Minnesota
WWII soldier from Minnesota laid to rest more than 80 years after his passing
On a pristine Saturday afternoon, there was a Blackhawk helicopter flyover, and American flags were everywhere.
“It was hard today in some ways,” Scott Torpey said quietly. “But it was also a joyous occasion that we got to bring him home.”
At the New Ulm City Cemetery, it was a long-awaited homecoming as U.S. Army Captain Willibald Bianchi — ‘Uncle Bill’ to his family — was laid to rest with full military honors.
“You know, the sense of closure,” says Steve Marti, one of Bianchi’s nephews. “Who would have thought, after all these years, we get the call that guess what? They’ve identified his remains.”
Bianchi, 29 years old, previously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, was killed on a POW transport ship when it was bombed and sunk by an American plane in January 1945.
His remains were buried in a mass grave in a military cemetery in Hawaii.
For decades, Bianchi’s family didn’t know if he would ever be formally identified.
“He was lost to the war,” explains Joseph Marti, another nephew. “He was Uncle Bill, who left and never came back.”
Until a phone call last September: the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency had painstakingly searched through remains in the cemetery and used family DNA samples for a match.
“My cousin Scott, my Aunt Mary Louise, his sister and another cousin donated DNA, and they used that to use some of his bones to extract mitochondrial DNA and get the match,” Joseph Marti explains.
After a dignified transfer at MSP, Bianchi’s remains were brought to New Ulm.
Dozens and dozens of people from across the country — brothers, sisters and cousins attended the burial ceremony.
The American flag on Bianchi’s coffin was given to his family.
“They gave it to my sister Sue, who was so deserving,” Steve Marti says. “She’s done so much to keep Uncle Bill’s legacy alive in our home, here in her home.”
For years, family members had passed down Bianchi’s story.
Now, they say, it has an ending befitting his service, and after an 80-year journey, Bianchi is now at honored rest.
His family says their hearts, once empty, are now full.
“So, to have him back home, I think, is so special for everybody associated,” Joseph Marti exclaims. “We’re overwhelmed and humbled.”
City parks are all across Minnesota. But a town in Murray County has one that’s gone off its rails.
Currie, Minnesota, is truly small-town America. The population hovers at just over 200. But on the northern outskirts, you’ll happen upon a place with plenty of bells and whistles: End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.
“It’s like a little village from way back when. You have your church. You’ve got a school,” said visitor Larry Diedrich.
You’ve also got railroad relics, up and down the tracks.
“1901 was when the first line was put in here,” said Jake Halverson, site manager for End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum.
Halverson said Currie was once a thriving railroad town. In fact, it was the end of the line for steam engines heading west. If you wanted to go east, Currie was your gateway to the rest of the world. The first stop was Bigham Lake.
“From Bigham Lake they could go to Minneapolis, from Minneapolis to Chicago, from Chicago to New York,” said Halverson.
But by mid-century the last train had left the station. No sooner did that happen than teenagers from the local 4H club began to clean up the abandoned turntable.
The platform was used to turn 400,000-pound steam engines around when they hit the end of the line. Thanks to the 4Hers, it still works today.
The club also bought the train depot for $1 from the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company and moved it closer to the turntable.
“That is really the beginning of maybe bringing more attention to the history of the railroad here,” said Halverson.
It’s history that comes in all shapes and sizes, including a model railroad that’s a replica of a time that was.
“It was built to look like what Currie was 100 years ago,” said Halverson.
Much of what you see at the park and museum is original, including a 125-year-old water tower that was moved to the site from Walnut Grove.
The caboose nearby originally came from South Dakota. The locomotive once ran in Georgia.
The rail business may have left Currie, but the love for trains never did. It’s a chance to celebrate big history in a small town.
“Wherever there have been trains, there have been people who are fascinated by them,” said Halverson. “I think this is an opportunity for individuals to learn about not only this part of Minnesota but to know where this part of Minnesota fits in with the rest of the world.”
The End-O-Line Railroad Park and Museum is open from Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.
A Minnesota college professor on Tuesday pleaded guilty to stealing gun parts and ammunition from a Twin Cities store.
Aaron Banks, 52, entered a guilty plea to one count of theft as part of a plea deal, according to court records. Under the agreement, which a judge still needs to approve, a count of possession of burglary or theft tools would be dismissed and Banks would receive a stay of imposition at sentencing.
According to a criminal complaint, Banks stole from a Scheels in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, on multiple occasions, taking two triggers, a rifle accessory and multiple boxes of ammunition totaling more than $750.
Gustavus Adolphus College placed Banks on leave when he was charged in March. WCCO has reached out to the school for an update on his employment status.
Banks’ sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 26.
Gustavus Adolphus is in St. Peter, about 68 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
Maury’s Stories: Stone Arch Bridge
A longstanding fixture in Minneapolis, this Maury’s Stories goes in-depth on the history of the Stone Arch Bridge, a popular attraction to this day.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – It’s a big weekend in Minnesota, with barrel racing, block parties, brewery anniversaries, a bookish festival, outdoor markets, and live music stretching from Shakopee to Minneapolis.
Battle of the Barrels
- June 19, 7 p.m.
- Canterbury Park, Shakopee
- Tickets available at Canterbury Park’s website
Watch the region’s top cowgirls race against the clock in a high-stakes barrel racing competition where every turn counts. Come early for a pre-party featuring live music, a Busch Light Happy Hour, vendor sip and shop, and games. Stick around after for more live music and a Pure Adrenaline FMX show.
Pryes Block Party 2026
Pryes Block Party kicks off its two-day run with a Friday night concert at the Pryes Side Lot featuring Soul Asylum, Agnes Uncaged and LAAMAR. The taproom and patio are open to the public all weekend, but a ticket gets you into the heart of the party.
Midwest Bookish Fest 2026
- June 19–21
- DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington Minneapolis South, Minneapolis
- Tickets required; ages 10 and under are free, ages 11–17 must have a ticket and be accompanied by an adult
A two-and-a-half-day celebration of books, authors, and all things literary, featuring authors and bookish vendors from around the world. Expect a masquerade, author brunch, panels, trivia, and more across the full weekend.
Unmapped Brewing’s 9th Trip Around the Sun Outdoor Party
- June 20, 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
- Unmapped Brewing, 14625 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka
- Free entry; limited edition anniversary T-shirts and giveaways available on-site
Unmapped Brewing celebrates nine years with an all-day outdoor party packed with live music from Teacher Party, The Southern Resident Killer Whales, The Changeups, and Static Jones. Food trucks, yard games, free face painting, beer sampling, and a tote bag giveaway round out a full day of fun for the whole family.
Stone Arch Bridge Festival – Vintage & Vinyl Market
- June 21, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis
- Free entry; no tickets needed
The Minneapolis Vintage Market takes over the Stone Arch Bridge Festival, the Twin Cities’ third-largest festival, drawing an average of 75,000 visitors over two days. Browse more than 200 artist and vendor booths spanning fine art, vintage goods, classic cars, food, and drink along the Minneapolis riverfront behind the Guthrie Theater.
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