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How do you know spring is near in Minnesota? This stinky plant blooms – and kicks out heat

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How do you know spring is near in Minnesota? This stinky plant blooms – and kicks out heat


With an off-putting scent and maroon flower buds that blend in with fall’s leaf litter, skunk cabbage is not on the radar of many Minnesota hikers.

The plant blooms early and looks bizarre enough to fit in with Addams Family home décor.

But the coolest part? Skunk cabbages actually pump out warmth.

You read that right: They are one of just a few plants capable of thermogenesis, which is the power to generate heat.

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Skunk cabbage at Interstate State Park. (Jenni Webster)

Inside the flower’s spathe — a conical sheath protecting an egg-shaped spadix covered with tiny blooms — the temperature can rise at least 30 degrees warmer than the outdoors. That helps skunk cabbage push through any lingering snow on the ground.

It also makes skunk cabbage one of the first plants to bloom, sometimes appearing as early as February during warm winters and as late as April during cold ones.

This year, the plant’s blooms began showing up the first week of March in Minnesota. They can be found in moist areas, such as Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden’s marsh and Minnehaha Falls Regional Park in Minneapolis, in state parks along the St. Croix River, and other areas near swamps, springs and bogs.

Besides the promise of warmth inside the spathe, skunk cabbage plants also have a chemical called cadaverine that is the same substance found in decaying animal matter. Its Latin name, foetidus, means putrid or stink. That smell attracts flies and gnats known to feed on carrion, as well as other insects, which pollinate the skunk cabbage.

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Minnesota Hunter Terry Brisk’s murder remains unsolved after 9 years

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Minnesota Hunter Terry Brisk’s murder remains unsolved after 9 years


Friday marks nine years since Terry Brisk was found fatally shot in rural central Minnesota, and the sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s help in solving the case. 

Unsolved murder case

The backstory:

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Terrance “Terry” Brisk was fatally shot with his own rifle on his family’s property near Little Falls, Minnesota, on Nov. 7, 2016. Despite the work of investigators, no arrests have been made. 

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office believe that Brisk and the individual would have previously interacted prior to the fatal shooting. They continue to work to find the person responsible for the killing. 

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What they’re saying:

“Nine years have passed since this tragic incident, but time has not lessened our determination to find justice,” Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen said in a statement. “Our investigators, along with our state and federal partners, continue to actively pursue every lead and explore new forensic opportunities. We owe it to Terry, his family, and his friends to keep pushing forward.”

Law enforcement using advanced technology to retest evidence in Terry Brick’s murder case

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What you can do:

In a media release issued on Friday, investigators are asking for anyone who may have information about the case to come forward.

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A $30,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. 

Anyone with information or a tip about the case can contact the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at 320-632-9233 or submit an anonymous tip to CrimeStoppers here. 

The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting and a Morrison County Sheriff’s Office press release. 

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Revived Ravens make 1st visit to Minnesota with Lamar Jackson in latest test for Vikings defense – WTOP News

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Revived Ravens make 1st visit to Minnesota with Lamar Jackson in latest test for Vikings defense – WTOP News


Baltimore (3-5) at Minnesota (4-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox. BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 4½. Against the spread: Ravens…

Baltimore (3-5) at Minnesota (4-4)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 4½.

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Against the spread: Ravens 3-5, Vikings 4-4.

Series record: Ravens lead 4-3.

Last meeting: Ravens beat Vikings 34-31 in OT in Baltimore on Nov. 7, 2021.

Last week: Ravens beat Dolphins 28-6 in Miami on Thursday; Vikings beat Lions 27-24 in Detroit on Sunday.

Ravens offense: overall (20), rush (6), pass (28), scoring (12).

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Ravens defense: overall (27), rush (21), pass (28), scoring (26).

Vikings offense: overall (26), rush (23), pass (26), scoring (18).

Vikings defense: overall (14), rush (20), pass (8), scoring (20).

Turnover differential: Ravens minus-3, Vikings minus-4.

Ravens player to watch

RB Derrick Henry. The five-time Pro Bowl pick had 119 yards on 19 carries against the Dolphins for a season-best average of 6.3 yards per attempt as the Ravens won their second straight game after a 1-5 start. Henry is the eighth player in league history with 12,000-plus rushing yards and 100-plus touchdowns. The Vikings have allowed 200-plus rushing yards twice this season, but last week they held Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions to a net of 65 yards on 20 carries and three weeks ago against Saquon Barkley and the Eagles they allowed only 45 yards on 23 yards.

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Vikings player to watch

LB Blake Cashman. Having missed four games earlier this season with a hamstring injury, Cashman has provided another reminder of how impactful his smarts, toughness and speed in the middle of the defense can be. He had 14 tackles against the Lions, his most in two years with his hometown team, including one for loss and one that forced a fumble recovered by the Vikings to set up a third-quarter touchdown. Cashman will likely be on spy duty against Lamar Jackson, whose running ability among NFL QBs is second to none.

Key matchup

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy vs. Ravens pass defense. McCarthy returned last week after a five-game absence with a sprained ankle and showed little rust, other than a few inaccurate throws among the moments his inexperience showed. Playing at home with his offensive line as collectively healthy as it’s been all season, McCarthy has a favorable opportunity to find a rhythm against a defense that has been atypically near the bottom of the league in several key statistical categories this season. The Ravens have the NFL’s third-worst sacks-per-pass-attempt rate and only three interceptions, though they haven’t allowed a passing touchdown in either of their past two games.

Key injuries

Ravens: Not a single player on the active 53-man roster appeared on the initial injury report on Wednesday, after the team was decimated by absences at times last month. … OLB Tavius Robinson (foot) is on injured reserve after getting hurt three weeks ago. Two-time Pro Bowl DT Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) is done for the season. DT Broderick Washington (Achilles tendon) is also on IR and will miss his sixth straight game.

Vikings: RB Aaron Jones (shoulder/toe) didn’t practice on Wednesday, along with TE Josh Oliver (foot), S Theo Jackson (concussion) and backup CB Jeff Okudah (concussion). Jones and Jackson were injured against the Lions. Oliver and Okudah were inactive for that game. … FB C.J. Ham (hand) was a limited participant on Wednesday after missing the past two games. … C Ryan Kelly (concussion) is on injured reserve, eligible to return but with no timetable yet.

Series notes

The Ravens, who are in their 30th season in Baltimore, will make only their third trip to Minnesota. They lost to the Vikings at the Metrodome in 2009 and at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2017. … The home team has won the past six games in the series since the Vikings won the first matchup in Baltimore in 1998. … Jackson, who has never played at Minnesota, ran 21 times for 120 yards in the overtime victory over the Vikings in 2021.

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Stats and stuff

Jackson, who missed three games with a hamstring injury, will make his 100th regular-season start for the Ravens. His record is 72-27. … Jackson had his seventh career game last week in his return from injury against the Dolphins with four-plus TD passes and a 140-plus passer rating. His 136.7 passer rating is the highest through Week 9 in NFL history among QBs with a qualifying amount of playing time. … TE Mark Andrews, who had two TD catches last week, is 18 yards from passing Derrick Mason as the career leading receiver for the Ravens. … The Ravens lead the league with 10 TDs of 20-plus yards. … The Ravens have allowed an average of only 13 points over the past three games. They gave up 37-plus points in each of their first four losses. … Ravens LB Roquan Smith had 12 tackles in each of the past two games. … Jordan Stout has landed four punts inside the 5-yard line for the Ravens, tied for the most in the NFL. He leads the league in net average at 46 yards per punt. … McCarthy is the first player in NFL history with two or more TD passes and one or more rushing TD in at least two of his first three career games. … Jones had a season-high 98 yards from scrimmage last week. … Vikings WR Justin Jefferson, who’s fifth in the NFL with 649 receiving yards and has 8,081 for his career, will pass Torry Holt with 76 more yards for the second most in league history through a player’s first six seasons. Randy Moss (8,375) has the most. … The Vikings had a season-high five sacks last week and have the longest active streak in the league with multiple sacks in 12 straight games. … Vikings LB Eric Wilson had two sacks last week, while playing 56 of 64 snaps on defense and 21 of 30 on special teams. … Vikings OLB Jonathan Greenard has 10 tackles for loss, fourth most in the league. … Will Reichard has made 14 field goals from 50-plus yards for the Vikings, tied for the second most through a player’s first two seasons with Evan McPherson. Brandon Aubrey had 24.

Fantasy tip

Baltimore’s three tight ends — Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar — combined for seven catches for 105 yards and three touchdowns against the Dolphins. Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had six receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota last week, and Oronde Gadsden had five catches for 77 yards and a touchdown the game before that against the Vikings.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Central Minnesota woman turns old barnwood into works of art

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Central Minnesota woman turns old barnwood into works of art


Fall harvest means barns across the Midwest are a busy place — but for a central Minnesota woman, they aren’t just farm buildings, they’re works of art.

“Most of my barns are 100 to 120 years old,” said Heather Coleman.

While home buyers go house hunting, Coleman goes barn hunting across central Minnesota. The more beat up the building is, the better.

“This was a windstorm this summer that took this beautiful thing down,” Coleman said while visiting a barn in Kandiyohi County.

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The barnwood she gathers ends up in her shop near the town of Pennock — that’s where it finds a new purpose.

“All these dilapidated barns out in the country either get bulldozed or just sit there and I’m all about refurbishing anything,” Coleman said.

She’s refurbishing while combining her love for farm life with her love for lake life. Coleman has always been good with a saw, so, years ago, when someone asked her if she could carve the shape of their lake out of her barnwood, she didn’t hesitate.

“I said, ‘I’ll give it a try. I’ll try anything once.’ And that’s where it started,” Coleman said.

The first lake turned out so well that word spread. Coleman now does about 50 Minnesota lakes a year. She uses maps from both the Department of Natural Resources and Google to get the shape and then traces them. Then it’s all about getting the cuts just right.

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Because no two lakes are the same, every cove and every corner is important.

After the artwork takes shape, 1-inch strips of barnwood are applied. Some light sanding is the final touch.

“Some are intense. Eagle Lake, maybe a half hour. Lake Superior could take a couple hours because starting from the beginning, then cutting and then sanding, and I’m very particular, so it could take quite a while,” Coleman said.

A quick look around her shop shows Coleman is also known for repurposing water skis, hockey sticks and even beer cans — but her heart is in the heartland.

There’s no shortage of barnwood, so there’s no shortage of ideas. She plans to continue to combine her love for barns with her love for lakes. After all, there are 10,000 in the state, which means she isn’t planning on leaving her shop anytime soon.

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“My grandma always said if you enjoy doing what you do, it’s never a job. And I love being in my garage and doing this,” Coleman said.

Coleman gives a state of Minnesota barnwood piece to every farmer who donates barnwood to her project. 

Coleman shares her work on Facebook.



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