>>Opening Day of the 2025 Minnesota State Fair
(Falcon Heights, MN) — This is opening day (Thurs) of the 2025 Minnesota State Fair’s 12-day run. And there is discounted gate admission – 18 dollars for adults ages 13 to 64 and 15 for seniors and kids ages 5 to 12. Country band Old Dominion headlines the State Fair Grandstand tonight. The free entertainment includes The Voice contestant Nicholas David at the West End Schilling Amphitheater and “Fight Song” singer Rachel Platten at the Bandshell. A record 138,875 people attended the Great Minnesota Get-Together on the first day last year.
>>50th Year of Minnesota House State Fair Poll
(Falcon Heights, MN) — Thousands are expected to participate in the Minnesota House of Representatives’ State Fair Poll this year. House spokesperson Barry LaGrave says the nonpartisan poll has 12 questions based on issues that did not pass this legislative session. The topics include state services for undocumented immigrants, local cannabis regulations, starting school before Labor Day, and the budget deficit. He says House members work two-hour shifts at the booth in the Education Building and fairgoers have a chance to interact with lawmakers.
>>Governor Walz Attends Ribbon Cutting for New Iron Range School
(Nashwauk, MN) – Governor Tim Walz is spending today (Thurs) at the Minnesota State Fair, but Wednesday he visited the Iron Range. The governor attended the ribbon cutting of a new pre-k through 12 school in the Nashwauk-Keewatin School District. He also toured the site of the first new taconite mine in 50 years. Walz was joined by union leaders, international partners and community members. Mesabi Metallics has a new concentrator building where the first line of equipment has been installed. The project is one of the largest private investments in state history and will bring hundreds of jobs to the Iron Range.
>>Urban Farming Grants Awarded by Minnesota Department of Agriculture
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is announcing the fiscal year 2025 Urban Grant recipients. The grants promote youth agricultural education and ag-connected community development. The program serves urban areas with cities with a population of more than 5,000 people and communities on federally recognized tribal land. M-D-A is awarding a total of 33 grants worth a combined total of nearly $1.7 million. The recipients include school districts, nonprofit organizations, and local government groups.
>>Fergus Falls Employees Charged with Stealing Lottery Tickets
(Fergus Falls, MN) — Two former employees of Lakeway Express convenience store in Fergus Falls are accused of stealing $9000 in lottery tickets from the business. Thirty-three-year-old Donovan Bolden and 50-year-old Heidi Hagen are facing state lottery fraud and theft charges. Otter Tail County prosecutors say the pair took lottery tickets without paying for them while working in January. Investigators viewed security footage that showed them taking the tickets, scratching them off, and then bringing the winning tickets to Walmart to cash them in.
>>3rd Suspect in Ramsey County Gas Station Robberies Arrested
(Ramsey County, MN) — The third suspect in a series of gas station robberies in Ramsey County is in custody. Officials say 21-year-old Dylan Junwirth was arrested at his Minneapolis home on Wednesday on aggravated robbery charges. On Sunday, two of the robberies took place in Roseville, and a third in Little Canada. Deputies say Jungwirth used a handgun to demand cash and cigarettes. The other two suspects, 21-year-old Kenneth Spight and 18-year-old d Kemonie Hurd, were arrested earlier this week. They are accused of physically assaulting a worker during one of the Roseville robberies and face the same charges.
>>Lacrosse, Wisconsin Men Charged in Torture of 3-Year-Old Winona Boy
(Winona, MN) — Charges are filed against two La Crosse, Wisconsin men accused of torturing a three-year-old boy in Winona. Jalil Wilson and Atzavesta Raymon Williams each face a child torture charge in Winona County. Prosecutors say both men were seen in videos of a child being tortured. Twenty-year-old Winona resident Joseline Puente Gundersen was arrested for the same incident, which police became aware of after Gundersen’s coworkers reported she had shown them the videos. In the videos, the child’s wrists and ankles were bound together and his mouth was covered by duct tape. It’s alleged that Williams put the duct tape on the child and Wilson scared the child while wearing a blanket and clown mask.
>>Apollonia from Purple Rain Sues Prince’s Estate Over Trademark Rights
(Minneapolis, MN) — Patty Kotero, best known for her role as Apollonia in Prince’s iconic 1984 film Purple Rain, is suing the late artist’s estate over rights to her stage name. Kotero claims she never relinquished ownership of the name “Apollonia,” and says she secured trademarks for both “Apollonia” and “Apollonia 6”—the girl group produced by Prince. But in June, Paisley Park Enterprises LLC filed a petition with the U-S Patent and Trademark Office to cancel those trademarks. The estate argues that Kotero signed agreements in 1983 and 1984 that gave up her rights to the name. Her lawsuit alleges that Paisley Park is attempting to take control of the trademark for use in clothing and entertainment ventures.
>>Minnesota Lynx Play Dream in Atlanta Thursday Night
(College Park, GA) — The 28-and-6 Minnesota Lynx continue their road trip tonight (Thurs) against the 22-and-13 Dream in Atlanta. The Lynx look to rebound from Tuesday’s 85-75 loss at the New York Liberty. All-Star forward Napheesa Collier has missed the last five games with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable tonight. The Dream are tied with the Liberty for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Minnesota travels to Indiana tomorrow night (Fri) to play the Fever.
>>Hopkins Native Bueckers Scores Rookie Record 44 Points in Loss to LA
(Los Angeles, CA) — Minnesota native Paige Bueckers continues to make her mark in the W-B-N-A. The Dallas Wings guard scored a rookie record 44 points in Wednesday night’s 81-80 loss at the L-A Sparks. That’s the most points in a game by any W-N-B-A player this season. Bueckers hit 17-of- 21 shots, went 4-for-4 from three-point range and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. She also had four rebounds and three assists. The former Hopkins and U-Conn star was the first pick in this year’s draft.
