At KARE-TV Samie Solina says, “A woman continues to be showered with praise after she gave her pair of sneakers to a homeless man without shoes at a liquor store this week. Ta Leia Thomas — better known as Ace — was working at a Brooklyn Center liquor store last Tuesday when she saw a homeless man make a pair out of some boxes, trying to protect his feet from the cold. She then gave him her favorite pair of shoes, telling KARE 11, ‘I didn’t care about the shoes, I cared about him’. … On Saturday, she not only received seats to what turned out to be a legendary Minnesota Vikings game, but the team surprised her with autographed — and worn — Justin Jefferson cleats.”
A KSTP-TV story by Brittney Ermon says, “Over one year after Ladavionne Garrett Jr. was shot in north Minneapolis, he continues to make health progress, but is met with transportation barriers. The community is raising money so the family can purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for the 12-year-old, who uses a wheelchair to get around. ‘My main thing is that I just want junior to have a normal life,’ Sharrie Jennings, Ladavionne’s grandmother, said. Ladavionne Garrett Jr.’s life is far from normal. Last year, a stray bullet pierced his childhood. He’s unable to walk or talk.”
A WCCO-TV story says, “Temperatures overnight Monday will be in the low single digits in the Twin Cities, but the rest of the state will be below zero – with southeastern Minnesota dropping as low as minus-8 degrees. A storm system will enter northwestern Minnesota starting after 9 a.m. Monday, reaching the metro near the tail end of the evening commute. The system will exit the state by about midnight Tuesday. … Low temperatures will be subzero Tuesday through Saturday, with Thursday bottoming out at minus 12.”
At Axios Audrey Kennedy says, “Trail Magic Taproom, a pop-up taproom serving the now-legal THC-infused drinks, opened its doors in Minneapolis on Dec. 15. Driving the news: As someone who has never consumed a THC-infused drink, I had to stop by and review … for journalism. What to know: The 30+ drinks available are mostly served in cans, not on tap. All are under 5mg each, but visitors can order another once they finish their drink. A quick disclaimer: I tried samples of the drinks to taste flavors, not test their strength. I can’t speak to the potency or how each high might affect you.”
For MPR News Craig Helmstetter and Elisabeth Gawthorp report, “Last week the CDC reported a 49.6% increase in average new daily cases of COVID-19 — the largest such increase since last January, when the nation was in the grips of the initial omicron surge. On the eve of holiday gatherings, this raised the specter of another such wave — and was followed by the White House announcement that Americans can once again order free COVID tests. Fortunately, this week’s national data shows a three percent drop in COVID cases. While this does not at all suggest that last week’s concerns were misplaced — especially in light of continued pressures on the nation’s hospitals due to the so-called ‘tripledemic’ of COVID, RSV and the flu — the leveling off is welcome.”
MPR’s Todd Melby says, “Employees at the Minnesota Historical Society rallied Saturday in St. Paul as negotiations continue for an initial union contract. The workers formed AFSCME Local 3173 last year, but have yet to reach an agreement with the MNHS. Some at the rally said they voted to join the union because they were frustrated with attempts to get management to listen to concerns. … The union says their wages trail national and metro area averages and have not kept up with inflation. That includes librarians with advanced degrees.”
For the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Paul A. Smith says, “Public concerns about damage caused by wake boats in Wisconsin have resulted in requests by Natural Resources Board members for action, including new laws, to address the issues. Wake boats are power craft with special ballast tanks designed to increase their displacement and create larger than normal waves for surfing or tubing. Several thousand pounds of lake water are commonly taken into the tanks to increase the wake. Use of the boats has increased markedly in recent years, according to Darren Kuhn, DNR boating law administrator.”
And Scott Bauer of the AP says, “The Republican leader of the Wisconsin Senate said Thursday that he opposes spending any state money to help Madison bring a passenger rail line that would connect the capital city to Milwaukee, joining the state’s other top GOP legislative leader in opposition to the project.”
