A national run/walk event that recently expanded to Newport and Hudson, Wisconsin, is aimed at raising money for nonprofits that address homelessness and hunger.

Friends in Need Foodshelf is hosting the Newport event and River Valley Charities is hosting the Hudson event Saturday, Feb. 28, as part of the national fundraiser Coldest Night of the Year. The name refers to a season when those experiencing homelessness are enduring some of the harshest conditions.

This is the second year for the Friends in Need event and the third year for River Valley Charities. The family-friendly event is held in locations across the U.S. and Canada. While kids are welcome to join, so long as they’re monitored by an adult, pets are required to stay home.

Friends in Need Foodshelf has served residents of Cottage Grove, St. Paul Park, Newport and Grey Cloud Island since 1992. In 2025, the food bank says it distributed over 1 million pounds of food and served 48,000 people.

“The food shelf is still in need; a lot of folks are in need due to the SNAP freezes earlier in 2025,” Kurt Mazur, leader of the walking group Snow Misers, said in a Facebook post. “We need the funds to keep going strong, so we appreciate your support. We know the community is behind us.”

Proceeds from the event in Hudson will benefit several Wisconsin nonprofits: Grace Place Salvation Army, based in New Richmond, which provides emergency shelter, meals and stability programs for those experiencing homelessness; Our Neighbors’ Place, based in River Falls, which offers transitional housing, a daytime resource center, case management, and a backpack food program for children; The Farm at YMCA Camp St. Croix, based in Hudson, a youth educational farm supplying fresh, locally grown produce to area food shelves; and River Valley Charities, which supports nonprofit organizations and backpack programs serving the St. Croix Valley.

“Homelessness and hunger in western Wisconsin look a little different than it does in Minneapolis,” said River Valley Charities Executive Director Andy Johnson. “People aren’t living in tent cities. People aren’t sleeping on benches. Even though you might not see them and think about them, they are here in western Wisconsin.”

The Newport 5K walk begins at 4 p.m. and will start and end at Newport Lutheran Church, 900 15th St.

The Hudson 1- or 3-mile run/walk event will begin at 5 p.m. and start and end at Midcurrent Church, 200 First St.

Pre-registration is required; the deadline for registration is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27.

For more information, to sign up or donate for the Newport fundraiser, visit cnoy.com/location/newport. For Hudson, go to rivervalleycharities.com.

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Today is Wednesday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2026. There are 309 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Feb. 25, 1986, President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines after 20 years of rule in the wake of a tainted election; opposition leader Corazon Aquino — the first woman to lead the country — assumed the presidency.

Also on this date:

In 1870, Republican Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as a U.S. senator, becoming the first African American member of either house of Congress.

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In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving Congress the power to levy and collect income taxes, was declared in effect by Secretary of State Philander Chase Knox.

In 1956, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev railed for hours against the brutality and “cult of personality” of his late predecessor, dictator Josef Stalin, in a speech to a Communist Party congress.

In 1964, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) became world heavyweight boxing champion for the first time as he defeated Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.

In 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, 28 American soldiers were killed when an Iraqi Scud missile hit a U.S. barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

In 1994, American-born Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein opened fire with an automatic rifle inside the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, killing 29 Muslims before he was beaten to death by worshippers.

In 1997, a jury in Media, Pennsylvania, convicted chemical fortune heir John E. du Pont of third-degree murder, deciding he was mentally ill when he shot and killed world-class wrestler David Schultz. (Du Pont died in prison in December 2010 while serving a 13- to 30-year sentence; he was 72.)

In 2024, the U.S. and Britain struck 18 Houthi targets in Yemen, answering a recent surge in attacks by the Iran-backed militia group on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile strike that set fire to a cargo vessel.

Today’s birthdays:

Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 91.
Actor Tom Courtenay is 89.
Film director Neil Jordan is 76.
Rock musician-actor John Doe (punk band X) is 73.
Comedian Carrot Top is 61.
Actor Tea Leoni is 60.
Actor Sean Astin is 55.
Singer Daniel Powter is 55.
Comedian-actor Chelsea Handler is 51.
Actor Rashida Jones is 50.
FBI Director Kash Patel is 46.
Actor Jameela Jamil is 40.
Golfer Hideki Matsuyama is 34.
Actor Isabelle Fuhrman is 29.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is 26.

A few of the high school girls basketball section tournaments started Tuesday around the state. In the Class 4A, Section 5 quarterfinals in the metro, third-seed Mounds View opened with a 56-43 win against No. 6-seed Park Center.

Jaycie Helmer led a balanced scoring attack for Mounds View. Taylor Whitehill added 13 points, while Avery Lanore scored 12 and Maddie Schneider scored 11 for the Mustangs, who took control in the first half, outscoring the Pirates 27-17 and extending the advantage in the second half. Lyric Singleton scored a game-high 21 points for Park Center.

Mounds View will face No. 2-seed Champlin Park in the section semifinals at 6 p.m. on Friday. Champlin Park beat seven-seed Osseo 70-48 on Tuesday.

On the other side of the bracket, top-seed Maple Grove beat Irondale 83-38. Fifth-seed Spring Lake Park pulled out a narrow 75-72 victory against No. 4-seed Rogers. Those two winners also play at 6 p.m. Friday in the section semfinals.

Class 2A, Section 4 first round

In smaller school section play, it was first-round matchups in the East metro in Class 2A, Section 4.

Mounds Park Academy beat Humboldt 35-20 behind Samantha Hohn’s 28 points. Lanayah Jones scored 22 for Humboldt. Mounds Park Academy will face Washington/Johnson at 6 p.m. Thursday at Washington in the next round.

Concordia Academy beat Twin Cities Academy/Great River 61-41 and will face Columbia Heights on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Nova Classical Academy narrowly St. Paul Academy and Summit School 37-36 and faces St. Croix Lutheran next at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

Higher Ground Academy beat Math & Science Academy 44-41 and will face New Life Academy on Thursday at 7 p.m.

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By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A helicopter pilot wounded in the raid that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro received the Congressional Medal of Honor during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening.

Trump said Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover, who appeared using a walker, was the pilot of the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter that descended on the “heavily protected military fortress” that held Maduro during a raid that, while successful, left seven U.S. service members with gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.

“While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle, and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip, one bullet after another,” Trump said, adding that Slover “absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces.”

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover receives a Medal of Honor during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Months of covert planning led to the brazen operation that plunged the South American country’s capital into darkness as troops infiltrated Maduro’s home and whisked him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.

Trump’s description of Slover’s actions that night offer a new, detailed glimpse into the military action that has been largely shrouded in secrecy since it was carried out in the early hours of Jan. 3.

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As Slover prepared to land his helicopter, he was confronted with “two machine gunners who escaped the wrath of the previous planes,” according to Trump.

“Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat,” Trump said, “saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash deep in enemy territory.”

The president said “the success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain.”

Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of Joint Special Operations Command, presented Slover with the Medal of Honor in the gallery overlooking the House chamber.

Slover was in his dress uniform and used a walker to steady himself. Trump said the soldier was still recovering from his wounds.

Trump also said 10 other service members who took part in the operation will be receiving medals at a private ceremony soon to be held at the White House.

First lady Melania Trump presents the Congressional Medal of Honor to World War II Navy pilot Capt. Royce Williams as President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In addition to Slover, Trump also presented the Medal of Honor to retired Capt. E. Royce Williams, a Navy pilot who shot down multiple Soviet jets during the Korean War, upgrading his existing award of a Navy Cross.

Trump called the 100-year-old former fighter pilot “one of the last living legends.”