>>Schizophrenic Man Conditionally Released from Hennepin County Jail Missing
(Hennepin County, MN) – A 37-year-old man conditionally released from Hennepin County Jail earlier this month is missing. Police say Adam Alward was released on the 19th and went missing on Wednesday. He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and is reportedly homeless. Alward has not had any contact with family or friends since the 19th. He’s described as white, 6 feet tall, 176 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone who sees him should call 911.
>>MPD Search for Woman in Possible Mental Health Crisis
(Minneapolis, MN) – Minneapolis police are searching for a missing 33-year-old woman who may be having a mental health crisis. Sarah de St. Aubin was last seen on October 12th and has not been contacted or seen since. She’s described as white, five feet 9 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. St. Aubin has shorter than chest-length hair and was last seen wearing black baggy pants, a black jacket, white-rimmed shoes, and a red knit hat, but she may also be wearing a red and black jacket.
>>17-Year-Old Missing from Steele County May be in Minneapolis
(Steele County, MN) – The Steele County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a 17-year-old who may be in northeast Minneapolis. Ayanna Kubat was last seen in rural Owatonna on December 4th. She’s described as Middle Eastern, five feet three inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown hair and eyes.
>>35-Year-Old Brooklyn Park Woman Missing Since Christmas Eve
(Brooklyn Park, MN) – A 35-year-old woman from Brooklyn Park is missing. Police say Christina Troska was last seen Christmas Eve, leaving a residential area in a black Jeep. She’s described as white, five feet two inches tall, 200 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.
>>St. Paul Police Release Video of Officer-Involved Shooting
(St. Paul, MN) – St. Paul Police have released in-car and body-worn camera footage from a December 21st officer-involved shooting. Investigators say officers tracked a stolen Buick Envista to I-94 after General Motors remotely disabled the vehicle. The suspect, 32-year-old Elliot Vaughn of Minneapolis, ran from the car and pointed a handgun at officers. Both officers fired, hitting Vaughn in the leg. He was treated and taken to Regions Hospital. A female passenger was arrested. No officers or bystanders were hurt. The Minnesota BCA is leading the investigation. The in-car and body-cam footage is posted online.
>>Break-In, Racist Threats Reported at Minneapolis Day Care
(Minneapolis, MN) – Minneapolis police are investigating a break-in at a Somali-owned day care that managers say is tied to a wave of racist threats. Surveillance video shows someone cutting through a cinder-block wall at Nokomis DayCare around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Records containing parent information were stolen, and hateful voicemails have flooded the center since a viral video alleged fraud at Somali-owned day cares. Attorney Jason Steck says dozens of threats have targeted his clients. Another Twin Cities day care reported men banging on its door in a similar incident. No arrests have been made.
>>Bemidji Man Accused of Taking Hundreds of Lewd Photos of Girls
(Bemidji, MN) – A Bemidji man is facing serious charges after allegedly stalking and photographing underage girls. Authorities say 42-year-old Adam Skoog has been charged with two counts of stalking a victim under 18 and one gross misdemeanor count of interfering with the privacy of a minor. Investigators allege Skoog took inappropriate photos of young females at volleyball games, stores, and restaurants. A search of his phone reportedly uncovered more than 100 images, many taken during a middle school volleyball game in Thief River Falls on September 30th. Prosecutors say the photos focused on areas covered by clothing around the girls’ genitals and buttocks. Skoog is scheduled to appear in court on January 9th.
>>DEED Officials Update New Paid Leave Program
(St. Paul, MN) – Minnesota’s new Paid Leave program has already accepted more than 8,000 applications. The program allows employees to take up to 12 weeks for either medical or family leave, or a combined 20 weeks in a calendar year. Deputy Commissioner Evan Rowe with the Department of Economic and Employment Development says there are safeguards in place to help the employers, such as assistance grants to offset costs they may incur with someone taking paid leave. Rowe says a single grant could cover up to $3,000 of expenses. Small businesses can request a total of $6,000 in assistance in a calendar year.
>>New Law for MN Boaters, Hunters Begins
(St. Paul, MN) – New laws are now in effect for Minnesota boaters and deer hunters. The new year brings new surcharges and water-use permit fees for boaters. The annual surcharge to fund invasive species control will range from $14 to $62, depending on the size and type of boat. And for deer hunters, the shotgun zone that restricted deer hunters to only using shotguns, muzzleloaders, and handguns in southern Minnesota is repealed. Starting today, hunters can use all legal firearms for deer hunting statewide during the regular firearms hunting season.
>>’Bemidji Blowdown’ is Top Weather Event of 2025 in MN
(Bemidji, MN) – The ‘Bemidji Blowdown’ in June is the top weather event of the year in Minnesota. Assistant State Climatologist Pete Boulay says it started with strong tornadoes in North Dakota and evolved into a derecho in Minnesota, where Beltrami County was hit “especially hard.” He says 100 to 200-year-old trees in state parks were toppled down, and some people were without power for six days. Beltrami County officials said an estimated nine million trees were lost in the hurricane-force winds. Boulay says this storm has its own Wikipedia page.
>>Team USA Loses First Game at World Junior Championship
(St. Paul, MN) – Team USA suffered its first loss at the World Hockey Junior Championship, falling to Sweden 6-3. The Americans never got on track against the Swedes in the game for the top seed in the quarterfinals. Team USA finished in second place in the Group A preliminary round. The U.S. will play Finland on Friday in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. at Grand Casino Arena.
>>Two Minnesotans Win Big Prize in Millionaire Raffle
(Roseville, MN) – Two lucky Minnesotans are waking up with a million dollars to start the new year. They have tickets worth the top prize in the state’s Millionaire Raffle. The million-dollar tickets were sold at a Holiday Station store in Coon Rapids and at Forestland Sales in International Falls. Each store gets a $5,000 bonus for selling the tickets. The MN Lottery says one million Minnesota Millionaire Raffle tickets went on sale on October 21st and sold out in a record 14 days. A total of 20,000 winners are taking home a cash prize.
>>Tips to Keep Your Pet Safe During Cold Weather
(Undated) – Make sure you’re taking the right steps so your pet is staying safe outdoors during the harsh Minnesota winters. Animal Humane Society Public Relations Strategist Britanny Baumann says pet owners need to be aware of their pet’s behavior when out in the cold. If your dog starts lifting their paws and shivering, Baumann says to take them back inside immediately. Baumann says to make sure when your pets come in from the outdoors, to thoroughly clean their paws of any snow or water. You can visit the Animal Humane Society for a full list of tips.
>>Why to Quit Smoking in the New Year
(Undated) – One of the most popular resolutions at the beginning of each year is the desire to quit smoking, with more than 70% of smokers reporting they want to quit. The Lung Association’s Pat McKone says this includes both traditional tobacco and e-cigarettes, as “more and more research is showing that these aren’t harmless water vapor devices, but indeed nicotine delivery devices.” For more information on how to quit, head online to lung.org.
