>>One More Chance to Sign up for MNsure Health Insurance for 2024
(St. Paul, MN) – A record number of just under 133 thousand Minnesotans have signed up for their 2024 health insurance through the state-run MNsure marketplace — but if you missed the first deadline of December 15th, you have another chance. MNsure C-E-O Libby Caulum says if you sign up before January 15th, 2024, your coverage will start on February 1st. Go to MNsure.org to compare options. There’s also a statewide network of MNsure-approved brokers to help people choose the best health insurance plan for themselves and their families.
>>Polymet Copper-Nickel Mine in Northern MN Takes Another Step Forward
(Undated) – Backers won a round Monday in the legal battle over the planned Polymet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota, but opponents say other critical environmental permits are either revoked or tied up in litigation. Attorney Jay Eidsness with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy says any project must keep the entire state in mind and avoid damage to Minnesota waters. But Republican State Representative Spencer Igo from Wabana Township says the “groups that are trying to look for a way to say, no mines, …are the same people that want solar and wind energy to power our state, yet they’re gonna stand in the way of the things we need to do it.” Igo predicts Monday’s ruling is “the first step for the courts finding more truth that these permits were issued the correct way.”
>>Northeast Minnesota Couple Killed in Car vs Semi Crash
(Sand Lake, MN) — A couple from northeastern Minnesota is dead after a car vs. semi crash on Highway 53 in St. Louis County. The State Patrol says a car driven by 81-year-old Fernando Tibayan of Britt was attempting to cross the highway when it was hit T-bone by the semi. Troopers say the driver and his passenger – 81-year-old Filipinas Tibayan – died at the scene Monday evening in Sand Lake. The report shows the roadway was snow and ice-covered at the time.
>>Man Arrested in Fatal Minneapolis Shooting
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man is in custody in connection with the fatal shooting of his live-in domestic partner. Minneapolis Police Department tracked 50-year-old Jonny Brown to Maple Grove, conducting a felony traffic stop around 8:50 Monday night. Officers from the 5th Precinct responded to reports of a shooting Monday at a residential address in Minneapolis, where they found a 43-year-old woman inside an apartment with a fatal gunshot wound. Despite life-saving efforts, the victim died at the scene. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner will release the victim’s name and cause of death.
>>Former Edina High School Basketball MVP Dies of Cancer
(Edina, MN) — Walt McGrory, Edina High School’s all-time leading scorer for the boys’ basketball team, has passed away at the age of 24 after battling cancer for two years. In a social media post on Monday, the school honored Walt McGrory, attaching a video of the former Hornets player breaking the school’s scoring record, saying, “Walt thrived in our parks and gyms growing his basketball skills… #FlyHigh.” McGrory continued to walk on at the University of Wisconsin in 2017, playing four seasons with the Badgers before he was diagnosed in 2021 with osteosarcoma, bone cancer. The Hornets boys’ basketball team will honor McGrory during today’s game at Edina High School.
>>Les Voyagers Inc. Program Opens for Summer 2024
(Canada) – A month in the remote wilderness of Canada with no phones and no communication with the outside world. Students ages 15 to 17 years old can currently sign up for this unique right of passage experience. Les Voyagers Inc. Program Director Jack Grabinski says, “Up where we go in Manitoba and Ontario it’s just the wilderness. You camp where you can find open spots on the shoreline. You are going through portages where there might not be trails. You are seeing wildlife up close and personal. And you don’t see any other crews — so it’s just you and eight other people for that whole month.” Les Voyagers Inc. holding a series of informational meetings in Sartell through the end of January.
>>Eddie McYeti Takes the Spotlight at Midtown Global Market
(Minneapolis, MN) — Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis finally has a name for its lovable holiday beast: Eddie McYeti. The naming contest saw over 500 submissions, with Eddie McYeti winning out of the top 5 names, which also included Snoseph, Snowgre, Walter Winter, and Benjamin Blizzard. Artist Gustavo Boada says the friendly northern snow creature will be a regular holiday feature at the market. The winning name, submitted online, earned the namer a $100 Midtown Global Market gift card.
