Disasters

Downtown St. Cloud starts cleanup after Press Bar fire
St. Cloud will recover from the loss of an iconic building with a colorful history dating back more than a century, the city’s mayor says.
Walz proposes adding $30 million to depleted state natural disaster account
Walz said his supplemental budget proposal next month will include a $30 million request for the Disaster Assistance Contingency Account. He said he wants money added soon to make sure the state is prepared for spring flooding.
Smoke from large lake house fire in Wayzata shows up on radar
Officials say the house under construction was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived Wednesday night. Wayzata Fire Chief Kevin Klapprich says because there are no hydrants in the area, water was hauled in by tanker.
Wreck's identification 95 years after ship's disappearance puts theories to rest
As it turns out, neither the Bermuda Triangle nor aliens are to blame for the Cotopaxi's sinking. It took Michael Barnette 15 years of research to identify the ship, which went down with 32 people.
Rescues by chopper, front-end loader as flooding hits northwestern U.S.
Residents in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in rural northeast Oregon were plucked from their flooded homes by helicopter on Thursday and Friday, while others rode to safety in the bucket of a front-end loader as relentless rain and melting snow pushed multiple rivers over their banks.
Plane breaks apart in a Turkish field, killing 3 and injuring 179
The Pegasus Airlines flight from the western city of Izmir skidded off the runway in Istanbul and dropped more than 100 feet onto adjacent land, where it broke into pieces.
Kobe Bryant's death puts a focus on helicopter safety
Some helicopter trips — like personal or private helicopter rides — are more likely than others to end in a fatal accident. A crash killed the former NBA star and eight other people on Sunday.
What we know: The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and 8 others
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter was operating under "Special VFR" (or Special Visual Flight Rules) status, meaning its pilot had been granted a request to fly in challenging conditions.