Cougar sightings in Minneapolis, Target Circle members contest, big cat killed on I-394: Week in review
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Rare cougar sightings in Minneapolis neighborhood. Target $500 for 500 Target Circle members. Big cat killed on Interstate 394 after cougar sightings. Here are the top stories from Dec. 2-8.
1. 'Very rare' cougar sighting in Minneapolis neighborhood
Home security cameras captured footage of a cougar prowling through the Lowry Hill neighborhood early Monday morning.
The big cat can be seen hopping a fence and walking across a shared driveway, before making his way into another yard around 3:30 a.m. the same morning.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says while big cat sightings in the city are extremely rare, transient cougars are known to occasionally travel through the state.
2. Target is giving away $500 to 500 Target Circle members
File photo Target sign (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Target is spreading some holiday cheer this season, offering 500 Target Circle members the chance to win a $500 shopping spree.
Winners will also receive a free, one-year membership for Target's same-day delivery with Shipt, worth $99. According to the retail company, guests can join Target Circle by Dec. 8, 2023, to enter the contest.
To learn more, click here.
3. Cougar hit, killed on I-394 after Minneapolis cougar sightings
A cougar was hit and killed on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis early Wednesday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol told FOX 9 that at about 2:15 a.m. on Dec. 6, troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash at I-394 and Theodore Wirth Parkway in Minneapolis. The driver, a 53-year-old man, hit the cougar, then swerved and hit the concrete barrier. He wasn't hurt.
The cougar that died is very likely the same cougar that was spotted wandering around in Minneapolis this week
4. Waconia family says bank closed account, sent money to the state without notifying them
A 13-year-old Waconia girl says she is disappointed and upset after a bank closed her savings account and sent the hundreds of dollars in it to the state of Minnesota.
The Luedloffs recently received a letter from the bank saying the account had not been touched in three years, and because of inactivity, it was closed, and the $500 in it was sent to the state of Minnesota.
The family told FOX 9 they were never notified that the account was in jeopardy of closing and now need to wait months to hopefully get the money back from the state using their unclaimed property website.
5. Man shoots woman performing oral sex, admits to ‘murdering someone’ to father: Charges
File photo police tape. (FOX 9)
A man has been charged with murder after killing a woman who allegedly made him feel "suspicious" while performing oral sex, according to charges.
Damarean Kaylon Bible, 25, of Minneapolis is charged with second-degree murder after the deadly shooting near Lake Street early Tuesday morning. While speaking with authorities, Bible allegedly admitted to shooting the victim, saying she made him feel suspicious while performing oral sex.
Gunshot residue was located on her sweatshirt hood, according to police, and he claimed to have shot her from "inches away." He then called his parents, allegedly telling his dad that he had just "murdered someone."
6. Gov. Walz on MN rebate checks being federally taxed: It's 'bull----'
Governor Tim Walz isn't happy that the federal government will tax Minnesotans who received rebate checks this year, calling it "bullsh--" during a Wednesday news conference.
Walz responded to the decision while speaking about the budget surplus forecast for 2024. The decision could cost some Minnesotans up to $286, depending on how large of a rebate they received.
To learn more, click here.
7. Why SSI beneficiaries will receive two payments in December
Photo illustration of a Social Security card alongside checks from the U.S. Treasury. (Photo illustration by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
The Social Security Administration is distributing two checks to recipients who qualify for Supplement Security Income (SSI) benefits in December.
The first check will be issued on Dec. 1 and the second check will be issued on Friday, Dec, 29, according to the Social Security Administration.
To learn more, click here.
8. St. Paul officer hurt in police shooting, suspect dies from injuries
A police shooting in St. Paul on Thursday left an officer injured, and the suspect later died from his injuries, according to authorities.
Police said officers responded to a call from a woman reporting a man, who she had a protection order against, was following her. The woman explained they were in separate vehicles, and she was trying to drive away from him, but he was armed and striking her vehicle.
Officers arrived and confronted the man, who fired at the officer.
9. Minnesota 24-year-old found dead in NYC trash chute ID'ed
A 24-year-old woman from Minnesota who was found dead at the bottom of a garbage chute inside a Manhattan condo building has been identified.
The woman — identified as Jaclyn Elmquist, police sources told the New York Post — was found dead Friday afternoon following a work party at +Art at 540 West 28th St.
The investigation is ongoing, but authorities said there is "no criminality suspected at this time."
10. Cougar sighted again in Minneapolis, may be using Cedar Lake trail system, city says
A cougar wandering around in Minneapolis has been sighted for a second time in two days and may be using a popular trail system, the City of Minneapolis says.
According to a city official, the cougar was recently spotted near Kenwood Park. Officials say there is now concern that the large cat might be using the Cedar Lake trail system near the Lake of the Isles.
Neighbors found tracks in the snow, a full day after the cougar was first spotted on home security footage.