Officials at the North American Bear Center in Ely say Jewell is agitated and vocalizing--signs she may be ready to give birth. The center is monitoring her with a camera in her den.

Excitement is building as another black bear in northern Minnesota appears to be just days away from delivering a cub. Thousands of people watched a live webcam as Lily gave birth to Hope in January 2010. Now, Lily's three-year-old sister Jewel is about to give birth.

The North American Bear Center in Ely confirms Jewel delivered two cubs. Researchers say it's possible she had a third bear cub, but couldn't confirm. Thousands of people from around the world watched a live webcam placed her den.

The 2012 annual fair in Freeborn County kicked off appropriately enough with a birth – in a bathroom near the Cattle Barn. A baby boy was born Tuesday to parents who both work for the carnival group Merriam’s Midway Shows, the Austin Daily Herald reports. Dale Merriam, a semi-retired owner of the traveling carnival, said the mother had worked just Monday night until after midnight setting up for the fair. A collection was being taken for the parents.

Nine days overdue, Andrea Nicolet and her husband, Russell, were rushing to the hospital when they realized their baby on the way was not going to wait. With the assistance of a Washington County Sheriff's deputy and a passerby who happened to be a registered nurse, baby Gabriel was delivered in the parking lot of a Lake Elmo Holiday station.

John Steitz, 26, and his hiking partner, Samuel Roberts, 25, both of Minneapolis, had stopped for a quick nap during a hike this week along the Superior Hiking Trail when they were awakened a black bear that came face-to-face with Steitz. He'd been dreaming about a dog licking his face. “I kind of opened my eyes and gave a, ‘What-the-expletive?’ ” Steitz said.