October 27, 2014

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FANS, FAMILY HONOR JOHN BERRYMAN PAGE 3 PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH 64° LOW 43°

U OF M

MINNEAPOLIS

ST PAUL

MONDAY

OCTOBER 27, 2014

A CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND CELEBRATED THE POET’S LIFE.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM

HEALTH

U hospital set to provide Ebola care The West Bank facility is one of four across Minnesota that are ready to treat the deadly virus. BY CODY NELSON cnelson1@mndaily.com

The University of Minnesota Medical Center has agreed to care for patients diagnosed with Ebola, the Minnesota Hospital Association announced Friday. The West Bank hospital is one of four health care facilities in Minnesota that will provide ongoing treatment for the deadly virus if necessary.

POLICE

Hestness retiring in summer

The countr y’s only confirmed cases of Ebola have surfaced in Texas and New York. The other hospitals planning to care for possible Ebola patients are the Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys campus, in Rochester; the Allina Health Unity Hospital in Fridley; and Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota in St. Paul. Leaders from the hospitals began talks with the Minnesota Hospital Association early last week regarding the state’s response to a possible Ebola case. “[We] felt that it was our responsibility to step up and develop a coordinated plan, and [we] wanted to do that together,” said

Carolyn Wilson, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the University hospital. The infected patient’s individual needs and location would factor into which hospital he or she would go to, in addition to which hospital has an open bed, Wilson said. University health care of ficials have stressed that the institution is sufficiently prepared if a case of Ebola comes to Minnesota. When asked whether Friday’s announcement marked a precautionary move or if the state is expecting isolated cases of Ebola, Medical School Dean and Vice

President for Health Sciences Dr. Brooks Jackson said, “I don’t think we really know.” It’s difficult to predict the likelihood of a case coming to Minnesota, he said, adding that the probability depends on how severe the outbreak becomes in West Africa and how much it spreads. “It’s certainly feasible or possible that we will get a case,” Jackson said, citing Minnesota’s large population of residents with family in West Africa. If a possible case of Ebola sur faces, Wilson said, health care providers across the state are expected to handle the initial u See TREATMENT Page 12

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Countries away, helping farmers

The top cop on campus, Greg Hestness, is calling it a career after decades of police work. BY BLAIR EMERSON AND T YLER GIESEKE bemerson@mndaily.com tgieseke@mndaily.com

University of Minnesota police Chief Greg Hestness will retire in June after ser ving more than 11 years as the University’s assistant vice president for public safety and chief of police, he ann o u n c e d l a s t GREG HESTNESS week. University police chief After 40 years of police work and a tenure at the University marked by declining crime and high-profile campus events, the Minneapolis native won’t return to his post as head of University police when his appointment expires June 15. “My family needs a little bit more of my time,” Hestness said, adding that he’s discussed his potential retirement throughout the past few months with Vice President for University Services Pamela Wheelock. Hestness has led the University through “major changes” like the opening of the Green Line light rail and last fall’s increase in off-campus robberies, Wheelock said in a Friday email to University students, faculty and staff members. “Over the years, Greg has established strong relationships and has become a respected voice in the Twin Cities law enforcement community,” Wheelock said in the email. University police officers have handled several high-profile events on campus since Hestness took his post in 2003, including controversial Northrop Auditorium u See UMPD Page 12

JULIET FARMER, DAILY

Seniors Trevor Thill, Mitch Jacobson and Nate Shrader talk on Skype with Steele Lorenz, CEO of MyRain, on Thursday. MyRain is a company focused on efficiently distributing irrigation and agricultural equipment in India.

A company founded by University alumni is targeting water scarcity and improving agricultural practices in India. MyRain sells irrigation systems to re-

BY PARKER LEMKE plemke@mndaily.com

tailers, who in turn market them to small-

It’s already taken root in India’s agricultural market, but now an irrigation dis-

plot farmers in India, CEO and co-founder Steele Lorenz said.

tribution company founded by University

The company’s drip irrigation systems

of Minnesota alumni will use international

can benefit Indian farmers more than tra-

funding to fertilize its growth.

ditional methods of field flooding, said

A panel of development agencies from

Lorenz, who is a 2010 entrepreneurship

three countries nominated MyRain last

and marketing graduate from the Carlson

month as one of 17 projects that will re-

School of Management.

ceive up to $3 million from an international

“The water is typically either standing

program aimed at combating global water

and evaporating or runs off,” Lorenz said.

scarcity.

“A ver y limited amount actually ends up u See MYRAIN Page 3

SPORTS

CAMPUS

Slow start, fumble lead to Gophers loss Whyte studies

death response

Minnesota fell in an upset loss to Illinois, tarnishing the team’s record heading into a bye week.

The administrator has concern that the U isn’t adequately helping grieving students.

BY GRANT DONALD gdonald@mndaily.com

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Ever ything was set up perfectly for the University of Minnesota to complete yet another second-half comeback against Illinois on Saturday. After being held to just a field goal in the first half, Minnesota marched back and scored 21 points in the third quarter. But with less than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the momentum came to a halt. Senior r unning back David Cobb coughed up the ball, and Illinois cornerback V’Angelo Bentley returned it 12 yards for the game-deciding touchdown. The Gophers lost 28-24 to an Illinois team that hadn’t won a Big Ten game since last November. “I thought we had it in the bag,” senior linebacker Damien Wilson said. “We had u See FOOTBALL Page 5

BY BLAIR EMERSON bemerson@mndaily.com

AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY

Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner holds on to the ball on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. Minnesota lost to Illinois 24-28.

When University of Minnesota marching band member Robert Brau died in an August motorcycle accident, the 300-person band dedicated its entire 2014 season to his memor y and School of Music students organized a memorial service. Though the University responded to the marching band, Amelious Whyte, senior associate vice provost for advocacy and support, said he’s concerned that the school isn’t adequately reaching out to all of the students who are associated with a student who dies, especially if those affected aren’t involved with a large group, like the marching band. He plans to spend the year evaluating u See SUPPORT Page 3

VOLUME 116 ISSUE 32


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