Housley Enters Hall of Fame From Finland

South St. Paul native and longtime Team USA hockey player Phil Housley was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame over the weekend.

Regional Roundup: Former Coach Charged, Tony Nomination, a New Tavern and IGH's Top 5

A weekly rundown of the stories readers found most interesting over the last seven days.

Though you might live or work in Inver Grove Heights, chances are you travel to or through our neighboring communities as well. Here are some of the stories posted on our neighboring Patch sites last week that could impact, help or be of interest to you. The roundup also includes the top 5 stories from IGH.  Former Eagan Coach Kurt Virgin Charged With Swindling School District Investigators say former Eagan High School boys basketball and soccer coach Kurt Virgin for two years skimmed money from sports camp registration fees and team fundraisers. After a months-long investigation, the Dakota County Attorney's office charged the 60-year-old Eagan resident with six felony counts of theft by swindle. Burnsville Native, Eagan Grad Gets Tony …

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Simley Baseball Comes Up Short Against Sibley

Despite fighting back to 5-4, Simley couldn't find enough firepower to overcome the Warriors at home.

The Simley baseball team came out cold against Henry Sibley Thursday night to find itself in a 4-1 hole early on. But the Spartans turned things on late and outscored the Warriors 3-1 in the final innings but still managed to lose 5-4.  With base runners at the corners in the top of the fifth inning, a Sibley runner stole second to advance home the Warriors' fifth run of the game.  The sixth inning looked promising after the Simley infield turned a tricky double play on a well-hit ball to retire the Warriors side. Then in the bottom of the inning Simley bats brought in two runs to bring the score to 5-4.  After the Sibley pitcher walked the winning run to first base in the bottom of the seventh inning, Spartans bats failed to deliver.  The…

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Minnesota Senate Passes Vikings Stadium Bill 38-28

Now that the House and Senate have both passed their versions of a stadium bill, it will go to conference committees to negotiate the differences and eventually require a final vote.

The Minnesota Senate voted 38-28 Tuesday night to support a $975 million stadium plan to provide a new facility for the Minnesota Vikings. "The love some Minnesotans have shown for this football team is nothing short of amazing," Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina) said prior to the vote. "(A professional football team) is part of our brand. It is one of the reasons people come here and stay here and raise families here. Having an NFL franchise is part of what the Twin Cities and Minnesota offer to the rest of the world." Michel also told the Senate the letters and emails he has received in favor of the stadium outnumber those opposed to it by a margin of 10 to 1.  Sen. Dave Thompson (R-Lakeville) did not hide his disdain for the gambling portion …

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Here's Why Joe Voted 'Yes'

The Minnesota House passed the stadium bill 73-58 Monday night. Rep. Joe Atkins was among those who voted 'Yes.'

House Rep. Joe Atkins voted to pass the Vikings stadium bill late Monday night. Here is his take on why he liked the bill.  1) The funding plan is based on a bill I introduced to provide much-needed tax relief to charitable gambling organizations. Some of these charities, which support our local veterans and sports teams and the arts, are on life support and desperately need tax relief to stay alive. As I said on the House floor, 'Many legislators support this plan as much or more to help out charities as to solve the stadium issue.'  2) Once a stadium bill passes both the House and Senate, it will go to a conference committee to work out the differences between the two versions and to further negotiate the best deal with all of the …

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Accused Robber Tied To Missouri St. University Football, Fashion Design Business

The name, date of birth, hometown and school information for "Chris Miller" and "Christopher Lemarque" match in several places.

  Christopher Lemarque Miller—the man arrested Wednesday in connection with an attempted robbery of Bremer Bank—appears to be a former Missouri State University (MSU) football player and aspiring fashion designer. The name, date of birth, hometown and school information listed on the MSU player bio for "Chris Miller" match those listed on the Dakota County arrest sheet and social media accounts—including Facebook and Twitter—registered to "Christopher Lemarque." According to the MSU athletics website, Miller transferred to the school in 2007 from Ellsworth Community College (Iowa), where he was an all-region cornerback in 2006. The profile also says he was also an "all-district, all-area and all-state pick as a senior at Blue Springs High …

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LAST CHANCE! Registration Still Open for Softball, Baseball

National League baseball as well as slow-pitch and Little Spartans softball are still accepting registrations.

Registration for slow-pitch softball for girls in grades 4-12 is still open. The original deadline was Mar. 29 but openings remain in all leagues. Girls aged 4-9 years old can still sign up for Little Spartans teams too! Click here for more info. Likewise, IGH boys in grades 4-5 can still sign up for National League baseball. Click here for more info. Also keep in mind, we at IGH Patch will do our best to keep up, but Patch is your site so if you know about an important upcoming deadline, share it in the comments below or post your own events and announcements.  Feel free to contact editor Jeff Roberts (jeff.roberts@patch.com) with any Last Chance deadline announcements. 

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