Despite Rescue Efforts, Man Dies in Lilydale Park Self-Immolation

Standing on the bluffs, the pair saw a man on fire far below them, and ran for police.

Despite quick thinking by a pair of hikers, a man burned to death in Lilydale Regional Park on Monday night. The two men were near the top of the bluffs when they smelled smoke and "heard a whimper" from the flats below, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. They peered down on a grisly scene: The man, about 75 feet below the hikers, appeared to be leaning on one arm, and a 10-foot-long swath of grass and leaves appeared to be burning beside him, where perhaps he had rolled or stumbled. One of the hikers called 911, and a dispatcher told them to meet police and paramedics at the foot of the trail. By the time emergency crews and the hikers reached the man, he had stopped breathing and was declared dead a short time later. Evidence left …

• Photos (1)

Eagan Man Uses Unicycle to Commute 18 Miles Each Day

Bob Clark's unusual daily commute earned the attention of the Pioneer Press.

Bob Clark doesn't mind the gawkers. Each day, the Eagan resident commutes from a trail head in Mendota Heights to his office in St. Paul on a unicycle. His 18-mile round trip has attracted plenty of attention from passing motorists, who stare or stick their cell phones out a car window to take pictures of him, according to a report in the Pioneer Press. Clark, a software programmer, took up "uni-commuting" seven years ago. He dodges ice, puddles and pedestrians—and refers to the occasional fall as an "unplanned dismount". It's not the first time Clark's story has been published. In 2010, he was one of many Twin Cities unicyclers interviewed for a feature on unicycle culture in "the line," an online magazine. "I like beating the heat/cold/…

• Photos (1)

In East Metro, District 197 Schools Least Compliant with Lockdown Laws

The Pioneer Press surveyed about 100 schools in six east metro districts and found District 197's schools the least compliant with laws mandating lockdown drills in 2011-12.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan had more schools that did not complete the five annual lockdown drills required by state law than any other district in the east metro, according to a Pioneer Press survey. District records showed that  Mendota and Somerset elementary schools only performed one or two drills during the 2011-12 school year, the paper reported. Mendota Heights Police Chief Michael Aschenbrener said his department helped develop a comprehensive safety plan for the school district. "I'm shocked and amazed no one is holding them accountable to the statute," Aschenbrener told the Pioneer Press. Mark Fortman, the district's …

• Photos (1)

Eagan's Megan Wolfe Named Pioneer Press 'Player of the Year'

Wolfe is a senior at Eagan High School and a standout forward on the girls hockey team.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us Eagan High School senior Megan Wolfe can add one more item to her long list of accomplishments and honors. On Monday, the Pioneer Press named Wolfe, a forward on the Wildcats hockey team, its "Player of the Year". Wolfe, who has 136 goals and 129 assists in her five-year varsity career, started playing hockey when she was 4 years old. This year, she also represented the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation's U18 women's world championship. Wolfe will lead the Eagan girls hockey team to its eighth state tournament beginning on Thursday, when the team squares off against Hill-Murray at the Xcel Energy Center.

• Photos (1)

Eagan Hockey Academy Isn't Your Normal School

At the Northern Educate Hockey Academy, which trains at Eagan's Civic Arena, students entertain dreams of playing in the NHL.

Eagan's Financial Director Publishes Crossword in New York Times

Tom Pepper, the city's financial officer, authored a New York Times crossword that will run be printed in syndicated newspapers on March 12, according to the Pioneer Press.

Tom Pepper, Eagan's chief financial officer, can add published crossword puzzle author to his list of accomplishments. Pepper, a longtime crossword aficionado, authored a New York Times crossword that will print in syndicated newspapers on March 12, according to an article in the Pioneer Press. Pepper told the the Pioneer Press that he took up writing crosswords as a hobby after his two grown daughters left the house. The theme to Pepper's crossword is phrases that begin with the word 'go', the Pioneer Press reported.

• Photos (1)

The Rise and Fall of Michael Brodkorb

Days after Eagan resident Michael Brodkorb left his positions in the state's Republican Party, the Pioneer Press charts his career in a profile.