Weekend of gun violence leaves five dead in Twin Cities

WCCO reports: “Five people have been killed over three days across the Twin Cities. Four people died in Minneapolis, one in St. Paul — all from gun violence. Several more people were shot in those cases but survived. The most recent incident was Sunday morning outside a corner store in north Minneapolis. … It was around 9:45 a.m. when police say gunfire erupted outside Emerson Food Market. One person died at the scene, a second victim later died at the hospital, and a third victim is expected to survive.”

Kelly Smith of the Star Tribune says, “Voter registrations are surging in Minnesota, especially among young adults. New state data released at the end of last week show that 52,644 new voters have registered to vote so far this year — more than double the number of new voters registered at this time in 2014, the last year in which the state held a gubernatorial election. And two-thirds of the new voter registrations so far — 35,608 people — are 18 to 30 years old. The spike comes after the state in August saw the highest primary turnout since 1994.”

From MPR: “The Republican candidate for Secretary of State and his campaign manager were injured Sunday when the parade float they riding on crashed. The float had just completed the Steamboat Days parade and was heading back to the staging location when the accident occurred, according to Amy Koch, the campaign manager for Republican candidate for Senate Karin Housley. Koch said the tractor pulling the float sped up and hit a curb. John Howe, the candidate for Secretary of State, said he was thrown to the pavement along with his campaign manager, Tim Droogsma.”

For USA Today, Nora Hertel and Eliza Collins say, “Republicans are defending dozens of congressional seats across the country in districts vulnerable to a Democratic wave, but there are few Democratic-held House seats where the GOP might turn the tide. Two of the biggest pickup chances sit in Minnesota, deep in Trump country. … A super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., reserved roughly $8 million in local ads, with almost $4 million of that going to bolster 8th District Republican Pete Stauber’s candidacy … .”

For MPR, Evan Frost comments on a series of photos of fans at Sunday’s Vikings game. “The Minnesota Vikings took on the San Francisco 49ers inside of US Bank Stadium Sunday, and Vikings superfans left it all on the field with their outfits. Many showed their take on the classic Viking, and others put horns on a beer box. … Carol and Eric Jensen, known as Queen Hell-gah and Sir Thorn pose for portraits in a parking lot near US Bank Stadium before the Vikings first game again the San Francisco 49ers. The couple pre-game in a renovated ambulance they call ‘Beserkers,’ complete with a purple and gold paint job.

Also in the Strib, Miguel Otarola reports, “President Donald Trump on Saturday morning tweeted his support for Dave Hughes, the Republican challenger for the U.S. House in Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District. … Trump’s tweet, sent at 9:44 a.m. with misspellings, including one of Peterson’s last name, reads: ‘Dave Hughes is running for Congress in the Great State of Minnesota. He will help us accomplish our America First policies, is strong on Crime, the Border, our 2nd Amendmen, Trade, Military and Vets. Running against Pelosi Liberal Puppet Petterson. Dave has my Total Endorsement!’”

In the Pioneer Press, Ryan Faircloth reports, “Maplewood’s ‘North End’ — a nearly 400-acre region anchored by Maplewood Mall and St. John’s Hospital — was dealt several blows this summer when the mall’s Sears and nearby Herberger’s and Toys ‘R’ Us stores went out of business. City officials are seeking answers on what to do. Options could range from boosting nearby housing density to provide more customers to finding new purposes for sites that no longer fit a changing retail climate. … On a recent visit to Maplewood Mall, about 18 storefronts appeared to be empty. The mall’s remaining anchor stores are Macy’s, Kohl’s and JCPenney.”

The Star Tribune’s Emma Nelson reports: “Nearly 59,000 construction permits pulled in St. Paul during the past decade have not received a final inspection from the city, leaving it unclear whether work has been done to code, or at all. The Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) is trying to reduce that number by hiring more people and simplifying the permitting process. But as construction booms, St. Paul is trying to strike a balance between approving a growing stream of new permits and keeping tabs on old ones.”