Recent content from Matt McKinney

Burnsville drunken driving arrest ends with vintage Ferrari on the auction block
It's one of thousands of cars seized every year from drunken drivers statewide.

Twin Cities libraries to consolidate digital offerings in a single app
Patrons in seven counties can share content like e-books and eMagazines.

After cuts, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher asks for beefy budget increase
Civil unrest request nearly three times a previous ask.

Midwestern mink farms navigate COVID fears
Animal vaccine possible after outbreaks kill 5,500 on Wisconsin fur farms.
Two men dead in apparent murder-suicide at Mahtomedi FedEx facility
Gun found at FedEx location where men were apparently shot.

Ramsey County Sheriff Fletcher elbowed in face during 'Live' broadcast
Ramsey County's Bob Fletcher was livestreaming nearby; incident not filmed.

Get lost in winter: Stillwater opens an ice maze
The parking-lot sized maze filled with ice sculptures and an ice slide was opening to the public Friday evening.

St. Croix County Republican website with 'war' message goes down
County party chairman initially defiant; unclear who ordered site taken down.

Hudson, Wis., Republican Party homepage: 'Prepare for war'
State Republican officials' request to remove message ignored

U.S. Supreme Court rejects suit over Winona County frac sand ban
Mining company first filed suit in 2017

White Bear Lake fund donated millions to environment, the arts
Manitou grant recipients ranged from Oregon bees to a school in Switzerland.

Citing meager budget, Ramsey County sheriff sues board over COVID-19 cuts
Saying he needs nearly $2 million more for his 2021 budget, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher has taken the Ramsey County Board to court over…

Citing meager budget, Ramsey County sheriff sues board over COVID cuts
Dispute arises over county's pandemic-induced austerity measures

6-10 inches of snow in Twin Cities forecast today enough for white Christmas
Strong winds, blowing snow and falling temperatures could make travel difficult heading into Wednesday evening.

Betty Berman, Holocaust survivor and Mia docent, dies at 90
Betty Berman made a life in Minneapolis after years in forced labor and concentration camps.
Stillwater school board eyes new contract for interim superintendent
A special school board meeting to vote on Malinda Lansfeldt's contract is expected next week.

Report: Indigenous women and girls face violence epidemic
Indigenous women and girls face an epidemic of violence and are far more likely than other groups in Minnesota to be murdered or to go…

Video shows Ramsey County sheriff driving past struck pedestrian
Bob Fletcher says the wet street and the man's position on roadway made it hard for him to see.
Albert Lea man, 21, admits shooting at neighbors, police
He has been charged with attempted murder and assault.

With rink, ice maze, ice-cream social, Stillwater hopes to light up pandemic winter
Town wants tourists but not too many at once.

One person unaccounted for after fire at Maple Grove commercial building
Fire crews battled a large fire at a one-story commercial building in Maple Grove on Tuesday night, and one person remained unaccounted for, according to…

Mining company pauses Grey Cloud Island expansion
Some residents say they remain wary of future operations near homes.

Judge allows Minneapolis residents' lawsuit alleging inadequate police staffing to proceed
"Minneapolis 8" say the city's safety is at stake.

Grey Cloud Island residents dig in against expansion of gravel mine
Plans took many residents of the riverside area of Washington County by surprise.

Two new shelters opened for homeless in St. Paul
The temporary shelters will be open until Dec. 31, when Bethesda Hospital site becomes available.

Ramsey County sheriff criticized for high-speed chase he streamed on Facebook
In a statement Friday, Fletcher defended himelf and said that car thieves are emboldened because they think police won't chase them.
Minneapolis police investigating suspicious death
Minneapolis police are investigating the death of a woman who was found unconscious on Tuesday morning. The woman, believed to be in her 50s, was…

Coin flips decides an election tie in Washington County
Toss was used to break tie in Grey Cloud Island Township. Heads won.

Those we've lost: Donovan John Fisher, owner of Don's Bakery in Elk River
Don Fisher spent most of his life going to work just as everyone else was going to bed.The longtime owner of Don's Bakery in Elk…

Rain, sleet and snow pelt Twin Cities after balmy reprieve
Rude wintry intrusion follows balmy week, but a slight warm-up is expected by weekend.
Stillwater school board hoping to move beyond contentious year with five new members
A union-backed slate of five candidates who swept the Stillwater school board race on Election Day will see a smooth transition in January with the…
Historic cemetery in Rosemount running out of time to find a caretaker
The oldest Pine Bend Cemetery Association volunteer is 88. The others aren't much younger.

Voters in metro decide on trash collection, council and mayoral races
Suburban residents in the metro area decided numerous races Tuesday involving local government leaders, school board members and ballot questions. Bloomington Four years after the…
Tough election race means top government officials are calling Minnesota reporters
In ordinary times, it’s not easy to get the top officials at the Department of Homeland Security to grant interviews. But it’s almost Election…
ICE director, in Twin Cities, announces more than 100 immigration arrests
Nationwide enforcement action includes 31 arrests in Minnesota.
State grant kicks off fundraising for Black business district
Grant supports renovation of building that once housed the Dreamland Cafe.

U.S. Postal Service to public: We'll get the ballots delivered on time
The system defended its readiness for record-setting mail ballots in the upcoming election.

Season's first major snowfall breaks record in Minnesota
The 7.9 inches of snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport shattered the previous record for Oct. 20 of 3 inches, and nearly bested the all-time snowiest October day in the Twin Cities.
Lake Elmo mayoral candidate Justin Bloyer alleges defamation in lawsuit against him
Justin Bloyer says a housing nonprofit defamed him by naming him in its lawsuit over a set of rental properties he owns in St. Paul.

Despite late deliveries this summer, local postal officials confident they will handle rush of mailed election ballots
Around mid-July, one in four pieces of mail in Minnesota wasn't delivered on time.

In St. Paul and Minneapolis, hundreds join in second night of protests
No arrests were reported after the marches wrapped up Thursday, one night after 51 people were taken into custody, mostly in south Minneapolis.

Company wants to take Minnesota county's frac sand ban to U.S. Supreme Court
Winona County's ban was upheld by state Supreme Court earlier this year.

St. Thomas discussing what to do about campus building named after slave-owning bishop
Nineteenth-century Iowa Bishop Mathias Loras oversaw the area that later became Minnesota.

CEO of MPR's parent group tells the staff that he will step down
Jon McTaggart, president and CEO of American Public Media, informed employees in a memo.
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Former University of St. Thomas student pleads guilty to making bomb threat
Three bomb threats alleged, all in 2019.

Maplewood hit-and-run victim's family offers reward for information
Choulykor Vue's family offered $20K for information leading to an arrest.

Corwin 'Corky' Peterson, who skied to North Pole at age 69, dies at 90
Corwin "Corky" Peterson, a Minneapolis man who skied to the North Pole at age 69 to fulfill a childhood dream of Arctic adventure, died Aug.…
What was the most destructive tornado in Minnesota history?
The state has seen dozens of terrifying twisters over the years.
Ramsey County sheriff goes live online, but not everyone's a fan
The sheriff's Facebook livestream has rankled members of the Ramsey County Board and city leaders, who say they expect more.
Two teens arrested in Minneapolis carjackings, armed robberies
Two juvenile suspects captured, one by canine officer

Minnesota governor asks Trump and Biden to abide by virus rules during stops
Trump, Biden will be in Minnesota on Friday.
Stillwater school board fires finance manager Kristen Hoheisel
Dismissal comes after months of tension involving a land deal.
Oakdale business hit a second time by alleged bookkeeper fraud
Both former bookkeepers are facing theft charges for allegedly siphoning funds from the Oakdale business.

Mary Ellen (Molly) Taylor, who promoted the arts, dies at 93
She launched the arts nonprofit COMPAS and shepherded the organization through decades of growth, raising millions.
Man found shot in the head in a pickup truck on St. Paul's East Side dies
A possible suspect was being held, a police spokesman said. It was the city's 22nd homicide so far this year.

Descended from cops, he saw his Mpls. police career last 4 days
Thomas Lane's life, viewed through the lens of those who knew him, shows a quiet man challenged at times with personal struggles, yet driven by his desire to wear a badge.

Effort to aid St. Paul's Midway area after riots stalled by argument over who benefits
More than $800,000 in donations that poured into the Neighbors United Funding Collaborative is caught up in the controversy.

Large blaze breaks out at metal plant in St. Paul
Firefighters weren't able to say what caused the fire. There were no reports of injury.
House DFL candidate won't get felony charges for offensive Hugo protest comments
Rally at home of police union chief included profanity and effigies.
Minneapolis City Council president says her home was vandalized
Tensions have been high as the city weighs the future of the Police Department.
Xcel coal plant closure later this decade poses big question for Oak Park Heights
2028 closure is expected to open up 4,500 feet of riverfront.
Man whose body was found in a St. Louis Park Lake is identified
A drowning victim found May 29 in St. Louis Park's Victoria Lake was identified Tuesday as Malik Christopher Lee Ambers, 25, of Minneapolis, according to…

Man charged with shooting his girlfriend in Bloomington, then fleeing to Wisconsin
Guns, pipe bombs found in man's car
Century-old building torn down in Stillwater
New surface lot expected; city could build ramp.
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Texas man charged with helping couple suspected of St. Paul arsons to evade authorities
Authorities say that Jose Felan Jr. and his wife, Mena Dyaha Yousif, may have fled to Mexico.

Search for boy missing in Mississippi is now recovery operation
The boy has been missing since Tuesday evening.
Search underway for possible drowning victim at Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul
Site of possible drowning known for strong undercurrents
Authorities seek help in weighing charges in fatal pawnshop shooting
The plea comes as attorney Ben Crump joins the dead man's family in pushing for the businessman to be prosecuted.

1,500 shut down freeway briefly to protest Ethiopia's treatment of Oromo
Largest ethnic group in Ethiopia calls for changes in homeland.
MPD officers filing for PTSD disability at unprecedented levels, their attorney says
He said 150 Minneapolis police officers out of a sworn force of 850 have contacted him to start filing paperwork, a majority of them for symptoms of PTSD.
Why is Minnesota the last state with 3.2 beer?
Low-alcohol 3.2 beers specially made for grocery stores are a dying breed. But efforts to overturn the 3.2 restrictions have been opposed by liquor stores and interest groups.

New St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail has Stillwater going round and round
The new trail was finally completed this spring with the reopening of the historic Lift Bridge.

Man who shot at SWAT team in Spring Lake Park arrested in similar incident June 26
A man using a high-powered handgun outfitted with a scope fired several shots Monday afternoon at an Anoka County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team during a…