With a potential 7.9% property tax levy increase on the horizon, the St. Paul City Council is inviting residents to its annual budget listening session on Sept. 24 at El Rio Vista Rec Center.

The listening session aims to explain the budget process, timeline, tax trends and other factors affecting the proposed 2025 budget, which was unveiled by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter in August. Community members will have the opportunity to share their ideas and priorities in a public hearing.

At 10 a.m. every Wednesday through early December, the council will convene at City Hall as the budget committee and meet with department directors for public discussion of each department’s proposed spending request. The public can visit in person, watch live on Comcast channels 18 and 859, tune in remotely at tinyurl.com/Stp2024Meetings or watch recordings online.

On Sept. 25, the council will adopt the levy limit, which is a preliminary levy amount that represents the maximum the city can raise property taxes in the next budget year. The council spends the next six weeks looking for both cost savings and necessary investments. The final levy amount will be adopted alongside the finalized 2025 city budget in early December.

A legally required “Truth in Taxation” public hearing will take place Dec. 2, with staff from the city and county on hand to answer property tax questions. The St. Paul Public School District will host its own “Truth in Taxation” public hearing on Dec. 3, and the Metropolitan Council, the Twin Cities metro’s regional planning agency, will host its hearing on Dec. 11.

The city budget listening session will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the El Rio Vista Rec Center, 179 Robie St. E. You can watch remotely at Youtube.com/@stpaulgov. Learn more at stpaul.gov/council.

— Frederick Melo

Truck driver killed in crash on I-35W

A truck driver died in a fiery, single-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 35W in northern Ramsey County, according to authorities.

Deputies responded to the crash at the junction of I-35W and U.S. 10 in the area of the Mounds View and Shoreview border about 12:45 p.m.

A person driving a dump truck north on I-35W lost control while exiting onto westbound U.S. 10, went off the roadway and crashed into trees, according to information from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office. The truck started on fire and bystanders tried but weren’t able to get the driver out of the cab.

The Minnesota State Patrol is assisting in the investigation.

— Mara H. Gottfried

Stillwater motorcyclist killed in semi collision

A 27-year-old Stillwater man was killed Monday night when the 2000 Harley-Davidson Cruiser he was riding collided with a semitrailer at the intersection of Minnesota Highways 95 and 36 in Oak Park Heights.

The driver of the semi, Bokhodir Tillabekov, 30, of Rehoboth, Del., was traveling north on 95 when he made a left turn onto the ramp for westbound 36 and pulled in front of the motorcyclist, who was traveling south on 95, according to the officials with the Minnesota State Patrol.

The motorcyclist, identified Tuesday as Caleb John Taylor, was unable to stop and struck the 2019 Freightliner Cascadia around 8:30 p.m., State Patrol officials said.

The crash remains under investigation.

— Mary Divine

Man charged following July meth seizure

A Cottage Grove man who police say had almost 85 kilograms of methamphetamine in a trash can in his garage this summer was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in St. Paul.

Jonathan Henry Valencour, 44, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Law enforcement on July 16, 2024, executed a search warrant at Valencour’s house in Cottage Grove and seized 84.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint. That’s equal to about 186 pounds.

“This amount is consistent with distribution and not for personal use,” the complaint states. “In a post-Miranda statement Valencour admitted that he was a ‘runner,’ and that the drugs had been dropped off at his residence about a week ago.”

Officers also seized a firearm with an attached silencer. Because Valencour has prior felony convictions in Hennepin and Washington counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty on Monday ordered Valencour to remain in custody pending further proceedings. Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cottage Grove Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst is prosecuting the case.

— Mary Divine

Yellow Ribbon Alliance will rock fundraiser

Classic rock band Arch Allies will headline a fundraiser this month for the Yellow Ribbon Alliance of the Lower St. Croix Valley. The band bills itself as the “ultimate six-pack of rock tribute show” bands playing “hits of Bon Jovi, Jour

ney, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Boston, Def Leppard and a chaser.”

“Field of Bands” will be held noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Baytown Township. Also playing: Wayward Boyz Klub, GNO (Girls Night Out) and Westside. Arch Allies is scheduled to play from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m.

The event will celebrate veterans and service members and honor the memory of former Lakeland Shores mayor Randy Kopesky, who helped found the Yellow Ribbon Alliance of the Lower St. Croix Valley, an organization that raises money to provide the annual Veterans Day dinner along with support and assistance for active military members and veterans and their families residing in the Lower St. Croix Valley area.

Kopesky died in November 2019 when he was struck by a driver on the shoulder of Interstate 94.

“This year is the fifth Field of Bands event,” said Cindie Reiter, a member of the alliance. “Randy is missed tremendously at this time year as he was a driving force in the creation of the Yellow Ribbon Alliance.”

Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 on the day of show; children 12 and under are free. Food trucks, wine and beer will be available at the event; no coolers will be allowed.

Attendees are asked to use the south entrance of the Washington County Fairgrounds on 40th Street and to bring their own chairs; limited picnic table seating is available. Parking is free.

For more information, go to 5cityyellowribbon.com.

— Mary Divine

Hot Air Affair fundraiser coming Saturday

The second-annual Bloody Mary Walk in Hudson on Saturday will serve as a fundraiser for the Hudson Hot Air Affair, a yearly hot air balloon rally and community festival.

The fundraising walk will feature Bloody Marys from eight Hudson restaurants and bars. Walkers can choose between North or South routes, as well as a morning flight at 11 a.m. or an afternoon flight at 2 p.m. Each route will take walkers to four locations.

The North Route includes Post American Eatery, Black Rooster Bistro, Bennett’s Chop & Railhouse and Pedro’s Pizza Lounge.

The South Route includes Dick’s Bar & Grill, Lucky Guys Distillery, Ziggy’s Bar & Restaurant and Hop & Barrel Brewing (Hop & Barrel will offer beer chasers and free samples of Nan’s Naughty and Nice Bloody Mary Mix).

Check-in starts at 10:30 a.m. for the morning flight and 1:30 p.m. for the afternoon flight at Grand Fête at 512 Second St. in downtown Hudson.

Tickets are available for $40 on Eventbrite. More information can be found at Hudson Hot Air Affair’s website at hudsonhotairaffair.com.

— Maddie Robinson

Teen murder suspect to remain in adult court

The case against a western Wisconsin teenager accused of killing a 10-year-old girl he allegedly lured into the woods will remain in adult court, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Prosecutors charged the teenager, identified in court documents only as C.T.P.-B, as an adult with first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of sexual assault in connection with the death of Iliana “Lily” Peters. Investigators say Peters was riding her bike home from her aunt’s house in Chippewa Falls on April 24, 2022, when the teenager, who was 14 at the time, persuaded her to leave a trail and explore the surrounding woods with him.

The girl’s body was discovered the next day. An autopsy determined she had been beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted.

The teenager’s attorneys, Michael Cohen and Alicia Linzmeier, asked Chippewa County Circuit Judge Steven Gibbs last year to move the case into juvenile court, where proceedings are secret.

They argued that the teenager would not receive the mental health treatment he needs in the adult criminal justice system. The judge refused, finding earlier this year that such a move would depreciate the seriousness of the offenses.

The 3rd District Court of Appeals upheld that decision Tuesday, finding that Gibbs properly exercised his discretion. The appellate court noted that Gibbs detailed the severity of Peters’ injuries, that the teenager told investigators that he attacked her, that he lured her into the woods and that the crime was premeditated.

A message left at Cohen’s office wasn’t immediately returned.

— Associated Press