Police have identified a man killed in a shooting on St. Paul’s West Side as a 20-year-old.

James Q. Baker, of St. Paul, died at Regions Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, soon after he was shot in an apartment complex in the 600 block of Stryker Avenue.

No one was under arrest as of Thursday afternoon.

Police said Wednesday they are investigating what led to the shooting and they believe the victim and suspect knew each other.

Baker was the first person since November to be killed in a shooting homicide in St. Paul. There have been three other homicides this year; they were each stabbings.

There were nine homicides at this time in the city last year, of which six were shootings; they included a shooting by officers that prosecutors recently determined was justified under state law.

— Mara H. Gottfried

Police seek hit-run driver who injured 2

Police said Thursday they’re looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck two pedestrians in Falcon Heights.

The pedestrians sustained “non-life threatening, but severe injuries and were transported to a hospital for emergency care,” according to a statement from St. Anthony Police, which provides police services in Falcon Heights.

The crash happened in the 1800 block of Snelling Avenue at 10:52 p.m. on Wednesday. The vehicle is believed to be a gray, silver or tan Buick LeSabre from the late 1990s or early 2000s, and may have damage to the front passenger side, police said. It was last seen north on Fairview Avenue at Minnesota 36 near Rosedale Center.

Police are asking anyone with information to call them at 612-782-3350.

— Mara H. Gottfried

County announces new deputy manager

Ramsey County has named Nadir Abdi as deputy county manager of the health and wellness service team, with his role beginning July 14.

Abdi will join the county’s executive leadership team. His role includes overseeing the departments of social services, public health, community corrections and veterans services.

Abdi has more than two decades of experience in government administration, social policy, and community engagement and is currently Dakota County’s director of employment and economic assistance, a role he has held since 2020.

“I’m passionate about delivering care with dignity and supporting the incredible staff who make that possible every day,” Abdi said in a statement. “I am looking forward to working together with the team at Ramsey County to ensure community feels supported and valued when they need it most.”

He held leadership positions at Equus Workforce Solutions, Jewish Family Services in Ohio and JP Morgan Chase. He earned a bachelor of arts in business administration from California State University, Los Angeles, and a master of management and leadership from Hamline University.

— Imani Cruzen

Lumberjack Days names grand marshal

Chuck Dougherty, the owner of Water Street Inn in downtown Stillwater, has been named grand marshal of this year’s Lumberjack Days parade in Stillwater.

The parade will be at 11 a.m. July 20.

Dougherty is known for his significant contributions to the hospitality industry and community development in the St. Croix River Valley, said Robin Anthony, president of the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce and its foundation.

“His enduring impact on Stillwater is reflected in his dedication to preserving the city’s history, enhancing its hospitality offerings, and actively participating in civic initiatives,” Anthony said.

Alongside his wife, Judy, Dougherty has been the owner and operator of the historic Water Street Inn since 1995. The Doughertys also own Cover Park Manor Bed & Breakfast in Oak Park Heights.

Chuck Dougherty serves as the chairman of the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Oak Park Heights City Council, and is on the board of the Stillwater/Oak Park Heights Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Foundation is currently accepting parade unit applications and seeking parade sponsors, Anthony said.

— Mary Divine

Wedding photographer gets peeping sentence

A former Cloquet, Minn.-based photographer has been placed on two years of supervised probation for surreptitiously recording a bride changing clothes before her wedding.

Mitchell Donald Ringness, 31, now of Pine City, was sentenced Wednesday in Freeborn County District Court after pleading guilty in October to a gross misdemeanor count of interference with privacy.

Ringness, who at the time operated MR Photography in Cloquet, reportedly recorded the client without her consent at The Barn at Chapeau Shores in Albert Lea in October 2020.

According to court documents, Ringness’ former girlfriend gave a flash drive to the Cloquet Police Department in April 2024. She said she was suspicious after seeing Ringness come out of the bathroom with his laptop in the middle of the night, and she reported finding photographs and videos of naked women that appeared to have been secretly taken.

— Forum News Service