Staff writers with the St. Paul Pioneer Press were recognized with four awards at the annual Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards banquet, which was recently held at the Nicollet Island Inn in Minneapolis. The awards rely on judges from out-of-state chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists to review contest entries, in this case within the category of large newspapers.

Molly Guthrey won first place in business feature reporting for her story on home remodeler and cancer survivor Mary Haugh.

Frederick Melo and Mars King of the Pioneer Press received second place in business news reporting for a series of stories on Madison Equities putting its downtown St. Paul property portfolio on the market.

Vikings reporter Dane Mizutani received an honorable mention in “Best Beat Reporting” and sports editor Kevin Cusick won second place for headline submissions.

A full list of Page One Award winners is online at mnspj.org.

Related Articles

Xcel Energy Center to become Grand Casino Arena

Letters: Iran should be a warning against authoritarian control

A first taste of the Palace Pub, now open next to St. Paul’s Palace Theatre

Maroon 5 to play first local concert in seven years

Three shot and injured on downtown St. Paul rooftop pool area Saturday night

After a few days golfing, go-karting, working out and meeting — but not skating — with players he hopes will be future Minnesota Wild teammates, forward prospect Ryder Ritchie is headed home to British Columbia and will soon figure out where he’s playing next season.

On a Medicine Hat team that finished second in the Memorial Cup, which crowns the champion of Canadian major junior hockey, Ritchie averaged better than a point a game. Amazingly, that was only good for third offensively for the Tigers, who were led by Gavin McKenna’s 129 points in 56 games — which is why McKenna is the early consensus for the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft.

Ritchie, picked in the second round by the Wild in 2024, spoke to reporters at the team’s annual Development Camp at TRIA Rink on Wednesday. He said despite reports that he has committed to Boston University, he is still working on a final decision.

“I’m still kind of looking at my options,” he said.

Ritchie, who turns 19 in August, said he has not set a deadline for a final decision on his 2025-26 hockey destination. He has spent the past three years in the Western Hockey League.

“I just haven’t made up my mind yet,” Ritchie said. “I think I’ve still got to kind of think things through and talk to my family.

Ritchie’s father, Byron, played more than 300 NHL games for a quartet of teams, and played pro hockey in Europe before retiring in 2017.

A year ago at this time, American college hockey would not have been an option for Ritchie, as players in Canadian major junior hockey were considered professionals by the NCAA and were therefore ineligible. But a lawsuit and a rules change handed down in November 2024 has opened college hockey to players in the three Canadian major junior leagues.

Before he started playing major junior for Prince Albert in 2022, Ritchie took a look at his college options, taking official visits to schools such as Michigan and Wisconsin. Since the 2024 ruling, that world is again an option on his road that he and the Wild hope will eventually land him in St. Paul.

“I tried not to think about it until after the year, because I was focusing on trying to win a championship, so I think that’s kind of why I’m still in the deciding factor right now, and trying to figure out what I want to do,” Ritchie said. “It’s obviously appealing. A lot of guys are leaving, so it’s going to be a tough decision.”

McKenna is reportedly weighing his college options, as well, considering an offer from Penn State, and visiting the Michigan State campus earlier this week to meet with the Spartans’ coaches.

The three-day Development Camp for the Wild took a different route in 2025, with just 15 players invited and no on-ice work. Instead the players did off-ice workouts, video study, seminars about nutrition and social media, and had fun away from the rink at a go-kart track, a golf course and an escape room.

Most agreed it was a fun break from the on-ice work that is usually a part of the summer get-together.

“Obviously, everyone likes to skate. That’s what we do. We’re hockey players,” said Wild prospect Riley Heidt, who played major junior last season for Prince George. “But it’s good to get in the gym and kind of focus on that stuff, too, especially earlier in the summer.”

Defenseman Theodor Hallquisth and forward Adam Benak, picked by the Wild in last weekend’s NHL Draft, were both camp participants, making their first visits to Minnesota.

More free agent moves

The Wild addressed some depth needs on Wednesday, signing a half-dozen free agents who likely to play the bulk of their time in Iowa. Among their moves:

– They inked a one-year entry-level contract for good-sized forward Bradley Marek, who played 50 games for the Iowa Wild last season, and is a former CCHA rookie of the year at Ferris State.

– Goalie depth was handled with the addition of Cal Petersen, an Iowa native who starred at Notre Dame a decade ago and has played in more than 100 NHL games for the Kings and Flyers. He signed a one-year contract.

– Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel signed a one-year contract after the Albertan played 22 games for the Sabres and Rangers last season. He has more than 300 NHL games on his resume.

– Ben Gleason signed a one-year contract following 36 games in the AHL last season in the Edmonton and Philadelphia systems. His only NHL experience is four games with Dallas in 2018-19.

– Defenseman Matt Kierstad, who is originally from Elk River and played collegiately at North Dakota, signed with the Wild for two years after spending last season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers. He has played in 39 career NHL games with the Florida Panthers.

– Veteran forward Tyler Pitlick, who played prep hockey at Centennial and a season at Minnesota State, Mankato, signed a two-year contract with the Wild. He has logged more than 400 games for eight different NHL teams over the past dozen seasons.

Related Articles

Shipley: Wild’s return to free agency was tepid, but GM Bill Guerin still has chance to make a splash

Wild bring back Nico Sturm in quiet free agency opener

Vladimir Tarasenko seeks a fresh start following trade to Wild

Wild add former nemesis Vladimir Tarasenko in trade with Detroit

Wild are players in the market again as NHL free agency opens

ROCHESTER, Minn. — An Olmsted County jury awarded $7.6 million to a plaintiff who alleged clergy sexual misconduct and filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Winona.

The jury returned its verdict Monday after a weeklong trial to determine the damages.

The plaintiff, referred to as Doe 254, filed the complaint for a personal injury lawsuit in 2021 related to allegations of abuse in the 1970s. The case alleged three counts relating to negligence and demanded payment for the damages in excess of $50,000.

This case is a result of the Minnesota Child Victims Act of 2013, which lifted the statute of limitations on past claims of child sexual abuse for a three-year period that ended in August 2016. More than 100 claims of child sexual abuse by clergy arose after the act was passed.

Before the trial, the diocese’s attorneys filed a proposed statement that the diocese admitted negligence. The trial became an abbreviated one, focused on determining the damages owed to Doe 254.

Of the $7.6 million awarded, the jury determined that $7 million will compensate Doe 254 for past damages, including “past pain, disability, embarrassment, emotional distress.” The jury allocated $500,000 to compensate the plaintiff for future damages. The remaining $100,000 will cover the plaintiff’s health care expenses.

“The result of what the jury did yesterday was one of the best and greatest moments … that I’ve had,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, who represented Doe 254. Anderson, of Jeff Anderson and Associates in St. Paul, has worked with survivors for 42 years.

During his opening statement, Anderson introduced the plaintiff as a 68-year-old Rochester man. When the plaintiff was 16, Joseph Cashman, a former priest of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, began sexually abusing him.

“Father Cashman sees opportunity. Father Cashman sees vulnerability,” Anderson said, according to court transcripts. “This priest is popular – he’s prominent among the kids, and the principal of the school. And he targets (Doe 254).”

The abuse occurred from 1973 to 1976. Cashman now lives in Dallas, according to Anderson’s law firm.

Anderson said the verdict came “as one of great relief” to his client.

“He feels that he has done something real to expose the problems in the diocese and in the Catholic Church hierarchy,” Anderson said, “so that other kids will be protected — and that was his first and most important priority.”

A statement from Vicar General Rev. William Thompson of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester said Cashman was ordained a priest in 1960 and served as principal of Lourdes High School from 1970 to 1977. He was suspended from the ministry in 1992.

“This verdict is part of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s bankruptcy reorganization, wherein the Diocese paid $22,056,000 in damages to survivors of child sexual abuse. Because of the prior funding of damages within the bankruptcy reorganization plan, the money damages awarded by the jury in this proceeding will not require any additional financial contribution by the Diocese of Winona-Rochester or its parishes or schools,” the statement said.

Following the national Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Diocese of Winona-Rochester continues to be “committed to ongoing transparency and to providing and maintaining a safe environment for all,” Thompson wrote.

“We pray for the survivor that was involved in this case, as well as all individuals who have been affected by clergy abuse,” he said.

In 2025, three new personal injury lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct were filed against the Diocese of Winona. The date the complaints were originally drafted showed that the lawsuits have been in the works for more than nine years.

Anderson, who’s representing the plaintiffs in these cases, said they hope this outcome can “blaze a trail for other survivors.” The remaining open cases have hearings scheduled in October and January 2026, he said.

Related Articles

Letters: Is the law sacred, or is it only sacred when it suits a political agenda?

Northern MN woman’s summer kimonos ‘drop dead gorgeous’ for mosquitoes

Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota marks 100 years with time capsule

St. Cloud trooper dies in reported drowning in South Dakota lake

Cross-country campers rescue motorist after accident at Minnesota rest area

The Minnesota Twins announced have placed right-handed pitcher Bailey Ober on the 15-day Injured List with a left hip impingement. The move is retroactive to June 29.

Ober has made 17 starts for the Twins this season, going 4-6 with a 5.28 earned-run average, but in five June starts, the right-hander is 0-5 with 14 home runs surrendered and a 9.00 ERA. After allowing seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 16-3 loss to Texas on June 12, Ober said he had been working through pain in his left hip.

To replace Ober on the 26-man roster, the Twins recalled left-handed pitcher Kody Funderburk from St. Paul. In his most recent stint with the Saints, he allowed one run on eight hits in 9.0 innings with three walks and eight strikeouts in six relief appearances, from June 10-29.

Briefly

Infielder Jonah Bride cleared outright waivers and has been outrighted to St. Paul. Bride was designated for assignment after Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers to make room for infielder Royce Lewis.