Biggest Stories in July: DWB (Driving with a Burrito), Apartment Fire and Marching Spartans

Here’s a recap of the stories that generated the most interest on Edina Patch in July. Did you catch all of them the first time around?

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An Edina man whose blood-alcohol content registered at three and a half times the legal limit has been charged with drunken driving after police say he offered to pay them $1,000 to let him go.

Samuel Edward Waters, 22, is charged with two gross misdemeanors: refusing to submit to field sobriety tests and third-degree driving while intoxicated, each of which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine. He is also charged with hitting a car and driving away without stopping, a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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A three-story apartment building in southern Edina was left charred and wet after numerous fire crews put out a massive fire in the early hours of Wednesday, July 11.

The initial call came in at 11:22 p.m. on Tuesday, July 10, with reports of heavy smoke on the first floor of , in the 4100 block of Parklawn Avenue. The blaze eventually escalated to a four-alarm fire before crews were able to put it out, following more than an hour of grueling work.

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The  branch at 50th & France was robbed Monday morning, July 9, according to police spokesperson Kaylin Martin.

A lone white male entered the Edina branch—located at 5018 France Ave. S—and demanded money from bank employees, according to an FBI spokesperson. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber fled on foot from the bank.

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When Keith Yoerg graduated from  in 2008, he didn't expect to be capping his senior year of college by leading the University of Southern California's Marching Band.

He auditioned to be drum major last year and—following a lengthy voting process—ultimately lost the role in a contest almost too close to call. He auditioned again this year and nailed it, securing his role as the leading man of "Hollywood's Band."

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A $3.65 million expansion at —dubbed the Hornets' Nest—has been given the go-ahead by both the Edina City Council and School Board.

The 26,450-square-foot addition will be located just north of Braemar Arena's west rink. In addition to creating permanent locker rooms for 's boys and girls varsity and JV hockey teams, the two-level building is set to feature dry-land training facilities and 3,000 square feet of retail space.

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Police with multiple agencies are on the hunt for a Hopkins man they believe is responsible for a  in both Edina and Hopkins.

Edina Police Det. Dave Carlson said a 20-year-old Hopkins man is likely responsible for at least 25 incidents in Edina since early June, in addition to a . Carlson said the suspect is black, approximately 5'7" and 158 lbs., with cornrows in the back of his hair. He typically rides around on a 10-speed bicycle with the handlebars turned the wrong way.

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The annual 4th of July Parade got underway at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning in Edina. The parade route started at , made its way down 50th street, and ended at the  parking lot at Halifax Ave. 

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