It’s been a year, Minnesota. It’s undeniable that 2024 brought big stories and memorable moments, from the governor’s prominent role in the the 2024 presidential election, to respective championship and playoff runs by basketball’s Lynx and Timberwolves, to the December shooting that rocked Minnesota’s largest company.
The Minnesota Star Tribune covered all of that and more. What you might have missed is some of the best of the rest — signature work by our journalists that delved deeply into compelling storylines and relevant issues. That included journalism covering income mobility in Minnesota, how starter homes have nearly disappeared for a generation of buyers, and the enduring problem of homelessness in Minneapolis. We also dove deep on personalities and people who help make the state what it is, like Naz Reid and Suni Lee.
As the year comes to a close, here are some of the stories you may have missed. Cozy up with them at home in the quiet of these holiday weeks.
He was in prison for 19 years for a murder he didn’t commit. Suddenly, he was free.
Marvin Haynes was 16 when arrested for murder, 36 when exonerated. High on freedom but inexperienced in the world, he spent his first year out navigating life’s hard facts.
These areas have the most, least expensive starter homes in the Twin Cities
Finding an entry-level home for $300,000 or less in the Twin Cities metro area could lead you anywhere from an inner-ring suburb, to an exurb, to back into the city itself.

Income mobility is the American Dream. Most Minnesotans never achieve it.
New data shows income stagnation is widespread in America, and Minnesotans are among those least likely to move out of their current bracket. Those who start at the bottom tend to stay at the bottom, and those who start at the top tend to stay at the top.
Behind Naz Reid’s path to breakout stardom: featuring a mentor unlike any other.
Rudy Roundtree moved from New Jersey to Louisiana to Minnesota to help Naz make it in the NBA.

This Minnesota county voted blue for nearly 100 years — until Trump
Why Carlton County, just southwest of Duluth, went for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time since Herbert Hoover in 1928.