Minnesota

Deer crashes up in Minnesota, western Wisconsin as nights grow longer

Published

1 month ago

December 2, 2024

Deer crashes up in Minnesota, western Wisconsin as nights grow longer

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — The number of deer crashes in Minnesota and western Wisconsin is up right now.

In a couple of cases, the crashes have been fatal. Last week, a 69-year-old Hastings man was hit and killed by another driver. It happened after he was trying to remove a deer he hit from a Minnesota roadway.

The Minnesota State Patrol says they’ve received nearly 2,800 calls for animals in the roadway so far this year. It’s at a pace similar to last year.

At Fix Auto Collision in Maple Grove, Taggert Feehan is working on a vehicle with minor damage. It’s an easier job compared to other cars and trucks that have come in recently — especially those that have collided with deer.

“It’s really amazing what a deer or an animal can do if you hit them at a high enough speed,” said Taggert.

It is a major reason why this is their busiest time of year.

“When the clocks go back, now we are driving in the dark in the morning and we are driving in the dark in the evening,” said Matt Feehan, owner of Fix Auto.

Post-harvest, animals have also lost a majority of their coverage so they’re on the move and they’re unpredictable. Drivers have told Feehan that they’ve seen them come from woods, the ditch even from up above.

“The one that went through the windshield, it actually jumped off a bridge. Somebody was driving under the bridge, and it came landing. They didn’t see it coming it fell literally out of the sky,” Feehan said.

Feehan said vehicle damage can be extensive, ranging anywhere from $1,000 up to $15,000 or more.

“Maybe the deer hits here but that’s only the chest and then maybe the back swings around, and then as you are driving, it bounces all the way down the side,” Feehan said.

The best thing you can do to avoid these kinds of crashes is to make sure your headlights are clean, your tires have plenty of tread and, of course, you want to keep your head on a swivel — especially at night.

The state patrol said you shouldn’t swerve to avoid a deer. Swerving can cause you to veer into oncoming traffic.

“It’s an abrupt and scary situation for anyone driving a car,” Feehan said.

The state patrol also wants to remind drivers that deer are most active between 6-9 p.m.

John Lauritsen

John Lauritsen is an Emmy award-winning reporter from Montevideo, Minn. He joined WCCO-TV in late-July of 2007. Two days after he started, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed.

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Minnesota

Detroit Lions picks vs Minnesota Vikings: NFL Week 18 showdown for NFC North

Published

5 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Lions picks vs Minnesota Vikings: NFL Week 18 showdown for NFC North

There’s plenty of history on the line in arguably the Detroit Lions’ biggest regular-season game of the past six decades (and definitely the biggest game in Ford Field’s two-plus decades), but also the future: Beat the Minnesota Vikings and not only are the Lions NFC North champs — which would be their first time repeating as division champs since 1953-54 — but they’re the NFC’s No. 1 seed, with the lone bye week in the conference.

Getting the first weekend of the playoffs isn’t required to reach the Super Bowl — the Kansas City Chiefs made it last season after playing a wild-card game, as did the Cincinnati Bengals and LA Rams in 2021 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, the first season of the current playoff setup. But even out of those four teams, just one — the Bucs — did it starting out on the road. (Tom Brady’s wild-card squad took out Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay in three straight road games.)

So will the Lions wrap up a week off and a late-January playoff opener at Ford Field, or will they hit the road — most likely either Atlanta or Tampa — for next week’s wild-card round? Four Free Press sports writers have some thoughts:

Dave Birkett

What a game to end the season. Lions and Vikings for the NFC North title. Winner gets a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, loser goes on the road next week as the five seed. Campbell tried to keep the hype train in check this week by noting this isn’t playoff game. It feels like it, though, and that’s as big a reason as any why I think the Lions squeak out a win.

These are two evenly-matched teams. The Lions have the more explosive offense, the Vikings have the more dynamic defense. Last time they met, Bates kicked the game-winning field goal with 15 seconds to play, one series after Darnold misfired on a pass to an open Jefferson that might have clinched a Minnesota win. I expect this game to come down to the wire in similar fashion. The Lions don’t have much room for error because of their injuries on defense, but Goff has played lights-out football of late and homefield advantage has to count for something. The pick: Lions 27, Vikings 26.

Carlos Monarrez

The Lions were the better team when they beat the Vikings 2½ months ago. Now the Vikings are by far the healthier team, which makes them the better team. Minnesota is a balanced team featuring a superstar receiver and a defense that produces interceptions and sacks from numerous players and hasn’t allowed more than 27 points since late October. The Lions have the NFL’s best offense, but it has to be nearly perfect on every drive against good teams to make up for a banged-up defense that’s allowing an average of 30 points the past five games and needed Jake Moody’s balky leg to bail it out last week. The pick: Vikings 36, Lions 31.

Jeff Seidel

Punt? Who needs to punt? Get ready for a wild shootout in the biggest regular season game ever played in Ford Field. Get ready for a whole bunch of Gamblin’ Dan Campbell. Get ready for hold-your-breath drama. The Lions won’t be able to stop the Vikings through most of this game. Then again, the Vikings won’t be able to the Lions. It is going to be incredibly stressful and dramatic. But the Lions will get one big play, one turnover, that will change everything. The pick: Lions 35, Vikings 32.

Shawn Windsor

The defense is worrisome. The offense not so much. The stakes, meanwhile, are historic. The crowd should help and a turnover or two will be the difference. These Lions aren’t just resilient, they’re opportunistic, and they will make the play against Sam Darnold they could not against Josh Allen. The pick: Lions 27, Vikings 24.

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Minnesota

New York Sirens shutout short-handed Minnesota Frost 5-0

Published

14 hours ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

New York Sirens shutout short-handed Minnesota Frost 5-0

A local coffee shop serves up hot drinks, ice skates during this cold

01:35

MINNEAPOLIS — Jessie Eldridge scored the fastest goal in franchise history and Alex Carpenter added to her league-leading scoring totals as the New York Sirens shut out the short-handed Minnesota Frost 5-0 on Saturday.

The loss is the first time the Frost have failed to score at least two goals in a game and the first time they have trailed by as many as three goals.

Already missing a growing list of players to injury and illness, league-leading Minnesota lost starting goalkeeper Nicole Hensley to an injury during warm-ups. Maddie Rooney is battling illness and was not in the building after being given the day off and the Frost turned to Lucy Morgan, who was signed to a 10-day contract Thursday, as a last-minute starter while recalling Rooney to serve as the emergency back-up.

Eldridge directed a shot past Morgan, the 23-year-old former University of Minnesota keeper, just 70 seconds into the game. But Morgan did not allow another goal in the first period. The Sirens scored twice on the power play in the second. Sarah Fillier scored her fourth goal, whistling a shot past Morgan from the bottom of the face-off circle and Carpenter tallied her fifth on the power play in the final minute to make it 3-0 after two. Chloe Aurard and Abby Roque each scored third-period goals.

Corinne Schroeder earned the shutout for her league-leading fourth win, making saves on several Minnesota breakaway chances in the second period and stonewalling three Frost power-play opportunities while making 26 saves.

Morgan faced 34 shots and made 29 saves in her league debut.

New York has now beaten the Frost twice on its home ice this season, posting a 4-3 overtime win December 1. Neither team has won on its home ice in three meetings.

Already missing forward Grace Zumwinkle, who could be heading to the injured list with a shoulder issue, and struggling with a virus that has affected several players, Minnesota will have three days to get healthier before facing Boston for the second time in less than a week.

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Minnesota

How to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons – NBA (1/4/25) | Channel, stream, preview

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2025

Press Room

How to watch the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons – NBA (1/4/25) | Channel, stream, preview

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons continue their four-game homestand on Saturday night, as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half of their back-to-back.

Watch the Detroit Pistons on FuboTV (7-day free trial)

The Pistons continue to roll as the New Year continues on. Despite losing to the Denver Nuggets in their final game of 2024, the team has kicked off 2025 with a couple of solid wins. After taking down the Orlando Magic on New Year’s Day, Detroit followed that up by hanging on to beat the lowly Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, 98-94.

Tobias Harris led the Pistons with a double-double, scoring 24 points with 10 rebounds, while Jalen Duren also posted a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Detroit is now ninth in the Eastern Conference, two games behind the Miami Heat for sixth.

The Timberwolves come into the Motor City after suffering a tough 118-115 loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday. It marks back-to-back defeats for Minnesota, who had won three straight games before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on New Year’s Eve. The Timberwolves are fighting to stay close to sixth place in the Western Conference. They are currently 10th, two games back of the Dallas Mavericks.

This is the first of two meetings between the two teams this season. The T-Wolves won both matchups with the Pistons last year.