Latest Minnesota news, sports, business and entertainment:

RICHFIELD TODDLER DEATH Richfield mother charged in her toddler's death MINNAPOLIS (AP) A Richfield mother is charged with killing her 15-month old daughter.

Minnetonka police say 29-year-old Rachel Reeves turned herself into authorities late last week. After a six-month investigation Reeves was charged with second-degree murder.

A Minnetonka Daycare provider called an ambulance March 26 when Julia Leigh Rivera was having trouble breathing and started having a seizure. Doctors found she had massive brain swelling, tearing in her retinas, fixed pupils and a skull fracture caused by a hard object. Julia died at the hospital four days later.

The complaint says Reeves gave different explanations for the girl's injuries, but that doctors said none of those explanations accounted for the injuries.

Reeves is due in court Sept. 30. She remains jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail.

MINNESOTA-health care-GERMANY Minn. group to examine German health care system ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota health experts head to Germany this week to examine a medical system where everyone has insurance and private health plans operate under government supervision.

The 13-member delegation includes state Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman, legislators and officials from the Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, Planned Parenthood and AARP.

The group will meet with German health care regulators and insurers.

They will also visit a for-profit hospital.

The trip runs Tuesday through Sunday. It's organized by the University of Minnesota's Center for German and European Studies.

FATHER-SON KILLED Father, son killed in Minn. crash ROUND LAKE, Minn. (AP) A father and his adult son were killed when their SUV was struck by a pickup truck pulling a camper trailer in southern Minnesota.

The crash in Nobles County Friday evening happened near Round Lake. Authorities say 72-year-old David VonHoltum and his 38-year-old son, Stephen VonHoltum, were westbound on Highway 35 when the pickup, pulling a Coachman camper, struck their SUV.

The VonHoltums were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup, his wife and two children were treated at Sanford Regional Hospital Worthington.

Information from: The Daily Globe, http://www.dglobe.com ASSAULT LAWSUIT Woman settles over uninvestigated assault AKELEY, Minn. (AP) The city of Akeley says it's settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who claimed police failed to investigate her report of being sexually assaulted by a sheriff's deputy.

The $55,000 settlement was announced recently at a City Council meeting.

The woman filed a $2 million lawsuit in May against the city of Akeley, its police chief, an Akeley officer, Hubbard County and the accused sheriff's deputy.

The woman says she was sexually assaulted by an on-duty Hubbard County deputy. No criminal charges have been filed against the deputy, who has resigned from the sheriff's department.

The city says it has not admitted to any wrongdoing or liability as a result of the settlement. The lawsuit against Hubbard County and the deputy is pending.

Information from: Pioneer, http://www.bemidjipioneer.com THEATER-MIXED BLOOD-RUINED 'Ruined' to open Mixed Blood season MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis will open its 34th season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Ruined." "Ruined" opens Oct. 16 in the Alan Page Auditorium of Mixed Blood's firehouse theater on the West Bank. It runs through Nov.

22.

Lynn Nottage won the drama Pulitzer this year for her play set in a mining region of Africa's Congo. The play explores sexual violence in a war-torn area where women are "ruined" by rape and torture.

"Ruined" recently wrapped up a run off-Broadway.

HERMANN THE GERMAN New Ulm celebrates 2,000th anniversary of battle NEW ULM, Minn. (AP) Thousands of spectators gathered in New Ulm this weekend to see the calendar turned back 2,000 years to a battle that help shape Europe for centuries to come.

They saw an Army of re-enactors led by Arminius also known as "Hermann the German" lead his tribal fighters to victory over the Roman legions. Only this time, the "fighting" took place Saturday on a hill just below New Ulm's landmark monument to Hermann.

The re-enactment was one of the highlights of the Hermann Victory Celebration this weekend in New Ulm.

A symposium at Martin Luther College examined the historical impact of the battle.

Delegations from Ulm, New Ulm and Detmold in Germany came to Minnesota for the weekend's festivities. New Ulm's Hermann statute is modeled after one in Detmold.

Information from: The Journal, http://www.nujournal.com/journal (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 09-21-09 0130CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list