MPR news photos of the year: Part 1

1

Stillwater, Minn. — Jody Veith is moved to tears during the return of her daughter and 34th Military Police Company in Stillwater, Minn. Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. The soldiers served with the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, and were part of the more than 1,200 Citizen Soldiers deployed with the Red Bulls. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

2

Wolves roam in the wilderness on Thursday, February 11, 2010 near the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources pilot Phillip Miller took to the air to track a number of radio-collared wolves that included packs of 11 and nine as well as a few pairs and one solitary animal. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery) link to this photo

3

Two firefighters were injured in a blaze near the corner of 50th Street and Bryant Avenue South in Minneapolis. The fire started on February 18, 2010 with an accidental kitchen grease fire and damaged the Blackbird Cafe, Heidi's restaurant and Patina gift shop. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

4

Icicles hang over the waters of Lake Superior in February 2010 at Gooseberry Falls State Park. (MPR Photo/Nate Minor) link to this photo

5

Austin, Minnesota, USA — Miriam Angeles Perez cooks lunch for her children at her home in Austin, Minn., March 2010. Perez, a former worker at Quality Pork Processing, contracted an illness at the plant two years ago that infected her nervous system. (MPR Photo/Alex Kolyer) link to this photo

6

Minneapolis, MN, USA — Young fans stretched to get a handful of dirt before the Gophers game at Target Field Saturday, March 27, 2010. The Gophers hosted the first ever ball game at Target Field in Minneapolis Saturday. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

7

Lake Shetek, MN — Volunteers clean up thousands of dead carp at Lake Shetek, Minn. April 6, 2010. Heavy snows that covered the ice on the lake prevented sunlight from reaching lake vegetation, which shut down oxygen producing photosynthesis in the water. As a result, the fish suffocated. (MPR Photo/Mark Steil) link to this photo

8

Director Rob Nilsson has made 25 feature films, often on a shoestring. He appeared at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival on April 28-29, 2010 to talk about his unusual collaboration with actor Stacy Keach. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr) link to this photo

9

Rural Forbes, ND, U.S.A. — Researcher Tanner Gue, 25, releases a Mallard drake from a decoy trap in Rural Forbes, ND. Thursday April 29, 2010. Researchers are primarily interested in catching pre-nesting Mallard and Blue-winged Teal hens with the decoy traps and outfitting the ducks with radio transmitters. (MPR Photo/Ann Arbor Miller) link to this photo

10

A chicken walks across 2nd Street in Butterfield, Minn. on April 27, 2010, after escaping from the nearby poultry processing plant. Officials at Butterfield schools say wandering chickens occasionally show up inside the school before plant workers come fetch the animals. (MPR Photo/Tom Weber) link to this photo

11

Minneapolis, MN, USA — Ra'Kia Norman, 10, at Bethune Park in Minneapolis Wednesday, May 19, 2010. Norman and her sister's learning disabilities were improving until their caretaker was banned from visiting the family after switching employers. She had signed a non-compete agreement. MPR's Madeleine Baran reported on the controversy over non-compete agreements in the mental health profession. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

12

Rachel Bents, a St. Paul consultant, bikes to a business meeting in heels in June 2010 after giving up her leased car. (MPR Photo/Dan Olson) link to this photo

13

St. Paul, MN, USA — The male racers snake their way through downtown St. Paul, Minn. during the nature Valley Grand Prix criterium Wednesday, June 16, 2010. The Nature Valley Grand Prix is a five-day stage cycling race that draws riders from across the county and makes stops in Cannon Falls, Minn., Minneapolis, Minn., Menomonie, Wisc., and Stillwater, Minn. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

14

An American flag is stuck in the windshield of a car on Friday, June 18, 2010 after a tornado struck Wadena, Minn. Thursday. The tornado that tore through Wadena was one of more than 30 twisters that hit Minnesota during the storm. (MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson) link to this photo

15

Wadena, Minn. — A damaged home in Wadena, Minn., nearly a month after a massive tornado swept through the area. (MPR Photo/Tom Robertson) link to this photo