge of Canadian shoppers into states such as Minnesota this summer. On June first Canada will raise its limit on the dollar amount of duty-free goods residents can bring back with them from the States. Retail prices are about 14 percent lower in the U.S.

April frost hurt apple crop but was not a disaster

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:38:17 +0000

Minnesota growers say the April frost will reduce the size of this year's apple crop but was not as damaging as many had feared. One of the most important measures of potential damage, though, won't happen until the apples are ready for tasting.

Twins' bats come alive in 11-7 win over Tigers

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:34:29 +0000

The Twins’ bats came alive in a 11-7 win over the Tigers Wednesday night in Detroit. Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe homered and Josh Willingham drove in three-runs with a pair of doubles. Nick Blackburn’s ERA blossomed to 8.37 after he allowed six runs in just two innings.

Joe Mauer jump-started Minnesota with an RBI double in the first inning, which was followed by an RBI double from Josh Willingham. Brian Dozier added a three-run homer in the the top of the second, boosting the Twins to a 5-1 lead.

The lead didn’t last, however, because Nick Blackburn gave it all, and some, right back. The Twins’ righthander allowed five runs in the bottom of the second inning, giving Detroit a 6-5 lead. Blackburn didn’t come back out for the third inning.

Minnesota’s bullpen pitched the final seven innings. Jeff Gray, Alex Burnett, Brian Duensing, Jared Burton and Glen Perkins combined to allow four hits and one run.

Meanwhile, the Twins tied the game at six on Ryan Doumit’s two-out, RBI single to center in the third inning. Detroit regained the lead, 7-6, on Miguel Cabrera’s run-scoring single in the fifth. Jamey Carroll then doubled home a pair of runs in the sixth to put the Twins up 8-7, giving them the lead for good.

Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run homer in the ninth — his second home run of the season.

Target's five-percent-off credit card is a hit

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:21:15 +0000

Target says customers who have Redcards are spending about 50 percent more at Target stores than they did in their pre-card days. That has more than offset the cost of the five percent discount. It was also a factor in the six percent increase in first-quarter sales.

Kahn voted 10th best NBA Executive

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:30:12 +0000

David Kahn finished 10th in NBA Executive of the Year voting on Wednesday. The Timberwolves’ president of basketball operations received one second-place vote and one third-place vote. Indiana’s Larry Bird was voted the winner.

St. Paul Saints 2012 mascots hope to spend more than 72 days together

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:25:28 +0000

This year the Saints will have not one but two pig mascots and what could go wrong with this pair: Kim Lardashian and Kris Hamphries. The swine may stick together longer than a certain Minnesota native was married to his celebrity wife -- the Saints season lasts 110 days.

Twins want Marquis to go faster

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:13:47 +0000

Ron Gardenhire is expected to meet with Jason Marquis on Thursday to tell him to speed things up when he’s pitching. “You can’t be 25-30 seconds between pitches. It can kill your offense,” Gardenhire said. “It takes the momentum out of everything you do.”

Tommy Kramer told Roger Goodell Vikings need a retractable-roof stadium

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:01:21 +0000

Former Vikings QB Tommy Kramer is weighing in on the stadium issue. He says he talked to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in 2010 and said, “Hey, if you don’t get a stadium up here with a retractable roof, there’s something wrong with you.” He says Goodell agreed.

Mbakwe jogging and jumping again

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:49:08 +0000

Gophers forward Trevor Mbakwe tells SiriusXM that he started jogging and jumping this week for the first time since blowing out his knee five months ago. As long as there are no setbacks, Mbakwe thinks he’ll “be fine by the time the season gets here.”

Lynx picked to repeat as WNBA champs

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:38:17 +0000

Cravaack calls ground security a joke

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:34:52 +0000

Cravaack tells TSA ground security is weak link at airports

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:31:23 +0000

At a Congressional hearing, Minnesota Republican Chip Cravaack told a Transportation Security Administration official that ground security around airport gates is "a joke." Cravaack, a former airline pilot, predicted the next terrorist attack in the U.S. will come from the shadow of an airplane.

Vikings stadium deal isn't done yet

Wed, 16 May 2012 23:23:28 +0000

Although the Vikings stadium bill was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton on Monday, the stadium isn’t a guarantee quite yet. It still needs to pass a Minneapolis City Council vote, which will be held May 25. Sources tell ProFootballTalk the vote is expected to go in favor of the Vikings.

Pollution from Gulf oil spill shows up on western Minnesota pelicans

Wed, 16 May 2012 22:34:31 +0000

Petroleum and the chemical used to clean up the 2010 Gulf oil leak have shown up in the eggs of pelicans that nest in western Minnesota. Swift County is home to North America's largest colony of American White Pelicans, which winter in the Gulf of Mexico. Biologists will monitor how the chicks hatched from polluted eggs develop.

U of M study finds a 'brain gain' in rural Minnesota

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:49:38 +0000

Reports of the demise of rural Minnesota seem to be greatly exaggerated. While it's true that college-aged residents are leaving rural counties, research by a U of M sociologist finds people in their 30s and 40s and migrating into rural areas. And bringing educational degrees and earning power with them.

Strange Sports: The Awkward Edition

Wed, 16 May 2012 21:12:42 +0000

KSTP among TV stations subpoenaed by Amy Senser's attorney

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:30:40 +0000

KSTP reports the subpoena was entered into the court file Wednesday and asks for "raw audio and video footage" of interviews with jurors following Amy Senser's criminal vehicular homicide trial. The wife of former Vikings tight end Joe Senser was convicted of two felonies and is scheduled to be sentenced July 9. Her attorney is working on an appeal.

Google Earth shows north Minneapolis tornado scar

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:46:42 +0000

Interior Department cancels Duluth's casino contract

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:37:48 +0000

The agreement with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa provided the city with 19 percent of all revenue from electronic gaming. An ongoing legal fight began when the tribe stopped making payments in 2009. The Duluth News Tribune reports federal authorities have deemed portions of the contract invalid. Mayor Don Ness says the Interior Department is "using the power of the federal government to be an advocate for the band at the expense of the citizens of Duluth."