>>17-Year-Old Boy Shot and Killed in South Minneapolis
(Minneapolis, MN) — A 17-year-old boy is the victim of a deadly shooting Monday night in south Minneapolis. Officers say the teen was found with multiple gunshot wounds, and they tried to save him, but he died at the scene. Investigators say it appears the boy was outside his residence with others when shots were fired. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said, “This senseless act of gun violence has destroyed another young life and left another family with a life of grief.” No arrests have been made.
>>Sauk Rapids Woman Killed in Benton County Crash, Passenger Seriously Injured
(St. Cloud, MN) — A woman is dead and her passenger is in critical condition following a crash Monday morning near Sauk Rapids in Benton County. The Minnesota State Patrol says a car driven by 67-year-old Lynette Walentiny of Sauk Rapids collided with a vehicle driven by a 46-year-old St. Cloud man at an intersection on Highway 23. Troopers say Walentiny was taken to St. Cloud Hospital and later died of her injuries. Her passenger—73-year-old Darlene Rae Steinhofer—is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The other driver has non-life-threatening injuries.
>>Minnesota Representative Craig Elected Ranking Member of House AG Committee
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Angie Craig has been elected by the Democratic caucus to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture. Upon her appointment, Craig said her focus will be on lowering food and energy costs for consumers, along with strengthening the farm safety net and opening doors of opportunity for new and beginning farmers. Craig’s election marks a rare development on Capitol Hill as two Minnesotans will lead their party on the Agriculture committees. Senator Amy Klobuchar is already set to take over as the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee next year.
>>HPV-Associated Cancers See Increase in Rural Communities
(Undated) – Rural communities across the U.S. are facing a growing yet preventable health crisis—cancers related to HPV, the human papillomavirus. Des Moines University Associate Professor Jason Semprini names common ways HPV can turn into something more serious: “Getting infected with HPV and not clearing it, social-behavioral factors, access to care, preventative care, smoking, and alcohol consumption.” Over the past 20 years, there has been a 50% increase in rural cases, compared to steady rates from non-urban and urban metro areas. Semprini urges young adults and adolescents to get the HPV vaccine.
>>Stillwater Man Indicted, Charged with Illegal Possession of Explosives, Ammunition
(Minneapolis, MN) — A Stillwater man faces illegal possession charges of explosives and ammunition. 46-year-old Wayne Lund has been indicted for illegally possessing eight destructive devices not registered to him, explosive devices, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Lund has prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Anoka Counties, prohibiting him from owning such items. He made his initial court appearance Wednesday and is in custody until further notice.
>>AAA Expects Record Xmas Travel Numbers
(Undated) – A record number of travelers will be hitting the road this Christmas holiday season. Brynna Knapp from AAA says this is a big jump even from the Thanksgiving holiday last month, which showed record-breaking numbers as well. AAA estimates more than 119 million Americans will travel this Christmas season. That’s a new record high, breaking the mark set in 2019 before the pandemic. It’s also three million more travelers than this time last year.
>>World’s Top Junior Hockey Players Coming to Minnesota in 2025
(Undated) – Tickets go on sale soon to see the world’s top junior hockey players coming to Minnesota late next year for the International Ice Hockey Federation Championship. This tournament features the best hockey players in the world under the age of 20. The games will be held from December 26th, 2025, to January 5th, 2026, at the Xcel Energy Center and 3M Arena at Mariucci at the University of Minnesota. Pre-sale tickets go on sale this Wednesday, with the rest of the tickets available on December 26th.
