Vandals removing storm drain grates

More than 150 storm drain grates around St. Paul have been removed by vandals, according to the city’s Public Works Department.

Those responsible are removing the heavy iron grates and then dropping them into the storm drains, leaving an open hole that could be hazardous for pedestrians, those on bikes and vehicles.

“This malicious behavior is unacceptable and extremely dangerous to everyone, including drivers, walkers, and bikers,” St. Public Works Director Sean Kershaw said in a statement. “We’re asking for the public’s help to keep a watchful eye on their neighborhoods and report any issues or suspicious behaviors to the police and also immediately report any open storm sewers to Public Works.”

If you see someone removing a storm drain grate, call 911 to report it to police.

To report missing grates or other storm drain damage, call Public Works at 651-266-9850 during weekday business hours. After hours or on weekends, call 651-266-9700 and leave a detailed message of the location.

City officials are also asking that residents with storm drain grates missing or damaged in their neighborhood check any private video footage to see if they caught images of the vandals. Provide any footage to police.

According to city officials, initial reports of the vandalism began in early June. They have increased and spread to several neighborhoods, including the West Side, Frogtown, Summit Hill, downtown and the East Side.

— Staff report

Inmate sentenced for killing his cellmate

A Wisconsin man doing time for trying to kill his mother was sentenced Friday to life in prison for strangling his cellmate.

A jury found Jackson Vogel, 25, guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 19-year-old Micah Laureano at the Green Bay Correctional Institution last year. Vogel told investigators he killed Laureano because Laureano was Black and gay.

Brown County Circuit Judge Donald Zuidmulder sentenced Vogel to life in prison with no possibility for extended supervision, which is similar to parole.

Vogel told the judge he was sorry just before he was sentenced.

Vogel, who is white, told the guard that he killed Laureano because Laureano was Black and gay, the complaint said. He said he knocked Laureano out, tied his hands and feet and strangled him.

Green Bay Correctional Institution, a maximum security facility, opened in 1898. Gov. Tony Evers has proposed closing it.

— Associated Press