Forum Focus: UMD death, Zebra mussels, Detroit Mountain, Mortar rounds found

Drowning was cited as the preliminary cause of death for a 21-year-old University of Minnesota Duluth student whose body was  pulled from the Minnesota Slip in Canal Park  on Friday.

"The preliminary cause of death is drowning," the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office reported Monday after conducting an autopsy. "Toxicology is pending."

Jacob Lavoie had been missing since early Sunday, Sept. 1, when he was seen leaving Grandma's Sports Garden and walking north toward downtown. Police last week, however, received a tip that Lavoie possibly was seen near the slip on the night he went missing.

Read more from the Duluth News Tribune

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a zebra mussel in East Battle Lake in Otter Tail County.

A lake property owner removing equipment from the lake for the season contacted the DNR after finding an adult zebra mussel attached to a dock post, according to a news release. DNR divers did not find any additional zebra mussels after searching 20 other pieces of equipment that had been removed from the lake and 350 objects in four areas of the lake.

Read more on the Perham Focus

Detroit Mountain Recreation Area continues to improve on what they offer: They are paving and landscaping new areas, improving the bike trails, adding a natural play area, and making another parking lot by the tubing facilities.

"The land acquisition (parking lot) occurred in early 2019 and construction on the bike trails and tubing facilities parking lot began earlier this summer," Jeff Staley, Detroit Mountain's General Manager, wrote in an email. "Construction on the play area is expected to begin Sept. 9."

Find out more on DL-Online

A homeowner cleaning out their garage in Mitchell, South Dakota, found a century-old German mortar shell. Shortly after they found it a neighbor brought over another one. It turns out neither mortar was actually live.

Read more from The Daily Republic