Stories from August 15, 2024

Partial sunshine with scattered showers; quiet weekend ahead
A low pressure center continues to move very slowly across northern Minnesota. Ongoing scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder are possible for Thursday night. Temperatures remain slightly below our average to end the work week.
Beginning in 2026, ten prescription drugs for Medicare recipients will be less expensive. And both major-party candidates for vice president have now agreed to at least one televised debate.
Bridge collapse closes Ontario rail line, just north of Minnesota border
A railway bridge in Ontario — just north of the Minnesota border — collapsed Wednesday, blocking rail and boat traffic. The span is known as the Five-Mile Bridge, and crosses a channel of Rainy Lake.
Robot delivery approved for the U of M campus
The Minneapolis City Council Thursday approved a one-year pilot program for personal delivery devices — small delivery robots that travel on sidewalks and road shoulders. Council members say they’re listening to safety and labor concerns as the project rolls out.
Minneapolis honors Bernadette Anderson with commemorative street on city‘s north side
A north Minneapolis street will bear the name of Bernadette Anderson, an outspoken advocate for civil rights for African Americans. Anderson also had a reputation for offering tough love and for keeping an open door to young people who need help, including an upstart musician who went by the name Prince.
Minnesota Aurora women’s soccer team withdraws bid to go pro
The Eagan-based women’s pre-professional soccer team has withdrawn its bid to join the professional level National Women's Soccer League. In three seasons, the team has gone undefeated in all regular season games, but they’ve yet to win a league championship.
Minnesota child care providers put a pause on revising licensing standards
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is pausing the proposed rollout of new child care licensing standards for next legislative session. This comes after providers voiced their concerns with some of the revisions.
Lynx pride in Paris: Coach Reeve reflects on Olympic basketball win as WNBA season resumes
“Not everything went perfectly, I can tell you that, but we have great players that have been in difficult moments, and they came through in the end,” Team USA and Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve said.
5 people, including 2 doctors, charged in investigation into Matthew Perry's death
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday, saying the doctors supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine and even wondered in a text message how much the former “Friends” star would be willing to pay.
Wisconsin man convicted in killings of 3 men near a quarry
A Wisconsin jury has convicted a man in the shootings of three men whose bodies were found outside a quarry. The La Crosse Tribune reports that 37-seven-year-old Nya Thao was found guilty Tuesday of three counts of intentional first-degree homicide and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
Love for the lost: A small exhibit at the Weisman reimagines a moment of Black history
“Seeking for the Lost” displays sepia-toned portraits, reimagining individuals from historical ads in a Black newspaper, exploring family searches post-slavery and reclaiming Black identities from the Reconstruction era.
CBS News says Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has agreed to a debate on Oct. 1. Republican JD Vance, former President Donald Trump's running mate, has not yet agreed to that date. And anti-war protesters gathered at a meeting of the State Board of Investment Wednesday to again call on Minnesota elected leaders to cut financial ties to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
After health care attacks, tech giants will help small hospitals with cyber defenses
As small and rural hospitals struggle against cyber attacks, a federally brokered deal will allow them to access free and discounted cybersecurity services. Experts say it may not be enough.
Medicare negotiated drug prices for the first time. Here’s what it got
The White House is set to announce how much it was able to save on Medicare drug prices. It's the first time the federal program has negotiated lower prices with the pharmaceutical industry.
Moorhead shelter faces financial crisis, possibility of cutting services to unsheltered
A Moorhead shelter announced this week it needed to raise $200,000 by the end of the month or face closure. The shelter houses hundreds of people each year and provides food assistance to thousands through a food pantry.
Art Hounds: Fantastic true stories from Carlisle Evans Peck
From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what’s exciting in local art. This week: Carlisle Evans Peck’s show “Iconoclasm,” folk music and poetry at MetroNOME Brewery and a reading by Andy Stermer.
Indigenous Food Lab to debut new menu items at the Minnesota State Fair
Nothing may excite more than the new foods that make their debut each year at the Minnesota State Fair. This year, the Indigenous Food Lab will introduce pre-colonial menu options that showcase a taste of the Americas with ingredients from close to home.
‘Quit mowing’: Turning Minnesota lake homeowners into shoreline stewards, one lawn at a time
A program born in the Brainerd Lakes Area to protect natural shorelines and curb pollution also wants to reset Minnesota’s lake culture. It’s led by property owners, including some who helped create the current environmental problems.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey proposes $1.88 billion budget
Frey called 2025-2026 a “difficult budgetary cycle,” squeezed by “higher but necessary” labor costs, the absence of COVID-19 relief funds and a changed tax base as commercial property values have declined.