>>St.Paul Police Investigate Double Homicide
(St. Paul, MN) — Saint Paul Police are investigating a double homicide in the city’s North End. Officers responded to Front Avenue around 4:20 a.m. Thursday, and found a man dead from gunshot wounds. A second man later arrived at a nearby fire station and was taken to Regions Hospital, where he also died. Investigators believe the two men exchanged gunfire. These are the city’s 10th and 11th homicides of the year.
>>Bemidji Continues to Search for Missing Teen of 9 Years
(Bemidji, MN) — Nine years after Jeremy Jourdain went missing on Halloween night, Bemidji Police are renewing calls for public help. Jourdain was last seen on Halloween night in 2016. Despite hundreds of leads and extensive searches, no answers have emerged. A $10,000 reward is now offered through Minnesota’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Office. Hunters are urged to check cabins and land for signs of Jeremy or his clothing. He was last seen wearing a blue and gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and black and white Air Jordan shoes.
>>Two Federal Judges Rule SNAP Benefits Must Continue
(Undated) – Two federal judges ruled today that the Trump Administration must tap into the five billion dollar contingency fund to keep SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) running into November. The Department of Agriculture argued earlier this week that it could not use the contingency fund to help cover benefits during a government shutdown. U.S. Congresswoman Angie Craig responded, “The Trump administration was acting illegally. They have congressional appropriated dollars to issue SNAP benefits in November and made the cruel decision to let Americans go hungry instead.” 42 million Americans rely on the food assistance program each month.
>>Housing Stabilization Services Ends Today
(St. Paul, MN) – Riddled with fraud, the Minnesota Housing Stabilization Services Program ends today. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced in August that the program would be terminated due to widespread fraud. The program was launched in 2020 as a Medical Assistance benefit designed to help seniors and people with disabilities. The Minnesota Legislature and DHS took action this year to improve oversight of the program, but in the end, the cases of fraud were determined to be too much to keep the program running.
>>MN 1st Gov. Certified as Recovery Friendly Workplace
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota is now the first state government certified as a recovery-friendly workplace. The designation from the National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute recognizes efforts to support employees affected by substance use. Governor Tim Walz says the certification affirms Minnesota’s commitment to dignity, respect, and wellness. It follows Executive Order 24-11, which directed agencies to improve workplace supports and reduce stigma around addiction and recovery.
>>Maple Grove NICU Nurses Create Halloween Costumes for Patients
(Maple Grove, MN) — At North Memorial Health’s Maple Grove Hospital, NICU nurses are continuing a sweet Halloween tradition for patients and families. NICU nurse Breeanna Opermann says they’re homemade with felt, tacky glue, and hospital supplies, and they got permission from infection control to make them. NICU nurse Katie Wagoner says, “Creating these costumes for our families is a tradition. It helps create that normal life — helps parents feel like they’re doing normal things, even when their baby’s in the NICU.”
>>Remembering the 1991 Halloween Blizzard in Minnesota
(Chanhassen, MN) – Most people over age 40 in Minnesota will never forget the Halloween blizzard of 1991. Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay says they were expecting a big storm with cold rains, but it started out as snow and didn’t stop. He reports, “Duluth had 36.9 inches – they had the most. And then 36 inches at Two Harbors, 30 at Eveleth, 25 inches at Lutsen, and Cambridge. And of course, we had 28.4 inches at the Twin Cities.” Many Minnesotans have stories about trick-or-treating in deep snow that night. Boulay says record-breaking subzero temperatures followed the record snowstorm.
