Matt McKinney
Reporter
Washington CountyMcKinney graduated from St. John's University in Collegeville and spent years chasing stories through Wisconsin, Rhode Island, and Cambodia. A Minnesota childhood taught McKinney to love winter, skiing, the first warm day of spring, good books and time spent outdoors. He benefited from great teachers at Stillwater High School, and again in Collegeville and at the University of Minnesota. He's a fan of several local breweries, Prince, Jessie Diggins, the Loons, and newspaper reporters near and far who taught him the craft. McKinney bikes to work year-round from his home in the Twin Cities, which he shares with his wife and two sons.
Latest from Matt McKinney
Abandoning a boat in Minnesota will soon be a crime
The Legislature approved a new law inspired by the saga of Sweet Destiny, the 54-foot motor yacht recently removed from Beer Can Island.
June 13, 2025
Arden Hills eases restrictions on some thrift stores, in some places
Larger secondhand stores still need council approvals, and it’s unclear what the new ordinance means for an existing store that prompted the recent debate.
May 28, 2025
Roseville’s struggling Har Mar Mall once was a ‘hopping place.’ What happened?
The pioneering Roseville mall built in 1963, once home to the state’s largest movie theater, sits half empty and contends with shoplifters.
May 24, 2025
Marooned motor yacht removed from St. Croix’s Beer Can Island
The boat named Sweet Destiny had been beached on the island in the St. Croix River near Hudson, Wis., since last summer.
May 16, 2025
Falcon Heights to charge $25 for street parking during the State Fair
City says fee should raise $100,000 to $200,000 a year and help offset the cost of hosting millions of Minnesotans every summer.
May 15, 2025
Green, but not green enough? First building at former TCAAP site misses efficiency targets.
Ryan Companies is constructing a highly energy-efficient building, but it won’t quite meet Rice Creek Commons’ ambitious environmental goals.
May 10, 2025
Advertisement
Lawn sprinkler season is starting across the Twin Cities, but how much is too much watering?
As cities wrestle with water conservation measures, by choice or by decree, residents see a more concerted push to water less and conserve more.
April 30, 2025
How to buy a boat without sinking yourself
Licenses, titles, insurance and life jackets. And that’s just before you push off.
April 26, 2025
Rescue mission aims to free marooned motor yacht from Beer Can Island
A man from Hudson, Wis., is attempting to pump out the water swamping Sweet Destiny, plug any leaks and float the boat to a St. Croix River marina.
April 23, 2025
Stillwater disciplines four teachers over literacy training shortcuts
Four Stillwater school teachers are suspended and three others leave the district after questions arose over state-mandated literacy training.
April 4, 2025
As yacht remains beached on St. Croix, bills aim to punish ‘derelict boat owners’
With Sweet Destiny still stuck on Beer Can Island, legislators in Wisconsin and Minnesota seek to address the problem of abandoned watercraft.
April 1, 2025
Minnesota mobile home park residents organize in search of rent relief and ‘bill of rights’
Residents of several parks have started a petition, gone door-knocking and testified at the Legislature as rents rise.
March 26, 2025
Advertisement
Advertisement