Charges: Volunteer with Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office youth program sexually assaulted girl

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A St. Paul man is charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl he met while volunteering with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Youth Plus Program.

Pao Ge Vue, 27, was charged by summons Wednesday with one count each of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for alleged incidents that occurred on several days in January. Vue has yet to be booked into Ramsey County jail on the charges. An attorney is not listed in his court case file.

The girl told police that Vue touched her inner thighs five times, while also trying to touch her groin area before she told him to stop, the charges say. She said that on two or three occasions Vue grabbed her hand to try and get her to touch his penis, which she refused to do. Vue also tried to kiss her, she told police.

The charges say the alleged incidents happened when Vue was driving her somewhere or at a gym not associated with the youth program.

“(The girl) said as the touching occurred, she felt like crying,” the charges say. “She was also scared and questioning herself as to why she was going with him.”

Vue was in charge of her group

According to the charges, the girl’s older sister reported the alleged abuse to St. Paul police on Jan. 30. She said the girl had attended the youth program two to three times a week over the summer and that Vue, who was her coach, often provided the transportation for her.

The girl’s family began noticing in the winter that the girl was spending a lot of time going to the “program” during off-hours. Her family also discovered that Vue was taking the girl to a workout facility in the evenings, “which caused concern,” the charges say.

On Jan. 28, when the girl was out late with Vue, another sister called Vue and told him to bring her home immediately or else she’d call the police. Vue ended the call. When the girl arrived home, family members took her phone and discovered that all messages between her and Vue had been deleted.

When the sisters asked the girl about Vue, she began crying and described how he sexually assaulted her, the charges say.

She underwent a medical exam with Midwest Children’s Resource Center on Feb. 9 and described the alleged incidents, the charges say.

She said Vue was in charge of her group and that he often would drive her and other kids to a park or field to work on skills for the sports they were playing. She lived closest to Vue so he would pick her up first and drop her off last.

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She said she spent time with Vue outside of his volunteering time with the program and that she felt obligated to do so because he bought her volleyball shorts, a gym membership, food and other things. She said Vue told her to wear the shorts and made sexual comments to her as she was working out at the gym.

She told police that she messaged Vue through TikTok about the incidents on Jan. 30 and that he told her he loved her and cared about her.

Two friends of the girl told police she told them about the incidents and that she was afraid. One friend said Vue took a small group of kids out for activities that weren’t connected with the youth program. They called themselves the “NPG,” which stood for “No Program Group.”

Vue said she ‘trusted him’

Vue spoke with police on Feb. 9, telling them he had become a volunteer with the Youth Plus Program in spring 2023 “because he wanted to become a police officer and thought it was a good career building move,” the charges say.

Vue acknowledged to police that he provided transportation for the girl and other juveniles, and admitted to hanging out with some of them outside of his volunteering time, the charges say. He admitted to talking with them through Facebook, text messages and by phone. He said he bought them items with his own money.

“(Vue) said (the girl) trusted him and he was an ‘influencer’ for her,” the charges say.

When Vue was asked if he ever touched the girl or she touched him, he said he wanted to “remain silent.” He also wanted to “remain silent” when asked if there was any kissing and about the content of text messages.

Volunteer status ended Feb. 13

According to the Youth Plus Program webpage, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office started the program in February 2019 and “introduces youth participants to athletics, outdoor activities, life skills, and literacy enhancement to improve reading skills. More importantly, this structured program helps prevent youth from becoming involved in criminal activity and helps them make more positive choices.”

Volunteers must be over 18 years of age and complete a criminal background investigation, according to the program’s webpage, which says orientation and training are provided. Minnesota court records show Vue does not have a criminal record.

Steve Linders, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said Thursday that Vue’s volunteer status with the program was terminated on Feb. 13. “If he is found guilty, we hope he’s held accountable for his actions,” Linders said.

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State softball: Rosemount generates a bevy of hits, but not enough runs in semifinal loss to New Prague

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NORTH MANKATO – Rosemount compiled 11 hits across seven innings in Thursday’s Class 4A state semifinal against New Prague, which is usually the formula for an offense outburst.

Yet they never quite came at the proper time in the proper situations.

The top-seeded Irish left 10 runners on base – leaving the bases juiced twice – as they fell 3-1 to fourth-seeded New Prague to end Rosemount’s title defense.

Rosemount left runners on base in six of the seven innings.

“I think that we’re just a little bit unlucky today, and that’s OK,” Rosemount coach Tiffany Rose said. “We had runners on, we were putting the pressure on, and we just didn’t get the clutch hit. That’s the nature of the game. Sometimes, the ball just doesn’t fall for you. That’s kind of what happened today.”

New Prague ace Jordyn Marsh wiggled out of one tight spot after another. Rosemount loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning, but Marsh got the next three batters out in succession to keep the Irish off the board.

“I think it really kept us going,” Marsh said of the early escape. “All the energy that we put into this game allowed us to win. We had more energy than they did.”

Marsh said she was trying to attack every batter, while also keeping hitters off balance with a healthy dose of her spin pitches. The senior said the wind aided in her efforts.

The wind was blowing wildly – hanging steadily around 20 miles per hour – in North Mankato on Thursday, with gusts up to 40 miles per hour throughout the day. On some fields, the wind was pushing the ball toward the outfield. But on Field 1 – where this bout was held – it was blowing straight in. Marsh said a few hard hit balls for Rosemount were blown foul.

“I think the wind was helping me when I was pitching, for sure,” Marsh said, “and my team adjusted well to the wind.”

Rose noted the wind was the same for both teams, and the mentality all day was to hit line drives. That’s something Marsh managed to do in the biggest of spots.

She came to the plate in a scoreless game in the fourth frame with runners on second and third.

“All I was thinking was base hit,” Marsh said. “Runners on, so I’ve got to produce.”

She did, lacing a ball to left that knocked in both runs. New Prague – who mustered just four hits for the day – scored all three of their runs in the fourth.

The Trojans (21-3) took advantage of their lone opportunity.

Rosemount (22-5) is more than capable of rallying, but that task did get taller given the conditions.

“You’re gripping the bat a little tighter. We’re trying to get the hit, and it’s hard to win the game and get the clutch hit when you’re trying to get the clutch hit,” Rose said. “In that sense, the wind comes into play a little bit. We have some great girls who have some great swings. So on a different field, would we have hit one out? Maybe. So that maybe changes the game. But we were looking for some line drives, and it just didn’t go our way.”

Rosemount did generate one more strong rally. Bryn Anderson delivered an RBI single in the sixth for the Irish’s lone run. Rosemount had the bases loaded later in the frame with just one out, but Marsh again escaped to limit the damage.

New Prague will meet Rogers in the state title game at 10 a.m. Friday in North Mankato, while Rosemount will play Forest Lake in the third-place game.

“To be honest, they wouldn’t be as disappointed if they didn’t have the success that they had,” Rose said. “We’re disappointed in the sense that of course we want to be playing for a state championship, but this team has done great stuff. They’re not done yet. These girls, they’re going to fight. They want to finish their season on a win. These seniors want to win, because they know how to win.”

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Minnesota reports first case of avian flu in dairy herd; poultry cases rising

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Minnesota on Thursday, June 6, reported its first case of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza in a dairy herd in Benton County.

With detections in nearby South Dakota and Iowa dairy herds and a dramatic increase in avian influenza in the state, Minnesota’s State Veterinarian Brian Hoefs knew the likelihood was high.

“We knew it was only a matter of time before this detection would reach our doorstep,” he said in a Board of Animal Health news release. “It’s important for dairy farmers to follow the example of this herd and test sick cows. The more the animal health community can learn about this virus today through testing and research, the better we can equip ourselves to prevent infections tomorrow.”

Over the weekend, the producer noticed clinical signs in a handful of cows; the next day, more than 40 cows had signs of fever. Samples collected from sick cows in the herd on Monday were sent to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, where the virus was detected. The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the results Wednesday night.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pasteurized dairy products remain safe to consume.

More than 80 dairy herds have been infected with the virus across 11 states since late March, and three dairy workers have tested positive for the virus.

Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina have also confirmed cases of infected dairy herds.

Dairy cows with avian flu have died or been slaughtered by farmers after not recovering , Reuters reporting found. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the vast majority of cows recover from the illness.

Dairy farmers should monitor their herds and contact their veterinarian immediately if cows appear sick, according to the Board’s news release. HPAI symptoms in dairy mostly affect late-stage lactating cows and include fever, a drop in milk production, loss of appetite, and changes in manure consistency.

No matter the HPAI status of a herd, biosecurity can reduce the risk of disease spreading onto or off farms:

Consider stopping or delaying any cow movements and test for H5N1 before you move animals.
Milk any sick cows last, after your healthy herd.
Keep feed covered and clean up feed spills immediately.
Provide cows a clean source of water kept secure from wildlife, especially waterfowl.
Talk to your herd veterinarian if you notice any signs of illness in your animals.

Dairy farms are always required to dispose of milk from sick animals to remove it from the milk supply. In addition to disposing of milk from sick cows and isolating them, the Board quarantined the entire herd for 30 days to reduce the risk of disease spread off the farm. After 30 days from the last positive test result, the herd can be retested to be released from quarantine.

The risk to the public from this virus remains low at this time, the Board said. People who work with or have direct contact with infected animals could be at risk of getting sick. The Board is working closely with the Minnesota Department of Health on this response. MDH’s role is to monitor the health of people who have direct contact with infected animals and provide public health information and recommendations.

The CDC recommends people who work with infected or potentially infected animals wear personal protective equipment. More information is available on the CDC’s website . Farmers can request PPE from MDH. Symptoms of avian influenza in people may include cough, sore throat, fever, red/watery eyes or discharge from the eyes. People who have questions can contact MDH at 651-201-5414.

The Board will report any new detections and updates on cow cases in Minnesota on its website.

Uptick in poultry cases

The Board has also seen a recent rise in poultry cases in the state with eight sites confirmed positive in May. Early investigations from some of those sites reveal birds were infected with the same virus strain detected in cows across the country.

In the past 30 days, Minnesota has reported seven commercial flocks infected with avian influenza. The illness has affected about 1.5 million birds in that time.

Here’s a closer look at some of those poultry infections:

Stearns County had five confirmed cases in May involving turkey breeder hens and turkey meat birds, affecting over 100,000 birds.
A commercial table egg-layer flock in Meeker County was confirmed to be infected on May 21, affecting about 1.4 million birds.
A Morrison County commercial turkey meat bird flock was confirmed to be infected on May 21, affecting 51,000 birds.

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State softball: First-inning charge leads Rogers to upset win over Forest Lake

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NORTH MANKATO – Forest Lake sophomore catcher Karianne Drury hadn’t hit a home run all season.

But with her team trailing 6-3 in the fifth inning of the Class 4A state semifinals, Drury knew her team needed a hit. She got her bat on a pitch down the middle and up in the zone, sent the ball up into the wind and sent it sailing over the fence to bring Forest Lake within one.

“I just knew I had to get it going,” Drury said. “I just had a lot of adrenaline pumping, and I got my team hyped that inning.”

Those are the types of moments that have powered the Rangers to three consecutive state tournament finals. But there weren’t quite enough of them Thursday to make it four straight, as Forest Lake fell 7-5 to third-seeded Rogers at Caswell Park.

Rogers will meet New Prague in the Class 4A title game at 10 a.m. Friday in North Mankato after the Royals tallied four runs on the strength of five hits in the first inning, and tacked on two more runs in the third. Rogers finished with 13 hits.

Rogers senior shortstop Lauren Freeberg led the charge with three hits and two runs scored.

“Just doing it for our team,” she said of Rogers’ success. “We’re all super, super good friends. All of my best friends are on this team, so just wanting to do it for each other, for my last season – I want to do it for the team.”

It certainly was a collective effort for Rogers (21-3), as each of the top eight batters in the order collected at least one hit as the Royals managed to produce against second-seeded Forest Lake’s top-two arms – Hannah Tong and Avery Muellner.

Forest Lake (19-5) battled back with offense of its own. Muellner and Tong each had two hits. After falling down 4-0, Ava Stenglein belted a three-run shot in the second to make it 4-3.

“We never give up. We’re all competitive and we want to win,” Drury said. “We knew what this meant for our seniors, and we just had to keep it going.”

But every time Forest Lake mounted a charge, Rogers had a response ready.

The Rangers will meet Rosemount in the third-place game at 9 a.m. Friday.

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