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Minneapolis, MN

Marvin the Minneapolis-Moline is her ‘one and only’

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Marvin the Minneapolis-Moline is her ‘one and only’


In 2015, Lauren Castle of Sussex, Wis., was traveling on vacation to Eagle River, Wis., with her boyfriend, Brent Riemer, who is now her husband. The couple spotted an abandoned 1952 Minneapolis-Moline U tractor. That trip sparked an interest and a goal to find another one.

“His family has tractors, mainly Farmalls and Allis-Chalmers, but I wanted something different,” Castle says. “Some friends had a similar machine and were willing to part with it, so I purchased the U for $500. It had been previously used as a hobby tractor for handling tillage chores and was sitting outside under a tarp. Some of the parts from the tractor were in boxes because the previous owners were planning to restore it.”

The history of this tractor line began in 1929 when the Moline Implement Co., Moline Plow Co., and Minneapolis Steel and Manufacturing Co. merged to form the Minneapolis-Moline Co. The U was a standard-tread tractor, and only 2,404 units came off the assembly line at the manufacturing plant in Hopkins, Minn., between 1952 and 1956. In all, there were 11 different models, ranging from the UTU row crop tricycle to the UTIL military row wide or single format.

Features included manual steering, open operator station, five-speed gear transmission and one reverse, hand clutch, starter button, and 81-inch wheelbase. It had a 40-hp rating on the drawbar; 4-by-2 two-wheel-drive chassis; and a Minneapolis-Moline 4.6-liter, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine.

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When Castle bought the U, it had not been started for eight years and needed major repairs. There were layers of beehives in the motor, which was frozen. Someone had tried to pull the tractor but broke the cam and oil pump shaft. All tires had deteriorated.

Up and running

Riemer and his uncle Kevin were confident they could get the tractor back together and running again. The U needed a hood, muffler, tires, rims, seat assembly, seals and spark plugs. Items were purchased online and at local salvage yards, and by removing pieces from other machines. After spending $700 to $800 on parts and a month to finish all the repairs, the U was operational.

Castle has entered tractor pulling contests and does some plowing with the U, plus it powers the buzz saw.

She takes it to the Dodge County Tractor Show, Richfield Historical Society Plow Day and Sussex Antique Power Association parade. It has also been used at Basse’s Taste of Country Market in Colgate, Wis., as a people mover during the annual pumpkin harvest.

“Today, the U operates about 30 hours per year. I need to find some extra time and hopefully it will get repainted,” Castle adds. “This is truly my only and favorite tractor, named Marvin the Minneapolis-Moline, because it’s a cute little machine, unique for this area, and I enjoy going on rides in the country with my husband.”

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Persinger writes from Milwaukee. To have your favorite tractor featured, email or send in a photo of yourself with your tractor, along with a 300-word write-up about the tractor, to: [email protected] or Wisconsin Agriculturist, P.O. Box 236, Brandon, WI 53919.





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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE

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Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE


Construction workers in Minneapolis on Friday called for developers to demand that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave Minnesota and offer protections for their crews. Protesters at a separate demonstration on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis asked corporate businesses to end what they call cooperation with immigration enforcement.



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Minneapolis, MN

Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer

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Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer


The story behind Anthony Edwards wearing a bright orange bracelet since last season has received a positive development, after Timberwolves fans learned Luca Wright has beaten leukemia.

Anthony Edwards, Luca Wright connection

What we know:

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Last January, the 6-year-old Minnesotan met “Ant” for the first time following a game against the Detroit Pistons, proclaiming him to be his favorite player, and asking him to wear a bracelet that symbolizes leukemia awareness, resilience and support for those affected. During the interaction, the fan had created a sign with a to-do list: “1. Beat Cancer. 2. Be The Next MJ.”

Leukemia is a type of cancer that spreads throughout the bloodstream, infecting bone marrow and a person’s lymphatic system by rapid production of abnormal white blood cells that can’t fight infection.

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Since then, the Wolves’ MVP has worn a bracelet that proclaims, “Love Like Luca” on it for every game he has played, vowing to wear it “until he hangs up his sneakers.”

Ant has gone on to explain how the gesture connected with him given that he lost both his mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, to cancer when he was 14 years old. The No. 5 jersey he wears currently is a tribute to them both.

Luca bracelet latest

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Dig deeper:

More than a year later, Wolves fans have received the update they hoped for – now 7-year-old Luca has beaten his cancer.

What’s next:

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Ant has since responded to the news with his own social media video, calling it “God’s gift” and saying, “Let’s do this Luca.”

No word yet on whether he intends to keep wearing the bracelet, though he’s previously said he has a stash of replacements near the team bench should one ever be broken.

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The Source: Information provided by the Minnesota Timberwolves public relations department.

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Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

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Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:


A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken. 

Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.

The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone. 

Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.

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Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”

Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.

Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented. 

“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.

Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.

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Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out

“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said. 

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request. 

“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers. 

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Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.

“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face. 

Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.

Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.

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