Sgt. Laurie M. Finnegan, right, is honored as Detective of the Year for her leadership on the Human Trafficking Task Force and Missing Persons Unit by St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry at the department’s Officer of the Year Ceremony in St. Paul on June 6, 2024. Finnegan worked on multiple cases in 2023, including the Mani Starren case. (Devanie Andre / Pioneer Press)

As St. Paul’s police chief named Sgt. Laurie Finnegan the department’s Detective of The Year, the family of Manijeh “Mani” Starren was sitting behind her.

They traveled from Texas and Roseau, Minn., to attend Thursday’s ceremony. “She’s our angel on earth that found our daughter,” said Ricki Starren, Mani’s mother, who wrote a letter in support of recognition for Finnegan and her coworkers

Last year, Finnegan received a report that Starren, 34, was missing from St. Paul and it ended in a “really horrific” case, said Police Chief Axel Henry.

The work of Finnegan, who was the lead investigator, and others led them to find Starren’s dismembered body in a Woodbury storage unit last June. Starren’s boyfriend, Joseph Steven Jorgenson, is charged with murder.

Manijeh “Mani” Starren, left, and Fanta Xayavong (Courtesy photos)

Law enforcement learned about another missing woman — Fanta Xayavong, 33, who was also connected to Jorgenson. They discovered Xayavong’s remains in a Coon Rapids storage unit.

Speaking at Thursday’s ceremony, Finnegan said the persistence of Starren’s family and friends kept her “motivated and determined to help find Mani, along with Fanta.”

The “real heroes” in the case are Starren and Xayavong, said Finnegan: “They did not deserve what happened to them.”

Homicide investigators also recognized

St. Paul Police Sgts. Jennifer O’Donnell and Jeremy Ryan were recognized with honorable mentions for Detective of the Year. They’re homicide investigators who also worked on the Starren and Xayavong cases.

Finnegan works in the police department’s missing persons unit and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension human trafficking task force.

“It soon became very apparent in this case that the women that were missing were likely murdered and the homicide investigators were going to be needed to help assist with that investigation,” Henry said.

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O’Donnell and Ryan worked “diligently” with Finnegan by searching an apartment where one of the victims lived, reviewing surveillance video, investigating tips, and reviewing cellphone records and financial statements of the suspect, according to the chief.

“After several weeks, their exemplary work and tenacity found that the suspect had a storage unit in Woodbury,” which is where Starren’s remains were found, Henry said. “… They kept looking deeper into the past of the suspect, and found that he had access to another storage unit in the city of Coon Rapids,” which is where they recovered Xayavong’s remains.

The case was high-profile and intense and the nature of it was “something most law enforcement people never have to deal with, thankfully, in their entire careers,” Henry said. “… Their investigative work demonstrated the outstanding level that they bring to all cases.”

Parents’ nightmare

Finnegan thanked the team of people who worked with her on the case. She also expressed appreciation to her family for “putting up with some long days and nights.”

Finnegan, a mother of two, said her children also motivated her in the case: “As a parent, I cannot imagine having to go through this nightmare, and I would want investigators to stop at nothing.”

Starren’s family invited Finnegan to the celebration of life service last fall in Roseau. “They treated me like family and it reminded me exactly why we all do the job that we do,” she said.

An uncle of Starren, Richard Baehr, remembered Starren as kind hearted. “She loved her children, so so much, and it’s been a big loss for them,” he said.

St. Paul Police Sgt. Laurie M. Finnegan hugs Mani Starren’s uncle Richard Baehr as Starren’s mother, Ricki Starren, left, and other family members look on. (Devanie Andre / Pioneer Press)

Baehr said he, his partner and Starren’s parents attended Thursday’s ceremony because Finnegan “supported us so much, we wanted to be here to support her and her teammates that helped solve this crime. … Without the team and without Sgt. Laurie, we might still be wondering.”

The police department recognized members of the St. Paul police SWAT team Wednesday for their work in carrying out a search warrant at Jorgenson’s Maplewood apartment last June. Jorgenson is charged with barricading himself in a bedroom and setting a fire, along with attempting to disarm an officer.

Jorgenson, 40, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Starren and in the apartment arson, and his court cases are ongoing. The investigation into Xayavong’s death continues, and no one has been charged.

Honors for other workers

At Thursday’s ceremony, Henry also named Keng Her the department’s 2023 Police Officer of the Year for his work as a mentor, recruiter and lead field training officer. Jeffrey Whitbeck took honorable mention for Officer of the Year for his work as the department’s firearms rangemaster for a dozen years.

Alyssa Arcand was recognized as Professional Employee of the Year, an award for civilian employees, and Derek Peterson received honorable mention. Both are intelligence analysts.

Domestic violence help

Violence Free Minnesota remembered Manijeh “Mani” Starren in their memorial to victims of intimate partner homicide. Domestic violence help is available 24/7 through the Day One hotline by calling 866-223-1111 or texting 612-399-9995.

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There’s a particular play from mandatory minicamp this week that stands out when analyzing veteran quarterback Sam Darnold. It was a perfectly placed throw in the corner of the end zone with the Vikings working on a layered concept near the goal line.

The most impressive part? The anticipation needed to complete the pass.

You see, when Darnold initially released that ball, receiver Trishton Jackson was still in the middle of the field as he sprinted toward the back pylon. The only way the play was going to work was if Darnold feathered the ball in with the right amount of touch, which he did, and Jackson did his part by hauling in a touchdown.

“Just trying to do my job every single play,” Darnold said. “It’s as simple as that.”

That sequence showcased how quickly Darnold has already picked up parts of the playbook as he attempts to prove the Vikings right for taking a chance on him.

After signing a 1-year, $10 million contract in the spring, Darnold has taken all of his reps with the starters throughout organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. Meanwhile, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been working in behind Darnold, which isn’t at all surprising given the way head coach Kevin O’Connell has talked about his approach to the position.

Not that Darnold is reading too much into anything right now. He’s too busy learning the new offense. He understands the opportunity in front of him.

“We’ve got a really good skill group and then, obviously, a great offensive line to go along with it,” Darnold said. “We’re excited to continue to put good days together and stack them.”

There is no question that Darnold has the arm talent necessary to succeed at the highest level.

There’s a reason the New York Jets selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft and handed him the keys to the franchise.

There’s a reason the Carolina Panthers traded for him despite a slow start to his career with hopes of catching lightning in a bottle.

There’s a reason the San Francisco 49ers signed him to be their backup last season during their pursuit of a Super Bowl.

The early returns with the Vikings have been palpable as Darnold continues to familiarize himself with the new offense. He has made a number of incredible throws down the field that make observers do a double take. He also has done a good job not missing many layups.

“It’s about being able to put the ball in play and kind of being a point guard out there,” Darnold said. “Just get the ball to the skill guys and let them do their thing after the catch and manage the offense from there.”

The next step for Darnold is continuing to keep up with new offense as more things get installed in the summer. He has repeatedly drawn the plays on a whiteboard inside TCO Performance Center to get a better understanding of the concepts. He has also literally recorded himself calling the plays and listened back to them on a regular basis.

“The biggest thing for me is hearing the plays,” Darnold said. “The more I can hear the terminology and be able to call it right back to him and know my reads and go through it that way, the better off I’ll be.”

The better off the Vikings will be as well.

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NORTH MANKATO – Brooke Nesdahl coined a term that now sits in quotes on Cretin-Derham Hall softball’s shirts.

“Play like it’s 0-2.”

“Because we like to keep that mindset that we’re still down, we’ve still got to play,” sophomore infielder Allie Castro said.

That Nesdahl generated that saying is fitting, considering the mentality she’s always trying to impress on the Raiders’ young squad.

“She’s always keeping us in check, always telling us not to get too high, not to get too down,” Castro said. “Just to stay in the moment.”

That paid off Thursday at Caswell Park.

A 3-0 Cretin-Derham Hall advantage quickly disappeared in the bottom of the fourth inning of the Class 3A semifinals, when St. Francis pitcher Sydney Borchert belted a three-run bomb to put the fifth-seeded Fighting Saints up 4-3.

Such a swing could cause a youth-filled team to wilt. It didn’t nothing of the sort to the top-seeded Raiders, who used a pair of their own homers to rally for a 5-4 semifinal victory. For the first time since 1991, Cretin-Derham Hall is onto the state title game.

Kaiya Anderson, Hannah Yaeger and Nesdahl all tallied multi-hit games for the Raiders, who will meet third-seeded Mankato East at 12 p.m. Friday in North Mankato for the crown. Cretin-Derham Hall is in pursuit of its first softball state title.

“It’s been awhile since CDH has been in the championship, and we’re excited to hopefully bring the hardware home and prove something this year,” Nesdahl said. “I feel it in my bones – this is us, this is our year.”

That was in doubt after Borchert’s homer, which entirely shifted momentum toward St. Francis (19-6). Cretin-Derham Hall then went down in order in the fifth, and things were looking bleak. But then Nesdahl – who surrendered the blast – stepped up to the plate with the bases empty in the sixth, perhaps seeking a touch of revenge.

A couple of pitches into the at-bat, Nesdahl could sense her moment was approaching.

“I just wanted a change in momentum for us to get that energy up,” she said. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to do this, let’s go.’ I was just swinging to try to do something, and it happened.”

Her homer knotted the contest.

Then, in the top of the seventh, Castro put the Raiders (20-6) out front with a home run of her own.

“I just really wanted to hit the ball and I just wanted to get on base. I wanted to keep it simple,” Castro said. “I got my pitch, and I got lucky, so I’m really happy.”

It led to an emotional trip around the base path.

“It made me want to go into tears,” Castro said. “Me and my team work so hard, and it happened. So now we’re going to the finals. I’m just so happy.”

The dramatic win comes one year after Cretin-Derham Hall was denied in the semifinals, where it fell 7-6 in 10 innings to … Mankato East. The Cougars won the state title in convincing fashion the following day.

“I think we all really hurt, but I think we left it all on the field. Of course, some people felt like they could’ve done more. But we were close,” Castro said of last year’s loss. “Me and my teammates say it’s the revenge game, because we lost against ‘Kato last year, and we’re coming back.”

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MyTalk 107.1 fill-in host Brittany Arneson and Kendall Mark, a Fox 9 traffic reporter and sidekick on “The Jason Show,” will replace the popular “Lori and Julia” afternoon radio talk show after its hosts retire at the end of the month.

Brittany Arneson, left, and Kendall Mark will replace the popular “Lori & Julia” afternoon radio talk show after its hosts retire at the end of June. (Courtesy of Kendall Mark)

“I did not expect to ever be in this position,” said Arneson, 38. “I don’t think I could have ever dreamed this.”

“Jobs at this level just don’t come up,” said Mark, 34. “You don’t pass over it. It was a really obvious decision for me.”

Longtime friends Lori Barghini and Julia Cobbs were among the first hosts hired when Hubbard Broadcasting launched MyTalk, a talk radio station devoted to women, in 2002. They surprised listeners in March when they announced that they were ending “Lori and Julia.” They made the decision due to Barghini’s desire for more free time as well as the rigors of producing the show for more than 20 years.

Station management offered Arneson, a familiar voice to MyTalk listeners after spending five years as a fill-in host, the job and set up meetings with several possible co-hosts. She quickly hit it off with Mark after the two had lunch .

“It felt like, wow, this person probably should be in my life, even if she doesn’t get this job,” said Arneson, who previously co-hosted the KQRS morning show.

“When we met for lunch, just to hang out, it felt like I’ve known her for my whole life,” Mark said. “It was already going to be her show; luckily for me, I’m joining her.”

Mark announced her departure from “The Jason Show” Tuesday on air. She has been with the syndicated daytime TV talk show since 2019. “It’s not goodbye,” she told viewers. “It’s see you later.” Later that afternoon, Barghini and Cobbs shared the news with MyTalk listeners.

‘Lori and Julia’ sign off

Both women said they are fully aware of the big shoes they’ll be filling.

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“Everyone knows Lori and Julia,” Mark said. “It’s intimidating. Usually you want to be the person who takes over after the person who takes over, if you know what I mean. They’ve both been so gracious — kind, wonderful and gracious.”

“In the comment sections, people are mourning and I get it,” Arneson said. “They’ve been on air for so many people’s big milestones, including my own. Nobody is going to mourn ‘Lori and Julia’ being done more than me. Thank God I’m going to be busy now each day from 3 to 6.”

The final installment of “Lori and Julia” will air live from the Fillmore Minneapolis on June 27. Arneson and Mark will make their debut July 8. The program typically takes the week of the Fourth of July off.

Millennial moms

The pair said they’re both millennials and new moms; Arneson has a 2-year-old and Mark has a 9-month-old. Mark added that she’s thrilled she no longer has to work hours that require her to get up in the middle of the night.

“It’s going to be fun,” Arneson said. “There’s not another big market that has two women on the air. And I know our audience is a demographic that isn’t represented enough.”

Arneson said she’s been texting Mark constantly and they share several online documents with ideas for their show.

“I think about it all the time. I also should be thinking about it more,” Arneson said with a laugh. “We want to create a show where people feel in on the joke. The idea is that it will be a working and changing show and we’re letting the audience be in on that experiment.”

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