>>Day 2 of the 2025 Minnesota State Fair
(Falcon Heights, MN) — The 2025 Minnesota State Fair is officially underway. Thousands passed through the gates on opening day Thursday, and some fairgoers arrived 24 hours in advance. Day two is the Governor’s Wildfire Prevention Day and Smokey Bear will be talking on the D-N-R outdoor stage and meeting kids. Meghan Trainor takes the Grandstand Stage this evening (Fri). There are chances of showers and a passing thunderstorm today with a high around 80 degrees.
>>DFL Party Vacates Endorsement of Mayoral Candidate Fateh
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Democratic Party is revoking the endorsement of Minneapolis mayoral candidate and state Senator Omar Fateh from last month’s convention. After a review, the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee found substantial failures in the voting process used at the Minnesota D-F-L convention. Incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey’s campaign submitted a challenge saying the voting system used was a “highly flawed and untested electronic voting system.” Frey’s campaign claimed there were missing votes that were never counted. D-F-L Chairman Richard Carlbom said in a statement, “It’s time to turn our focus to unity and our common goal: electing leaders focused on making life more affordable for Minnesotans and holding Republicans accountable for the chaos and confusion they’ve unleashed on Minnesotans.”
>>Minnesota Lawsuit Against Glock Moves Forward
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota’s lawsuit filed against handgun manufacturer Glock will move forward following a ruling by a Hennepin County court. Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing Glock for manufacturing, marketing, and selling semi-automatic handguns that can be turned into illegal machine guns with a device called a “Glock switch.” Glock tried to dismiss the state’s complaint but failed to convince a judge, who partly ruled that the Second Amendment does not prevent this lawsuit from going forward. It has been illegal in Minnesota since the 1930’s for the public to own fully automatic machine guns.
>>DPS Launches Cannabis Expungement Awareness Campaign
(St. Paul, MN) — State officials are trying to educate Minnesotans about cannabis expungements under the new adult-use law. Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Superintendent Drew Evans says this means cases won’t show up on most criminal background checks. He says thousands of cannabis-related offenses, misdemeanor convictions, and specific offenses not resulting in a conviction have already been automatically sealed as part of this process. The more complex misdemeanors and felonies are being reviewed by the Cannabis Expungement Board. Evans says the B-C-A is currently working to identify additional records that may quality for automatic expungement. There’s more information on cannabis expungements at mn.gov/recordrelief.
>>Office of Cannabis Management Awarding Grants Through CanRenew program
(St. Paul, MN) — The Office of Cannabis Management is awarding $ 1 million in grant funding through its new CanRenew program. Director of Social Equity Jess Jackson says the money helps the communities that have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition. She says the program funds projects addressing a range of community needs, including economic development, public health, violence prevention, youth development, and civil legal aid. Eleven different organizations will split the $1 million. Funding guarantees will increase to $10 million in fiscal year 2027.
>>US Secretary of Agriculture Names New State Director Ditlevson
(Washington, DC) — U-S Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is naming the new presidential appointments for Farm Service Agency and Rural Development State Directors. The new U-S-D-A state director for Minnesota is Mick Ditlevson. Most recently, he served as deputy chief of staff for operations to the Secretary of Agriculture. Ditlevson has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Pepperdine University and is a fifth-generation Steele County farmer. Rollins says these appointments will work to ensure farm safety in the country.
>>Clarkfield Man Dies in Yellow Medicine County Skid Loader Accident
(Clarkfield, MN) — Authorities in southwestern Minnesota are investigating a deadly skid loader accident near Clarkfield. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office says a skid loader slid down into a drainage ditch Wednesday afternoon and the driver was trapped. First responders found the machine on its side fully submerged in the ditch and crews were able to rescue the operator, but he died at the scene. The victim is identified as 51-year-old Dustin Virkus of Clarkfield.
>>Minnesota Lynx Lose Back-to-Back Games for First Time in 2025
(Atlanta, GA) — The Minnesota Lynx are on a two-game losing streak for the first time this season. They fell to the Dream 75-73 Thursday night in Atlanta. The Lynx were outscored 21-13 in the fourth quarter. Bridget Carleton led Minnesota with 16 points, Jessica Shepard had 15 and 16 rebounds, and Kayla McBride also finished with 15 points. Allisha Gray scored a game-high 27 for Atlanta. The 28-and-7 Lynx play the 19-and-16 Fever tonight (Fri) in Indianapolis.
>>Minnesota Vikings Preseason Finale at Tennessee Titans
(Nashville, TN) — The Minnesota Vikings wrap up the preseason tonight (Fri 7pm) at the Tennessee Titans. The Vikings are 1-1 in exhibition games after Saturday’s 20-12 loss to the Patriots 20-12 at home. Minnesota’s starters won’t play in Nashville but a lot of guys fighting for roster spots will see action tonight. Former Gopher quarterback Max Brosmer is hoping to be named the back-up Q-B to starter J-J McCarthy. The Titans are also 1-1 in preseason play. The Purple open the regular season Monday September 8th against the Bears at Soldier Field.
