Mary McComber’s first foray into politics was in the mid-1990s when the Minnesota Department of Transportation began buying and razing homes in Lower Oak Park Heights to build a new St. Croix River bridge.

“She loved her city,” said her daughter Laura Brown. “She wanted better, especially when all that stuff was happening with the bridge originally. They started demolishing houses, and my mom was, like, ‘You’re not going to keep going with the rest of the neighborhood,’ so she fought for her neighborhood. She fought for the people that it was going to be affecting.”

McComber, the mayor of Oak Park Heights, died Monday morning at her home in Oak Park Heights of complications related to Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She was 71.

MnDOT ended up building the bridge upstream of the originally proposed location, and McComber ended up being one of the biggest supporters of the bridge project, Brown said, but it was a difficult decision for her.

“I remember her just feeling torn because it was coming through her neighborhood, and half of our neighborhood is gone,” she said. “All those relationships that she had with those individuals, she still fought for them to be provided for, to go and live in a different area and have the resources available. She was not done fighting for the people. I mean, yes, she pushed for the bridge, but she still made sure that things were fair and equitable for those people that were affected. I remember her constantly on the phone pushing, saying, ‘No, no, that’s not acceptable. We are going to make sure that they’re taken care of.’”

After serving 12 years on the Oak Park Heights City Council, McComber ran for mayor in 2012 and defeated the incumbent, then-Mayor David Beaudet, who opposed the project.

“The Stillwater Lift Bridge is old,” she told the Pioneer Press at the time. “I understand it will be safe for pedestrian traffic, but as for its life span for vehicle traffic, it’s past its time. It was not built for today’s volume of traffic.”

The St. Croix River bridge, which opened in 2017, would not have been completed without McComber’s “advocacy, tenacity and perseverance,” city officials said in a press release. “This bridge is now firmly part of our region’s fabric as its four lanes and pedestrian crossing serves tens of thousands of people each day.”

‘Committed local leadership’

McComber, a retired interior decorator, threw herself into municipal government after she took office in 2001.

She frequently testified at the State Capitol and served in countless leadership roles and on numerous committees and panels at dozens of organizations, including the National League of Cities, the Minnesota Mayors Association, the League of Minnesota Cities, Metro Cities, Minnesota Women in City Government, Women in Municipal Government (National League of Cities), Regional Council of Mayors, the Minnesota Association of Small Cities and the Coalition of Utility Cities Task Force.

League of Minnesota Cities Executive Director Luke Fischer said McComber “embodied the very essence of committed local leadership.”

“Through her years at Oak Park Heights and her involvement in many, many civic organizations, Mary embodied a belief that service matters,” Fischer said. “Mary made a difference in her community, in Minnesota, and nationally.”

In 2023, McComber received the National League of Cities Women in Municipal Government Leadership Award.

Oak Park Heights Mayor Mary McComber died Monday, May 26, 2025, of complications related to stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. McComber was photographed here in 2023 after she won the Women in Municipal Government Leadership Award from the National League of Cities. (Courtesy of the City of Oak Park Heights)

Cap O’Rourke, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Small Cities, wrote one of the letters recommending her for the national award. McComber, he wrote, was a “tireless advocate and enthusiastic cheerleader for all of local government, but particularly, Minnesota’s small cities (population under 5,000) – across the entire state; both rural and urban.”

McComber “spends an unbelievable amount of time to research the issues, listen to her community, and work towards a solution,” Sen. Karin Housley, R-Oak Park Heights, wrote in her letter of recommendation.

McComber received the C.C. Ludwig Award from the League of Minnesota Cities in 2016. The award, named for a former League executive director, is considered to be the League’s highest award for elected officials. Recipients are chosen for their vision, statesmanship and unwavering commitment to the public good, according to League officials.

‘Spunk, sass and sheer drive’

While she was proud to receive such awards, “her true love was the well-being of Oak Park Heights,” Brown said. “She just had this incredible amount of determination, spunk, sass and sheer drive for wanting better for not just the city, but individuals as a whole. She just had that people passion.”

Deputy Mayor Chuck Dougherty said McComber made an incredible impact on the city, and always prioritized the needs of her constituents – “no matter the issue or time of day.”

“She just really took her position to heart and did everything she could for the people of Oak Park Heights and the greater community,” Dougherty said. “She worked hard and tirelessly for that. She really cared for our community and our employees.”

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McComber loved all city employees – “from the brand-new police officer we just hired to the 38-year veteran,” said City Administrator Jacob Rife said. “She loved everyone at City Hall and cared so deeply about our employees. And it was mutual. We loved her, too, and she’s going to be greatly missed.”

Mary Murphy was born in Chicago and moved to Burnsville in 1979. She married Bruce Bernhjelm in 1970; they divorced in 1991. The couple had four children; their daughter Jennifer died at childbirth.

In 1992, she met Don McComber while country line dancing in Burnsville. The couple moved to Oak Park Heights in 1994 and got married in 1995.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her three children, Lisa Bernhjelm-Corblick, Laura Brown and Brett Bernhjelm, and 12 grandchildren.

The funeral service will be 10 a.m. Friday at Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center in Stillwater, with visitation from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the center.

Guitarist and singer Rick Derringer, who shot to fame at 17 when his band The McCoys recorded “Hang On Sloopy,” had a hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” and earned a Grammy Award for producing “Weird Al ” Yankovic’s debut album, has died. He was 77.

Derringer died Monday in Ormond Beach, Florida, according to a Facebook announcement from his caregiver, Tony Wilson. No cause of death was announced.

Derringer’s decades in the music industry spanned teen stardom, session work for bands like Steely Dan, supplying the guitar solo on Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and producing for Cyndi Lauper.

“Derringer’s legacy extends beyond his music, entertaining fans with his signature energy and talent. His passing leaves a void in the music world, and he will be deeply missed by fans, colleagues, and loved ones,” Wilson wrote.

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As a teen, he formed the McCoys with his brother, Randy, and found fame singing “Hang On Sloopy,” a No. 26 hit about lovers from different socioeconomic circumstances. Derringer enjoyed his first solo hit with “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” which was used in the fourth season of “Stranger Things.”

His best-charting album was “All American Boy” in 1973, which included the instrumentals “Joy Ride” and “Time Warp.” His sole Grammy was for Yankovic’s “Eat It,” which had the Michael Jackson parodies “Eat It” and “Who’s Fat.”

Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Derringer worked extensively as a session musician, playing on albums by Steely Dan — including “Countdown to Ecstasy,” “Katy Lied” and “Gaucho” — Todd Rundgren, Kiss and Barbra Streisand. He played on Air Supply’s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All.”

In the mid-1980s he began working with Lauper, touring in her band and playing on three of her albums, including the hit “True Colors.” He toured with Ringo Starr and The All-Starr Band.

In 1985, he produced the World Wrestling Federation’s “The Wrestling Album,” which consisted mostly of pro wrestlers’ theme songs, many of which he co-wrote, including what would become Hulk Hogan’s theme song “Real American.”

After welcoming players back to TCO Performance Center last month, the Vikings have been slowly easing into things. Now they are officially back on the practice field with organized team activities underway and mandatory minicamp to follow next month.

Though it’s important not to put too much stock into these workout sessions in the spring — especially considering live contact is still not permitted — they do give a good baseline of what to expect in the summer.

Here are five storylines to keep an eye as the Vikings start organized activities:

How does J.J. McCarthy look?

The most intriguing part of the next few weeks will be getting to see McCarthy step into the spotlight. 

After being selected by the Vikings with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy spent the spring and the summer behind Sam Darnold on the depth chart, then suffered a torn meniscus in an exhibition game that landed him on injured reserve for all of last season.

Now back to full strength, McCarthy is the presumed starting quarterback for the Vikings, even if they won’t make it official for the foreseeable future.

This will be the first time since being drafted that McCarthy will get a majority of the reps with the starters.

Whether he’s throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, handing the ball off to Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, or simply taking snaps from Ryan Kelly, the experience will be valuable for McCarthy as he takes ownership of the offense.

There’s probably going to be a feeling-out process for McCarthy after not playing in a game as a rookie. Let’s just agree not to overanalyze every mistake he makes.

What does the backfield rotation look like?

It will be interesting to see how the Vikings handle the reps with Jones and Mason in the backfield. That will be more informative than trying to draw any conclusions about either running back based on how they look with the ball in their hands.

It’s pretty clear that the Vikings don’t want Jones to handle the same workload as last season, when he set a career high with 306 touches. That’s why they went out and acquired Mason via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.

Will there be a defined role for each player? Will it be more of an even distribution when it comes to carries? Will it simply be based on who has the hot hand?

The answers to those questions remain to be seen.

Will there be a battle for No. 3 receiver?

It was a breakout campaign for Jalen Nailor last season as he recorded 28 receptions for 414 yards and six touchdowns. The assumption is that Nailor will move forward as the receiver behind Jefferson and Addison.

That said, the Vikings drafted Tai Felton in April, and the rookie will likely be given a chance to make a name for himself. The process of doing that started a few weeks ago when Felton turned some heads in rookie minicamp.

The competition should bring out the best in Nailor and Felton. Truthfully, with how much the Vikings throw the ball, there will opportunities for both players to make an impact regardless of where they end up on the depth chart.

Where will Donovan Jackson slot in?

The starting offensive line won’t be fully intact for awhile. Not only is Christian Darrisaw still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, there’s also a world in which the newly signed Will Fries is brought along slowly after working his way back from a broken tibia.

Meanwhile, the Vikings recently drafted Jackson, and while they feel confident about his future at left guard, it’s unclear if they plan to throw the rookie right into the fire with the starters. If the Vikings decide to bring Jackson along slowly, Blake Brandel will likely get the nod in the meantime.

Who is going to step up in the secondary?

As happy as the Vikings were that Harrison Smith decided to delay retirement, the loss of Cam Bynum can’t be overstated. He played virtually every snap at safety last season, so the Vikings will have their work cut out for them as they work to replace him.

The next man up is Theo Jackson. He has garnered praise from Smith and Josh Metellus in the past, so there’s reason to believe he’s ready for the moment.

As for the rest of the secondary, Byron Murphy Jr. is the only known commodity at cornerback.

The rest of the depth chart is rather unproven with Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern, among a handful of others, all jockeying for spots. If nobody emerges as a viable option opposite Murphy, the Vikings could look to add a veteran free agent at some point.

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A former volunteer with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office Youth Plus Program and one-time aspiring police officer was sentenced to two years of supervised probation on Tuesday for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl last year.

Pao Ge Vue, 27, of St. Paul, pleaded guilty in April to an amended charge of gross misdemeanor fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct after reaching a plea deal that also included dismissing a felony count of attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Pao Ge Vue (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Ramsey County District Judge David Brown followed the plea deal and stayed a nearly one-year jail sentence.

The victim and father agreed with the plea deal, according to the county attorney’s office. She wrote a statement for Brown to read prior to Vue’s sentencing, but did not want it read aloud in court.

According to the criminal complaint, the girl’s older sister reported the abuse to St. Paul police on Jan. 30, 2024. 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 she was spending a lot of time going to the “program” during off-hours. Her family also discovered that Vue was taking her to a workout facility in the evenings, “which caused concern,” the complaint says.

She told police that Vue touched her inner thighs five times, while also trying to touch her groin area before she told him to stop. 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 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 complaint reads. “She was also scared and questioning herself as to why she was going with him.”

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.

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.

Vue told police 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 complaint states.

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. He said he bought them items with his own money. When Vue was asked if he ever touched the girl or she touched him, he said he wanted to “remain silent.”

Vue’s volunteer status with the program was terminated on Feb. 13, 2024. According to its webpage, the sheriff’s office started the program in February 2019 and it “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.”

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No contact with girls

Vue’s attorney, Rachael Goldberger, said he became a personal care assistant after the allegations surfaced. He recently was told by the state Department of Health he would be disqualified because of the charges, according to Goldberger.

Vue apologized in court and said he understands the “seriousness of my actions” and that he “will never make this same mistake again.”

His sentencing also includes that he complete treatment or a counseling program recommended by probation and register as a predatory offender. He cannot have contact with minor females unless approved by his probation officer.