Hikers Watch Man Dying in Lilydale Park Self-Immolation

Standing on the bluffs, the pair saw a man on fire far below them, and ran for police.

Despite quick thinking by a pair of hikers, a man burned to death in Lilydale Regional Park on Monday night. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, two men were near the top of the bluffs when they smelled smoke and "heard a whimper" from the flats below. They peered down on a grisly scene: The man, about 75 feet below the hikers, appeared to be leaning on one arm, and a 10-foot-long swath of grass and leaves appeared to be burning beside him, where perhaps he had rolled or stumbled. One of the hikers called 911, and a dispatcher told them to meet police and paramedics at the foot of the trail. By the time emergency crews and the hikers reached the man, he had stopped breathing and was declared dead a short time later. Evidence left at …

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South Metro News Roundup

Northfield Teen Murdered in AZ, Mehring Ends Run for Congress: South Metro News Recap

Also in this week's round-up: A farewell to Lakeville's editor and another housing development makes headway in Eagan.

Take a trip around Dakota County and the south metro with this week's rundown of top news.  For the original story, simply click on the link in the headline.  Fifth Affordable Housing Complex in the Works for Eagan The Dakota County Community Development Agency wants to construct a 50-unit facility near Lemay Lake in Eagan. Mehring Ends Campaign for Congress, Will Return to CaringBridge Eagan resident Sona Mehring announced earlier in April that she planned to run for Minnesota's Second Congressional seat. Developer Submits Plans for Four-Story Senior Living Complex in Eagan Southview Senior Communities wants to build a 148-unit senior living building at 4232 Blackhawk Road. The company's request will go before the Eagan Advisory Planning …

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Grandmother Assaulted, Teen Party Busted: South Metro Crime Rewind

Also in this week's update – More victims in the Craigslist caper via Lakeville.

The following is a rundown of crime-related stories from our Dakota County Patches this last week. All stories have been verified, and those accused are innocent until proven guilty. For the complete story, click on the link in the headline.  Blotter: Police Find a Group of Teens in Possession of Alcohol, Marijuana In a separate incident, a woman was transported to the hospital for an overdose after taking as many as 300 pills. MAP: March Police Calls in Apple Valley Every month, Patch publishes a map of a selection of police or public safety calls in Apple Valley. VIDEO: More Victims Surface in Lakeville Craigslist Swindle Case A number of people have come forward, claiming they were scammed by Lakeville resident Monica Lillemoen. UPDATE…

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Marathon Bombing Sends Shockwaves Across Country

Across Patch's network of 900 sites, people felt the effect of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

On mobile? You can see a scrollable, full-screen view of the map here. *** Monday's terror attack near the finish line of the Boston Marathon shocked the country and touched communities far from Massachusetts. To get the latest, visit Watertown Patch. The Boston Marathon is a national and international event, drawing participants and spectators from far away. When the bombs went off, they reverberated among families, friends and people who joined vigils honoring the victims. To illustrate the reach of this story, we've created this interactive map which displays every Patch site that wrote a story about local people touched by the attack. Each marker on the map is clickable and includes the name of the local person connected to the story …

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Parents Talk: Discussing Tragedies in the Media

How do you explain incidents like the Boston Marathon bombings to your children? Share your ideas in the comments section below.

In the aftermath of the Boston bombings, many parents may be struggling to find the write words to explain such a horrific event to children. At Patch, we wanted to use this week's Parents Talk as an opportunity to provide some resources and gather advice from readers on how to talk to kids about tragedies in the media. Share your ideas on this topic in the comments section below. The Child Development Institute gives the following discussion techniques for dealing with tragedies in the media: See the full Child Development Institute article here. Unfortunately, this isn't a first-time discussion on Patch. Following the Newtown, CT massacre, and the more close-to-home shooting incident at Accent Signage in Minneapolis, readers and bloggers…

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Spring Tornado Drills Scheduled for Thursday, April 18

There will be a statewide drill at 1:45 p.m.

Get ready. Though the snow hasn't yet thawed (and still keeps coming), one hallmark of spring is on the way: Tornado Drill Day.  The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has issued an alert to all residents to prepare for a statewide drill on Thursday April 18, 2013, at 1:45 p.m. to give schools, business, hospitals and other organizations a chance to practice their emergency plans.  Most counties—but not all—will also conduct a second drill at 6:55 p.m. Don't know what to do?  

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Minnesota Runners and Residents Recount Experience, Share Updates

Two explosions occurred the afternoon of Monday, April 15, 2013 near the marathon finish line on Boylston Street in Boston, MA.

During the Boston Marathon April 15, two explosions occurred near the finish line—killing three and injuring more than 100 people, according to a report from Fenway-Kenmore Patch. Among the 23,000 runners at the annual race were approximately 500 Minnesota residents, according to StarTribune.com. Here is what some of the runners shared about the incident and their experience. Click on the headline to read the full story. Roseville Runner: Boston Marathon Bombings "Surreal" Eric Kronback said he thought the two explosions were cannons. Blocks Away from Boston Marathon Explosions: Lake Elmo Woman Recounts 'A War Zone' “All of a sudden I heard two huge blasts—and everything went silent," Chris Hess-Withbroe said from her Boston hotel room …

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Donald Lee

11:07 am on Friday, May 3, 2013

It's hard to believe that a closed-captioning error in transcribing an unpronouncable name would seriously be used as an example of "inaccurate reporting" and suggested as cause for a lawsuit. Seriously?   more ›

2 Mendota Heights Residents in Boston Marathon: Explosions Tear Through Race

Reports and updates on the reported explosions on Boylston Street near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Reports and pictures from the reported explosions at the Boston Marathon today are coming in via Twitter and Facebook. Reload this article as Patch pulls together more reports from social media in a Storify window above (use scroll bar at right) or at Storify.com. According to the Boston Athletic Association, three Mendota Heighs residents were running in the marathon: Thomas Hartley David Mullen Both runners are listed as having finished the marathon, but it's not known if they were near the finish line when the bombs exploded. According to the Boston Globe, runners have been diverted down Commonwealth Avenue, a few blocks away from the site of the explosions. UPDATED 5:35 p.m. 4/15/13: If you are trying to locate someone who was in the …

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