Stories from November 7, 2023

Cities like St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth and Bloomington have city council seats up for grabs, and some are choosing a mayor as well.  And the Minnesota Board of Animal Health has confirmed avian influenza at a commercial egg laying operation with 940,000 chickens in Wright County. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.
Election Tuesday: A check-in from the Minneapolis polls
Off-year, local elections tend to see much lower turnout than presidential and statewide races. But their results still have a big impact on Minnesotans’ lives. Listen for an update from the Minneapolis polls here.
St. Paul's Como Zoo welcomes new baby giraffe
St. Paul’s Como Zoo welcomed a new baby giraffe this week — and it’ll likely be on view to the public in the next few weeks.
Authorities still seeking answers seven years after Minnesota hunter was fatally shot
On Nov. 7, 2016, Terry Brisk was deer hunting on his parents’ property in Morrison County, east of Little Falls, Minn., when he was shot and killed. Investigators said they believe he was killed with his own rifle, which they found the following spring.
Rural Voice: How to educate and attract the next generation of rural workers
Can remote work reverse the rural brain drain? Maybe. But there’s still work to be done to educate and engage the next generation of workers for small towns in the Upper Midwest, as MPR News host Kerri Miller heard when she hosted a Rural Voice town hall in River Falls, Wis., last month.
Scattered showers with a wintry mix and snow north Tuesday into Wednesday
A winter weather advisory is posted for portions of the North Shore where several inches of snow is possible. Most of Minnesota will see some scattered rain showers into Wednesday. 
It’s Election Day, and across Minnesota, city councils, school board seats and other local offices are on the ballot. Several cities are also proposing sales tax increases and dozens of school districts are putting bond referenda before voters.
A year of challenges and change for Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara
One year ago, Brian O’Hara became the new chief of the Minneapolis Police Department. He joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer Tuesday on Minnesota Now to reflect on his first year as chief.
With its flexible office spaces, WeWork once was seen as a Silicon Valley darling led by an eccentric and charismatic founder. Financial troubled intervened, followed by the pandemic.
Duluth Mayor, City Council election results
On the ballot on Election Day in Duluth is the mayoral race, six city council seats and three school board seats.
St. Paul City Council election results
Four out of seven seats on the St. Paul council will be on the ballot on Election Day. Of the seven wards, only three have incumbent members running for re-election — this means the city of St. Paul is looking at some potentially major shifts in political dynamics on the council. 
Minneapolis City Council election results
Every seat on the Minneapolis City Council is up for grabs this Election Day. Of the 13 wards, 11 have incumbent members running for re-election.
Minnesota municipal election results
Local races for city councils across the state — including in St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth —are underway. On Election Day, voters will decide who will represent their ward on their city council.
Minnesota school board election results
It’s an off-year for Minnesota school board races, with 29 districts holding regularly scheduled school board elections and 16 holding special elections to fill empty positions.
The battle over land use: Farm crops versus solar farms
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the U.S. will need 10 million acres of solar panels by 2050 to meet the nation’s net zero-carbon goals. That means acreage currently used for farmland will become solar farms.
New voices emerge in Minnesota city, school board elections
Votes were still being counted late Tuesday but some history was already made with Nadia Mohamed’s election as mayor of St. Louis Park and Mayor Emily Larson’s loss in Duluth. In the state’s largest school district, two candidates endorsed by a conservative group won seats.
Duluthians to choose in hotly contested mayoral race
Duluth voters are heading to the polls today to decide between incumbent Emily Larson, who is seeking a third term, and former city councilor and state legislator Roger Reinert, in the city’s most hotly contested mayoral election in 15 years.
 Mixing solar and farming could be key to clean energy future
As Minnesota and the nation shift to cleaner energy, there’s a growing demand for land for new solar farms. At the same time there’s growing interest in what’s known as agrivoltaics.