A faculty leader who claimed Inver Hills Community College retaliated against him for criticizing the school’s president has settled his lawsuit against the school for $82,500.

Dave Berger, a sociology instructor and faculty union representative, will keep 59 percent of the payout. The rest will go to his attorneys.

Berger also agreed to take an early retirement and never again apply to work for the Minnesota State system of 30 colleges and seven universities. The school agreed to remove four letters from his personnel file.

Berger led the faculty in a no-confidence vote against then-President Tim Wynes in 2016.

Weeks later, Berger was banned from campus over an undisclosed investigation.

He later learned he’d be suspended without pay for five days, purportedly because he’d asked a student to pass out pens bearing the faculty union logo and then refused to speak with an employee who expressed concerns about the situation.

Berger sued Wynes and the college in Dakota County District Court but agreed to drop the case as part of the June settlement. The parties made the deal in order to avoid further litigation costs, according to the agreement, which Berger provided to the Pioneer Press.

Berger also accused Wynes personally of defaming him while Wynes was interviewing for a new job in Illinois; he claimed that when Wynes was asked about Berger’s suspension, Wynes said the instructor was being investigated for sexual harassment.

Wynes and Berger reached a separate, private settlement on that issue in 2017, court records show.

Wynes, who for a time led both Inver Hills and Dakota County Technical College, retired from that post last year and then was hired as president of Black Hawk College in Illinois.

A 29-year-old Inver Grove Heights man was charged Monday with attempted murder in connection with an apparently random home invasion in which authorities said he assaulted a woman and her young son.

According to the criminal complaint, neither the woman nor her son knew who the man was.

The Dakota County criminal complaint offered this account of the incident, though it didn’t provide any information about where it happened:

Authorities say Semaji Jamal Clemons broke into the Inver Grove Heights home on Friday afternoon and immediately went into the boy’s room and told the boy it was “time to die.”

Clemons grabbed the boy from behind and brought him into another room, where the boy’s mother was, where he repeated “it’s time to die” and punched the woman in the face.

When the boy tried to protect his mother, Clemons punched the boy in the head and face. The boy managed to escape and run to a neighbor, who called 911.

The boy then returned with a box cutter and tried to help his mother. Clemons took the box cutter away and as the boy tried to stop him, stabbed the woman in the back. He sat on the woman, told the boy to look away, and then cut the woman’s throat.

During the assault, Clemons told the woman several times that she was going to die, saying “be ready to die,” and “you’re going to die” and “you’re dying.”

Officers arrived shortly after and found blood all over the floor and heard the woman in a back bedroom crying for help. Clemons walked out of the back bedroom with blood all over his pants and shoes.

Officers found the woman covered in blood with puncture wounds to her back and a deep cut to her throat. She received 10 stitches to her throat.

Clemons was charged Monday in Dakota County District Court with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree burglary and first degree assault.

He remained jailed Monday night in lieu of $1 million bail, or $750,000 without conditions.

The owner of an Inver Grove Heights massage outlet is accused of using the business for prostitution.

Xueyan Wang, 40, of Inver Grove Heights, was charged Monday in Dakota County District Court in Hastings with four felonies — two counts each of second-degree promoting prostitution and second-degree prostitution receiving profit.

Wang was arrested Friday while police were executing a search warrant at the business, which is in the Arbor Pointe strip mall off Concord Boulevard and northeast of Minnesota 55. She remained jailed Monday night in lieu of $750,000 bail, or $350,000 without conditions.

According to a criminal complaint:

In March, Inver Grove police began an investigation into Herb Spa after officers learned of customer reviews on a website that gives information about illegal services at massage businesses. The reviews for Herb Spa began in 2017 and described sexual acts that were performed, the masseuse that performed them and cost.

The city granted Wang a therapeutic massage license for the business in May 2017.

The business had no signage, the front door was locked at all times and customers were required to ring a doorbell to gain entry.

During the investigation, officers stopped two men on two separate occasions after they left Herb Spa. Both men said they had paid women working at the business to perform sexual acts on them. Neither of the women were Wang, the men said.

Police surveillance was conducted on the business and showed that Wang and women working at the business appeared to be living there. Wang made multiple runs to and from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, and paid airfare for women to fly from San Francisco and Chicago.

A review of Wang’s bank account showed that she issued checks to purchase several plane tickets, paid for advertising on a website (formerly Backpage.com) and wired money to an account in China from her personal checking account.

During Friday’s search of the business, officers found two women inside who were living in the back of the business. There were no traditional massage tables, and beds were on wood crates on the floor.

One woman said she was from California and had been working at the business since February. She said she paid Wang rent and that Wang kept half the profit she made from services she provided. Wang went shopping to provide groceries and toiletries, the woman said.

Officers also found more than $55,000 — mostly made up of $20 bills — and a notepad that listed different sexual services along with corresponding prices.

Wang was arrested when she walked into the business carrying bags of groceries. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 15.

Inver Grove Heights and its city clerk have parted ways following a volley of accusations between the clerk and city administrator.

The city council, unanimously and without comment, approved a separation agreement for Michelle Tesser at the end of its Monday meeting.

The agreement will not be public until the end of a rescission period, according to Julie Fleming-Wolfe, the League of Minnesota Cities attorney working on the city’s behalf.

Tesser, the city clerk since July 2015, was placed on paid leave in April after City Administrator Joe Lynch made allegations against her during his performance review, City Attorney Tim Kuntz told the Pioneer Press at the time.

Several current and former city workers, all of whom have asked to remain anonymous, say Tesser was the city employee who lodged a complaint against Lynch in August 2017.

That complaint and ensuing investigation led to Lynch getting a three-day, unpaid suspension in December.

Everett & VanderWiel, a Rosemount law firm hired by the city, concluded that Lynch had twice violated the city’s respectful workplace policy.

Their 65-page report detailed name-calling and a sexually suggestive remark Lynch made against the accuser, whose name was redacted.

City council members and staff have declined to speak publicly about why Tesser was put on leave, citing employee privacy laws. Several closed-door meetings were held, including a recent mediation with Tesser’s attorney.

Tesser, who also filed a discrimination complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, has declined repeated requests for comment. In an email this week, she referred questions to her attorney, Sarah McEllistrem, who also declined to comment, citing terms of the separation agreement.

‘OBJECTIVELY OFFENSIVE’

As the city’s top official, Lynch oversees more than 160 full-time and several part-time employees.

According to the law firm’s report, Lynch admitted to telling his co-worker she was acting “like a child” and a “teenager” and to “grow up.” The name-calling, which took place over two days in early April 2018, came after she objected to Lynch reassigning a member of her staff.

Lynch’s second violation was “sexual innuendo” directed at the co-worker, according to the report.

Shortly before a July 9, 2018, council meeting, Lynch approached the co-worker in the presence of another employee, complimented her on her dress and asked if she had a date.

She said she did have a date but was going to take the dress off — meaning she planned to change beforehand, according to the report.

Lynch responded with “something along the lines of, ‘You’re going to take your dress off for your date already?’”

The law firm found his remarks “objectively offensive” and said they “carried the unmistakable implication that (she) intended to engage in sexual activities while on her date.”

Since Tesser was placed on leave, Lynch has been working as the interim city clerk, in addition to his city administrator duties. On Monday, acting as clerk, Lynch called the role-call vote for Tesser’s separation agreement.

Bikers don’t have to go far from urban life to enjoy the natural world.

St. Paul and the east metro area are home to many scenic paved trails made for two-wheeled explorers. From scenic overlooks, historic landmark, and towering bluffs, there is a lot to see.

Gateway State Trail

Perhaps the most used bike trail in St. Paul is the 18-mile-long Gateway State Trail. Starting north of downtown near Interstate 35E, the trail is known for its scenery, taking bikers around Phalen Park and passed the giant snowman in North St. Paul. The trail keeps going, ending at Pine Point Park near Stillwater.

A virtual tour from the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows the route. Currently, there are two detours on the trail due to construction.

Brown’s Creek State Trail

Starting in Grant Park in connection to the Gateway Trail, Brown’s Creek State Trail runs 5.9 miles long, ending at the St. Croix in Stillwater. About two miles of the trail runs along Brown’s Creek, home to many trout. One mile of the trail follows the St. Croix scenic riverway.

Bruce Vento Regional Trail

On the site of an abandoned railroad corridor, Bruce Vento Regional Trail provides about seven miles of paved bike trail. It passes active railways, goes under a historic bridge and is mainly off main roads. It connects to the Gateway Trail and a trail at Lake Phalen about one mile long.

St. Croix Crossing Loop Trail

A loop trail is under construction connecting the old Stillwater Lift Bridge to the St. Croix Crossing Bridge. The trail will allow bikers to start in downtown Stillwater, cross the bridge and continue on the Wisconsin side. The lift bridge will be accessible to bikers, but will still lift to accommodate for boats.

The trail opening has been delayed due to the closure of the lift bridge from high waters until further notice. The rest of the trail is available to the public.

Big Rivers Regional Trail

Running from Eagan to Lilydale, the Big Rivers Regional Trail gives a view of both Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The four-and-a-half-mile-long trail goes passed Fort Snelling and the historic city, Mendota. The scenic trail is paved and biker-friendly.

Mississippi River Trail

The Minnesota portion of the Mississippi Trail is a total of 21.5 miles long and consists of two segments. The northern section shows more of the industrial side of the river, offering less scenery.

The Southern Section, starting around the Pine Bend Bluffs Trailhead between Inver Grove Heights and Rosemount, gives panoramic views of the river and bluffs. It follows quiet country roads and farmlands along with the riverfront.

The trail itself travels about 800 miles, following the Mississippi River from its source in Itasca State Park.

Reservoir Woods Trail

At 1.3 miles long, the Reservoir Woods trail near Roseville is surrounded by trees, immersing bikers in nature. It’s a good spot to see wildlife and is an ideal location for beginner level bikers. The trail also hooks up to the Lake McCarrons trail which can be followed to Trout Brook Trail.

Michelle Tesser, the Inver Grove Heights clerk who filed a discrimination complaint against the city, will be given $89,600 as part of last month’s separation agreement.

The city and Tesser parted ways following a volley of accusations between her and City Administrator Joe Lynch.

The agreement, which the city council approved July 22 unanimously and without comment, was made public Wednesday, when it became finalized, according to Julie Fleming-Wolfe, the League of Minnesota Cities attorney working on the city’s behalf.

By signing the agreement, Tesser agrees to withdraw the discrimination complaint she filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights against the city.

But the agreement states that it does not preclude the Department of Human Rights or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from pursuing a charge of discrimination against the city.

A Department of Human Rights spokesman said Wednesday that under state law, the agency cannot release details of an open complaint.

Tesser, the city clerk since July 2015, was placed on paid leave in April after Lynch made allegations against her during his performance review, City Attorney Tim Kuntz told the Pioneer Press at the time.

On Wednesday, Fleming-Wolfe said that an investigation was conducted on the complaint against Tesser and that no disciplinary action was taken. Because no discipline was imposed, information about the complaint remains private under state law, she added.

2018 COMPLAINT PROMPTS INVESTIGATION

Several current and former city workers, all of whom have asked to remain anonymous, told the Pioneer Press that Tesser was the city employee who lodged a complaint against Lynch in August 2018.

That complaint and the ensuing investigation led to Lynch getting a three-day, unpaid suspension in December.

Everett & VanderWiel, a Rosemount law firm hired by the city, concluded that Lynch had twice violated the city’s respectful workplace policy.

Their 65-page report detailed name-calling and a sexually suggestive remark Lynch made against the accuser, whose name was redacted.

City council members and staff have declined to speak publicly about why Tesser was put on leave, citing employee privacy laws.

Tesser has declined repeated requests for comment. Her attorney, Sarah McEllistrem, also declined to comment last month, citing terms of the separation agreement. She did not respond to an email for comment Wednesday.

REPORT: COMMENTS ‘OBJECTIVELY OFFENSIVE’

Lynch has been the city administrator since 2006. As the city’s top official, he oversees more than 160 full-time and several part-time employees.

According to the law firm’s report, Lynch admitted to telling his co-worker she was acting “like a child” and a “teenager” and to “grow up.” The name-calling, which took place over two days in early April 2018, came after she objected to Lynch reassigning a member of her staff.

Lynch’s second violation was “sexual innuendo” directed at the co-worker, according to the report.

Shortly before a July 9, 2018, council meeting, Lynch approached the co-worker in the presence of another employee, complimented her on her dress and asked if she had a date.

She said she did have a date but was going to take the dress off — meaning she planned to change beforehand, according to the report.

Lynch responded with “something along the lines of, ‘You’re going to take your dress off for your date already?’ ”

The law firm found his remarks “objectively offensive” and said they “carried the unmistakable implication that (she) intended to engage in sexual activities while on her date.”

OTHER SEPARATION TERMS

Tesser’s monetary sum equals nine months of severance pay, according to terms of the agreement. Her annual salary was just over $96,000.

Other terms of the separation agreement include:

Tesser “releases and forever discharges” the city, its employees and elected officials and others involved from any and all claims, demands and lawsuits related to her employment.

Prior to joining Inver Grove Heights as its clerk, Tesser spent eight months as the city clerk/treasurer for Landfall. For nearly five years prior, she was the assistant to the city administrator in Falcon Heights.

Authorities are investigating an apparent drowning Wednesday night at a Mississippi River marina in Inver Grove Heights.

A man who fell into the water at Twin Cities Marina was found underwater and taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, according to the Dakota County sheriff’s office. He was later pronounced dead.

The man fell into the water around 10:30 p.m. and wasn’t found until 11:45 p.m.

The man’s identity wasn’t immediately released pending an autopsy.

Sheriff’s officials say a man has died after falling into the Mississippi River as he was getting off a boat in Inver Grove Heights.

The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about a person who had fallen into the water at Twin Cities Marina about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. KMSP-TV reports first responders pulled the man from the water around 11:45 p.m. and began resuscitation efforts.

The man was taken to Regions Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have released the name of the dump truck driver killed Monday in a rollover crash in Inver Grove Heights.

The truck driver — 64-year-old Gregg Ronald Orloff of Cottage Grove — died at the crash scene at Minnesota 55 and Argenta Trail, the Minnesota State Patrol said Tuesday.

Just before 8 a.m., Orloff was driving a dump truck on westbound Minnesota 55 when he swerved to the right to try and avoid rear-ending a car that had slowed for a light change near Argenta Trail, the State Patrol said.

The truck hit the rear of the car, rolled onto its side, left the road and hit a semaphore light.

Orloff was wearing a seat belt, the State Patrol said.

The driver of the car — 47-year-old Katrina Gay Coss of Inver Grove Heights — was not injured, the State Patrol said. She also was wearing a seat belt.

An Inver Grove Heights motorist accused of striking and killing a grandmother in January and then leaving the crash scene has been charged with two felonies.

Breyona Sadi Cotton, 30, was charged by summons Tuesday in Dakota County District Court with one count of leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death and one count of failure to notify police of a collision resulting in death. Cotton’s first court appearance has been set for Oct. 7.

The Jan. 5 crash along 80th Street near the intersection of Blaine Avenue in Inver Grove Heights killed 55-year-old Haimanot Gezahegne Gebremedhin, a mother of four and grandmother of two who was struck while walking to her home from the city’s community center.

About 19 hours after the crash, Cotton turned herself in to police and told investigators she believed she hit a deer, according to a criminal complaint. She said she only went to police after seeing a social media post about the crash and realizing that she had been in the area.

WHAT CHARGES SAY HAPPENED

According to the complaint:

About 5:40 p.m. Jan. 5, an Inver Grove Heights police officer doing routine radar patrol in the Simley High School parking lot was flagged down by motorists who said they had just saw what appeared to be a dead woman in the road near the intersection of 80th Street and Blaine Avenue.

Gebremedhin was found unconscious on the north side of 80th Street with injuries consistent with being struck by a vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

About 12:45 p.m. Jan. 6, Cotton and her attorney went to the police station.

Cotton told police that after she left a nearby McDonald’s drive-through, she turned west onto 80th Street and saw two police cars in a high school parking lot. She said she checked her speed and was traveling 40 mph.

She said she had a green light when approaching Blaine Avenue and that “out of nowhere,” she heard a collision and thought she had struck a deer.

She said that after the collision, she turned right onto Blaine Avenue and stopped, but didn’t see or hear anything and did not exit her vehicle, since she believed she hit a deer. She then drove home.

Inver Grove Heights police Cmdr. Josh Otis told the Pioneer Press in January that there was no evidence pointing to Cotton being impaired at the time of the crash. He said a search warrant to obtain a blood sample from Cotton on Jan. 6 was not pursued “because I thought we didn’t have probable cause for a search of somebody’s blood of impairment at that time, 19 hours after a crash.”

REPORT’S CONCLUSIONS

An accident-reconstruction report by the Minnesota State Patrol concluded that Gebremedhin’s legs struck the front bumper of Cotton’s car, forcing her entire body onto the hood, and that her head struck the lower portion of the windshield.

The report also concluded that Gebremedhin should have been visible to Cotton and that “any reasonable investigation into the collision would have revealed the victim’s body,” the complaint states.

In a statement Tuesday, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said, “Any driver who strikes an object has an obligation to reasonably investigate what was struck and remain at the scene when the collision results in injury to or the death of a person.”

Before the crash, Gebremedhin and her husband had been working out at the community center. She decided to leave early and was walking home alone when she was hit about four blocks east of the community center.

According to Minnesota court records, Cotton was convicted of gross misdemeanor driving while impaired (refuse to submit to chemical test) in November 2010 in Washington County District Court. She was convicted of driving without a license in 2006.

Two Inver Grove Heights’ parks commissioners, a school board member and a former state legislator are speaking out against City Administrator Joe Lynch, who was suspended three days without pay late last year for twice violating the city’s respectful workplace policy.

The residents sent letters to the city council last week expressing their discontent with Lynch and their concerns over the cost of an investigation into his workplace behavior and the negative publicity it brought the city.

At Monday night’s meeting, three of the residents read their letters verbatim, while the fourth summed up his thoughts.

The criticism of Lynch follows the city council’s July 22 decision to enter into a separation agreement with former City Clerk Michelle Tesser, who agreed to withdraw a discrimination complaint she filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights over how she was treated by Lynch.

As part of the agreement, which was made public this month, Tesser was given $89,600 for “non wages.”

Kathryn Bauer, vice chair of the parks and recreation advisory commission, said Monday that Lynch’s behavior “toward a now-former employee cost him the respect of many city residents and of many city employees.”

“City Administrator Lynch’s words and actions did not promote the type of respectful workplace environment that I want to see exist in our city,” said Bauer, a 30-year Inver Grove resident. The city “deserves better,” she added.

A Rosemount law firm hired by the city last year concluded that Lynch told his then-co-worker on two days in April 2018 that she was acting “like a child” and a “teenager” and to “grow up.”

Three months later, Lynch made a sexually suggestive remark toward her about the dress she was wearing, the law firm concluded.

The co-worker’s name was redacted in the law firm’s investigative report. However, current and former city employees have since identified her as Tesser, who was the city clerk since July 2015.

Kevin Sethre, chair of the parks and recreation advisory commission, said Monday that residents are “stirred up regarding these revelations.”

“As a resident I believe that the amount of money and time spent has provided an unnecessary burden to the city and …his actions within the workplace warrant serious consideration with regard to future employment with the city,” his letter says.

Sue Gliva, a board member for Inver Grove Heights schools, said she has “deep disappointment” over Lynch’s behavior.

Both she and Sethre asked city officials to make public how much money the city spent since the allegations against Lynch first surfaced.

“While I’m not speaking for the entire school board, I personally feel that Mr. Lynch is not fulfilling the expectation in the workplace and that now the public display of his actions is something that cannot be overlooked,” she said. “I urge you to seriously consider his future employment. We could do better. The community deserves better and the city staff deserves better as they are the most intimately affected.”

Regina Barr, a former state representative whose district included Inver Grove Heights, called upon the city council to create a plan to “improve the work culture and the work environment so that these negative behaviors and costly employee matters do not occur again.”

Lynch, city administrator since 2006, did not immediately return a call Tuesday seeking comment about the residents’ remarks.

Mayor George Tourville also did not return a call for comment.

City Attorney Tim Kuntz said that Lynch’s annual job performance review is scheduled for Sept. 9 at City Hall. Employee job performance evaluations are not open to the public, he added.

A mother and her 5-year-old daughter were killed last weekend when the vehicle the woman was driving crossed the centerline and apparently caused a head-on collision in Inver Grove Heights.

Deputy Police Chief Sean Folmar said the cause of the crash remains under investigation by Inver Grove Heights police and the Minnesota State Patrol.

“It is unclear what happened and why,” Folmar said. “It is an unfortunate tragedy.”

What police have been able to determine is a vehicle carrying four people — a mother and three children — was traveling east on 80th Street near Bowman Avenue about 7:30 a.m. Saturday when it crossed the centerline and struck a westbound vehicle with two occupants.

All six people were taken to the hospital, where the mother and 5-year-old daughter died. A 3-year-old and an infant were also traveling in the mother’s vehicle.

The conditions of the survivors were not available Tuesday.

All six people involved in the crash were Inver Grove Heights residents. They weren’t immediately identified by authorities.

DULUTH, Minn. — Authorities recovered the body of a missing University of Minnesota Duluth student from Minnesota Slip in Canal Park on Friday afternoon.

The Duluth Police Department and St. Louis County Rescue Squad recovered the body of Jacob Lavoie, 21, from the Duluth harbor slip at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, according to a press release from police, who were continuing to investigate.

Authorities confirmed that the body is that of Lavoie, an Inver Grove Heights native who had been missing since early Sunday morning when he left Grandma’s Sports Garden in Canal Park.

Tim Johnson, a cousin of Lavoie’s mother and family spokesman, shared a statement from their family:

“We are devastated by the loss of Jacob. He was our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to law enforcement, the University of Minnesota Duluth, the entire Duluth community, the Inver Grove Heights community, as well as everyone far and wide for your caring and concern in helping us locate Jacob. Now that Jacob has been found, we ask for your prayers, and also ask that you respect our privacy during our time of great loss. Thank you.”

Lavoie was a senior business major at UMD.

The university’s chancellor, Lendley Black, said in a statement: “This is an incredibly sad time. As much as we try to be prepared for something like this, it’s extremely difficult. UMD is such a tight community and we’re concerned for Jacob’s family, his friends on campus, and the faculty and staff that knew him.”

In the coming days, Black said the school will reach out to students and share resources with people who are grieving.

DULUTH — Drowning was cited as the preliminary cause of death for a 21-year-old University of Minnesota Duluth student whose body was pulled from the Minnesota Slip in Canal Park on Friday.

Jacob Lavoie, an Inver Grove Heights native, had been missing since early Sept. 1, when he was seen leaving Grandma’s Sports Garden and walking north toward downtown.

“The preliminary cause of death is drowning,” the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office reported Monday after conducting an autopsy. “Toxicology is pending.”

The Duluth Police Department and St. Louis County sheriff’s office are continuing to investigate the circumstances of Lavoie’s death.

Sheriff’s officials in Ramsey County are warning residents that a bear has been spotted roaming several cities, including the most recent sighting at 6:41 a.m. Monday morning near Greenhaven Drive and Centerville Road in Vadnais Heights.

The bear has also been spotted in North Oaks, White Bear Township and Polar Park coming out of Tamarack Nature Center, sheriff’s officials said Monday afternoon.

Bear Sightings in Northern Ramsey County
We've received multiple calls of a bear in northern Ramsey County. Please remain alert, stay away from of any bears, and call 9-1-1. With school back in session, parents/guardians are encouraged to pay close attention . pic.twitter.com/0m2V535NwW

— Ramsey Sheriff (MN) (@RamseySheriff) September 9, 2019

Officials gave the following warnings:

• If you encounter a bear pick up any small children and pets; face the bear and try to appear as large as possible, spreading or waving your arms while holding up a sweater or jacket if possible; slowly back away from and to the side, which is considered non-a threatening movement; and talk to the bear in a calm and low monotone so the bear can identify you as a human and nonthreatening.
• Once indoors call 911 and report the bear’s direction of travel.
• Remember that bears are probably more scared of and startled by you. Bears will usually go away when they feel safe.
• Authorities say you might hear a bear before you see one. A bear trying to scare off intruders makes snorting, huffing and jaw-popping sounds. Scared cubs make squealing noises.

A St. Paul teen was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of Billy Ray Robles, a St. Paul rapper.

Trashaun Morris, 18, was 17 at the time of the shooting in Inver Grove Heights on March 24, 2018. He was certified to stand trial as an adult in Dakota County District Court last September and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on May 21.

Morris and three other teens have been sentenced in the slaying that followed an argument between two teen groups on a party bus in Inver Grove Heights. When the bus pulled over to drop off passengers in the parking lot of AMC Showplace 16, a punch was thrown and shots were fired, leaving Robles dead and wounding a 16-year-old boy, according to criminal charges.

Police determined the shooting was gang-related.

Two 16-year-olds from St. Paul, whose names were not divulged because they were minors, pleaded guilty to one count of riot in the first degree in May 2018. One was sentenced to five years, the other, four years. For their cases, the judge stayed the execution of their sentences and placed the juveniles under extended court jurisdiction until they reach the age of 21.

Taishawn Taquan Smith, 18, of Crystal, pleaded guilty to one count of riot in the second degree in September 2018, and was sentenced to 13 months in prison. The judge gave him credit for 163 days in jail, probation for five years and stayed the execution of the sentence.

Robles, 19, was described by his cousin as an aspiring rapper who grew up on St. Paul’s West Side and had attended Humboldt High School.

The owner of an Inver Grove Heights massage business pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of second-degree prostitution.

Xueyan Wang, 40, was accused of operating a brothel out of Herb Spa, a therapeutic massage business she owned in the Arbor Pointe strip mall. Wang was arrested in July after police raided the business.

Inver Grove Heights police began investigating Herb Spa in March after they discovered several reviews of the business on a website where patrons exchange information about massage studios where paid sex acts are performed, according to charges filed in July.

Investigators surveilled the storefront, which they noted had minimal signage and was always locked — customers were required to ring a doorbell to be let in, the charges said. Men who were interviewed by police after they were seen exiting Herb Spa told investigators they had paid for sex there.

When police executed a search warrant, they found a notepad listing several different sex acts with corresponding prices and about $50,000 in cash, according to the criminal complaint against Wang. Rather than traditional massage tables in the rooms, officers found beds on wooden crates.

A review of Wang’s bank account showed that she issued checks to pay for advertising on a website (formerly Backpage.com) and wired money to an account in China from her personal checking account.

Wang remains in custody at the Dakota County jail. She is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7 in Dakota County District Court.

Police in Inver Grove Heights shut down a homecoming dance at Simley High School on Saturday night after a report of a possible weapon at the event.

In a Facebook post, the police department said the school resource officer, who was at the event, along with high school officials were unable to substantiate the rumor but decided to shut down the dance early anyway.

“We take an incident like this very seriously and in the best interest of safety for all attending the dance the Inver Grove Heights Police Department along with Simley High School Administration decided to shut down the Homecoming dance early,” the post said. “The Inver Grove Heights Police Department will be working with Simley High School Administration to further investigate the situation.”

A motorist was killed and another injured in a three-vehicle crash Wednesday morning at an Inver Grove Heights intersection that was reconstructed last year to improve traffic flow and safety.

The wreck shortly before 8:30 a.m. at Minnesota 55 and Argenta Trail killed 22-year-old Rebecca Christine Waller from Harris, Minn., the Minnesota State Patrol said. She was wearing a seat belt and an air bag was deployed in her 2003 Honda Accord.

It was the second fatal crash at the intersection since mid-August.

Waller was driving in the far right lane of eastbound Minnesota 55 when she made a left-hand turn onto northbound Argenta Trail “against a red light,” according to the State Patrol.

The Honda was struck by a 2013 Ford F-150 pickup truck heading west on Minnesota 55 and then by a semi-trailer truck.

The driver of the pickup truck — Bradly Allen Setering, 68, of Prescott, Wis. — was hospitalized with injuries that are not life-threatening, the State Patrol said.

The semi-trailer truck driver was not injured. He was identified as Darran Arvid Jonsgaard, 51, of Fountain City, Wis.

The State Patrol shut down westbound Highway 55 in the immediate area for several hours to clear the scene and investigate the crash.

Like Wednesday’s crash, an Aug. 12 fatal wreck at the intersection also happened during the morning commute. The driver of a dump truck — 64-year-old Gregg Ronald Orloff of Maplewood — was killed in a rollover crash just before 8 a.m., authorities said.

Orloff was on westbound Minnesota 55 when he swerved to the right to try and avoid rear-ending a car that had slowed for a light change near Argenta Trail, the State Patrol said. The truck hit the rear of the car, rolled onto its side, left the road and hit a semaphore light.

Last year, Dakota County completed a realignment and reconstruction of Argenta Trail at Minnesota 55.

As part of the project, Argenta Trail was shifted to the east — eliminating a curve that existed south of Minnesota 55 — and the road was expanded from two lanes to four in the areas north and south of Minnesota 55. Turn lanes and a stoplight were added at the intersection.

Flint Hills Resources is planning to build a five-mile-long underground pipeline to transport liquefied petroleum from its refinery in Rosemount to its terminal in Inver Grove Heights.

On Thursday, the Dakota County Board will hold a public meeting — as required by state law — to inform the public of the company’s plan. The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Community Center, Community Room 1, 8055 Barbara Ave., in Inver Grove Heights.

The proposed pipeline would be 4.5 inches in diameter. Most of the line would be on Flint Hills Resources property and cross mainly industrial and agricultural land, county road right-of-way and near a path that runs parallel to a utility corridor, according to company spokeswoman Holli R. VanOverbeke.

She said the project would help Flint Hills Resources manage its liquefied petroleum gas supply and storage capacity to better meet seasonal demands

The project is subject to local construction permits as well as final approval from the company, she said. Its scope and size do not meet the state’s threshold to require a certificate of need or route permit from the Public Utilities Commission.