Minnesota News Briefs: Two die in boating accident near Bena

BENA, Minn. - Two men are dead after their boat capsized on Lake Winnibigoshsish near Bena in north-central Minnesota.

Cass County sheriff's officers located the boat and several items floating in the water Saturday night and searched the area by boat and helicopter until dark. The search resumed Sunday morning and a 43-year-old Minneapolis man was found near shore. The body of a 53-year-old from Princeton was located at 5pm about 200-yards from where the boat was initially found. Winds were gusting between 30- and 40-miles-an-hour at the time of the accident. Both victims were taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner for autopsy. Their names have not been released.

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OSHA is investigating a workplace accident that claimed the life of a Minnesota man in Bismarck, North Dakota Sunday. The 36-year-old was hit by a backhoe bucket while in a trench installing pipe. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Authorities say the man was working on a new water intake project when the accident happened. His name has not been released.

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Funeral services are Saturday in Tofte for well-known North Shore artist Kara Pavelich. The 44-year-old wife of "Miracle on Ice" Olympic gold medalist Mark Pavelich died Thursday in accidental fall from a two-story balcony on their Lutsen home. Kara's acrylic paintings have been displayed in fairs and galleries and on rocks and t-shirts in northeastern Minnesota. The Cook County Sheriff's Office says Pavelich was likely seeking better cell phone reception when she fell off the balcony with no railings. Mark Pavelich has been a land developer in the Lutsen area after his professional hockey career.

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A fire in Olivia on Sunday night gutted a building that not only housed the Renville County Food Shelf, but also the local Red Cross office, a thrift store and an apartment. Olivia Fire Chief Tim Seehusen says the blaze was intentionally set. Anyone with information is asked to call the state arson hotline number: 1-800-723-2020. Officials says the food shelf will remain closed until it is able to reopen at a temporary site.

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A new way of making methamphetmaine is leading to an increase in meth labs in south-central Minnesota. Ginger Peterson with the Minnesota River Valley Task Force says the one-pot meth lab is difficult for drug enforcement to find and shut down since the drug is made in empty pop bottles in small batches. She says it takes just 30 to 45 minutes to cook -- allowing mobile labs to set up and move quickly.

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Authorities in Nevada are offering a large sum of money in hopes of finding out who killed a Minnesota man last year. Back in February, the remains of 40-year old Francisco Alejandro Lopez-Gonzalez from Brooklyn Park were dug up in a remote section of western Nevada. He had flown to the Lake Tahoe area but then didn't show up the next day for his return flight to Minnesota. Authorities say Gonzalez had met with a man about a debt but when questioned, Manual Acevedo told them he didn't know anything about the Minnesota man's death. Shortly after that, Acevedo fled to Mexico. Nevada authorities are now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Acevedo and his wife Alondra, who has also disappeared.

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The University of Minnesota has issued a crime alert following three separate robberies and beatings. Since September 2nd, students at the U-of-M have been targets of criminals. Officials say all muggings had something in common -- the victims were distracted and most were talking or texting on their cell phone when they were attacked. All of the muggings happened after 1am.

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Authorities are still looking for who was behind the wheel of a car struck by a train in western Minnesota early Sunday. After discovering the crash near Bluffton, Otter Tail County Sheriff's deputies searched and found the vehicle's passenger, who had sustained minor injuries. They still don't know who the driver was.

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This year's flu shot supply is looking good. Kris Ehresmann with the Department of Health says they have heard nothing from manufacturers about any shortage. She says vaccine manufacturers have done a good job in getting the vaccine to clinics early. Ehresmann says if you get the flu shot now, you will be fully protected throughout the entire 2012-2013 influenza season.

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A state tourism survey suggests moderate growth in the summer travel season will continue this fall. Explore Minnesota Director John Edman says 80-percent of accomodation businesses expect fall occupancy to be the same or better than last year. Edman says the industry has learned to offer more coupons and discounts on lodging. The leisure and hospitality sector employs more than 235,000 Minnesotans.

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Pedestrian deaths throughout Minnesota are on the rise. Twenty-three people have been struck and killed on Minnesota roads this year compared to 14 at the same time in 2011. As an example, it was a week ago today when two pedestrians were struck and killed by an SUV while crossing an intersection north of the metro. The increase in deaths has prompted state officials to launch a pedestrian safety campaign this month, stressing the importance of drivers coming to a complete stop at crosswalks -- and taking a close look before turning.

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A Hibbing man died Saturday after a one-car accident north of Chisholm. Reports say 67-year-old Robert Swanger lost control of his vehicle, which struck a tree off the highway. Swanger died from his injuries in the hospital No one else was involved in the crash.

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The state Health Department and U-of-M have been named one of only five Regional Food Safety Centers in the U-S that will help prevent and respond to food-borne illnesses. It comes with a $200,000 and assistant state epidemiologist Richard Danila says the money will allow for the training of other states in methods and protocols. The state Health Department will work in partnership with the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health.

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More than 550 Minnesota primary care physician groups are getting a closer look from Consumer Reports. The October issue features rankings of physicians based on quality of care and cost. The ratings were compiled with help from the non-profit Minnesota Community Measurement. The group's president, Jim Chase, says there were two particular areas of focus in the rankings--diabetes and cardiovascular care. Thirty-seven practices in Minnesota earned the highest rating in both categories. Chase says the ranking is designed to help patients determine how and where to get better care from their physicians.

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