Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis encouraging residents to test homes for radon
Minneapolis encouraging residents to test homes for radon
The Minneapolis Department of Health is encouraging neighbors to test their homes for radon, a gas that can cause serious health issues.
Gregory Wheeler, a father of four, had no idea his home had elevated levels of radon until a neighbor suggested he test for it last year. When he read the results, he said he was terrified.
“Very alarming, scared,” he said. “I wanted to move out of the house.”
The naturally occurring odorless and colorless gas comes from the soil.
“It’s going to enter usually through cracks in the basement slab or walls,” explained Jonathan Rossall, a healthy homes inspector for the Minneapolis Health Department. He said levels are typically higher in lower floors of homes.
More than 40% of homes in Minnesota have dangerously high levels of radon, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The average radon level in Minnesota is three times higher than in other parts of the United States. MDH attributes the unusually high levels to the state’s geology and cold climate.
“It’s actually the second leading cause of lung cancer,” Rossall said. “Radon is radioactive, so it’s damaging to the body.”
The City of Minneapolis is offering 400 free radon tests during January, which is Radon Action Month.
“If you spend a lot of time in lower levels with a finished basement, with bedrooms especially, then that’s a situation where we would say it’s a higher priority to test and mitigate,” Rossall said.
When Wheeler reached out to the city about his elevated levels, they brought in a contractor to install a mitigation system.
“My two girls live in the basement and now the levels are low. I feel much safer, at ease,” Wheeler said. “Go get your home tested today. Radon is a very serious and dangerous issue that we all must be concerned about.”
The City of Minneapolis has grant funding available to offset the cost of mitigation.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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