Invasive zebra mussels have been confirmed in Big Marine Lake in northern Washington County, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The adult zebra mussels were found on boats exiting the lake at two different locations, DNR officials said.

Zebra mussels clinging to a metal rod. (Forum News Service)

No adult zebra mussels were found during subsequent dive searches, but water samples analyzed by the DNR contained veligers, the larval form of zebra mussels, which “suggests reproducing zebra-mussel populations,” officials said.

Zebra mussels also were discovered attached to a dock on Cedar Lake, near New Prague in Scott County, according to the DNR, and larvae were detected in water samples.

“For that reason, these lakes will be listed as infested for zebra mussels,” DNR officials said.

Zebra mussels also were found this summer in DeMontroville and Olson Lakes in Lake Elmo and in Long Lake in Pine Springs, located on the northeast corner of Interstate 694 and Minnesota 36.

State law requires boaters, anglers and waterfront property owners to take a variety of actions to prevent the spread of zebra mussels, regardless of whether a lake has an infestation, according to the DNR.

People should contact the DNR if they believe they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species not already known to be in the water body.

Zebra mussels can compete with native species for food and habitat, cut the feet of swimmers, reduce the performance of boat motors and damage water intake pipes.

More information is available at dnr.state.mn.us/ais.

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The headlines wrote themselves last week after the Vikings acquired veteran receiver Adam Thielen in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. The kid from Detroit Lakes, Minn. was coming home to finish his career. You couldn’t write a better ending.

As excited as Thielen still seemed to be this week while chatting with reporters at TCO Performance Center, he made it clear that his main focus is making sure he’s ready to contribute when the Vikings play the Chicago Bears on Monday night at Soldier Field.

The biggest reason Minnesota made the move for Thielen was because they believed he could still make an impact on offense. That isn’t lost on him. He knows he has to be more than a feel-good story for the Vikings.

That’s why Thielen immediately got to work after the trade was finalized.

“Just being in the offense before helps a little bit,” Thielen said. “To be able to come in and be like, ‘OK, I remember some of this stuff.’”

Not all of it. The familiarity with the offense that Thielen has, having played for head coach Kevin O’Connell a few seasons ago, only goes so far. He’s spent countless hours with his head in the playbook this week trying to get caught up with all the changes.

“Those reps in the huddle are also huge,” Thielen said. “Just to get used to hearing the play call, getting lined up, then having the ball snapped.”

It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Thielen has already endeared himself to his teammates. He’s long prided himself on bringing joy to the locker room. It’s been that way ever since he came to the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State-Mankato.

“That’s kind of always been my personality,” Thielen said. “That’s who I’m going to continue to be.”

Whether it’s young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, or veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson, they all heaped praise on Thielen for the good vibes he’s brought to the table.

“Just adding that to our team is invaluable,” McCarthy said. “It does a lot for us.”

Though he got to catch some passes from McCarthy this summer, Thielen knows it’s completely different preparing for an actual game

Since arriving back in the Twin Cities, Thielen made it a point to spend as much time around McCarthy as possible. That’s helped them develop some chemistry in short order, on and off the field.

“He’s another guy who’s fun to be around,” Thielen said.”It’s been good to see his personality show up this week.”

There’s a good chance that Thielen will immediately step into a big role on offense. If that’s indeed the case, Jefferson has no doubt that Thielen will be able to make a difference.

“It’s like it was meant to be,” Jefferson said. “It’s definitely great to have him back.”

Those sentiments are shared by Thielen.

“I’m like a kid in a candy shop,” Thielen said. “This is what I love to do.”

The fact that Thielen gets to do what he loves back at home makes it that much sweeter.

Briefly

There were some notable improvements on the estimated injury report the Vikings released on Friday afternoon. The most intriguing nugget was the fact that left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) was listed as a full participant while safety Harrison Smith (illness) was listed as a limited participant. It’s worth keeping an eye on both players when the official injury report is released on Saturday afternoon.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Burglars raided a home belonging to former All-Star catcher Yadier Molina in Puerto Rico and stole 14 pigs, a $16,000 horse, appliances and several pieces of furniture, police said Friday.

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The incident occurred Thursday afternoon in the northern town of Toa Alta. Police said the suspects also stole 3,300 pounds of feed, five televisions, an off-road vehicle, three bed frames, a bed and a living room and dining room set, among other things. The total value of the items stolen is nearly $57,000, police said.

Molina, who ended his 19-year major league career in 2022, recently returned to the St. Louis Cardinals’ dugout as a coach for a weekend. He is expected to manage Puerto Rico’s national team in the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic.

By STEVE KARNOWSKI

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — There are “rays of hope” for a 12-year-old girl critically injured in last week’s deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, though her neurosurgeon cautioned Friday it is still hard to predict whether she will survive.

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Sophia Forchas was the most seriously wounded child among those who survived after a shooter opened fire at the Church of the Annunciation on Aug. 27. The church was full of students from the affiliated Annunciation Catholic School who had gathered for their first Mass of the academic year. Two students were killed, and 21 people were injured.

The shooter died by suicide, police said.

Sophia remains in intensive care at Hennepin Healthcare, a trauma hospital that has treated many of the victims. Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Walt Galicich, said at a news conference that a bullet, which remains lodged in her brain, caused severe damage, including to a major blood vessel. Surgeons had to remove the left half of her skull to relieve the pressure inside her head.

“If you had told me at this juncture, 10 days later, that we’d be standing here with any ray of hope, I would have said it would take a miracle,” Galicich told reporters. He said they are banking on the ability of young brains to heal and make up for the damage.

Sophia is still being kept in a medically induced coma most of the time to control the swelling, Galicich said. She is opening her eyes and showing some level of awareness of her surroundings, and has some slight movement in her right leg, but she’s still not responding to commands, he said.

“It’s day by day, and I can’t tell you how this is going to end,” the doctor said. “I know she’s had a stroke from that injury to that blood vessel. I don’t know what her permanent deficits are going to be. But we’re a little bit more optimistic that she’s going to survive.”

The girl’s father, Tom Forchas, called her “my precious angel.”

This undated photo provided by Tom Forchas in September 2025 shows his daughter, Sophia Forchas, who was wounded in the Church of Annunciation shooting in Minneapolis, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Tom Forchas via AP)

“Sophia is kind. She is brilliant. She is full of life,” Forchas said. “She’s an innocent child who was attacked while in prayer. Words cannot begin to describe the terror and heartbreak that come with learning such devastating details.”

Forchas said Sophia’s 9-year-old brother was also in the church but wasn’t hit. He paid tribute to his wife, Amy Forchas, a pediatric critical care nurse on the hospital staff who has not left their daughter’s side. He also expressed deep gratitude to Sophia’s care team and to the support his family has received from around the world.

“Sophia has received prayers from across the globe,” he said. “It is nothing short of miraculous to know that millions of people have lifted her name in hundreds of millions of prayers. We have heard of prayers from Oslo to Johannesburg, from Sydney to Santiago, from Vietnam to Canada, from Mount Athos, Greece, to Minneapolis, Minnesota.”

And Forchas said the courage, compassion and love of “everyone who has helped us through this nightmare” is helping to carry them through.

“Sophia is strong. Sophia is fighting. And Sophia is going to win this fight for all of humanity,” he said.

Also Friday, students across Minnesota and several other cities across the country staged walkouts to demand that state and federal lawmakers ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Many gathered at the state Capitol in St. Paul. The protests were organized by Students Demand Action, an arm of Everytown for Gun Safety.