Bemidji Mayor receives national award for leadership after massive storm

Now in its second year of service, the Borealis Amtrak train has helped grow passenger ridership between St. Paul and Chicago. And a program that gets more kids learning outside is now a year old.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A man who surrendered after a nearly eight-hour standoff with police last week could face charges as soon as Monday. The 31-year-old allegedly shot down a police drone and fired at sheriff's deputies multiple times Tuesday afternoon as they tried to serve an arrest warrant.The Church of St. Timothy in Blaine is honoring Mark and Melissa Hortman at its 9 a.m. Mass Monday morning. Melissa taught Sunday School at St. Timothy.A Minneapolis man persistently harassed and later shot by his next-door neighbor filed a lawsuit last week against the city and his home's previous owners. Lawyers for 36-year-old Davis Moturi say in the court filing the October 2024 shooting caused "severe and permanent injury."Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince will receive a national award Monday evening for his leadership in the aftermath of a massive storm last June. The storm produced hurricane force winds, downed 9 million trees, and caused around $10 million in damages.

On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained more than 30 employees of a contractor working at a townhome complex in Bemidji. And Minneapolis-based Sleep Number announced today that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy -- and that it has entered an agreement to combine with a Canadian mattress retailer.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A sentencing date is pending for Vance Boelter after he pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges stemming from last June’s attacks on Minnesota lawmakers and their families. That includes the killings of former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well the attack on DFL state Senator John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and their daughter, Hope. Under terms of the plea deal, Boelter will spend the rest of his life in prison.More than a hundred men serving time at Rush City prison are boycotting the canteen to protest prison conditions. A federal judge has denied a request from independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort to release grand jury transcripts in their case. Target Field food and beverage workers announced they will strike on June 22 — during a game between the Twins and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Vance Boelter today admitted killing a top DFL lawmaker and her husband during an early morning shooting rampage last year. Boelter’s plea means federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty. And the Minneapolis City Council voted today to waive a special tax assessment for property owners in George Floyd Square.Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

Minneapolis city officials say a new report on the economic effects of the federal immigration enforcement surge can help provide a roadmap for how to direct relief efforts. The city estimates the surge caused nearly $700 million in economic harm, most of that due to lost wages and business revenue.Additionally, the Minneapolis City Council is set to take up two measures this morning related to George Floyd Square. One is whether to approve a special tax assessment on property owners at the square to help cover the cost of a street reconstruction project that just started.Minnesota lawmakers want to memorialize a peer lost to political violence and prevent future threats. Almost one year ago, a gunman shot and killed House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home. The gunman also shot Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, who both survived. The shootings rocked the state. And in the months since, lawmakers sought to remember the Hortmans by renaming a highway, bike trail and Capitol garden.The man charged with killing Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark is expected to plead guilty this morning.A Feeding Our Future defendant who fled to Kenya is back in Minnesota to face charges after surrendering to authorities.Minneapolis estimates Operation Metro Surge cost the city $700 millionMinneapolis City Council to weigh two measures related to George Floyd SquareSteps to honor Hortman, prevent future tragedies take root in year since her assassinationBoelter expected to plead guilty in lawmaker attacks

The city of Minneapolis now estimates that the federal immigration enforcement surge caused nearly $700 million in economic damage.And clean-up is underway after about 20 rail cars were knocked off the tracks in western Minnesota early this morning as severe storms swept through. Those stories and more in today’s evening update from MPR News. Hosted by Emily Reese. Music by Gary Meister.

A line of severe storms raced across Minnesota overnight, bringing wind gusts of more than 80 mph and knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses. More severe storms are possible Wednesday afternoon and evening, especially across eastern Minnesota and into western Wisconsin.City leaders in Minneapolis will release an updated impact assessment for Operation Metro Surge on Wednesday. The city now estimates that the federal immigration surge from December to April had a $700 million impact on the city, residents and businesses.And the Department of Justice is not seeking the death penalty for the man accused of killing former DFL Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.Severe storms knock out power to thousands across MinnesotaMinneapolis estimates Operation Metro Surge cost the city $700 millionDeath penalty off the table for alleged Hortman killer

Air quality in the Twin Cities and much of central Minnesota may reach unhealthy levels this afternoon and evening. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert from noon to 9 p.m. for the Twin Cities metro area extending northwest to St. Cloud, Sauk Centre and Little Falls.Like other alerts the past couple weeks, the concern is for ground-level ozone that forms on warm, dry days when sunshine reacts with pollutants in the air. Conditions should improve after sunset.Fargo voters are choosing a new mayor and two other city commissioners Tuesday. And the city is changing up the method of voting after North Dakota lawmakers banned approval voting last year. And DFL governor candidate Amy Klobuchar is out with a proposal aimed at addressing Minnesota's housing shortage. Klobuchar says the state should work with cities and counties to lift requirements that can add time and project expenses. The plan would also create incentives for communities that build more multi-family housing.Lawmakers scrapped Fargo’s novel voting system. Tuesday's mayoral election goes back to basics

An Annunciation family is condemning the gaming platform Roblox for a game modeled after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Leah and Harry Kaiser said it’s “heartbreaking and unacceptable” to see tragedies like the one that critically injured their daughter recreated on the platform. They sent a letter to Roblox calling for stronger safeguards against violent content. The company said on social media the simulation was removed in early February.The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled the city of Faribault erred when it decided a proposed data center did not require a more in-depth environmental study. The nonprofit Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy appealed the decision, arguing the city did not have enough information about the project’s potential air and noise pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. A new congressional report dissects internal problems that could have allowed fraud to fester in Minnesota-run programs. The 200-page report by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform retraces fraud in nutrition and Medicaid programs and what was done about it. It’s shaping up to be a hot, humid and stormy few days across Minnesota, with chances for severe weather. After scattered storms through tonight, highs are expected to climb into the upper 80s to low 90s across much of the state Tuesday and Wednesday.