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Stories from November 22, 2023

Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in school stabbing

Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in school stabbing

A teenager has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for fatally stabbing a fellow student at St. Paul’s Harding High School on Feb. 10. Devin Scott, 15, died of wounds to his heart, lung and abdomen after an older student stabbed him with a four-inch knife during a fight.
by Matt Sepic

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Electrical trouble shuts down Prairie Island reactor

Electrical trouble shuts down Prairie Island reactor

Minnesota’s Prairie Island nuclear power plant is offline after an electrical problem in one of its reactors coincided with a planned refueling shutdown in the other. Xcel Energy says there are no concerns with the reactor itself.
by Matt Sepic

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Judge throws out lawsuit by southeastern Minnesota dairy farm seeking to triple in size

Judge throws out lawsuit by southeastern Minnesota dairy farm seeking to triple in size

Environmental advocates, including the Land Stewardship Project, opposed the expansion. They said the additional manure generated by a larger operation would increase the risk of water pollution in a region where nitrate in groundwater already is a problem.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Meet 3 people whose designs are finalists for the new Minnesota flag

Meet 3 people whose designs are finalists for the new Minnesota flag

With the list of entries for Minnesota’s next flag and seal narrowed, the artists with concepts in contention await the final verdict with excitement and are braced for public criticism.
by Cathy Wurzer, Brian Bakst, Alanna Elder and Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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Prairie Island nuclear plant offline due in part to electrical problem

Xcel Energy says a reactor at its Prairie Island nuclear plant southeast of the Twin Cities automatically shut down on October 19, due to an equipment issue between the turbine and the plant's connection to the electric grid. That story and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Jacob Aloi. Music by Gary Meister.
by Jacob Aloi

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State allows Ramsey County jail to increase capacity

The Ramsey County Jail is being allowed to operate at a higher capacity, according to an order sent out by the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
by Peter Cox

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Broadway costuming legend accused of sexual assault in civil suit

Broadway costuming legend accused of sexual assault in civil suit

William Ivey Long, a six-time Tony Award winner and past chairman of the American Theatre Wing, is one of the defendants in a lawsuit filed Wednesday by Court Watson, a set and costume designer.
by Anastasia Tsioulcas

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Israel-Hamas deal will go into effect when the first Israeli hostages are released

Israel-Hamas deal will go into effect when the first Israeli hostages are released

Hamas and Israel agreed to a four-day pause in fighting and to release at least 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and 150 Palestinians held by Israel, beginning as early as Thursday.
by Scott Neuman, Daniel Estrin, Ruth Sherlock and Rachel Treisman

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Border crossings closed after vehicle explosion on bridge connecting New York and Canada

Border crossings closed after vehicle explosion on bridge connecting New York and Canada

The blast happened on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River. Three other bridges between western New York and Ontario were quickly closed as a precaution.
by The Associated Press

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The best children’s books to give as gifts for the holidays

The best children’s books to give as gifts for the holidays

The holiday season is here. Why not give a book to the child in your life? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a bookseller and a children’s librarian about the best children’s books of 2023 and titles to give as gifts over the holidays.
by Angela Davis, Maja Beckstrom and Nicole Johnson

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Frying a turkey can be dangerous. Here's why, and what not to do

Frying a turkey can be dangerous. Here's why, and what not to do

When properly cooked, fried turkey can be an explosion for your taste buds. But if it's not completely thawed, that turkey can explode in a pot of hot oil and spark a dangerous fire.
by Bill Chappell

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60 years after JFK's assassination, the agent who tried to save him opens up

60 years after JFK's assassination, the agent who tried to save him opens up

One image, taken seconds after President Kennedy was shot, captured the attention of news outlets all over the country. The agent in the center of the image is still coming to terms with that moment.
by Mycah Hazel

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2 finalists picked to lead Minneapolis schools

2 finalists picked to lead Minneapolis schools

Sonia Stewart, a deputy superintendent from Chattanooga, Tenn., and Lisa Sayles-Adams, superintendent of Eastern Carver County Schools in the western Twin Cities were chosen by a search committee. They’ll go through meet-and-greets and a final interview next week.
by Peter Cox

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Milder Wednesday; much colder for Thanksgiving weekend

Milder Wednesday; much colder for Thanksgiving weekend

Travel weather will be quiet but temperatures will take a dive after a milder day Wednesday. Thanksgiving will be cold and that persists into early next week. 
by Sven Sundgaard

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Final flag designs unfurled. Flu, COVID and RSV spreading before holiday

The state commission tasked with picking new state emblems picked six flag finalists and five seal finalists during a meeting Tuesday. The commission has until Jan. 1 to pick a new state flag and seal. And cases of flu, COVID-19 and RSV are on the rise as Minnesotans head into the winter months and holiday gatherings. 
by Phil Picardi

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Breezy and warmer Wednesday before colder air moves in

Breezy and warmer Wednesday before colder air moves in

Temperatures will be briefly back above normal for southern Minnesota Wednesday. Colder air moves in Wednesday night, making for a cold Thanksgiving into the weekend. 
by Sven Sundgaard

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The journey of Minnesota's Rutt the moose is tracked by a herd of fans

The journey of Minnesota's Rutt the moose is tracked by a herd of fans

A moose on the loose in southern Minnesota has gained a herd of thousands of followers hoping to see the animal's journey end safely. The young male moose was spotted Tuesday northwest of Minneapolis.
by The Associated Press

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Israel and Hamas agree on truce to free hostages in swap, raising hopes of halting war in Gaza

Israel and Hamas agree on truce to free hostages in swap, raising hopes of halting war in Gaza

Officials say that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the devastating war in Gaza. The breakthrough will facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. 
by The Associated Press

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Can we grow veggies on Mars? Fly larvae and synthetic soil may hold the answer

Can we grow veggies on Mars? Fly larvae and synthetic soil may hold the answer

A Texas undergrad is investigating how to grow vegetables on Mars — and has cultivated test samples of English peas in simulated Martian soil, with fertilizer from fly larvae.
by Mallory Yu

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Pumpkin or sweet potato pie? There's a rich history behind both

Pumpkin or sweet potato pie? There's a rich history behind both

The two desserts have similarities — both are orange, sweet, and have a bit of spice — but they have distinct histories that have led to dedicated followings.
by Chad Davis

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Tackling the 'big brown spot': Keeping fields in living cover could be path to reducing nitrate

Tackling the 'big brown spot': Keeping fields in living cover could be path to reducing nitrate

Commercial fertilizer and manure applied to crop farms is a major source of nitrate in Minnesota’s water. A new report finds planting crops that keep the soil covered year-round benefits both the environment and farmers.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Jeremiah Program aims to end poverty for single mothers and children

Jeremiah Program aims to end poverty for single mothers and children

A program founded 30 years ago in Minneapolis is now helping single moms out of poverty in nine cities across the country. The Jeremiah Program supports single mothers getting an education while offering early childhood education for their children.
by Dan Gunderson

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Black man's request for jump start in Minneapolis escalates to arrest, civil rights lawsuit

Black man's request for jump start in Minneapolis escalates to arrest, civil rights lawsuit

A Minneapolis man alleges in a civil rights lawsuit filed Tuesday that two police officers assaulted him after he asked another driver for a jump start. Said Abdullahi, who’s of Ethiopian descent, said that his car broke down early last year on a side street near Franklin and Cedar Avenues and he asked a white man in another vehicle for help.
by Matt Sepic

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They’re here! See final 6 design candidates for new Minnesota state flag

They’re here! See final 6 design candidates for new Minnesota state flag

The State Emblem Redesign Commission is set to reconvene next month to choose a new state flag and seal. The panel found six flag and five seal designs Tuesday that will move on.
by Dana Ferguson

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Southwestern Minnesota celebrates completion of Highway 14 expansion project

Southwestern Minnesota celebrates completion of Highway 14 expansion project

A crowd gathered in Courtland on Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the final leg of the revamped U.S. Highway 14. In years past many people lost their lives on a dangerous road.
by Hannah Yang

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Fairview CEO says current partnership with UMN too expensive

Fairview CEO says current partnership with UMN too expensive

Fairview notified the university on Monday that it does not plan to extend its current partnership. Under that agreement, the two organizations run M Health Fairview. The partnership has been a major source of funding for the university’s medical school.  
by Estelle Timar-Wilcox

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