Although the Mississippi River crested on Saturday afternoon and its levels are slowly dropping, it might be quite a while until parks, roads and trails are opened back up to the public, officials said Sunday.

The river crested in St. Paul at 20.17 feet Saturday afternoon and was at 19.6 feet on Sunday afternoon, said Lisa Hiebert, a spokesperson for St. Paul Public Works. This year saw the eighth-highest crest on record and fell just shy of the high level in 2019.

Just because the levels are receding doesn’t mean that much will change for now, Hiebert said, noting that the river’s level is still in “major flood” territory.

People still need to avoid anything that is closed off, she said.

“Please don’t go around anything that is barricaded,” she said. “I can’t stress that enough. That’s all in place for everyone’s safety.”

Everything that is now closed will remain closed for the time being, she said, noting that all the protective measures in place will remain, such as closures of trails, parks and launches.

And she is unable to say when this will change. “It will depend on the water levels decreasing, but just because the water recedes, there’s still a lot of work the city needs to do before reopening,” she said.

The city has to inspect the closed areas for damage, make repairs, take soil samples, clean and then remove all protective barriers and measures.

“All that takes time,” Hiebert said. “We just ask that people be patient. It’s going to take a little bit of time.”

For instance, in 2019, after flood waters receded on Water Street, an inspection found that the embankment was washed out, so the city had to completely redo the embankment and guardrail, which took nearly two years.

For updated information, visit stpaul.gov/flood.

In Stillwater, the Mississippi River is expected to crest at 1 a.m. Monday.

Related Articles

Flood levels expected to crest Saturday night for Mississippi and St. Croix rivers

County buys, demolishes store next to flood-damaged Rapidan Dam before it fell into river

Blue Earth River has come within 10 feet of landmark Rapidan Dam restaurant

Washington County Board to hold Friday emergency meeting amid flood preparations

St. Paul declares state of local emergency in response to Mississippi River flooding

 

The Minnesota Wild on Sunday made qualifying offers to four restricted free agents, including defenseman Declan Chisolm, who was claimed off waivers from Winnipeg last season and is expected to be on the NHL blue line this season.

Not among those qualified was forward Mason Shaw, who overcame four reconstructed knee surgeries to play 20 games with the Wild last season.

The other three players to receive offers are forwards Graeme Clarke, Adam Raska and Sammy Walker. Clarke was acquired last week in a trade that sent prospect Adam Beckman to New Jersey.

Qualifying offers are for one-year contracts.

Also not qualified were forwards Sam Hentges and Dmitry Ovchinnikov, defenseman Simon Johansson and goaltender Hunter Jones.

Related Articles

Wild trade winger Vinni Lettieri to Bruins in exchange for center Jakub Lauko

Check out every player the Wild selected in the 2024 NHL Draft

Wild trade up in 2024 NHL Draft, select Denver University defenseman Zeev Buium

Wild defenseman Brock Faber finishes second in Calder voting: joined by Marco Rossi on all-rookie team

Cretin-Derham Hall defenseman Jimmy Dodig is a massive prospect with limitless potential

SEATTLE — The Twins sure didn’t make it easy on themselves on Sunday.

It wasn’t their crispest day defensively and they gave away extra chances to a first-place team, some of which the Mariners took advantage of. But in the end, they were able to overcome all that, using a late Trevor Larnach home run to pull ahead of the Seattle Mariners in their 5-3 win on Sunday afternoon at T-Mobile Park.

Larnach’s home run extended the Twins’ streak of games with a home run to 19 games, a new club record. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The left fielder launched the two-run shot in the eighth inning, after former Twin Jorge Polanco had lined a ball off the right field wall, bringing home the game-tying run a half an inning earlier.

Minnesota Twins’ Jose Miranda breaks his bat on an RBI single to score Austin Martin against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

That had wiped away a lead that the Mariners had cut into during a turbulent fifth inning in which starter Joe Ryan essentially had to get seven outs.

With one out in the inning and a runner on third, Ryan fielded a ball hit towards him and fired toward home. But Dylan Moore hadn’t broken home and catcher Christian Vázquez’s throw was too late to get the runner at first.

Ryan was unable to field the next ball hit towards him cleanly and his throw home was too late to get Moore. The next batter, Cal Raleigh, singled on a high fly ball to center field that Byron Buxton couldn’t track in the sun. And yet another batter, Luke Raley, reached on a groundball hit toward second that Austin Martin was able to stop. Problem was, first baseman Carlos Santana had also dove for the ball and Ryan was not at first to cover. A second run scored on the play.

But despite the defensive difficulties, the Ryan allowed just two runs that inning — and in his start overall. It may not have been his smoothest start, but he exited after 5 2/3 innings pitched having struck out 10 batters and the Twins holding a lead.

The Twins scored one run in the first inning when Trevor Larnach’s single brought home Willi Castro and another pair in the fifth inning on RBI hits from Martin, a double, and Jose Miranda.

With the win, the Twins capped their road swing 6-3, winning each series in their season-long nine-game trip.

Related Articles

Twins’ Ryan Jeffers taking spring training approach to right himself

Byron Buxton, Pablo López lead Twins past Mariners

Willi Castro’s versatility lands him in small club

Twins lose lead late and drop game in extra innings to Mariners

True to word, Carlos Correa back in Twins’ lineup after hit-by-pitch scare

Playing far from their best basketball, the Lynx still found a way to win.

Shooting considerably below its norm from outside the arc, failing to score more than 18 points in any quarter and again giving up too many offensive rebounds, Minnesota won 70-62 at Chicago on Sunday afternoon.

“There’s no asterisk by what it says. I’m proud of how we stayed tough and gritty throughout the four quarters,” said Kayla McBride.

She led the Lynx with 16 points, including makes of all eight free-throw attempts in the final two and a half minutes.

Coach Cheryl Reeve was far more impressed with McBride’s defense, particularly getting under the basket and hustling for loose balls. “She really wanted to impose her will.”

That was especially true late in the game against Chicago’s top scorer Chennedy Carter.

“She made some huge plays, huge plays, on Carter, got the ball deflected, kept her from getting to her spots in ways we weren’t able to do before that,” said Reeve.

Minnesota held Chicago to five points in the fourth quarter on 2-of-23 shooting. Three of the points came in the final 40 seconds.

“I think we played personnel better in the fourth than any other quarter,” said Alanna Smith, who finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

McBride said the message before the final frame was for the 14-4 Lynx to stay mentally and physically engaged despite a less-than-ideal first three quarters.

“Who we are as a collective are winners and competitive and gritty and tough. When the hardest moments come, that’s what we rely on,” she said.

Minnesota shot 38.5% from the field, including 25% on 6-of-24 shooting from outside the arc. It entered the game shooting a league-high 40% from deep. The Lynx had 23 assists on their 25 field goals.

“This tested us; we were frustrated. I was imploring them to not play frustrated, but to play focused,” Reeve said. “It was an ugly duckling, but we’ll take it.”

McBride acknowledged that Thursday’s loss at four-win Dallas was in Minnesota’s mind.

“I think everybody kind of took that personal in different moments of the game. It’s a collective effort of resilience. No matter what’s happening on the offensive end, we’re all about winning and doing what it takes to win. And I think that’s what that fourth quarter was.”

Napheesa Collier, who was on Saturday’s preliminary injury report with a sprained right wrist but removed Sunday, struggled early with her shot. Yet she finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks.

She’s the third player in league history to finish a game with at least 10 points and rebounds, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker are the others.

Chicago (6-11) finished with 16 offensive rebounds, one off the season-high against the Lynx, and two more than Minnesota allowed in Dallas.

The Sky had 44 rebounds to Minnesota’s 40, and had a 36-24 points in the paint advantage. Just 10 of those Chicago points came in the second half.

Angel Reese led Chicago with 10 points and 16 rebounds, becoming the first player in league history to record 10 consecutive double-doubles in a single season.

Related Articles

Lynx beat New York to win their first WNBA Commissioner’s Cup

Alanna Smith, Napheesa Collier keep Lynx hot in win over Mercury

Lynx defense keys Minnesota’s fifth straight win

Lynx rally past Dallas, improve to 11-3

Collier scores 30, including late free throws as Lynx hold on to beat Sparks 81-76