Burnsville is getting all jazzed up for the seventh annual Art & All That Jazz Festival on Aug. 20-21. SEE STORY IN THISWEEKEND PAGE 9A
A NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Burnsville-Eagan AUGUST 13, 2010
VOLUME 31, NO. 24
www.thisweeklive.com
Announcements/5A
Opinion/6A
Legal Notices/7A
Sports/8A
Real Estate/11A
Three dead in Eagan shooting Man killed married couple before turning gun on himself by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Eagan police are investigating an apparent double murder-suicide that left three people dead Aug. 10. Svetlana Hanson, 24, and her husband, Charles Hanson, 42, were found dead at their Eagan home shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday. The couple lived on the 1300 block of Berry Ridge Road. Both had been shot, police said. A third victim, an unidentified man, was found dead in the yard with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said they believe the man shot the couple through Photo by Rick Orndorf the front window of their Three people were found dead at this home on Berry Ridge Road after a gunman alhome while their three chil- legedly killed the couple living there and then killed himself Aug. 10. dren slept inside. Svetlana Hanson’s father was also inEAGAN side the home at the time of the shooting and was untion violation in June against an individual not living harmed. A motive for the killings has not yet been estab- in the home. Police said they do not believe the public is in any lished, police said. The identity of the man is being withheld pending danger and they are not actively pursuing additional suspects. positive identification and notification of his family. Previous calls to the Hanson’s home include a domestic assault in May 2009 and an order for protec- Erin Johnson is at eagan.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.
Classifieds/13A
Madore wins 2nd District DFL primary Former state legislator will challenge incumbent Rep. John Kline in November by Aaron Vehling
DAKOTA COUNTY
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
In a mirror of the DFL competitive gubernatorial race, prirace,� Mamary voters on Aug. 10 dore said. repudiated a party en“Now it dorsee, this time in the is time for south metro. us to focus Former state represenon John tative Shelley Madore reKline.� ceived 19,973 votes over Shelley Madore Dan Powers’ 16,522, a 10 Madore will chalpercent margin. lenge Kline “I am very pleased this November for his and grateful,� Madore seat in the Second Consaid in a phone inter- gressional District, which view Wednesday morn- encompasses most of the ing. “Voters saw a real south metro. challenger for (U.S. Rep.) Where’s the beef? John Kline.� The DFL Party esMadore said she will tablishment officially continue her 35 Cent endorsed Powers at its Tour, which is designed convention in Duluth in to showcase the effects on April. He was unreach- the district of Kline’s “no able by the time this story pork stance.� went to press. For every federal tax “I think Dan ran a See Madore, 3A
Hotel employees back at work after chemical fumes Six were treated; two were hospitalized overnight by Erin Johnson THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Six employees felled by chemical fumes at an Eagan hotel are back at work and doing fine, their manager said. The workers were taken to the hospital Aug. 6 after being exposed to a potentially deadly mix of chemicals that formed a toxic gas, causing them severe respiratory distress. The chemicals came from two different cleaning solutions that were accidentally mixed in the laundry room of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The woman who mixed them, a 20-year employee, mistook them for the same
EAGAN cleaner, commonly used in commercial laundry facilities. She was emptying a mostly-used bottle into a newer bottle when she was knocked to the floor by the gas created by mixing the two chemicals. Four other employees were affected when they rushed to help the woman, who was conscious but having trouble breathing. One responding employee managed to open the doors and move everybody outside. Another employee, an accountant whose office is near the laundry room, was also
made sick by the fumes. The hotel was evacuated, and employees were taken by ambulance and treated at the hospital. Two were kept overnight for observation and released the next day. All are now back at work, said Litia Katoa, general manager at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. “It was just an honest mistake made by one of our longtime employees,� she said. “Everything is back to normal.� The incident required the Dakota County Special Operations Team to don yellow Hazmat suits to enter the scene, where members secured the chemical contain-
ers to be safely removed. The gas created by the chemicals lasted for only about 20 minutes, said Eagan Fire Chief Mike Scott. While some household chemicals are hazardous if mixed – such as ammonia and bleach – the chemicals in this case are not found in household cleaners, he said. The chemicals combined were a sodium hypochlorite solution and a hydrofluorosilicic acid. The bottles containing the chemicals were clearly labeled, he said.
Submitted photo
Eagan firefighters help a member of the Dakota County Erin Johnson is at eagan. Special Operations Team decontaminate after leaving the scene of a chemical incident at Eagan’s Crowne Plaza Hotel thisweek@ecm-inc.com. on Aug. 6.
A police officer’s best friend Censured judge sails Burnsville Police Department raises money to maintain K-9 program by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Officer Echo is like a lot of people: When he gets home from work, he finds solace in some R and R and spending time with his family. But unlike most people, he sleeps in a kennel and drinks his water from a bowl on the floor. Echo is the Burnsville Police Department’s latest member of the K-9 unit. He joined the department and was paired up with his handler, Officer Ben Archambault, six months ago. The 15-month-old Echo replaces Stryker, who retired this year. Another dog will retire next year, which creates a spending obligation of more than $22,000 to purchase, train and maintain two fully functional, professional police dogs. To stave off cuts in the department that would affect the K-9 program or other aspects of public safety, the police have asked the public for doGeneral 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
Clark to challenge Blakely for seat
BURNSVILLE
by Laura Adelmann
nations. So far the police have raised $18,000 with a goal of $20,000, said Detective Sgt. Bentley Jackson, who was a handler himself in the K-9 unit at Burnsville for seven years. Many residents have included notes along with their donations. “It’s great to get those notes,� he said. “It’s nice to get our work noticed.�
Slovakia The Burnsville Police Department, like many of its neighboring agencies, purchases its German Shepherds from and trains them at the St. Paul Police Department’s nationally renowned canine academy, which in turn buys the dogs from breeders in Eastern Europe, Jackson said. Echo came from Slovakia. The dogs do not come ready to bust perps, though.
!""'! !
$
DAKOTA COUNTY
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Photo by Aaron Vehling
Officer Ben Archambault and Echo are members of Burnsville Police Department’s K-9 Unit. The police are hoping to raise $20,000 to pay for the replacement of two dogs.
purchases a dog, Jackson said, it is buying “genetics and a work ethic.� So in February Archambault and Echo spent 12 weeks, Monday through FriWhen a police department day, at the canine academy,
building trust in one another and providing Echo with the skills necessary to be an effective police dog. Echo has been on active duty with Archambault from See K-9, 19A
A recently censured judge easily led challengers in Tuesday’s primary and will be in the general election. Timothy Blakely, First District incumbent judge, earned 11,160 votes, 38 percent of the 29,541 votes cast, to ensure his return in the November general election. Then, Blakely will face Larry Clark, an assistant prosecutor for Dakota County, who won over attorney Steven Allan Baker, the thirdplace candidate, by 641 votes. Clark earned 9,511 votes, 32 percent of ballots cast in the race, while Baker ended his campaign with 8,870 votes, 30 percent of ballots tallied for the race. During their campaigns, both Baker and Clark had criticized Blakely because in 2009 he was reprimanded for using his position to refer clients to his personal divorce
ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝
attorney to get a $64,000 discount on his legal bill. Clark said he never intended to run for a judicial seat, but was compelled to run in an effort to restore integrity and respect to the position. “As a judge, I promise to not let my personal interests interfere with my decisions,� Clark states in his campaign materials. Blakely has emphasized his service as a naval officer and told the Red Wing Republican Eagle that his suspension from the bench was due to “unintended misconduct.� According to the newspaper, he urged voters to consider the judgement of the Justices who ordered his reinstatement. Laura Adelmann is at dceditor@frontiernet.net.
ďż˝
ďż˝
&
through primary vote
ďż˝
ďż˝
ďż˝
ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝
!
! " ! # ! $
" " % & % &&! &�(� % ! ) " ) * " + $ " , &�(� - ! . / &��01220