M&A Seminar on Preparing Your Company for Sale Presented by Maslon LLP and Northborne Partners a clubhouse and a pool on part of a 24-acre site just east of Argenta Trail and south of 65th Street in Inver Grove Heights Wilf family entity proposes 119 townhomes in Inver Grove Heights Efforts to reform Minnesota zoning laws fail again as local opposition blocks a bill limiting parking mandates[...] Performance contracting helps governments and schools cut energy costs Twin Cities housing starts were up across the board in April on the strength of another solid month for single[...] Greco Properties plans a 20-unit memory care facility on a tough-to-develop Edina lot Rice Creek Commons begins redevelopment with Micro Control HQ marking a major step after years of delays at t[...] proposes 43-unit mixed-use building in Excelsior with a renovation of the historic Dock Cinema Sign up for your daily digest of Minnesota News Efforts to reform Minnesota zoning laws fail again as local opposition blocks a bill limiting parkin[...] will break ground this summer on The Dorian a 190-unit apartment complex in Lake Elmo af[...] The University of Minnesota plans to sell 60 acres at UMore Park for $8.1M to North Wind Test for a [...] The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged despite political pressure from Pre[...] The Trump administration is swiftly remaking housing policy as the U.S Department of Housing and Ur[...] construction job openings dropped by 38,000 in March signaling slowing labor demand amid tarif[...] Trump's trade demands stretch beyond tariffs Performance contracting helps governments and schools cut energy costs is now an official city after a local vote Milwaukee Mitchell Airport will start a $95.2M international terminal project this summer after dela[...] Listen here analysis and commentary on Minnesota business We are the only independent daily newspaper dedicated to business reporting Get our free e-alerts & breaking news notifications Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions The Inver Grove Heights City Council is scheduled to vote Monday on whether to allow plans for a non-traditional end-of-life care facility to move forward “The Bardo” is not considered hospice care or a nursing home It’s an expansive home estate where former Mayo Clinic nurse Christin Ament said she and her team are re-imagining the options for living out your final days Ament said her experience in traditional medical settings spurred her to think outside the box and created a space surrounded by nature trails and gardens where families can process and grieve together “Just really putting the human back into this entire experience so that people can die well,” Ament said “This home was donated to us to be able to use so it’s incredible… so our hope is to fill the beds and then provide support for family,” she added The home estate is complete with three sun-bathed bedrooms where a few people at a time could spend their final weeks with round-the-clock support from staff and volunteers Independent hospice care agencies would visit their patients there coordinating medical care as they would with traditional home visits The Bardo would also provide a year of grief support for families “Imagine if everybody could come and just sit underneath an oak tree as opposed to sitting in a sterile environment with fluorescent lights and the smell of cleaners That’s not where we want to be at the end,” she said considers herself a “death doula.” “A death doula is another national movement similar to the birth doula movement,” she explained “The hope of the death doula is to be able to kind of also fill in all of those gaps that the medical community doesn’t around end-of-life… filling out your advanced care directive and talking about who your caregivers are going to be and what kind of vigil you want when you die; What does your funeral look like The death doula helps with all of that and the bedside at time of death.” citing a growing nationwide movement and established practices in other U.S Ament said she received a Cease and Desist letter from the city in the fall and has been back and forth to City Hall to address questions and concerns ever since and state and Dakota County officials concluded there is not an applicable license to require leaving the decision on whether the facility can re-open to the City Council Members are expected to vote Monday on whether the non-profit can operate in an estate residential zoning district Ament would then need to apply for a use permit Some members expressed concern that the amendment would “set a precedent,” allowing the possibility for many more of these facilities to pop up in neighborhoods Council member Mary T’Kach spoke in support of The Bardo arguing the effect on noise levels in the area should be minimal to none She and others noted the city needs additional end-of-life care facilities in general The lack of oversight remained a top concern during that recent meeting That’s a Department of Health… I don’t know… There’s nothing licensed here,” said City Council member Sue Gilva “I’m not saying anything bad will happen but it just seems like a big risk to the city to have something without some kind of monitoring.” I would also have those same questions.” She and other medically licensed staff are mandated reporters of abuse and neglect who could risk losing their licenses Although she and the staff would not be operating in a medical capacity “that’s putting a really big pressure on all of us to be at the utmost operation of our medical license to make sure that everybody is kept really safe and really comfortable,” Ament continued hospice agencies will routinely visit as expected do in traditional home hospice care scenarios I believe that if we are offering poor services hospice agencies and families and the community are not going to continue to come here,” Ament said “Let’s let the people decide where they want to go.” Ament said her closest neighbors are on board adding that they wrote letters of support to the City Council during this process Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555 please let us know if you are not satisfied with a print or product Please direct any issues to support@limitlessproductiongroup.com Include a thorough description and if possible a photograph of and defects We will work with you to find a resolution we collect personal information from you to fulfill the order Details relating to your purchase (for example We share this information with Squarespace so that they can provide website services to us this site may auto-complete your shipping and billing address by sharing what you type with the Google Places API and returning suggestions to you to improve your checkout experience.When you subscribe and purchase a membership on this website we collect personal information from you to enable your member areas access We may email you with messages about your order or account activity Your customer account password has been reset or updated It\u2019s not possible to unsubscribe from these messages We share your contact information with Squarespace so they can send these emails to you on our behalf.We may send you marketing emails which you can unsubscribe from by clicking the link at the bottom of the email so they can send these emails on our behalf Select \u201CAccept all\u201D to agree to our use of cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience Select \u201DManage cookies\u201D to make more choices or opt out MINNESOTA - Authorities have charged an Inver Grove Heights man with multiple felony drug offenses after a search warrant executed by police uncovered a significant quantity of controlled substances including methamphetamine and amphetamine pills was charged with two counts of first-degree controlled substance crimes for the sale and possession of methamphetamine and cocaine The charges stem from a police investigation that led to the search of his residence on March 14 The investigation into Murphy’s activities began as part of a domestic assault-related inquiry by the Inver Grove Heights Police Department detectives secured a search warrant for Murphy’s residence on the 7300 block of Dawn Avenue East in Dakota County The criminal complaint states that during the search officers recovered substantial amounts of illegal drugs and paraphernalia indicative of drug distribution A bag containing approximately 210 grams of methamphetamine Another bag containing 50.3 grams of methamphetamine Hypodermic needles and packaging materials A box with a shipping label addressed to Murphy containing various controlled substances currency suspected to be proceeds from drug sales authorities noted that the residence was outfitted with security cameras inside and outside a common feature in drug trafficking operations and large quantities of substances suggested that the drugs were intended for sale rather than personal use Peerpoint Property Solutions: A Better, Faster Way to Sell Your Home in Minnesota Court records show that Murphy has a prior conviction from 2008 for which he was discharged from his sentence in 2018 his current charges are classified as subsequent offenses Count I: First-degree controlled substance crime – Sale of 17 or more grams of cocaine or methamphetamine a felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison and/or a fine ranging from $300,000 to $1,000,000 Count II: First-degree controlled substance crime – Possession of 50 or more grams of cocaine or methamphetamine also a felony with the same potential penalties Murphy is currently being held on a bail amount of $100,000 without conditions or $40,000 with conditions Murphy is expected to appear in court soon for another ongoing legal matter where he faces felony domestic assault charges which caused this investigation and the later charges his bond is set at $80,000 with conditions Court records also show that he was convicted in October 2024 for violating a Domestic Abuse No Contact Order (DANCO) and received a gross misdemeanor sentence despite the State’s objections Given Murphy’s prior criminal history and the severity of the current charges prosecutors are emphasizing the need for significant bail citing public safety concerns and his pattern of continued offenses even while on probation Murphy remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail with his next court appearances set for April 24 he faces a mandatory prison sentence due to his prior felony drug conviction Authorities continue to investigate the case This article provides an overview of the allegations against Murphy The community is reminded that charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law Further updates on this case will depend on the progress of the legal proceedings Follow our social media accounts for the latest breaking news updates Email: contact@limitless-news.comPhone: 507-301-6001 Privacy PolicyTerms of Service ©2025 A Limitless Production Group LLC Company Christin Ament hopes to provide people a peaceful end-of-life experience at a serene house in the south metro Elected officials have questions about oversight Christin Ament has big ambitions for the spacious house surrounded by aspen and oak trees in Inver Grove Heights hopes to welcome three dying people at a time to pass their final days Instead of fluorescent lighting and severe hospital furniture there will be sun-drenched rooms and tea ceremonies Trails and gardens will allow grieving families to process their loss on the expansive property that constitutes what’s she’s calling The Bardo a reference to a Tibetan Buddhist concept for the liminal space between life and death And some Inver Grove Heights officials have raised concerns about greenlighting a hospice model so new that the state Department of Health doesn’t yet license it “I’m not saying anything bad will happen,” Council Member Sue Gliva said at a recent meeting “But it just seems like a big risk to the city to have something without some kind of monitoring.” Ament has framed The Bardo as a badly needed service for the city’s aging population amid a dire caregiver shortage The months of back-and-forth have left Ament and her two staff members “bleeding money.” 24 on whether to allow the Bardo to operate in an estate residential zoning district — and depending on the outcome “If this doesn’t go through, we’ll have to stop,” said Ament, a death doula who provides comfort to people in their final days. “And what a tragedy.” Ament, a nurse practitioner, spent six years as a staff nurse in Mayo Clinic’s neurointensive care unit. The experience was incredible, she said, but left her uneasy with certain aspects of how hospitals handle death, especially the focus on a patient’s illness rather than their “whole person.” “That just didn’t sit well with me,” she said. A few years of hospice work, plus a seven-month trip across Asia to study Chinese, Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine, helped Ament formulate the Bardo’s approach: “The Bardo seeks to really throw the whole idea of what it is to die in America wide open and say, ‘What else can we do?’” said Ament, who quit her job as a community-based palliative caregiver to open the facility. “How can we make it more beautiful?” Every patient must be enrolled in a hospice agency that can manage their medical care. Ament noted that providers with such agencies typically visit people only a handful of times a week, leaving dozens of empty hours that Bardo staff and volunteers intend to fill. Their presence will relieve family members otherwise forced to take off work or pay private health aides, a service Medicare rarely covers, to keep watch over a relative, Ament added. She hopes to fund The Bardo through donations — the nonprofit received an initial cash infusion of $1.8 million — while also asking families to contribute what they can. The average cost of a stay is $350 a day, she said, with people expected to reside there for two weeks or less. The Bardo’s hard-to-categorize approach — Ament contends it will be the first such model in Minnesota — has generated a flurry of questions from elected officials about oversight. The level of care proposed doesn’t meet the state’s licensure qualifications for a hospice program, a state Department of Health spokesman said. Jason Ziemer, Inver Grove Heights community development director, said council’s upcoming vote concerns zoning alone — not whether it’s proper for The Bardo to operate without a license. Still, its lack of official credentialing has concerned some council members and community members. Inver Grove Heights resident Kelly Kayser said at a recent meeting that there’s a need for “compassionate” end-of-life options. But she questioned what guardrails will exist to ensure patients at The Bardo receive quality care. “People facing death are often emotionally, physically or financially vulnerable,” Kayser said. Ament said there will be plenty of protections. To her, The Bardo doesn’t need a license because staff and volunteers don’t plan to offer medical care, but rather closely communicate with hospice agencies to uphold their care plans. Outside hospice agencies will routinely visit, and family members unsatisfied with their experience can easily leave a negative review online, she said, subjecting the model to scrutiny. Ament added she would obtain a license without hesitation should the state introduce one that fits her approach. She also disputes the assertion from some council members that The Bardo, a business tucked a few hundred feet from a main road, would mar the surrounding neighborhood. “It’s not like we’re throwing rock concerts,” she said. “It’s quiet, it’s low foot traffic and it’s a beautiful service.” Council Member Mary T’Kach, who endorses Ament’s idea, praised The Bardo’s goal of supporting families for a year after a relative dies, offering them wide-ranging services that Ament said could include grief groups, sauna sessions and tea ceremonies. She compared The Bardo’s embrace of death to a joyful celebration, such as a wedding, that people might reminisce about for years. “It’s the same thing to be able to do that [for a death] in a really warm and nurturing space,” T’Kach said. While The Bardo could bring a novel approach to end-of-life care in Minnesota, plenty of similar homes exist across the country. Many, including Ament’s, are part of the Omega Home Network, a national group that supports home-based end-of-life facilities in roughly 30 states. Executive Director Kelley Scott said members of the Omega Home Network have occasionally run into resistance from local governments and communities. Scott recalled her own efforts to create a similar project in Oklahoma over two decades ago. Pushback from the neighborhood was so intense, with some fearing the facility could increase crime and worsen traffic, that she ended up settling on another spot. “I think this all goes toward the fear of death we have in our society,” she said, later adding: “There’s still a lot of people out there that don’t want to see death in their own community.” Eva Herscowitz covers Dakota and Scott counties for the Star Tribune. News & Politics Minnesota’s kindergartners have been below the recommended 95% threshold for years and more parents are getting exemptions for the MMR vaccine Where are children most vulnerable to infectious spread Hennepin County is highlighting salvage businesses in May to encourage residents to reuse construction materials and limit what gets sent to landfills Klein hopes to win the party’s endorsement in what could be a crowded DFL field he plans to move on to the primary election Listed for $1.275 million and built in 2004 five-bathroom home at 9869 Adam Avenue spans roughly 5,413-square-feet and features three fireplaces a walk-out lower level and a four-car garage The 5.1-acre cul-du-sac property also offers peaceful nature and pond views while maintaining quick access to all the Twin Cities has to offer.  "Enjoy this beautiful resort-like backyard with expansive patio built-in stone firepit and sensational entertaining spaces," the listing shares Sign up for our MINNESOTA PROPERTY newsletters 9869 Adam AvenueAll photos courtesy of Jeffrey Dewing with Coldwell Banker Realty.21Gallery21 ImagesThe main-level features an open floor plan with a gourmet kitchen complete with a walk-in pantry; formal and informal dining areas; a hearth room with a gas fireplace; an office with custom built-ins and more The primary bedroom features a walk-in closet with heated floors in the bathroom with a large deck and basement featuring a wet bar and billiards area Jeffrey Dewing with Coldwell Banker Realty has the listing at 9869 Adam Avenue in Inver Grove Heights but may gave been missing for 'some time prior.' a screening of the movie Sight and Sound says is the best movie ever made saying he'd killed the mother of his child Yellow Tree Development says its planned apartment building in Inver Grove Heights would include 242 market-rate apartments and amenities such as a sky lounge with a roof deck Yellow Tree pays $3.6M for Inver Grove Heights development site Fire crews who helped extinguish a house fire in Inver Grove Heights said a series of obstacles hindered their efforts to extinguish the blaze According to the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department fire crews said the fire had already reached through the roof of the building and a wall was beginning to collapse While efforts to extinguish the fire started right away the department said a number of issues made the effort challenging The department said the closest fire hydrant to the house was 100 feet away which was a 600-foot driveway leading up a hill fire crews said ice quickly formed as they attempted to put out the fire as well but not before significant damages were caused to the house One civilian was taken to the hospital for observation and one firefighter received a minor injury but declined medical transportation the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department was called out to the 8400 block of College Trail for Xcel tech reporting a gas odor coming from the basement of a home they were currently at and a fire coming from the basement Com Inver Grove Fire Department with support coming from Eagan Fire Department Command arrived on the scene and confirmed there was a working fire Fire crews on the scene began digging out a hydrant to establish a water supply for the trucks This is a good time to remind everyone that if you have a fire hydrant near your home please dig out the hydrant so fire crews don’t waste valuable time clearing the hydrant Fire crews were able to put out the fire in the basement but were reporting heavy smoke coming from the basement into at least the first level Fire crews began checking for an extension of fire into the first and second floors and the attic Fire crews confirmed there was an extension of fire into the floor and walls of at least the basement into the first floor with a small fire also reported in the back of the dier Crews were able to extinguish this extension just after 4:00 PM with crews beginning to take apart hoses soon after that The combination of cold temperatures and water resulted in icy roads so fire crews spread salt to help with the slick conditions Additional water runoff from the houses resulted in further icing down the roadway so a few salt trucks were also called in to help with the slick conditions and everyone was able to get out of the home safely The cause of the fire is under investigation IVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA - According to a criminal complaint released by the Dakota County Attorney's Officer officers with the Inver Grove Heights were called out to a residence for the report of a burglary around 1:02 pm noticed an unknown woman walking around their child’s room via video surveillance who went to the resident's home and found two unknown people walking out of the residence they observed the resident’s father had apprehended the two unknown suspects The father told officers that when he came to the residence he saw the two suspects exit with the female suspect holding a Juicy Juice box The two suspects were later identified as Joel Ernesto Cortez Garay and Jasmine Cortes Hidalgo Officers detained the two suspects for further questioning Following being read their Miranda rights, the criminal complaint states that Jasmine admitted to the police that she and Joel had entered the residence through an open door The pair left the residence together out of the same door they entered While Jasmine initially denied stealing anything from the residence she later admitted to taking a juice box and some loose money she had found Joel declined to provide a statement to the police The criminal complaint reports that both Joel Ernesto Cortez Garay and Jasmine Cortes Hidalgo were charged with Felony Burglary in the 3rd Degree (Commit Theft or Felony or Gross Misdemeanor) which comes with a 0 to 5-year sentence or a fine of $3,000 to $10,000 Joel and Jasmine's next court appearance will be on January 11 A man who robbed a bank in Inver Grove Heights in June of 2023 was sentenced to five years of probation was also sentenced to serve 124 days at the Dakota County Jail but had credit for 124 days already served If he successfully completes his probation his felony conviction of second-degree aggravated robbery will be modified to a misdemeanor Johnson gave the bank teller at Wells Fargo a note that said something along the lines of “Give me $150,000 or I will shoot you,” and ran off after the teller emptied the cash drawer Surveillance video from a nearby gas station showed a man wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the bank robbery The suspect’s car in the video was linked to Johnson he told police that the bank robbery “was a joke” and “it must not have been very funny.” clothing and keys to the car that was seen at the gas station in Johnson’s home Inside the car were the sunglasses and mask that he wore during the bank robbery One person is dead after a Saturday afternoon crash in Inver Grove Heights According to the Minnesota State Patrol’s incident report a Chevy pickup truck was going up the entrance ramp from Concord Boulevard to northbound Highway 52 at 1:29 p.m The truck lost control at the top of the ramp and crossed over the northbound lanes of Highway 52 The Mazda came to a stop in the left lane and the Chevy came to a stop on the left shoulder a 74-year-old man from Inver Grove Heights He was identified Saturday evening as 74-year-old Willard Henry Pohl of Inver Grove Heights All six people in the Mazda suffered no injuries The incident report states road conditions were snowy/icy at the time of the crash Authorities add he was not wearing a seatbelt If residents in Inver Grove Heights were confused about why some letters never arrived this week the police department may have just discovered the answer According to the Inver Grove Heights Police Department (IGHPD) an officer pulled over a vehicle on Thursday shortly after midnight for having a non-functional headlight the officer noticed a significant amount of mail inside the driver’s vehicle police say 34-year-old Kanesha Anderson reportedly admitted she had stolen the mail from nearby mailboxes and was on her way to Minneapolis despite being found by the officer on a dead-end street Anderson was arrested and taken to the Dakota County Jail Court records show she has been formally charged with two counts of mail theft and her first appearance in this case was scheduled to begin at 1 p.m A criminal complaint says Anderson also told police during the traffic stop she had used meth about two hours prior denied having any drugs at the time of the stop Officers have sorted through the recovered mail reporting over 500 pieces had been recovered The department says its officers have returned the mail to the post office to be redistributed to their rightful owners and all of the victims will be notified if they were affected Residents in Concord Boulevard and 78th Avenue area who haven’t gotten expected mail should check in with the post office Stolen mail recovered by the Inver Grove Heights Police Department A four-year-old from Inver Grove Heights is one of just a few hundred kids in the world with a rare genetic disorder. Mae Knopik has what is known as CTNNB1 Syndrome a genetic disorder that is associated with developmental delays and cognitive impairments I want to watch her walk unassisted. Will that happen? I don’t know you have to stay hopeful,” said her dad Joe Knopik it is still somewhat of a mystery to doctors and there is no real road map for Mae’s journey “It’s such a new diagnosis that we don’t actually know the natural history of what this disease looks like,” said Dr Amy Authement with Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.  “What I always tell my families is that they are the experts in their child’s disease,” she said Which is one of the reasons the Knopiks are sharing their story. They are hoping more awareness will lead to more research The Knopiks are hoping to take place in a genetic therapy clinical trial in Europe this summer. They will find out in early 2025 if Mae has been selected as a candidate. For more information on Mae’s journey, visit Mae’s Mission the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension(BCA) announced that Jonathon Wells had returned home safely The BCA did not provide an update for Julian Puente who also went missing from Inver Grove Heights Authorities have not said if the two disappearances were connected in any way Inver Grove Heights police are asking for the public’s help in finding two separate missing teenagers has had little contact with his family since he left his home on Aug Authorities note that he returned home once and left shortly after Puente is described as 5’8″ and 130 pounds with black hair and brown eyes Officials add that he may be staying with family or friends in St The other missing person is 14-year-old Jonathan Wells Police say he is 5’4″ and 120 pounds with brown hair and eyes Wells is believed to be staying with friends in the Minneapolis area It is unknown whether these two cases are related to each other Authorities are asking anyone with information to call 911 the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department was dispatched to North American Trailer in Inver Grove Heights Photo credit: Inver Grove Heights Fire Department/Facebook the first fire crews arrived on the scene around 11:46 PM and confirmed a medium-sized mulch fire A front loader was used to help spread the mulch pile out to extinguish the fire better this call was upgraded to a second alarm as it would be a labor-intensive fire to fight Crews were able to extinguish the fire by around 1:36 AM The cause of the fire is unknown at this time We have contacted Inver Grove Heights Fire Department for more information on the fire and will provide further updates as they are made available several calls came into the Dakota County Dispatch for a reported houseboat fire on the Mississippi River at the River Grove Harbor Inc. located off 102nd Street East and Inver Grove Trail in Inver Grove Heights Initial scanner traffic said a few explosions might have occurred before the flames were seen Inver Grove Heights Fire units reported seeing smoke and the call was upgraded to a confirmed working structure fire at 12:03 PM The upgrade to a confirmed working structure fire brought mutual aid from the Eagan Initial units on the scene reported a narrow and icy road that made it difficult to get resources to the source of the fire according to a press release from the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department a lack of fire hydrants near the source of the fire meant that several tankers were used to shuttle water to the fire scene to fight the fire Inver Grove Heights Public Works was also called to help salt and sand with the icy conditions but the number and estimated cost of damage was not readily available Since trucks would need to be bringing in water a request was made to Union Pacific to close the tracks temporarily along 102nd Street East with the scene marked clear around 3:04 PM The train tracks were reopened around 3:30 PM No injuries were reported as a result of the fire We have contacted the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department for more information on the possible cause of the fire and will post updates as soon as they are available Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker has a plan that would bring 524 apartments 145 townhomes and 83 single-family lots to the 108-acre development site at 6470 and 6680 S Hundreds of homes proposed for northwest area of Inver Grove Heights MINNESOTA - A police pursuit that began early Monday morning in West St Paul ended in a fatal crash involving a semi-truck on eastbound I-494 near Blaine Avenue remains under investigation by authorities Paul Police Department initiated the pursuit at approximately 4:28 a.m near Minnesota Highway 62 and Mendota Road Speeds during the pursuit reached 90-100 mph at times The chase ended minutes later when the fleeing vehicle collided with the rear-end of a Volvo semi tractor-trailer at a high rate of speed on I-494 in Inver Grove Heights The Minnesota State Patrol and Dakota County authorities are leading the investigation into the crash which was classified as a serious injury incident and has since been updated to be fatal The semi-driver was reported not to be injured due to the crash Authorities have identified the fatal party to be a 39-year-old woman from Hastings She was reported to be the driver of the Chevy Malibu that police were in pursuit of Traffic on eastbound I-494 was closed at Exit 65 with vehicles being diverted off the highway at 7th Street and re-entering at 5th Street The roadway was reopened to traffic around 7:30 a.m Stay tuned for updates as more information becomes available Court documents reveal that Snell was active in an online community on the gaming platform Discord where he allegedly facilitated the selling of "services" by underage girls referred to as "kittens," who engaged in online companionship with adult customers called "masters," often in exchange for money or gifts facilitated through platforms like CashApp Among the various Discord channels linked to these activities were "Fun Time Kitty Klub," "Pretty Kitty Hangout," "Safe Kitten Konnection," and "Kitten Server Name." Investigators obtained direct messages from Snell’s Discord account that indicate he actively solicited explicit images from individuals who identified themselves as minors and expressed struggles with issues related to gender identity The messages allegedly follow a pattern in which Snell would request images from victims beginning with a picture of their inner thigh and escalating to requests for images of their pubic region Numerous instances reflect that Snell solicited and received sexually explicit images from minor victims as part of a scheme to groom them for the production of child sexual abuse material he reportedly sent electronic sex toys to his minor victims furthering his solicitation for explicit depictions of them using these devices there are at least two recorded incidents where Snell took a minor to a hotel and afterward provided emergency contraception The investigation continues as authorities work to ensure the safety of vulnerable minors involved Investigators are seeking potential additional victims in connection with this ongoing case. Parents or guardians of minors who may have had contact with Samuel Eric Snell are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or via tips.fbi.gov Samuel Eric Snell has been indicted on six counts of production of child pornography and two counts of coercion of a minor to engage in prostitution He made his initial court appearance in U.S District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J A detention hearing is set for December 17 This case is part of Project Safe Childhood an initiative established by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to tackle the increasing issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse The project combines the efforts of federal and prosecute those who exploit children online while also working to identify and rescue victims The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Inver Grove Heights and Woodbury Police Departments Polachek will be handling the prosecution of this case It's important to note that an indictment is a formal accusation and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law a dump truck lost its load of dirt on Highway 52 leading to a temporary lane closure and traffic disruptions According to the Minnesota State Patrol’s preliminary investigation the incident occurred at approximately 11:13 a.m when a southbound dump truck encountered a bump in the roadway near Briggs Drive or just short of a mile south of Concord Blvd in Inver Grove Heights The driver reported that the impact caused the vehicle’s tailgate to open spilling its load of dirt onto the highway Peerpoint Property Solutions the right lane of southbound Highway 52 was closed while crews worked to clear the debris Authorities responded promptly to manage the situation and ensure the safety of motorists Cleanup operations took some time before the roadway was fully reopened to traffic The Minnesota State Patrol cited the driver for having an “unsecured load,” emphasizing the importance of properly securing cargo to prevent roadway hazards