Latest news with #WashingtonCounty
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republican joins 2 DFLers in race for Nicole Mitchell's former Senate seat
At least three candidates have now entered the race for the Woodbury-area Senate seat left vacant by the resignation of Nicole Mitchell last week after her felony burglary conviction. Republican Dwight Dorau on Wednesday announced his intention to run in Senate District 47 in an upcoming special election. He'd be the first Republican in the race. Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger and Rep. Ethan Cha, both Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers from Woodbury, also plan to run. The outcome of the special election could tip the balance of power in the Senate, where the DFL has a one-seat majority. Woodbury has favored DFL candidates in recent elections. Mitchell, a DFLer, won election to the Senate with nearly 59% of the vote in 2022. Hemmingsen-Jaeger won District 47A with more than 60% of the vote in 2024 and 2022. Dorau, a retired Air Force Commander, ran against Cha in the 2024 election for House District 47B and lost by nearly 9 percentage points. The special election for District 47 is scheduled for Nov. 4. If necessary, there will be a special primary election on Aug. 26. Candidates could start filing paperwork to run on Wednesday this week and have until Aug. 6, to submit affidavits of candidacy. District 47 is a Washington County seat that includes the suburbs of Woodbury and parts of Maplewood. There are two upcoming special elections in Minnesota. The other is planned in District 26 following the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo. That district is seen as a Republican stronghold. With the two vacancies, DFLers currently hold 33 seats in the Senate to Republicans' 32. Related Articles Gov. Tim Walz calls special elections for 2 vacant Senate seats Divided government means high stakes for Woodbury special election Gov. Tim Walz calls special election for Melissa Hortman's House seat Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Court docs: Springdale man admits to fatally stabbing couple at Devil's Den
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Thursday press conference outlines part of the investigation leading to Andrew James McGann's July 30 arrest, accused of two murders at Devil's Den State Park. During a July 31 press conference, Arkansas State Police confirmed that Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, of Prairie Grove, were stabbed to death while hiking with their two daughters in Devil's Den State Park on July 26. McGann, 28, reportedly admitted to murdering the Brink couple. Devil's Den double homicide suspect booked into Washington County Jail: What we know about his arrest Col. Mike Hagar with Arkansas State Police (ASP) said that McGann was reportedly injured, and blood loss from those injuries helped create the DNA profile that led to McGann's arrest. ASP previously said the Brink daughters, ages 7 and 9, were not the primary targets in the killings. ASP also stated that the attack appeared random. What court documents say A preliminary report from the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said dispatch received a 911 call from Devil's Den State Park on July 26 from someone saying they found two bodies on a trail, and a 'large amount' of blood was present. The hiker found two girls and led them off the trail before attempting to look for their parents. That hiker then found the bodies of the parents on the trail, according to the report. ASP investigators arrived at the park and interviewed a person at the park who said they saw an individual get into a black sedan with blood on his face and drive away onto State Highway 170. A second witness said the black sedan was a Kia Stinger. On July 28, an autopsy was performed on the two victims' bodies and preliminary findings showed both victims died in a homicide by stabbing wounds. In the days following the incident, officials identified the suspect's vehicle as a black Kia Stinger. On July 30, police located the suspect's vehicle at Lupita's Beauty Salon in Springdale around 4:58 p.m. Arkansas State Police matches DNA at crime scene with Andrew James McGann in Devil's Den 'random' murders Investigators walked into the barber shop and asked about the vehicle in the parking lot. A man who was receiving a haircut, later identified as McGann, said he owned the vehicle. The report said investigators noted that while speaking with McGann, they saw cuts on his hands. McGann was then detained, and investigators entered his vehicle with his consent to get his ID. Once investigators got into McGann's vehicle, they found 'a substance appearing to be blood' inside the vehicle. McGann's vehicle was then seized and taken to Arkansas State Police Troop L Headquarters in Lowell. McGann was taken to ASP's headquarters to be interviewed, and he made statements indicating he had committed two homicides. 'Andrew James McGann committed the offenses of two counts of Capital Murder when he made the plan to attack and kill another,' the report said. 'Andrew then waited with deliberate purpose and killed two hikers at Devil's Den State Park.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man, 28, arrested in deaths of couple hiking in Arkansas State Park
July 30 (UPI) -- A 28-year-old man has been arrested in the deaths of a couple hiking at a northwest Arkansas state park, state police said Wednesday night. James Andrew McGann, of Springdale, Ark., was arrested and faces two counts of capital murder, the state agency said in a news release. He was apprehended at 4:57 p.m. CDT while getting a haircut, KHBS reported. Authorities didn't reveal whether there was a link between the suspect and the victims. Clinton David Brink, 43, and his wife, Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were killed at Devil's Den State Park near Fayetteville in Washington County on Saturday afternoon, state police said. The couple, who recently moved to Prairie Grove from another state, were hiking with their daughters, 7 and 9, who were not injured. They are safe and in the custody of relatives, police said. "I'm extremely grateful for the long hours and dedication that our Agents put forward in bringing justice to this family," ASP Col. Mike Hagar said. "The collaboration between State Police, other state and local law enforcement agencies, and our federal partners has been second to none. Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets, and bring relief to those two precious girls, and the rest of our citizens." On Tuesday, a photo showing the back of a person of interest and a composite sketch were released. The suspect was described as a White male with a medium build and short hair who was wearing a dark baseball cap, sunglasses, dark pants and a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up, according to the state agency. There was a description of his vehicle: a black sedan that was possibly a Mazda. It had tape over its license plate while at the park. The 2,500-acre park is in a remote and rural area, including rugged terrain with thick vegetation and no cellphone service. The park includes several trails and 20 miles for horseback riding. The park is in Lee Creek Valley of the Boston Mountains, which are part of the Ozarks. It was selected as a state park in the 1930s, and developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a work relief program established during the Great Depression. Police were dispatched at 2:40 p.m. local time Saturday. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday in a statement on X: "No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend's crime, but this announcement is a comfort and reassurance for our State. "Let there be no mistake -- we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas. If you target innocent people, law enforcement will hunt you down and bring you to justice."
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Arkansas State Police arrest suspect in Devil's Den State Park double homicide
Arkansas State Police have arrested a suspect after a couple was killed while hiking with their two young daughters over the weekend at Devil's Den State Park. James Andrew McGann, 28, of Springdale, was taken into custody on Wednesday and has been charged with two counts of capital murder, police said. No further information on the incident or investigation was immediately released. Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, were found dead Saturday at the park in Washington County. The couple was hiking with their two daughters, ages 7 and 9, when they were attacked, state police said. Their daughters were not hurt and are being cared for by family members. "No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend's crime, but this announcement is a comfort and reassurance for our State," Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement, in part. "Let there be no mistake - we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas. If you target innocent people, law enforcement will hunt you down and bring you to justice." This is a developing story and will be updated.
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Gene Steratore talks Steelers, Aaron Rodgers and western Pennsylvania roots
Gene Steratore was a special guest of the Steelers at training camp on Wednesday, and it was a homecoming for the Uniontown native. After working as an NFL official for 16 seasons and a college basketball official for more than three decades, Steratore is now a rules analyst for NFL game broadcasts on CBS. He is an alumnus of Laurel Highlands High School and currently lives in Washington County. His father, Gene Sr., was a college football and college basketball official, so officiating is in his blood, just like western Pennsylvania. "It's been 50 years for me," said Steratore, tracking his time visiting the Saint Vincent College campus. "I have literally been on this campus, in those little gyms, watching my late dad referee Bernie Matthews and Rudy Marisa. I'm still tied into this personally, and I've never left it. So, there's something that's so special about this environment because I revert back to my entire life and my childhood." Steratore has his unique memories about Steelers training camp and Saint Vincent, just like many fans do. But he also believes that experience carries on for the players throughout the season. "We all have these memories of tractors pulling in and they're carrying an air conditioner on their back, and they're going into a college dorm," he said. "Coach [Tomlin] is setting that, and the Steelers have set that tone forever. That resonates." He also shared his thoughts on the Steelers' new starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Steratore said he met Rodgers when he was assigned to the Green Bay Packers' training camp during Rodgers' rookie season in 2005. "He's a pretty fun individual," said Steratore. "There was a few sentences here and there over the course of a little over a decade that allow you to feel like, 'I really do know who he is.'" "One thing I'll say is: his level of awareness – and I'm sure everybody that's been here now – how quickly he gets the football out. Those years of experience with an individual that's a future Hall of Fame player, it's a special time," he added. This upcoming season, Rodgers is expected to lead the Steelers' offense in the first-ever NFL regular season game played in Ireland. Steratore spent seven years with NFL Europe and has watched how the game has grown throughout the continent. "The European fanbase has done a great job embracing American football," he said. "As they start to really fall in love with the game, people start playing that game over there, and maybe beyond my lifetime. But I think that's the evolution that we all hope for, is that our great sport that does with this does on a day, it touches everybody everywhere they can on every point of the globe. I think it's a wonderful thing."
