At approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, Burnsville police and paramedics responded to the Horizon Heights rental townhomes after getting a call about a 4-year-old child with medical problems.

Upon arrival, paramedics discovered the child was dead.

A suspect, 24-year-old William Alphonso Warr, was arrested near the scene on Tuesday for violating an order for protection that prohibited him from being at the residence, police said.

He was charged Thursday, June 13, in Dakota County District Court with felony violation of an order for protection; felony criminal damage to property; fleeing a peace officer – no vehicle; providing false information to police and driving after revocation.

Warr remains a suspect in the case, police said in a news release Thursday.

Police and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office are continuing to investigate the cause of the boy’s death.

“Situations like this involving the death of a child are extremely tragic,”  Police Chief Eric Gieseke said.

Police believe it was an isolated domestic situation with no ongoing threat to the community,  Gieseke said.

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A 17-year-old boy who was driving the car involved in a crash that killed two Burnsville teens on Aug. 21, 2012, was charged on June 12 in juvenile court with three criminal vehicular felonies and a misdemeanor.

Killed in this one-vehicle rollover on Buck Hill Road were Frederick Jeffrey Alexander, 16, and Alesha Katherine Roehl, 17, both of Burnsville and students at the Area Learning Center in Lakeville.

The crash also resulted in injuries to two males, a 16-year-old resident of Lakeville and a 17-year-old resident of Burnsville.

The driver was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide (involving gross negligence), criminal vehicular operation (involving gross negligence resulting in substantial bodily harm) and gross misdemeanor criminal vehicular operation (involving gross negligence resulting in bodily harm).

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said that this case is being filed under Minnesota’s extended juvenile jurisdiction statute, which will provide a stayed adult prison sentence if the driver is convicted of these crimes and extend the juvenile court’s jurisdiction over the case until the individual convicted of the crimes reaches age 21.

“This case appears to be an example of how quickly an inexperienced driver can lose control of a vehicle if speeding and driving recklessly,” Backstrom said. “This also underscores the importance for all persons in a vehicle to wear a seat belt. Our deepest sympathy is extended to the families and friends of Frederick Alexander and Alesha Roehl for their great loss.”

The juvenile petition filed on June 12 alleges that the driver was driving in a grossly negligent manner when traveling southbound on Buck Hill Road at approximately 2:30 p.m.

The accident reconstruction completed by the Minnesota State Patrol estimated that the vehicle was traveling 96 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone when it became airborne. The driver lost control of the vehicle that spun around 180 degrees and hit the curb. The vehicle then rolled six or seven times end-over-end down an adjacent hill, landing on the southbound lanes of I-35.

Alexander was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene.

Roehl was ejected from the car and was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center, where she died at 7:42 p.m. that evening.

A 17-year-old male was also ejected from the car and received a severe laceration to his right arm, among other injuries.

The three passengers ejected were in the back seat of the vehicle and not wearing seat belts.

The driver and a 16-year-old male in the front seat of the vehicle were wearing their seat belts and were not ejected from the car. The driver had just gotten the vehicle four or five days prior to this incident.

The investigation revealed that the driver was weaving back and forth while accelerating. The driver told investigators that he thought it would be fun to swerve back and forth while driving and that he must have hit the gas pedal instead of the brake before he lost control of the car.

The front seat passenger told investigators that the driver sped up and started to swerve back and forth before losing control of the car. The passenger told him to slow down before the crash occurred.
– Tad Johnson

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A 90-room hotel in Burnsville’s Heart of the City will fulfill a longtime city goal and boost further development prospects in the area, City Council members said Tuesday before voting to sell city-owned land for the project.

The council, meeting as the Economic Development Authority, approved a purchase agreement and redevelopment contract for the last 1.75 acres of the former AAA property west of Nicollet Avenue. The buyer is Akota Hospitality LLC.

The North Dakota-based hotel-management firm plans to build a Hilton Garden Inn on the property, though an agreement with Hilton Worldwide has yet to be finalized, said Joel Cary, an Akota representative.

The property is north of the Performing Arts Center and the city-owned Heart of the City parking deck. The city is selling the land for $503,600, more than the Dakota County-appraised value of $457,600.

“It is a very strong economic stimulus for the Heart of the City to bring a hotel like a Hilton Garden Inn, or similar, into the Heart of the City,” said Council Member Dan Kealey, the Economic Development Authority president.

Development in the downtown redevelopment district has “gotten stalled,” Council Member Mary Sherry said. A hotel has always “been part of the vision,” said Sherry, who dealt with the Heart of the City in its infancy as a Planning Commission member.

“I think that this development will put paddles on the Heart of the City, and I think it will get it beating again,” she said.

“Burnsville needed to bring a first-class hotel project,” Kealey said, pointing to recent and proposed hotel projects around the Mall of America.

“I’ve talked to a few businesses in the Heart of the City. They’re thrilled a hotel is coming,” he said.

The hotel and arts center will work “in tandem” to bring attractions to Burnsville, Kealey said.

The city used a Metropolitan Council grant and tax-increment financing money to buy the 6.24-acre AAA property for $1.8 million in 2001. It now houses the arts center, the parking deck and the Mediterranean Cruise Cafe.

The last remaining piece has had a “For Sale” sign on it for about four years, and city attempts to find a buyer through requests for proposals have come up empty. Developers have periodically inquired about projects, including gas stations and fast-food restaurants, that wouldn’t have met Heart of the City zoning standards.

The sale to Akota will get the land back on the tax rolls after 12 years of city ownership. The hotel’s estimated value is $3.5 million, which will generate about $125,000 in total property taxes annually, said Skip Nienhaus, Burnsville’s economic development coordinator.

The redevelopment contract calls for Akota to begin construction within 90 days after the council approves a planned unit development for the project. It must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2014.

The contract stipulates the hotel must have at least 90 rooms, restaurant and meeting space, and about 55 parking spaces. Construction must be finished within a year after it starts.

The contract requires the city to expand its parking deck and make the public parking spaces available to the hotel. It requires Akota to pay an extra $28,000 to build about 14 city-owned parking spaces on Travelers Trail.

Akota must close on the property no later than Oct. 31.

Akota has yet to close a deal for the Hilton Garden Inn flag, “but they are our choice,” said Cary, who is representing Akota for St. Paul-based LHR Hospitality Management.

A Hilton representative has visited Burnsville twice, Cary said.

“They’re very excited about being in Burnsville,” said Cary, a Burnsville resident.

The hotel is projected to need 187 parking stalls. The city will add at least 42 to its parking deck. The 76-stall difference between city- and developer-built stalls will be covered by existing shared parking in the Heart of the City, “which is consistent with the vision of a high-density urban development such as the HOC,” a city staff report said.

The city plans to use tax-increment financing funds, proceeds from the land sale and a Dakota County Community Development Agency grant to fund the deck expansion.

It’s seeking a Metropolitan Council Livable Communities grant to build another 42 stalls, which would complete the deck.

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Ruby is a 9-year-old quarterhorse with foot problems. Araby is a 25-year-old Arabian who needs soft feed because he’s missing teeth. Jasper is a small cart pony who’s 95 percent blind.

All live on Jason and Jenifer Heath’s six-acre lot in southwest Burnsville, where the couple plan to match horses needing extra TLC with kids who could use some, too.

The Heaths are launching a youth mentoring ranch at their home at 2604 Loop Road. Their nonprofit Haven Acres is premised on the therapeutic power of working with horses along with the Heaths’ deep Christian faith.

Children ages 9 to 17, paired with a horse and a mentor, will learn about horsemanship and hard work, such as cleaning stalls or mending fence.

Based on an established horse ministry in Oregon called Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, Haven Acres is meant to help troubled kids.

“We’ve had people tell us we’ll never have a shortage of kids,” Jenifer Heath said in an interview.

The City Council on Tuesday approved the Heaths’ application for an interim-use permit to operate a private recreational use on their property, which is zoned one-family rural residential.

The five-year permit allows the Heaths to have up to 10 horses on the property (there are now seven). The mentor program will be allowed to operate no more than four days a week. Operations are expected only during warm-weather months.

Haven Acres will be “a great asset to our community,” Mayor Elizabeth Kautz said.

The Heaths, who attend Celebration Church in Lakeville, already know some children they’d like to serve.

“Right now the kids are just some kids that we know or go to church with, or other kids that are friends of the family, having a hard time, whether it’s depression or anxiety or suicidal thoughts or learning disabilities or maybe just loneliness or bullying at school or having trouble fitting in,” Jenifer said. “It just helps build their confidence to be able to gain the respect of a large animal and learn how to work with the horses.”

The Heaths moved to their home at the southwest intersection of Loop Road North and Judicial Road about a year ago.

“I always wanted to have acreage and have animals,” said Jenifer, 40, who moved with her husband and their five children from a smaller-lot home in Burnsville. “We have goats as well. But I didn’t have in mind when we moved here we would do a project like Haven Acres.”

She’d heard about Crystal Peaks years ago on a Christian radio program. Some friends of the Heaths back in their home state of Oklahoma started their own youth ranch there.

Jenifer thought such a program might be good for her husband’s second cousin, whom the couple helped raise and is now an adult. He suffered from depression, she said.

“We started talking about (Haven Acres) in November of last year,” Jenifer said. “It’s coming together quickly.”

The couple have their 501(c)3 status as a charitable organization and a seven-member board of directors. Their volunteer equine manager is Mikayla Vig.

“Everything thus far has been funded by us and couple of generous donors,” said Jenifer, an emergency-room nurse in Chaska whose husband is an Ameriprise financial adviser.

Each child at Haven Acres will be paired with a horse and mentor. Children will always be with two adults when they’re working with a horse, Jenifer said.

Their 90-minute sessions will include 30 or 40 minutes of chores, followed by lessons in basic horsemanship and grooming. Children won’t ride until they’re ready, Jenifer said.

“Most of these programs — and that’s why we’ve got horses that have special needs — use rescue horses for the express reason that there’s something kind of magical about horses who have been abandoned or neglected or abused in some way,” Jenifer said.

Haven Acres will have skilled horsepeople doing the instruction, but not all the mentors will necessarily be equine experts, Jenifer said.

“The mentors will go through an interview, and they’ll be hand-picked, basically,” she said. “We want to have people who have our same faith values.”

Information is at www.havenacresmn.org.

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The southbound lanes of I-35E between County Road 42 and the I-35/35W split will reopen after tonight’s evening rush hour (Monday, June 3).

The lanes closed in early May for crews to re-deck the bridge spanning I-35W.

Motorists may continue to see off-peak lane closures along I-35E as crews continue to build crossovers between the I-35/35W/35E split and Cliff Road in Eagan for the single lane traffic expected in mid-June.

To sign up for the project’s Email Updates or for more information, visit the project’s website at www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/i35eelkotoeagan/.

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Traffic will be detoured to I-35W and County Road 42. Motorists will be able to cross Highway 13 at County Road 5. A detour map will be available at www.dakotacounty.us (search “Highway 13″).

The closure is part of the County Road 5 interchange at Highway 13 project. During the closure, work will be completed on storm sewer and sanitary sewer lines. The closure is dependent on the weather.

The project includes construction of a bridge, ramps, a loop, retaining and noise walls; updating of storm sewer, water main, and sanitary sewer; relocation of private utilities; upgrading of signal systems; and improvements to frontage roads.

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Anderson filed the complaint on behalf of a 51-year-old Twin Cities man, whose name he didn’t disclose. It names the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona  and seeks disclosure of a list of 46 priests who had “credible complaints of sexual abuse made against them,” according to Anderson.

Anderson said in a news release his suit is the first made possible by the newly enacted Minnesota Child Victims Act. The law eliminated the civil statute of limitations for sexual abuse victims and opened a three-year window for past victims to file suit against the perpetrator and the institution that may have allowed the abuse.

Adamson was transferred between numerous parishes where he worked with children, even after admitting abuse to Diocese officials, Anderson said.

Serving in 15 locations over a 20-year period, he is thought to have molested boys in almost every parish he served in, Anderson said.

Anderson was joined at a May 29 news conference announcing the lawsuit by Jim Keenan of Savage, an abuse survivor who met Adamson at Church of the Risen Savior, and by Jim Fitzpatrick, a retired Catholic priest who reported Adamson to the Diocese when parents reported he was abusing boys at St. John’s parish in Caledonia.

“Institutions like the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis and the Diocese of Winona should not be able to shelter abusers like Father Adamson from justice,” Anderson said. “This courageous action seeks the discharge of the priests credibly accused of abuse. Until these ‘secret’ lists are released to the public, children are at great peril.  Once the list is released, we can make sure sexual abuse is not being swept under the rug and that all victims of abuse in Minnesota can begin to heal.”

The lawsuit seeks to hold the Archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona accountable for protecting Adamson and endangering children and public safety by concealing or ignoring his abuse of children, Anderson said.

“Today marks another step towards holding institutions accountable for protecting abusers instead of protecting kids,” Fitzpatrick said. “Instead of removing Father Adamson after he admitted to abusing numerous boys, the Archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona moved him from parish to parish and allowed him to continue his pattern of abuse.”

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The BCVB is in its second year coordinating the event, formerly an annual contest sponsored by the city of Burnsville.

“This event gives us an opportunity to show our appreciation to residents and business owners who keep the community looking great.  A beautiful city makes our job of attracting visitors just that much easier,” said BCVB Executive Director Amie Burrill.

Between June 1 and June 30, Burnsville residents and businesses can nominate homes, neighborhoods and Burnsville businesses that they feel have impeccable landscaping or gardening.  To qualify, nominees must be located within Burnsville city limits, be visible from the street and match criteria for the submitted category.

Submissions will be reviewed by the BCVB board of directors in early July. The top three entries in each category will receive the following: a $100 Gift Card to Cal’s Market and Garden Center (first place), a $50 gift card to a Burnsville restaurant (second place), or four tickets to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (third place).

To submit a nomination, visit www.Burnsvillemn.com/Garden-Contest.cfm or pick up a form at the Burnsville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Burnsville City Hall, Cal’s Market and Garden Center or Jo Jo’s Rise & Wine.          All submissions must be accompanied by a photo to be considered. Nominations will be accepted through June 30. Winners will be notified by phone.

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The Okee Dokee Brothers will be bringing their kids-oriented folk and bluegrass music to the Burnsville Performing Arts Center on June 8 as part of the Rhythm & Words event hosted by the Dakota County Library system. (Photo submitted)

A special event at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center next weekend is all about the kids.

Hosted by the Dakota County Library system, the annual Rhythm and Words offers a day of musical performances, author meet-and-greets, workshops and more, all geared to families with kids 10 and under.

Admission is free to the 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 8 event, with live music from kids bands The Bazillions, Grammy winners The Okee Dokee Brothers, Paul Spring and New York-based Gustafer Yellowgold.

Children’s authors who will be giving book presentations include Cori Doerrfeld (“Little Bunny Foo Foo”), Sarah Forss (“Alphabeasties”), Michael Hall (“Cat Tale”), and Stephanie Watson (“Elvis & Olive”).

There’s also a host of interactive activities for families – among them a music class presented by Kindermusik of the Valley and stretching exercises with The Adventures of Super Stretch.

Kids can try out a variety of instruments provided by Schmitt Music, and they can even create their own instruments using ArtStart’s reused and recycled materials.

The Saturday Morning Submarine Adventure Show will entertain all ages through interactive improv, puppetry and comedy.

Food trucks will be offering their goods in the plaza outside the Performing Arts Center, and local arts and cultural organizations are hosting booths at the event.

The event at the Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave., is funded by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The full lineup of speakers and performers for Rhythm and Words can be found online at www.dakotacounty.us/library.

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Hayden allegedly convinced friends and others he met through business contacts and through his children’s participation in sports and activities to invest with him and his business (JMH Properties LLC) in apparent efforts to purchase homes subject to foreclosure in Burnsville, Lakeville and other Twin Cities communities.

He allegedly stole $200,000 to $250,000 through the schemes, Backstrom said.

Hayden is charged with three felony counts of theft by swindle of more than $35,000, Backstrom said.

Hayden promised investors profit sharing on their investments once the properties had been purchased and sold. In most of the cases, Hayden and his business never purchased the properties for which the investments were intended, Backstrom said.

In one case, Hayden allegedly convinced a homeowner whose home was subject to foreclosure to sell it to a third-party investor. He allegedly promised profit sharing the homeowner never received, as well as money up front, some of which was never received.

In another case, Hayden allegedly had a contractor who had invested with him on two properties perform roofing work on a home of one of Hayden’s relatives. The contractor never received payment.

Hayden returned little or none of the initial investments to nine victims who have been identified so far.

“These are significant economic crimes, and this represents the 20th theft-related case of over $50,000 which has been charged in Dakota County in the last five years,” Backstrom said in a new release.

He urged people who believe they’ve been victimized through business arrangements with Hayden to call the Burnsville Police Department at 952-895-4600.

Hayden made his first appearance in court Tuesday. Bail of $100,000 without conditions ($50,000 with conditions) was set by Dakota County District Court Judge Joseph Carter. Hayden’s next court appearance is in August in Hastings.

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