Minnesota Now for August 30, 2022

[MUSIC PLAYING] CATHY WURZER: It's Minnesota Now. I'm Cathy Wurzer. Students are moving into the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus today. 1,500 workers will be picketing over their working conditions.

We'll find out who they are and what they want. The Minnesota State Fair can be tough for people sensitive to stimulus. Now there's help available.

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Speaking of the Fair, it was a photo finish in the competition to be named this year's Supreme Baker. We'll talk to one of the finalists about what happened and his award-winning desserts. Your mouth may be watering at the end of this one.

And also this week, almost 1,500 mystery novel lovers will converge in the Twin Cities. We'll ask a Minnesota Mystery writer what's drawing so many people to this special conclave. All of that, plus the song of the day and the Minnesota Music Minute coming up right after the news.

LAKSHMI SINGH: Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. The Justice Department is on a deadline to file a response to former President Donald Trump's request for a special master to oversee documents removed from his Florida estate. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports the FBI seized more than a dozen boxes from the property earlier this month, some containing classified information.

WINDSOR JOHNSTON: Trump's legal team argues that appointing an outside arbiter is necessary to ensure that the Department of Justice returns any of his private documents that were seized during the search. But many legal experts say Trump's request for a special master might be too late. The Justice Department on Monday said the team examining the documents had set aside records possibly covered by attorney-client privilege.

The judge in the case has also ordered the DOJ to file under seal additional details about what the FBI removed from the residence. Trump has until Wednesday to file his response to the Department. A court hearing has been scheduled for Thursday. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.

LAKSHMI SINGH: This week, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the first COVID-19 vaccines to be updated since the coronavirus pandemic began. NPR's Rob Stein reports there are boosters aimed at the Omicron variant.

ROB STEIN: The new boosters Target both the original strain of the virus AND the highly contagious Omicron sub-variants that most people are catching these days. Officials hope the new shots will bolster people's fading immunity and blunt the impact of another wave of infections. For the first time, the FDA isn't requiring the vaccines to be tested in people.

The agency is initially judging the shots based on studies in mice along with tests of earlier versions of the vaccines in people. A top FDA official tells NPR that the mouse studies indicate the new boosters could be 20 times more powerful against Omicron than the original shots. Rob Stein, NPR News.

LAKSHMI SINGH: A nationwide curfew in Iraq is over. The army ended the restrictions after Muqtada al-Sadr, a powerful Shia Iraqi cleric made a televised address in which he urged his supporters to stop protesting in the capital's heavily fortified green zone, as heard here through an interpreter.

[NON-ENGLISH SPEECH]

INTERPRETER: I say now that I walk with a bowed head, and I apologize to the Iraqi people who are burdened with what has happened. My nation, having been a prisoner to corruption, is now a prisoner to corruption and violence. I had hoped for peaceful protests with pure hearts, hearts filled with love for their country, not ones that resort to gunfire.

LAKSHMI SINGH: Sadr's address, as heard through an interpreter with the BBC and is widely viewed as a strong message to his Iran-backed Shia political rivals about his influence in Iraq. From Washington, this is NPR News.

ANNOUNCER: Support for NPR comes from NPR stations. Other contributors include DuckDuckGo, a privacy company committed to making privacy online simple. Used by tens of millions, they offer private search and tracker blocking with one download. DuckDuckGo, privacy simplified.

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CATHY WURZER: Around Minnesota right now, skies are sunny. It's a lovely day with temperatures heading into the lower 70s to the lower 80s. At noon in Fergus Falls, it's sunny and 69, and 70 in Austin, and outside the Bixby Bagel office in Colerain, Minnesota, it's sunny and 70. I'm Cathy Wurzer with Minnesota news headlines.

A Woodbury man is scheduled to make his first court appearance today after allegedly robbing two Mall of America stores and a Minneapolis pawn shop. Matt Sepic has more.

MATT SEPIC: Bloomington Police said a caller inside the mall on Friday alerted security after seeing someone walk in with a rifle. Hennepin County prosecutors say 28-year-old Cartier Troy Alexander grabbed an item from a kiosk before going to the Lids hat shop on the third level. According to the criminal complaint, Alexander walked through this door with the rifle at his side and ordered employees to give him sports jerseys that he selected.

Mall security detained and disarmed Alexander outside the store and handed him over to police. He's charged in a separate complaint with holding up a Lake Street pawn shop. During a search of the vehicle Alexander left at the mall, police allegedly found jewelry from the pawn shop and a handgun. I'm Matt Sepic, Minneapolis.

CATHY WURZER: A fire early this morning damaged one of the oldest homes in Minneapolis, the historic John H. Stevens house. Is a white, wooden clapboard house near Minnehaha Falls. Minneapolis Park Board spokesperson Dawn Sommers says the fire caused significant damage.

DAWN SOMMERS: We don't know what caused the fire. The Minneapolis Fire Department will be investigating and will keep us informed. What we do know is that there's extensive damage to the historic home. And Park Board staff are on site, and further evaluation is needed on the structure itself.

CATHY WURZER: The house is still standing. Sommers says it was scheduled for a roof replacement later this year. The home was built by Stevens in about 1850, the first wood-frame house on the West Bank of the Mississippi River in what was to become Minneapolis.

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Our top story today is move-in day for thousands of first year students at the University of Minnesota. As the new students move in this afternoon on the Minneapolis campus, about 1,500 University of Minnesota custodians, dining hall workers, mechanics, research attendants, gardeners, and other service workers will picket and then rally. They're preparing for a potential strike following summer-long contract negotiations with the U. Their focus?

And end to low wages and so-called abusive employment practices. Joining us now is one University of Minnesota worker who will be at the rally today. Christy O'Connor has been an Administrative Senior Building and Grounds Worker for 23 years at the U. She's a member of the Teamsters. Christy, welcome to Minnesota Now.

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Thank you so much, Cathy. Thanks for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Why are you picketing today along with your colleagues?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Well, I think the main reason is we want livable wages. The U's adopted a very bad attitude during negotiations. We've been treated poorly for way too long. And we're trying to negotiate with them, but they're not budging. They know our demands, but we know what we're worth.

CATHY WURZER: And what are you making--

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: And we're not going to sit back-- sorry.

CATHY WURZER: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you there. What do you make per hour, approximately?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Well, me-- I'm at the top of my pay scale. And I think $23 and some change. I'm not sure, but there's other classifications within the Teamsters that are making a lot less than that. I think they start at 15.92 an hour.

CATHY WURZER: I think your Union mentioned that, because of low wages, staff homelessness has been an issue. Can you tell me more about that?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Yeah, we surveyed all of our members, and 10% answered that they have been homeless within the last year. And that was a shocking number to me. I have not dealt with that personally. But many of my coworkers have. It's really sad. We work full-time jobs. It just shouldn't be a thing.

CATHY WURZER: So you say that the you've been negotiating, but it's been unsatisfactory so far when it comes to talks.

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Yeah, I mean, we're in mediations now. Yeah, so we have to do what the mediator says. And we meet maybe two days a month, so it's a really slow process.

CATHY WURZER: Mm-hmm. Now, the U has been affected by staff shortages, right?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Absolutely.

CATHY WURZER: And how might that get worse if you guys go on strike?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Well, I mean, we're not striking just yet. I mean, it's on the table. But as far as staff shortages, it's pretty dire in dining.

They're 204 positions short right now. They have temps coming in, actually working today, making 22.50. And the top of the dishwasher pay scale is 17.76. So I mean, if they have the money to pay these temps, why wouldn't they want to pay their full-time employees?

CATHY WURZER: Have you had a chance to ask the University of Minnesota that question?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: [LAUGHS] Yeah, we have. They say that they have competitive wages. I don't know where they are finding their info, but it's not competitive.

CATHY WURZER: I understand the term greenwashing has come up from the Union in regards to the University. Can you explain that to us what that is, why it's important to the staff?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Well, that that's not my wheelhouse. But I do know that the University claims to be a champion of the environment and sustainability when they don't have enough employees to do the job correctly. The waste workers take the trash to the incinerator called Herc that's in Hennepin County.

It's in a low-income neighborhood. Everybody-- oh, I shouldn't say everybody, but a lot of people that live there have asthma. They don't have it on during the baseball games because it's so toxic. So it's like, they say all these things and do another.

CATHY WURZER: So does the Union feel-- do Rank and File feel that they're just not respected by the University?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we don't feel respected at all. And that's-- yeah, we're really frustrated. We--

CATHY WURZER: Go ahead. Keep going. You're doing fine.

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Oh, no, yeah, like I said before, they know our demands. And we are very, very frustrated. We want more than what the University is offering. We deserve more.

CATHY WURZER: I'm curious. What have you heard from students and faculty about this situation?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Oh, it's been wonderful. I have never seen this before. I mean, this is my third contract that I've worked on that I've been a part of.

And I've never seen anything like this. We are meeting with student groups. They are so supportive.

We have other unions at the University behind us. The professors are behind us. It's been such a wonderful thing. It makes my heart happy to see all the support that we're getting from the students, especially.

CATHY WURZER: So I understand there are additional meetings with the Bureau of Mediation Services. So that seems that might be positive. I'm curious-- and since you've been this route before, that you've done several contracts with the U in terms of negotiating-- what are the chances of a full-fledged strike?

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: Well, I mean, we're far away from that still, but it's on the table. I mean, today at the rally and the practice picket, they'll see that we're ready to fight. We're here, standing united, and showing them that we deserve more.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Well, thank you so much for telling us what's going on, Christy. We appreciate your time.

CHRISTY O'CONNOR: You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Christy O'Connor is an Administrative Senior Building and Grounds Worker at the University of Minnesota. She's a member of the Teamsters. She's also on the Teamsters Negotiating Committee. Now, by the way, we reached out to the University of Minnesota for some comment. They said they are currently in mediation with the Teamsters, as you heard. They also hope to quickly reach an agreement that will allow us to quote, "attract, retain, and engage a diverse workforce."

U says, quote, "we are proud to offer competitive wages and meaningful benefits, in addition to creating a culture where employees can be their best. The University will continue to bargain in good faith with our labor-represented employees. And as part of the contract negotiation process, Union members and representatives have the right to express their views through public demonstrations." it's 12:13 here on Minnesota Now.

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Let's listen to a little local jazz for our Minnesota Music Minute. This is the track, "Not Today Karen... Not Today" from drummer L.A. Bruckner and his band. The song came out back in 2021. Bruckner is a performing musician, teaching artist, and producer from the North side of Minneapolis.

[MUSIC - L.A. BRUCKNER, "NOT TODAY KAREN... NOT TODAY"]

Oh I like that. I like that a lot. As you know, there are hundreds of competitions at the Minnesota State Fair.

For bakers, the one big one is being named the Supreme Baker of the Fair. That's the person who wins the most top prize ribbons in the 94 different baking competitions. That's a lot of dessert.

The best bakers of Minnesota submitted their breads, cakes, cookies, and pies. And this year, there was a tie for Supreme Baker, or so they thought. Chad O'Leary and Kimberly Maize both were named the Supreme Bakers for this year.

But then, in a sad twist, competition organizers realized they made a mistake. Here with more on that is Chad O'Leary. Welcome to Minnesota Now, Chad.

CHAD O'LEARY: Thanks, Cathy. Here's what happened. There was a miscounting of points. And I ended up losing by one yellow ribbon.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, you are kidding.

CHAD O'LEARY: Yes. And so I am second best. I am the runner-up.

CATHY WURZER: So what? You are the runner-up. You are runner-up to Supreme Baker of Minnesota. I still think that that's a good thing.

CHAD O'LEARY: Oh, it definitely is. I'm proud of the accomplishment.

CATHY WURZER: You should be. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living?

CHAD O'LEARY: Sure. So I currently live in Maplewood. I am a teacher in the White Bear Lake District. I teach AP Biology to 10th graders.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Well, you clearly have entered before. I noticed you won for your pull-apart coffee cake in 2016 and a nut bread in 2021. So what did you enter this year that got you to nearly the top of the mountain?

CHAD O'LEARY: So I entered roughly, I believe, 14 or 15 things total. I leaned heavy into sweet roils this year. I also was really fascinated by some classic recipes from Italy. And so I leaned into that with their play on citrus. And yeah, every year, I just try to explore some new avenues and keep it interesting.

CATHY WURZER: OK. So what have you learned over these many years of entering? I mean, there must be some kind of a secret. I remember talking to Marjorie Johnson-- remember Marjorie, of course, that amazing--

CHAD O'LEARY: Oh, yeah, yep.

CATHY WURZER: --who won everything for years, and years, and years. So what's the secret to at least getting into the top echelons here?

CHAD O'LEARY: I think that the key thing is to be teachable. There are many lessons that you can learn from others and just through observation as you go along. As a science person, it's trial and error.

It's going through it's seeing what works and what doesn't. My garbage can gets just as much baked goods as people do. It's just trying things here and there, and you just got to be teachable.

CATHY WURZER: Trial and error-- OK, so tell me about those that did not make it.

CHAD O'LEARY: Well, you try. With baking, it's so precise. And that's part of the reason why I love it is that, unlike cooking, where it's a pinch of this or a dash of that-- that causes me immense anxiety. I like following a set script. But you do want to try new things.

And so if you're trying new things, a lot of times, it doesn't work. But you learn from it. It's like, OK, what was the outcome? What made it not work? And you avoid that next time. And perhaps you come up with some new ideas of what you want to try the next time around.

CATHY WURZER: OK, that makes some sense. I am not very precise. That's why baking is just not my deal-- just not my deal. I've got a lot of disasters behind me. What's the highest compliment you've ever been paid for something you've made?

CHAD O'LEARY: Oh, you know, I think that the highest compliment came when my grandmother was still alive. I made a carrot cake for Easter. And it was before she started to go downhill mentally, and she had commented that this is the best cake she's ever had. And so that, to me, means far more than any title at the State Fair. It's just becoming the best possible version of something I'm very passionate about.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, I love that. I love that. So this year, it sounds like it was a pretty bare-knuckled and sharp-elbowed competition. I mean, it sounds like there was a lot going on.

CHAD O'LEARY: Yeah, there were a lot more entries this year than in last year, I believe, just looking at the numbers. If you go online, you can see how many entered for each different category. And I could be wrong, but it looked like there were a greater number this year than the previous year, which is fine because now I go in.

There's more to compare my stuff to. I already have a list of two or three things that it was like, OK, yeah, I missed the ball on this one or on this thing. And next time around, this is what I'm going to do.

CATHY WURZER: Are you able to see the judges' comments, so you know where you went wrong?

CHAD O'LEARY: Yes and no. It depends on the judge. So at the end of the fair, we will get little slips of paper back with a score on there-- a number of score out of 100. And sometimes, there will be some comments there about specifically what they liked.

But you once you've done it enough, you can see through the cases how yours compares to others who got the ribbons. I mean, granted, you can't taste them. I'd love to go in the first day and have the key to that thing and really sample the competition.

But you can see some differences. Like, my chiffon cakes didn't rise as high as some of the others. So I know that's something that I have to work on going forward.

CATHY WURZER: OK. So have you ever entered other edibles in other competitions?

CHAD O'LEARY: The Bee & Honey also has a baking division. So I've done that. As a science person, I love that competition because you have to minimize or completely eliminate sugar. And so you're using honey as your sweetener.

Well, there's moisture involved there. So you have to play with the matrix of your ingredients in order for it to come out. it takes some trial and error there, but I really like tinkering around with that and submitting into that group of competitions as well.

CATHY WURZER: OK. So before you go, what's your plan for next year?

CHAD O'LEARY: My plan for next year is write everything down. So I journal how I did. I have a list of the order that I prepared things.

And I already noticed that there was a downhill slope on how I did over the course of the evening. And so there are some things, like temperature of butter that I need to be paying more attention to, getting more rise, like I said, on my chiffon cakes. There are other things where I just didn't enjoy making it.

And I won't do that again because there's other things that I can lean into. And so I have a year to think about it, and I do think about it most of the year and try things out. It's a great thing to be doing during the winter, baking in your warm kitchen. And so, yeah, that's going to be the process.

CATHY WURZER: OK. I'm going to be hoping, then, that, next year, I'll get to talk to you as the Supreme Baker of the State Fair. That's my hope for you.

CHAD O'LEARY: Pressure's on, but I'll take that challenge, Cathy.

CATHY WURZER: All right. I'll also wish you a happy school year too.

CHAD O'LEARY: Thank you. We'll need it.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Say, by the way, as I think about this, what do your kids say about what you do? Do they know that you're a top baker?

CHAD O'LEARY: Yes, and I involve them in the process too.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, my goodness.

CHAD O'LEARY: During the pandemic, I gave them a basic Challah bread. We were talking about cellular respiration and yeast and how they produce energy. And they had to come up with a variation of that.

And they dropped them off at school. And over Google Meet, we did a judging-type thing. And it was just a lot of fun.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, my goodness. It sounds great. Well, thank you. Congratulations on getting the runner-up. You know what-- that's a big deal. And then we'll see what happens next year.

CHAD O'LEARY: Wonderful. Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: Chad O'Leary is a Biology teacher and an award-winning baker from Maplewood, Minnesota. He's this year's runner-up in the Minnesota State Fair Supreme Baker competition. Hey, runner-up is good enough for me.

I'd eat one of Chad's sweet rolls, for sure. A lot going on at the fair, of course. At 1:30 this afternoon, it's the Junior Barrow Classic-- Barrow Pigs they're showing. And in case you want to watch, they have a live stream of this. I hope you watch.

The livestream of the draft horse show yesterday was fun to watch online. They do have a live stream of the Barrow show, if you'd like to watch. It's actually pretty interesting. The State Fair Parade-- if you go out to the fairs at 2 o'clock this afternoon, they always have a lot of really great high school bands. Coon Rapids is out there today.

The Mankato 77 Lancers-- school district 622 United, their band's out there today, Clear Lake Wisconsin, high school band, and the Quantico Marine Corps Ceremonial Band will be at the State Fair Parade, which is at 2 o'clock this afternoon. Grandstand tonight-- it's comedian Jim Gaffigan. Last night, The Beach Boys and The Temptations were said to be fantastic. And of course, we have our booth at the fair.

I hope you'll stop by-- corner of Judson and Nelson-- south end of the fairgrounds. We have a camping theme going on this year. I don't know who did the mural in the back of the booth. It's really quite pretty though. We have a camping theme. It's almost like you're in the North Woods. We have a big coloring wall.

We have, of course, merch from MPR News and the current and your classical MPR. You can also become an MPR member at the fair. So you can find a whole lineup of events happening at our booth, specifically at mpr.org/statefair.

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CATHY WURZER: It is a fine, fine afternoon around the beautiful state of Minnesota-- temperatures generally in the 60s and 70s. The hot spot appears to be-- well, it's a tie-- Appleton, Saint Cloud, Red Wing, and the Twin Cities. Everyone's at 73 degrees. 70 in International Falls. It's 72 at the Duluth Harbor, 69 in Rochester.

Emily Bright's here with a look at the news. Emily?

EMILY BRIGHT: Hi, Cathy. A surge in fighting on Ukraine's Southern front is fueling speculation that the long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive to try to turn the tide of the war is underway. Ukraine claims it destroyed bridges and ammunition depots AND pounded command posts in the Russian-occupied Kherson region, while Russia says it repelled the attack and inflicted heavy casualties.

Victims of abuse and their families saw a quiet breakthrough this summer when a new bipartisan gun safety law made it more difficult for intimate partners convicted of domestic abuse to obtain firearms. Congress's move to close the so-called boyfriend loophole was nearly a decade in the making. The new law makes it tougher for a convicted domestic abuser to obtain firearms, even when the abuser is not married to or doesn't have a child with a victim. Advocates and lawmakers are hopeful the change will save countless lives and become a significant part of the law's legacy.

The worst drought in Europe in decades hasn't only scorched farmland and hampered river traffic. It's also exposed part of World War II history that had been almost forgotten. The hulks of dozens of German battleships have emerged from the mighty Danube River as its water levels dropped.

They all lean on a pebblestone dune that has emerged in the middle of the huge river that separates Serbia and Romania. Some of the ships are still laden with munitions. They belong to Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet that was deliberately sunk by the Germans.

Meanwhile in Mississippi, their capital is struggling with multiple water problems-- too much on the ground after heavy rainfall in the past week and not enough safe water coming through the pipes for people to use. Parts of Jackson were without running water today because flooding worsened problems in one of the two water treatment plants. Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency Monday night for Jackson's water system. In Minnesota, as you said, Cathy, sunny today with highs in the 70s to low 80s. We'll have more news at 1:00 on MPR News.

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CATHY WURZER: Oh, the state fair is a tremendous spectacle. You know that-- live music, midway rides, jostling crowds, parades, carnival lights, and the powerful aroma of greasy food and livestock barns. It's a lot to take in.

For folks with autism or who are especially sensitive to a lot of noise and stimulation, the State Fair can be sometimes a little too much. Jillian Nelson is a community resource and policy advocate with the Autism Society of Minnesota. She's here to talk about strategies to find places of calm at the Fair. Hey, Jillian. How are you?

JILLIAN NELSON: Hi, Cathy. I'm great. Thank you so much for having us with you today.

CATHY WURZER: Absolutely. Thank you. What's it like attending the State Fair for someone with sensory sensitivities?

JILLIAN NELSON: Oh, that's a really hard thing to describe, Cathy. I mean, I think in a nutshell, the best way to describe it as a lot. People with sensory sensitivities-- and I'm an autistic adult myself-- we experience everything on a much larger scale. So other people might be able to walk through the fair and maybe tune out the conversation next to them or the sounds of the generators behind a booth.

For someone with autism, they're going to experience all of those things at full volume. And then add in all of the visual stuff, and all of the jostling, and the heat, and the sounds, and the smells, and it's a lot, but it's also an amazing place to visit. So sometimes, we have to find ways to navigate a lot.

CATHY WURZER: And we should also say this is true to not only of people with autism, but folks with PTSD, anxiety. I mean, that can be really difficult too.

JILLIAN NELSON: Yeah, there's a wide range of diagnoses in people that-- we call them neurodiverse people that can experience the sensory world in a little bit different way. It's definitely not limited to autism. There's a lot of members of our community that can be very overwhelmed by all that sensory experience.

CATHY WURZER: And betting, rather than deal with this, they probably just decide not to go to the fair.

JILLIAN NELSON: Yeah, that's one of the challenges. That's why it's been so exciting to see a lot of conversations around accessibility and goals at the Fair around accessibility to make sure that it can really be an inclusive place because just because something is hard and we have to do it a little bit differently, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't get to experience the same magic that is the Minnesota State Fair, as every other Minnesotan.

CATHY WURZER: How accessible is the Fair for folks with sensory sensitivities? And I ask that because you look around the Fair, you see a lot of folks on scooters, and there are curb cuts. There are accessibility for folks with physical disabilities. So how about those for neurodivergent individuals?

JILLIAN NELSON: We're starting to make some changes. Last year was the first year that there was a sensory-friendly space on the State Fairgrounds with this being sponsored by Minnesota's therapy group Fraser But we still have a long way to go. Right now, other than that small space in the fair, it mostly depends on people with sensory needs to do the planning for themselves and come prepare to support themselves throughout the fair, though it is incredibly great to know that there is that space to have a break.

The other really neat thing that the Fair has done is they've created an accessibility guide that offers some tips and tools for people so that you can prepare for what to expect at the Fair. And that knowledge and information is half the-- it's half the need for being able to accommodate yourself on the fairgrounds to know what to expect coming in.

CATHY WURZER: So for folks who don't know about the Fraser Sensory Building, is that the place that's just-- oh, gosh-- South of the Home Improvement building on Cosgrove?

JILLIAN NELSON: Yep, we're right across from the Education building.

CATHY WURZER: Mm-hmm. Tell me what's in that building.

JILLIAN NELSON: There's a lot of different things in the building. They have some quiet area where there's beanbags, and swings, and pillows, and a place where you can just disconnect from everything in the Fair and enjoy some solitude. They also have some sensory tools for children in there.

For individuals that might need a little more directed sensory inputs, they have the sensory walls. They have this fantastic light-up water tube. And then my personal favorite in there is the giant life-sized, full-adult-sized pin art table, where you can push yourself in and get that whole imprint of your body. It's also just a really neat sensory experience.

CATHY WURZER: Are the needs different for kids versus adults?

JILLIAN NELSON: Needs for kids and adults can definitely be different. As a kid, chances are, if you're at the Fair, I hope you have an adult with you that's there to support your needs. Also, society tends to be a little bit more understanding when a kid's having a hard time. No one looks at a four-year-old that's crying in the middle of Midway and says, wow, something's really wrong with them. Maybe we should call the EMT.

That doesn't happen with children. We just assume that a child's having a rough day. And maybe we'll give that family some space. Maybe they need offer of a quieter space. But it's easier for kids to navigate that because they have a support team, and they also have an understanding that kids fall apart.

When you're an adult and you're falling apart in the Midway, you don't always get that same understanding. You also don't necessarily have your two parents there to take care of you. So you really are a little bit more dependent on how you can support yourself. It's one of those things where the demands just get a little bit bigger for adults than they do for children.

CATHY WURZER: Let me ask you about, then, help for adults and kids, for that matter. I noted I have a friend who has several autistic kids, and she was at the Fair with me on Friday. And they showed up, and they had earplugs and noise-canceling headphones on, which really seemed to help. Does that ring true to you? And do you have other ideas for folks who might want to bring something with them to bring to have a better experience at the fair?

JILLIAN NELSON: Oh, absolutely, Cathy. I don't set foot in the State Fairgrounds without my noise-canceling headphones. I also recommend having other things.

I usually have a backpack that has some fidgets-- so some sensory tools-- so things I know that are going to provide me a comforting option. I usually also bring something to keep myself cool, whether it's ice water, or a cooling scarf, or a handheld fan. I usually also have other things.

I keep a spare pair of shoes in my backpack because I physical discomfort is something that can really throw the rest of my sensory stuff into whack. So I'll have different pairs of shoes. So when my feet hurt, I can change into another pair of shoes and give my feet a little bit of a different experience. It's also really just knowing the space and knowing where I can find quiet. I never thought I'd be a person that would regularly schedule rodeo and calf showing events into my State Fairgrounds time.

But now I regularly spend time in the Coliseum because it's usually a little bit cooler and a little bit quieter. It means that I regularly know where I can find other quiet spaces and places where the crowds might not be so big so that I can give myself that break and that space to use tools that might help me be a little bit calmer. So I can go out and do the more crazy stuff, like roam the Midway or wait in the really, really long line to get a slice of that dill pickle pizza.

CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] By the way, do you have a buddy with you that you take and go around the Fair together? Does that help?

JILLIAN NELSON: I do. I always show up at the fair with a team. So whether it's one of my partners or whether it's a friend to make sure that there's someone there that knows about my different support needs. I was at the Fair on Friday representing the Autism Society with the Council on Disability.

And I went to get some cheese on a stick with one of my colleagues. And him and his wife were absolutely fantastic in making sure that I have the support and moving through a really crowded Fair. Like, people on each side of me, so I didn't get jostled and bumped around as much. So it's really just about going to the fair with people that really understand your access needs and are willing and enthusiastic about supporting you to make sure that you have a great visit to the Fair.

CATHY WURZER: So before you go, I'm wondering, Jillian, what else can the Fair do to make its offerings more inclusive in the future?

JILLIAN NELSON: I would love to see the Fair in the future really focus a little bit more on planning for adults with disabilities like autism. We have some great features out there for kids, and most autistic adults have learned how to adapt kid accessibility to work for them. But when we plan for adults-- like here at the Autism Society, we run an Autistic Community Summit every September.

And it's a place where we plan for autistic adults by autistic adults. And when you bring them together in a place that is intentional for them, they thrive, and they blossom, and they bloom. And they create this beautiful community.

And that is what inclusion and accessibility is about, is feeling welcome in a space. So I would love to see the Fair move forward with planning more for adults with disabilities like autism or PTSD. And I'd also really love to see some more on-call accessibility. Twin Cities Pride has this great feature, where if you have an accessibility request, you can text.

And they have a trained accessibility team that will come out and support whatever accessibility need you have. And I would love to see the Minnesota State Fair have that-- not just for people with disabilities like autism, but for people with all types of disabilities because maybe there's a place where the curb cut's being blocked, or there's a need for a sign language interpreter. And really being able to communicate in real time with an organization like the Fair about accessibility needs would be absolutely fantastic.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Jillian, I really appreciated the conversation. I enjoyed it so much. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the Fair.

JILLIAN NELSON: I'll be back out there tomorrow. And I'm looking forward to trying a few new foods and checking out some great animals.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Thanks, Jillian. Take care.

JILLIAN NELSON: Have a great day.

CATHY WURZER: You too. That's Jillian Nelson. She's a Community Resource and Policy Advocate for the Autism Society of Minnesota. You can find more information on her organization at ausm.org. You can also find a state fair Accessibility Guide at mnstatefair.org.

ANNOUNCER: Support comes from Concordia College Morehead, with a 98% first-time pass rate for teaching graduates in Minnesota and a 97% first-time pass rate for nursing graduates. Information at concordiacollege.edu.

CATHY WURZER: You've heard about The Great Resignation, right? Workers have quit in droves since the pandemic began, trying to find a job that works for them. Or a lot of people close to retirement age decided to call it quits. This has been a time of reassessment and re-evaluation for everyone.

The workplace itself changed overnight when the pandemic hit. The hybrid model is not going away. Employees want the option of working remotely and only coming into the office when needed.

With all the churn, where are the people who will be able to lead in this new workplace landscape? Former Medtronic CEO Bill George has some ideas. George, who teaches leadership at the Harvard Business School as an Executive Fellow, says, "Success will be determined by leaders who can quickly adapt, shift, and adjust while leading with their authentic selves." Today, the Minneapolis resident is out with his latest book. That's a guide for emerging leaders-- True North, emerging leader Edition. Bill George, it's always a pleasure talking with you. Thanks for being here.

BILL GEORGE: Cathy, I'm thrilled to be on your show on the launch day for my new book. Thank you so much.

CATHY WURZER: You have long said that the hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself. And to become an effective leader, you first have to know who you are. Explain that in relation to your concept of finding one's True North.

BILL GEORGE: Well, I think you have to know your values, your beliefs, and your principles, and be grounded in those, and build your leadership from that. And then you can go off to find the purpose of your leadership. You can go from-- and I think if you just try to go for a title, Cathy-- power, money, fame, you're going to be fail, like Mark Zuckerberg is floundering right now.

And I think the leaders of today really are-- the emerging leaders really are very well grounded in who they are. And I think it's time for this massive generation change in leadership that you referred to take place. And so I'm excited about seeing the new generation, the Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zs stepping up.

CATHY WURZER: This younger group of business leaders-- unlike a previous generation, they don't appear afraid to speak their minds. They're vocal about hot-button social issues. They push back on biases they see. What do you think about that?

BILL GEORGE: Well, I think we're going through an employee revolution. Employees have agency today, and they want to be heard. They want to be recognized for who they are. And they won't accept the baby boomer style of command and control. They'll quit.

They'll find something else. And you're right. COVID did reshape a lot of these views-- people saying, what do I do with my life? I want to work somewhere in an organization where I feel aligned. My purpose and my values are aligned with the organization's.

And my organization is concerned about climate change and accepts everyone in an inclusive environment that doesn't judge them by their race, or their gender, or a national origin. So this is the big change. And I think it can't come too soon. I'm very excited about it. These are people I've worked with for 20 years.

One other thing I'd add, Cathy, is that the younger leaders have faced crises for the last 20 years, starting with 9/11. Now we're facing intersecting crises. I think they're better prepared to lead in a crisis environment that we faced today.

CATHY WURZER: Really? They're better prepared? I mean, because we've been dealing with so much volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity. So what qualities are you seeing in this coming generation of leaders that can navigate-- who can navigate these waters?

BILL GEORGE: I think they're much more adaptable, much more flexible, less fixed on bureaucracy and rigidity, and willing to adapt to whatever the needs of today are. You saw people-- take Corie Barry over at Best Buy-- amazing rapid adaption when COVID took place. Within a week, she transformed her stores from showrooms into distribution centers. And that kind of leadership is exactly what we need going forward.

CATHY WURZER: You know, you were talking about authentic leaders, that they know themselves, and they share that with their employees. As we move out of the worst of the pandemic and folks go back into the office, how do leaders thoughtfully reengage with their employees? Do you have any ideas on that?

BILL GEORGE: Well, I think they have to be out with them, not sitting in an office meeting in the headquarters on the top floor-- but getting out into retail stores, getting out into the production lines, into the research labs. That's where I spent all my time at Medtronic, out with doctors in the hospitals and talking to our innovators in the labs. I learned a lot more there than I did sitting in business meetings.

And just having lunch with a group of production workers and ask them about the quality of our products where life and death was at stake. I think all leaders need to do that and be out with their people. That's what the people insist on today. They don't just want it. They insist on it. They don't want to work for an organization that's highly bureaucratic, and they'll quit, like you said.

CATHY WURZER: And what do you think of-- as we move forward here, Bill, kind of a bottom-up style of management, almost, with employees sharing decision making at some level?

BILL GEORGE: I think they should. Let's push a decision. People say, push it down.

I'd flip the organization-- put the customers on top and the front line employees. We learned in COVID, Cathy, was nice for all of us to be on Zoom. But the employees in COVID that really counted were the ones working front lines to save our lives-- or like my son, who's a surgeon.

They're the ones. And so they should make decisions. They have the greatest knowledge about what really matters about quality, about customer needs. And so I think, yes, absolutely, we've got to change our whole decision-making process.

CATHY WURZER: Bill George, I wish I had more time with you. I appreciate your time, and best of luck. Thank you so much.

BILL GEORGE: Thank you. And I hope everyone will read my new book, The Emerging Leader Edition of True North, because I think it's got a lot of good ideas, and I'd love to get feedback on it.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Thank you, Bill George. Former Medtronic CEO Bill George is also a Minneapolis resident. He teaches Leadership at the Harvard Business School.

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Do you love a good mystery? Maybe a thriller or a crime novel? Well, you're in luck because next weekend, the Twin Cities is hosting Bouchercon. Now, what is that? It's the world mystery convention where mystery readers, writers, agents, and editors gather to talk all things mystery. Jess Lowery will be there. She's a Minnesota-based mystery writer. Her 22nd book is coming out this fall.

She joins me right now. Say, by the way, we're going to talk briefly here in the next few minutes about someone taking their own life. Jess, hello. Welcome to Minnesota Now.

JESS LOWERY: Thank you. I am so glad to be here and talk about what is summer camp for people who love books, Bouchercon Mystery Festival.

CATHY WURZER: Bouchercon-- I love the name. Where did that come from? Do we know?

JESS LOWERY: It's a weird little bit of trivia. Anthony Boucher was a New York Times Book reviewer in, I want to say, the '40s, maybe the '50s. And he also wrote some books, some mysteries. And somehow, even though everybody's forgotten him, he lives on in the name of this conference.

CATHY WURZER: I love that. So I understand a number of people show up to this every year, and they come from all over the world?

JESS LOWERY: It is an international mystery fan conference. And it travels, so it's in a different location every year. We haven't had it in Minneapolis since 2006. And so it's quite an honor. Right now, we're at 1,300 people registered.

CATHY WURZER: Tell me about some of the people you are excited to see.

JESS LOWERY: Oh, my gosh. It's a hard list because it's so welcoming, but it's also these superstars, like Craig Johnson, who writes the Longmire series, Charlaine Harris, who wrote the books that True Blood on HBO was based on, Jo Nesbo, who is a Scandinavian writer. There are so many superstars that I can't wait to hang out with-- and some locals too. Like, William Kent Kruger will be there. Ellen Hart will be there.

CATHY WURZER: Wow, oh, my goodness. You mentioned a diverse group of individuals. Let's talk about that for just a moment. How diverse is the pool of mystery writers at the conference?

JESS LOWERY: Within the crime fiction community, it's been a topic of conversation-- how we need to be more diverse, how we need to have that wide pool of brilliant voices. And so the committee-- which I'm not on-- but the committee for organizing Bouchercon specifically had as their manifesto to make it very diverse. And so Shawn Cosby is one of the guests of honor.

He's a rising star, but he's actually a superstar right now. He, in the last year, has soared. And so there's diverse panels. These are people who have stories to tell, and the community is stronger with more diverse voices.

CATHY WURZER: I also went through all of the various panel discussions, and they look fantastic.

JESS LOWERY: It is so much fun.

CATHY WURZER: Who comes up with these names too? The art of Misdirection-- I like Grief and the Gumshoe. That's a good one too.

JESS LOWERY: Right? It's writers who put the panels together. They're very creative.

CATHY WURZER: It sounds like you've got a little something for everybody.

JESS LOWERY: Right? It is a fan conference. So first and foremost, it's for book lovers. But if you are a writer, there will be agents and editors there. If you are a librarian, you can talk to the authors and find out who you want to be stocking-- and stocking, S-T-O-C-K-I-N-G-- [LAUGHS] not the other way.

So there is something for everybody. And even though it's huge, it is very warm and welcoming. And you'll just meet people on the elevator, in the bar, in the hospitality room. You'll see amazing panels. It's just a really good time.

CATHY WURZER: Because there are editors and agents at the conference, do folks come hoping to sell a manuscript?

JESS LOWERY: I've heard stories of agents getting manuscripts slipped under the toilet stall to them in past Bouchercons. Some people come more to connect, more to see the people face-to-face so they can submit their manuscripts later. But there are book deals made at Bouchercon, for sure.

CATHY WURZER: So as a mystery writer, I'm betting you probably live a fairly solitary life. I'm assuming that. And maybe that's a wrong assumption. What are you looking forward to?

JESS LOWERY: No, you're absolutely right. It's a conference for introverts. And so [LAUGHS] it's all these people who love books, all these book nerds who, for four days, get together and talk books and wear themselves out. I was talking to somebody about my very first Bouchercon. At the end of it, I was sitting in the airport with all these new friends I had made sitting next to me, and none of us even said hi to each other because we were so tired from talking.

CATHY WURZER: [LAUGHS] Let me ask you about you. What made you take on the mystery genre?

JESS LOWERY: You know, it's actually a sad story. It was my husband's suicide in 2001 drove me to have to get this grief out somehow. And mystery writing was just a perfect fit because it's about justice.

It's about answers. It's about connecting with something larger than yourself. And so I wrote my first mystery in 2002, and it came out in 2006.

CATHY WURZER: So this is how-- it may be writing mystery novels then helped you work through the grief of your husband's death?

JESS LOWERY: It absolutely did. I have a TEDx Talk about it-- but just the healing power of writing. Even if you don't publish-- maybe especially if you don't publish, just writing, giving coherence to a story really helps us to release the pain of it, so we can take the lessons away.

CATHY WURZER: I told you off air, I've written a couple of books myself and had them published. And because I pound out news copy for a living, I find long-form writing excruciating. Now, I guess, mystery writing would be even more difficult. I mean, do you concentrate on setting, on characters, or maybe that one gasp-worthy plot twist? Give us a sense of the questions you ask yourself as you launch into writing.

JESS LOWERY: You know, I'm an outliner, and so I look at the plot first. But there is a misconception that mysteries are all plot and no character development. And so there is no plot without characters. So I look at how the twist, which is very popular right now, right? We love a twist, how the twist can help the character to grow and how the character's growth leads to the twist. And so I outline, but it's kind of a big soup I keep in mind as I'm going.

CATHY WURZER: Kind of dive into that a little bit deeper for me here. Do some of the characters live with you, in a sense? Does that make sense?

JESS LOWERY: It makes sense. I'm not one of the writers for whom the characters talk to me. I know that's true of some writers. But for me, they start to take shape, and so I can feel them walking alongside me. And so I carry old-school paper and pen, so I can write down when bits of dialogue or bits of insight come to me.

CATHY WURZER: Now, as I said earlier, your 22nd book is coming out this fall. Congratulations.

JESS LOWERY: Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: I can't even imagine writing 22 books. Tell me a little bit about the book.

JESS LOWERY: It's called The Quarry Girls. It's set in 1977 St. Cloud, Minnesota. And I was living in Saint Cloud. I was a child then.

And in my research, I found out that there were two and potentially three active serial killers in Saint Cloud in the '70s. And so I fictionalized my experience of growing up immersed in this kind of terrifying environment. And I turned it into, hopefully, a page turner.

CATHY WURZER: You know, I recall hearing about those murders. And that was quite a story in Saint Cloud.

JESS LOWERY: It really-- wasn't it? And the third-- the murder of the Reker sisters was never solved. And so it really shaped-- for me, anyhow-- my childhood of what it felt like to grow up in a medium-sized town and what safety looks like or doesn't look like.

CATHY WURZER: Well, how have you managed to write 22 books?

JESS LOWERY: For me, it's sanity. It really keeps me sane. And you will find that mystery writers-- if you go to Bouchercon-- are the nicest people you've ever met because we work all our dark thoughts out on paper. [LAUGHTER]

And so it's really cathartic. And some days, I don't want to write, like any other job. But I'm very blue-collar about it. It's my job. I show up for it, and it gets a lot of stuff off my shoulders.

CATHY WURZER: Mm-hmm. OK, Bouchercon-- someone wants to show up there. But before they go, if they need to read a couple of books before they show up to talk intelligently with those gathered, what should they be reading right now?

JESS LOWERY: Shawn Cosby's Razorblade Tears is amazing. Oh, that's the one.

That's the must read between now and the 8th when the conference starts. I'd say, read that one. Absolutely, you will find it in any bookstore in Minneapolis. It's brilliant.

CATHY WURZER: OK. Gosh, Jess, it's been fun talking with you. I hope you have a wonderful Bouchercon.

JESS LOWERY: Thank you for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Jess Lowery is a Minnesota-based mystery writer. Her 22nd book is coming out this fall. And she will be at Bouchercon with about 1,400 other people next weekend, September 8th through the 11th. If you'd like to go to the conference, you can still register.

The deadline, though, is Thursday-- this Thursday, September the 1st. It's bouchercon2022.com. I'll spell that for you. It's B-O-U-C-H-E-R-C-O-N 2022 dot com. She was a delight to talk to, and that conference does sound like it would be fantastic.

Say, earlier in the show, we talked with Chad O'Leary, who just missed being named the Supreme Baker at the Minnesota State Fair this year. He says, there's always next year. Well, after trying for a dozen years to win a blue ribbon for his salsa, Gerry Heroff finally did it. The Saint Paul man took home the top prize for his spicy recipe that he kept refining every year.

This year, Gerry threw in six or seven peppers and a new one-- a Hungarian Black pepper that his family is convinced helped him win. Well, sadly, Gerry is not here to enjoy his success. Gerry Heroff died a week before the Fair started.

It was a sudden death. And his grieving family went online before the fair started, and there was Gerry's name at the top of the list-- number one for his salsa. It's a bittersweet story, for certain. KARE 11 did it. It's on their website.

Thank you so much for listening to Minnesota Now here on MPR News. I appreciate it. Have yourselves a good day.

And support for Minnesota Now comes from True Stone Financial, a full-service credit union working to improve the financial wellbeing of its neighbors since 1939. Serving individuals and businesses at 23 locations and online at truestone.org. Equal housing opportunity insured by NCUA.

Right now in the Twin Cities, skies are sunny. It's gorgeous, 75 degrees. Today's high, 78 with a Northwest breeze at 5 to 15. Clear skies overnight. The lows should be about 58 degrees.

A run of fantastic weather here-- tomorrow, sunny with a high of 82. It gets a little close, a little muggy-- humid on Thursday, with a high of 88, close to 90. Friday, pretty close to the upper 80s.

Again, humid on Friday. Saturday, though, not as warm, sunny with a high of 75. Upper 70s on Sunday. Labor Day Monday, lower 80s under sunshine. It's 1 o'clock.