>>NWS confirms tornado in south central Minnesota’s Martin County
(Fairmont, MN) — The National Weather Service is confirming that a tornado touched down Tuesday in south central Minnesota’s Martin County. N-W-S officials said a tornado was spotted crossing Hall Lake around 3 pm near Fairmont. No damage has been reported in the area. A tornado also touched down Tuesday night near Rollingstone in southeastern Minnesota, damaging buildings and destroying a barn.
>>MN A-G Ellison joins federal anti-trust lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster, Klobuchar applauds move
(Various) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined the U-S Justice Department and 30 other attorneys-general in an anti-trust lawsuit against Live Nation, asking the court to prohibit the company’s alleged anticompetitive practices and to order Live Nation to divest itself of Ticketmaster. Senator Amy Klobuchar applauds the move, saying she didn’t think the merger should have been allowed in the first place. “It consolidated the ticket market, which has meant in many cases 30 percent in hidden fees on top of ticket prices,” she says. “There’s no one to go to but Ticketmaster/Live Nation. There’s no competition. So, this is a good thing for consumers today.” Klobuchar is co-sponsoring a bill she says will increase transparency in ticket sales and protect consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets — ideas she says were included in *state* legislation that Governor Tim Walz signed earlier this month. But Klobuchar says legislation is not enough to get at the monopoly power that controls ticket prices — and so the anti-trust lawsuit.
>>National Guard assisting with search for two missing canoeists
(Ely, MN) — Governor Tim Walz has directed the Minnesota National Guard to transport equipment for the search-and-rescue effort for two missing canoeists in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that was hampered Wednesday by heavy rainfall. 41-year-old Jesse Haugen of Cambridge and 40-year-old Reis Grams of Lino Lakes have been missing since Saturday night when two canoes carrying four people crossed Curtain Falls along the Canadian border. Two members of the group were rescued but Haugen and Grams are still missing. The Minnesota National Guard will provide a Chinook helicopter with four crew members to transport a boat and additional equipment from the Ely airport to the search area. A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for the families of the two missing men. Campaign organizers says every contribution will make a meaningful difference in helping cover expenses and unexpected financial challenges. As of early Thursday morning, the effort had raised over $9,000 of the $20,000 goal.
>>First Ave in Minneapolis decorated for Timberwolves West Finals series
(Minneapolis, MN) — City officials are honoring the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff run by decorating First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Public works crews painted “Go Wolves!” in 19-foot letters between 5th and 6th Streets and put up temporary street signs with Wolves ‘logos and blue and green colors. There’s also a huge banner featuring the players along the street. City operations officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher says sports fans from across the country are looking to Minneapolis for the first two games of the series and “we want to showcase our best.” The Timberwolves and Mavericks play Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals Friday night at Target Center.
>>Split Rock Lighthouse beacon will be lit tonight, watch it online
(Beaver Bay, MN) — Visitors from northern Minnesota and beyond are invited to attend the annual North Shore Community Night at Split Rock Lighthouse this evening. Site Manager Hayes Scriven it’s a free event with food, music and games — not in a museum setting, but where people can just hang out with friends and have a good time. Beginning at 6 pm, guests can explore the historic site. At 9 pm, the beacon at Split Rock Lighthouse will be lit. If you can’t be there, it’s online at www.mnhs.org/splitrock. This event marks one of just three times the beacon is lit each year, along with the Keeper’s View Anniversary event in July and the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial beacon lighting in November.
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