Things will turn more active on Saturday. Showers will develop, with a few thunderstorms possible, especially later in the day. Temperatures will fall just shy of 60, and it'll be breezy.

Sunday will be warmer and more humid, with highs in the 70s, periods of rain and a few storms.

The stormy setup will continue into next week, with strong to potentially severe thunderstorms possible on Monday, especially in southern Minnesota.

The unsettled pattern will linger through midweek, bringing additional rounds of rain and mild temperatures.

Officers responded to reports of shots fired on the 3200 block of Bloomington Avenue at 10:54 a.m., according to police. They found an unoccupied vehicle with "apparent" damage from the shooting that had crashed into a curb and a tree, officials said.

The officers learned that two people in the vehicle, later identified as the two men, had walked away from the scene, police said. Law enforcement found one of the men on the 3100 block of 15th Street and the other on the 3000 block of 15th Avenue.

According to police, both men were taken to the hospital with "apparent" injuries that were not life-threatening.

Investigators said the vehicle the men were in was traveling when shots were fired, possibly from another vehicle. The driver of the vehicle that was hit then swerved, resulting in the car hitting the curb and tree.

As of Friday afternoon, no arrests have been made, police said.

Investigators are working to learn what led to the shooting.

Magda Mahmoud Elsagher and her husband, Mohamed Metwalli Elshazli, are each charged with one count of wrongfully obtaining assistance and perjury. The criminal complaint said they, along with their four adult children, received public benefits from Anoka County's Department of Human Services in the form of Medical Assistance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from March 23, 2020, through Feb. 28, 2021, and from Sept. 17, 2022, to Oct. 31, 2022.

The court document says their eligibility for public assistance programs was based on statements Elsagher and Elshazli provided to the county agency, which requires people applying to accurately report their household income and assets.

During numerous filings and interviews with the county agency, the two falsely claimed that no one in the household was self-employed and failed to report other income and assets, "Declaring under penalty of perjury" that everything they wrote in their forms was true, according to the court document.

The complaint said a medical assistance renewal form received in October 2020 showed no income for Elshazli, and a personal statement provided in 2020 — signed by the couple — said their only assets were a checking account with $200 and a single vehicle. According to the court document, it was reported during an interview with the county that no one in the Spring Lake Park household was self-employed.

Investigators learned Elshazli was self-employed and the sole owner of a business and obtained bank records that showed a checking account owned by the business had an average cash balance of just over $30,626 between June 2018 and May 2024, per the court document. Numerous deposits into and payments from the account were allegedly noted, including international wire transfers out of it that totaled $2,220,753.13 from September 2021 through July 2025. 

"Due to the false reporting and fraudulent filings, an estimated $861,304.03 of Medical Assistance overpayments were made between August 1, 2018, and November 30, 2025," the complaint said.   

According to the court document, investigators determined Elsagher is the sole owner of the Spring Lake Park home, which was purchased in 2011 for $125,000. They also learned that 17 vehicles were registered in her name and Elshazli's, and most were never disclosed.

Credit card statements obtained by law enforcement showed significant spending activity, including over $54,000 spent at a jewelry store between 2020 and 2024 and over $7,000 on travel to Egypt in 2019, the complaint said.

If convicted, Elsagher and Elshazli each face up to 25 years in prison and a maximum fine of $200,000.

Walz said the cyberattack "disrupted critical systems and digital services."

In a statement, the county said affected systems have been taken offline and residents should expect delays, but that emergency services are still operating. This is the second cyberattack on Winona County this year; the first was in January. 

"Based upon our preliminary investigation, this is not the same cybercriminal responsible for the prior attack on Winona County," the county said.

The guard sent 15 experts from its cybersecurity team, Winona County Emergency Management Director Ben Klinger said.

"They're allowing us to do things much faster, much more in-depth and to help us get through this recovery quicker," he said.

Klinger said the county is taking steps to prevent future cyberattacks.

"We're hardening our network, we're adding even more security," he said. "That's another aspect of the National Guard here is them helping us find vulnerabilities."

The Minnesota National Guard faced a cybersecurity attack in St. Paul just last summer. In that case, the group behind the attack claimed to have posted online 43 gigabytes of data stolen from the city's systems. At the time, Mayor Melvin Carter said the group demanded a ransom, which the city did not pay. 

"I think cities and counties don't have as many resources as, say, a large company that's gonna have more money that they can devote to the problem," said Jonathan Wrolstad, professor of cybersecurity at the University of Minnesota. "They can't stop offering those important services to residents because they're vital to our day-to-day lives, so I think that also makes them a lucrative target."

Wrolstad said often these criminals want to deploy ransomware and try to extort money from local governments. 

The Minnesota Cybersecurity Incident Report for 2025, published in January, said "cyberattacks against federal, state and local governments continue to rise in both frequency and sophistication". 

Wrolstad said these reports can vary widely in severity. He sees the value in the state trying to help public entities that often have fewer resources from a technical standpoint. 

The strike is being organized by the Zero Burn Coalition, a group dedicated to shutting down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center, also known as HERC. First built in 1989, the waste-to-energy facility burns garbage and produces enough energy to power about 25,000 homes, according to Hennepin County. 

Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby. Joshua Lewis, one of the people who is participating in the strike that started Friday, explained that the issue is personal to him, losing both of his parents to cancer, which he believes was caused by environmental pollution. 

"Our lungs are not collateral. Our lives are not negotiable," Lewis said. 

The hunger strikers joined dozens of others who entered the Hennepin County Government building in downtown Minneapolis on Friday morning with a demand for county commissioners: Hold a public vote to close HERC by Dec. 31, 2027. 

Natasha Villanueva, who lives in the Jordan neighborhood of Minneapolis, just north of the HERC facility, said that the hunger strike is a necessary step to get commissioners to listen. 

"What is moral does not always correlate to how systems in our society operate," Villanueva said. 

Reaching the top floor of the county office building where commissioners' offices are, Villanueva and others in the group sang "hit the road, HERC" to the tune of Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack" and attempted to get in touch directly with them. 

No one was in the office on Friday, but a spokesperson for the county said that commissioners have met "frequently" with hunger strike organizers, stating that officials are open to continued conversations. Hunger strike organizers said prior discussions felt "disingenuous." 

In 2023, Hennepin County approved a resolution that would close HERC sometime between 2028 and 2040. Protesters argue that the measure was misleading without an exact date set; the spokesperson pointed WCCO to several initiatives that the county is working through to repurpose HERC while staying within the bounds of waste management regulations. 

In February, commissioners passed a resolution that states, in part, "The county's position is to accelerate the closure and repurposing of HERC by aggressively pursuing zero-waste policies, programming, and infrastructure because the county's climate and equity commitments mean we cannot depend on landfills to manage our trash so we must reinvent the solid waste system." 

Part of the problem at hand is that closing HERC outright would essentially double the burden on landfills, according to county and state officials. 

Leadership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency took questions from state senators on the topic on Tuesday, explaining that all waste from Hennepin County is split just about evenly between waste-to-energy facilities like HERC and landfills. 

Kirk Koudelka, assistant commissioner for the MPCA, said that closing HERC could have unintended health impacts by shifting pressure to landfills. He said that garbage and unprocessed recycling waste that ends up in landfills would linger for decades or longer, posing a threat to waterways and local residents. 

"What would happen if a waste energy facility were to close is all that waste would go like that to a landfill," Koudelka said. 

Hennepin County conducted a study on HERC's air emissions in 2021 with Barr Engineering. The county concluded at the time that the cancer and noncancer risks associated with HERC emissions were "well below" risk thresholds established by the Minnesota Department of Health. The county also stated that "shutting down HERC will not result in observable health outcome improvements" for people living in the area, arguing that its closure could create further air pollution by way of additional trucks making trips to landfills. 

Nazir Khan, a coleader with the Minnesota Environmental Justice Table, said that the data points are misleading. He and others in the group demanding HERC's closure said that neither the state agency nor the county was taking into account long-term impacts on people living close to the trash burner over an extended period of time. 

Tom Johnson, the government relations director for the MPCA, told state senators this week that while the agency always uses risk markers that are consistent with the Environmental Protection Agency and others, cumulative impacts have not traditionally been part of the metrics they track. 

"Those health benchmarks do not necessarily take into account the cumulative effect of various sources of pollution on an individual," Johnson said, "so that is a new approach that we are currently in the process of rule-making for." 

Lewis and his fellow hunger strikers believe that their concerns are ultimately being ignored. 

"This is not just a policy issue; this is a life and death issue," Lewis said. 

As of Friday afternoon, most commissioners have not responded to WCCO's request for comment. District 1 Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde sent an email to WCCO stating that he is not in favor of shutting down HERC "until we have plans for sorting facilities throughout Hennepin." 

"Stuffing more trash into two landfills (Elk River and Burnsville) is short-sighted and spreads the impact of trash over decades as landfills are not a solution," Lunde said. 

District 6 Commissioner Heather Edelson reissued a statement she provided to WCCO on March 31:

"I care about the people behind this movement, and I am genuinely concerned for their health and safety. A hunger strike is a serious and risky step, and I hope we can continue this conversation in a way that keeps everyone safe," Edelson said in part, stating that HERC should close but must be done 'responsibly.'"

The woman is charged with one count of wire fraud. The complaint does not name the company she worked for, but said it "is in the business of selling new trucks, parts, and services."

The complaint alleges the woman "created excess garnishments" in the company's payroll system between 2017 and 2025 and sent the money to herself. She is also accused of creating separate ledgers to hide the embezzlement, which prosecutors say totaled more than $1.2 million.

An attorney representing the woman said in a statement she is "deeply remorseful for her actions and the impact they have had on her employer, her family, and the community." The woman "has been actively engaged in treatment" for gambling addiction, the attorney said.

If you or someone you know struggles with playing responsibly, the Minnesota Department of Human Services has resources available. Call 800-333-HOPE for free, confidential information and referral to services in your area or visit getgamblinghelp.com.

According to the Minneapolis Police Department, the shooting happened just before 6 p.m. on the 600 block of Nicollet Mall.

Police said a woman sprayed a man with mace, and he then pulled out a gun and fired. The victim, a woman in her 20s who was running from the area, was taken to Hennepin Healthcare and is expected to survive.

The victim was not the woman who used the irritant on the man, police said.

Police detained several people, including the alleged shooter, a man in his 20s. He was booked into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of second-degree assault.

Weekend closures

This weekend, eastbound Interstate 94 will close between Highway 280 and Interstate 35E. This is for continued work on the John Ireland Boulevard bridge.

Drivers will need to take northbound Highway 280 to Highway 36 to get to I-35E.

That closure is expected to reopen Monday morning. 

At 10 a.m. on Friday, the 10th Street ramp to get off of eastbound I-94 into downtown St. Paul will close.

Drivers will need to exit at Fifth Street instead.

That closure is also for work on the John Ireland Boulevard bridge and will reopen for the Monday morning commute. 

Long-term projects

Bigger projects are also beginning to ramp up in the metro.

The closure of Highway 280 between I-94 in St. Paul and Interstate 35W in Roseville starts Monday at 5 a.m. 

The northbound lanes will be closed and stay that way through late August. The southbound side will also close later this month. 

During this project, traffic will be directed to a regional detour using I-35W or I-94, Highway 36 and I-35E. 

The Minnesota Department of Transportation does expect things to reopen before the State Fair, but says after the fair, there will be more lane and ramp closures.

The project will improve safety and repair roads and bridges.

Another project starting Monday: The replacement of the I-35E bridge on Shepard Road in St. Paul. 

Starting at 7 a.m., parts of Shepard Road will be closed in both directions. This will continue through the fall. 

Instead, drivers will need to take a detour to Lexington Parkway, West Seventh Street and Otto Avenue. 

MnDOT has released a full list of the 200-plus projects it plans to tackle this year.

Wyatt Johnston, Mikko Rantanen and Colin Blackwell each had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who now at 106 points are four ahead of Minnesota. They were already locked in as first-round opponents, but both still have three regular-season games left to determine home-ice advantage.

Kirill Kaprizov had two of Minnesota's three power-play goals, giving him 45 goals overall and matching his single-season franchise record at 19 power-play goals. Mats Zuccarello had three assists.

But the Wild had their four-game winning streak snapped in an uncharacteristic way. It was their first regulation loss since March 2024 when leading going into the third period — 61-0-4 in that span.

Minnesota had another power-play chance after Rantanen's slashing penalty with 2 1/2 minutes left, but failed to score even with an extra skater after pulling Filip Gustavsson out of the net.

Stars goalie Jake Oettinger had 27 saves. Gustavsson stopped 15 shots.

Johnston's 44th goal with 4:26 left in the first made it 1-0, and was the only Dallas lead until Robertson scored. Rantanen had the tying goal in the third.

Kaprizov put the Wild up 2-1 with 16 seconds left in the first, then extended that to 3-1 on another power-play goal at the 6:39 mark of the second. Blackwell scored and then assisted on Cameron Hughes' first career goal for Dallas before Ryan Hartman's power-play goal with 9 seconds left in the second put Minnesota up 4-3.

Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen never returned after being knocked hard into the boards by Hartman late in the first period. Before that, Heiskanen had hit the puck that deflected off the stick of Joel Ericksson Ek into the face of the Minnesota center who left the ice and also didn't return the game.

Up next

Wild: Play the second of three consecutive road games Saturday at Nashville, which is trying to stay in a playoff spot in the West.

Stars: Play their home finale Saturday against the New York Rangers, the last-place team in the Eastern Conference.

Clouds will increase throughout Thursday in the metro with a weak wave of energy passing by into the evening hours.

This will also throw a few rain/snow showers between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Temperatures will top off close to 50 Thursday afternoon. High pressure brings a beautiful day Friday with sunshine, calm winds and seasonable temps. The metro will start off in the low 30s and climb into the mid-to-upper 50s for highs.

Wet weather arrives this weekend with a wave of low pressure pulling up gulf moisture and some warmth. Showers look to hold until Saturday afternoon, but continue into Sunday morning. Some thunder is possible, but severe chances are low.

Gusts could reach 30 mph both days this weekend. Highs stay in the 50s Saturday, but jump into the 70s Sunday with some afternoon clearing.

Temps stay on the milder side into next week, but more rain chances are in the mix as the unsettled pattern continues.

The Midwest Ski Otters is a volunteer-run water ski show with more than 200 members. For three decades, they've brought fun and entertainment to Little Goose Lake in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. 

Every Sunday, the group performs ski routines and stunts free for families. But this year, that may not happen. The theft left them without key equipment needed for the show to go on.

"It's a big hit to all of a sudden find out that a lot of your equipment has been taken and you got to scramble to figure out how to get the money," said Kurt Carpenter, Midwest Ski Otters treasurer.

Carpenter said they found out the performance docs, stage and bleachers were taken this week when they started going over inventory. 

He says he's spent most of his time calling around scrap yards because he believes the thieves will try to make money off the aluminum docs. 

For organizers, this setback is huge not only for the talent but also for the community that looks forward to this tradition.

Now, the group is working to find out how to rebuild with less than a month until the season begins.

"It's going to be difficult," Carpenter said. "We are gonna have to scramble, look at other options on how we can make it happen."

Despite the uncertainty, Carpenter says they are holding onto hope and showing up because the thought of this tradition becoming just a memory is unfathomable.

"We think positive, look forward, we'll figure a way," Carpenter said. 

The team set up a fundraiser to help meet their deadline of mid-May. As of Thursday evening, they have raised more than $7,000.

But some Minnesota lawmakers believe the big paydays that can come from buying or selling contracts tied to the outcome of these events amount to an unregulated form of gambling that urgently needs guardrails, which is why legislation that has bipartisan co-authors in both chambers would limit these platforms in the state. 

The proposals — which were discussed in both House and Senate committees on Thursday — would explicitly define prediction markets in state law and say making bets on sports, the weather, court cases, events in popular culture, war or mass casualty events or actions by elected officials and more illegal. 

It would prohibit platforms from advertising their services in the state and would not impact commodity futures in agriculture. The latter is a "loophole" that prediction market platforms are using to their advantage," said Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville.

He believes the industry gives way for conduct akin to insider trading. The push to regulate prediction markets in Minnesota comes as a new report Thursday found that earlier this week, new accounts on Polymarket — one of the platforms — made hundreds of thousands of dollars after betting on a U.S.-Iran ceasefire hours before President Donald Trump's announcement.

"A year ago, nobody knew about it. All of a sudden, it's up here, and everybody's talking about it. If we don't regulate it now, a year from now it's going to be through the roof, and all of our existing gambling laws are just really made a joke of," Marty told WCCO in an interview. 

Minnesota stands among a few outliers in the country that have not set up a legal sports betting framework, despite multiple efforts over several years in St. Paul. Marty has long been staunchly against that expansion of gambling and opposition at the state capitol seems to have grown—there hasn't been a committee hearing to advance any proposal to give it the green light this year. 

That makes the odds of passing prediction market restrictions more likely than getting sports gambling over the finish line this year, Marty believes, because lawmakers and key players who differ on that issue are on the same page about prediction markets.  

"We're united in saying, we've got a gambling regulation system in Minnesota. We can't allow somebody with a clever scheme to just say, 'oh, we can ignore your laws and pretend it doesn't exist,'" Marty said. 

There are Republican and DFL co-sponsors on the bills in both chambers. Bipartisan support for any legislation is essential to clear a politically divided Capitol. 

When asked Thursday if the House GOP supports the measure, leaders did not commit, citing legislative deadlines. 

"Those have not met deadlines in the House, and we take those deadlines pretty seriously," said Rep. Harry Niska, the Republican floor leader. 

Other states are trying to crack down on the proliferation of prediction market bets through their own regulations or legal actions against the companies that operate them, like Kalshi and Polymarket. The federal government sued three states last week — Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois — challenging those efforts. 

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, in court documents, argued that it has the power to regulate the companies, not the states. 

"We're a co-op. We're all business owners that just need support from our community," Ajeleth Moreno with El Rincon Pupuseria said.

Many regular customers stopped coming and the change was impossible to ignore.

"Our regulars would not be here at all in the beginning months, but we did get really good support for the community," Joscan Moreno said.

That community is showing up with purpose.

"I think it's important to set an example and to show other community members that we are still here. We still need to be showing up and there's so many beautiful examples of resilience out here today," Rose Gomez said.

Through a wave of community support, online donations, to simply having people walk into their doors again.

"These places are few and far between, I don't know if I know of any place exactly like this," Simon Fitzkappes said. "And for our community to lose such a great spot, it's really detrimental. We all hope that doesn't happen."

Because here, the business owners and diners alike say every visit and dollar matters.

"We've never got this many people here," Ajeleth Moreno said. "We just hope it stays that way because we don't want to be forgotten again."

The fire happened just before 9 a.m. on March 31 inside a bathroom at Westwood Elementary School in St. Cloud, according to the city's fire department.

The St. Cloud Area School District told WCCO the fire caused about $2 million in damage.

Under Minnesota state law, a child under the age of 10 cannot be prosecuted for a criminal offense in juvenile court, so police say the case will be forwarded to the Stearns County Attorney's Office "for review and consideration of alternative courses of action."  

Students transitioned to e-learning due to "air quality concerns and particulate contamination" due to the fire, the district said. As of Wednesday, students were still learning remotely.

Note: The video above originally aired on April 1, 2026.

But gamblers in Wisconsin will have to wait months or maybe even longer before they can start to legally place bets. The law Evers signed, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, requires the state to negotiate new deals with American Indian tribes that would run the sports betting.

Evers said he would not accept a plan that treats any one tribe better than another.

"The real work begins today," he said in a statement. "Each of the 11 Tribes must now work diligently-and together-to shape the future of sports betting in Wisconsin. ... An approach that exacerbates long-standing inequalities among Tribal Nations is not good for Wisconsinites or Wisconsin. I will not entertain it as governor."

Gambling is legal in Wisconsin only on tribal lands under exclusive contracts between tribes and the state. Sports bets can currently be placed only at certain tribal casinos, and online sports betting is illegal.

Under the new Wisconsin law, online sports betting would be allowed only if the infrastructure to manage the bets, such as computer servers, is located on tribal lands in the state. That approach, known as the "hub-and-spoke" model, already is used in Florida.

Under the Wisconsin tribal compacts, a percentage of the money tribes earn through that gambling is returned to the state. In 2024, the tribes paid the state just over $66 million from revenue generated at casinos.

Evers said the new law represents a chance "to support mental health programs and to combat the opioid crisis, two issues that I know plague both Tribal Nations and communities across our state."

Supporters of the measure include several Wisconsin tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers. They contend people currently are placing bets using offshore sportsbooks or prediction markets or crossing into other states where it's legal, including neighboring Illinois.

The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and Fanatics, opposed the law. They argued that it wouldn't make financial sense for them to partner with Wisconsin tribes, because federal law requires 60% of gambling revenues must go back to the tribes. They would prefer a state constitutional amendment opening sports betting to all operators.

Evers, who is not running for a third term this year, has originally said he would sign it as long as it had the support of the state's 11 federally recognized tribes. But he later raised concerns because not every tribe was on board. Evers said Thursday that all 11 tribes are now in active negotiations over how to implement the new law.

Across the U.S., state-regulated sportsbooks handled nearly $167 billion of bets last year, generating revenues of nearly $17 billion after winnings were paid out to customers, according to the American Gaming Association. That marked an almost 23% increase over the previous year.

Members of the board of regents had said little publicly until Thursday about the surprise dismissal Tuesday of Jay Rothman as head of the 165,000-student university system. Regents voted unanimously with no public discussion to fire Rothman after a closed-door meeting.

Rothman told the Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that he was kept in the dark about why he was being fired and his dismissal "blindsided" him.

But two regents who testified at a state Senate committee hearing on Thursday said Rothman knew more than he is letting on. They also said there were "substantial" reasons for his being fired, and Rothman was aware of them.

"That decision was not made lightly," Regent President Amy Bogost said. "It was not political. It was not retaliatory. It was unanimous. ... We made a difficult decision for the right reasons, and I firmly stand by it."

Republican lawmakers upset over Rothman's surprise firing called the public hearing to question regents about the reasons behind the move.

Rothman lacked urgency to address critical issues like AI, was not fully aligned with the board, tried to limit public board discussions and open records, limited board members' interactions with lawmakers and took credit for accomplishments that were part of a "massive team effort," Regent Timothy Nixon said.

Nixon also said he has been pushing for the UW system to justify why it has 579 employees, something he said Rothman did not address.

Rothman "doesn't want to upset either the Legislature, the governor or the faculty or anybody else," Nixon testified. "He didn't want to upset the apple cart and, quite frankly, I think the apple cart needs some upsetting."

Regents also told lawmakers that Rothman could waive his right to confidentiality over personnel decisions if he chose, but he knows that means board members could share more than they can now. Instead, Rothman is using that confidentiality as a shield to craft a narrative "that is deliberately one-sided" and harming the university, Bogost said.

"That is not a search for truth," she said. "That is strategy. ... To do the media circuit that he's on denigrates our great universities, and that makes me sad."

Nixon said the way Rothman's departure was handled, including the rejected offer that he retire or resign, is similar to what is done for CEOs of large corporations.

"This is no different than moving on to a new quarterback, no matter what you thought of the previous quarterback and what they did," Nixon said.

It happened on March 25, when a propane tank caught fire at a residence in Little Canada, Minnesota. Leo Martinez was grilling on his deck and went inside his house to grab some vegetables. Minutes later, his dog Duke alerted him that something was wrong. That's when Martinez saw flames. 

"The fire moving quickly from the deck to the roof, and I realized I needed to get my girlfriend out of the house," said Martinez, in Spanish through an English interpreter. 

Once she was out safely, Martinez tried to run back inside to get Duke, but by then the fire had taken over. 

He believes his dog got scared and tried to hide in a room as the fire spread, but unfortunately, he didn't make it out.

Duke was also Martinez's service dog. Before he came to Minnesota, Martinez was in the military in Mexico and also worked as a police officer in Mexico City.  

But death threats from a drug cartel created emotional distress and caused Martinez to seek political asylum in the United States in 2014. He adopted Duke as a puppy to help with his post-traumatic stress disorder. 

"He could always tell when I was having a bad day and he would move closer to me and provide emotional support," said Martinez. "He's my hero." 

As he recovers from severe burns to his head, arm and leg at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Martinez isn't exactly sure what the future holds. He's relieved his girlfriend made it out safely, but he won't have a house to return to, and he doesn't have homeowner's insurance.

Still, he's holding out hope that better days are ahead. 

"Even when you go through the worst thing in your life like a fire and you get hurt and burned, you always have the opportunity to start over again," said Martinez. "And when life gives you that opportunity, you have to take it."

Martinez has been working as a carpenter ever since arriving in the U.S. 12 some  12 years ago. Friends in his carpenter's union have set up a GoFundMe page — "Rebuilding for Leopoldo after the Fire" — to help him pay for losses from the blaze.

It's possible that O'Hara's anticipated confirmation vote could be equally divisive. 

Councilors raised several issues related to the Minneapolis Police Department while discussing Barnette's effectiveness, once again putting a spotlight on O'Hara. Last year, in 2025, the Minneapolis Police Department overspent by about $19.6 million. In January alone, the police department spent $5.2 million responding to Operation Metro Surge, about double the amount of budgeted overtime. 

Councilor LaTrisha Vetaw confirmed to WCCO that she is concerned about that spending. She also has concerns about the 22 open conduct complaints against O'Hara; while the number stands out to policing experts, it's also impossible to know what the complaints are about. Under Minnesota state law, they remain sealed unless the Office of Community Safety determines that discipline is required.

Councilor Soren Stevenson joins Vetaw in having misgivings about police spending, though Sorenson acknowledged that he has only worked with O'Hara as a councilor for about three months. 

"Police accountability and public safety are core priorities of mine, and I am deeply concerned with the Minneapolis Police Department's overall lack of accountability, need for reform, and the way the department has been overspending and causing shortfalls to the city's budget," Stevenson said, "I look forward to meeting with Chief O'Hara to get to know him, learn more about his vision for MPD, and to hear more from him during the public hearing for his confirmation. 

Both Vetaw and Sorenson declined to say how they would vote; Councilors Aurin Chowdhury and Aisha Chughtai declined to comment. 

Councilors Jamal Osman and Jamison Whiting, however, are joining Mayor Jacob Frey in voicing their full support for O'Hara. Osman, who voted against Barnette, said that O'Hara has earned the respect of the city. 

"He has changed the leadership of the police, we are heading in the right direction," Osman said, stating that he believes the council will ultimately vote for O'Hara's approval. 

Other councilors did not return WCCO's request for comment. 

Frey said that he wanted to take care of cabinet position nominations first before nominating department heads like O'Hara. He blocked questions about O'Hara's future from reaching the chief directly during Thursday afternoon's press conference, instead reaffirming support and stating that Barnette's fight should not inform what will happen with O'Hara's nomination vote. 

O'Hara sat down with WCCO in early April to discuss the spike in car thefts in the city. He took questions on conduct complaints, his future, and the strength of the department. 

He believes that the majority of the more recent complaints against him are directly related to Operation Metro Surge. O'Hara was in the national spotlight as an unprecedented number of federal agents arrived in the Twin Cities. His response drew criticism from those who felt Minneapolis police didn't do enough to intervene and from those who felt that O'Hara was encouraging the public to defy federal law enforcement. Just about anyone can submit these complaints, whether they are an officer in his department or a member of the public who lives thousands of miles away from Minneapolis. 

"Apparently, since the surge, the number of complaints have doubled, which I think that says something about it right there," O'Hara said. 

He touted staffing numbers continuing to improve, with 617 sworn officers on hand as of mid-March. While he acknowledged that there is work to do to reach the city charter minimum of 731 sworn officers, he said that this is the first time that there is consistent positive growth. In December, he said that the unexpected surge in new hires of community service officers helped drive overspending. 

"We have both been reforming the police department while we've been rebuilding it. The department has become incredibly diverse in the process and we're getting a huge number of new people coming into the department," O'Hara told WCCO.  

Mayor Jacob Frey nominated Barnette for reappointment earlier this month. The council voted 7-6 against it.

"To put it plainly, in his time in this role, I don't believe Toddrick Barnette has met the mark," City Council President Elliott Payne said. "In my experience, Mr. Barnette has been far too absent and often disconnected from the role. Other Council Members have brought up his and his staff lack of presence at important meetings and lack of transparency and communication from his office."

Payne also cited what he called "preventable tragedies and mishandling" of cases under Barnette's watch, specifically those of Davis Moturi, Allison Lussier and Mariah Samuels. Moturi was shot in front of his home in 2024, allegedly by a neighbor who was the subject of more than 20 police reports before the shooting. Lussier and Samuels were victims of domestic violence, and their families say Minneapolis didn't do enough to keep them safe.  

Barnette was appointed to the role in 2023. The commissioner is tasked with overseeing the police and fire departments, 911, emergency management and neighborhood safety. He took over for Cedric Alexander, who inaugurated the position and retired after a year.

Other councilors who joined Payne in voting against Barnette's reappointment argued that he failed to control overspending and poorly managed the city's violence interruptor program. That was the breaking point for Councilor Jamal Osman, arguing that Barnette made a mistake by not funding violence interruptors in the Somali-dominated Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. 

"We've been trying to improve public safety since 2021. I haven't seen really any improvement," Osman said.   

When Frey renominated Barnette, his office said the commissioner's "leadership is delivering results." The mayor's office touted resurgent police staffing levels, diversity in the police force and "safe streets." It credited Barnette with helping to strengthen the city's emergency response, which "proved critical during the response to the Annunciation school shooting."

Responding to the council's vote, Frey said that he is issuing a veto in a bid to provide Barnette another term; a spokesperson said that no one has issued a veto over a cabinet appointee before, at least not since 2013, when the current city government structure was established. That same spokesperson said that the city attorney is working to confirm procedural steps. 

As he fights for Barnette, Frey accused councilors of playing politics. 

"The vote that happened today was neither about Todd Barnette's qualifications nor was it about his record. The vote that took place today was about vote trading and political gamesmanship," Frey said, declining to name specific council members. 

Barnette said that he needs to confer with his family about next steps, but said he doesn't plan to walk away. When asked whether any of the council's concerns were legitimate, he said there could be room for improvement in communication.

"Where Minneapolis goes, the state goes," Barnette said, "we have a lot more work to do so that more of our residents can feel it, they gotta feel like they're safe." 

Police Chief Brian O'Hara expressed disappointment with the council's vote on Barnette; it's possible that O'Hara's anticipated confirmation vote could be equally divisive. 

Councilors raised several issues related to the Minneapolis Police Department while discussing Barnette's effectiveness, once again putting a spotlight on O'Hara. Last year, in 2025, the Minneapolis Police Department overspent by about $19.6 million. In January alone, the police department spent $5.2 million responding to Operation Metro Surge, about double the amount of budgeted overtime. 

Frey said that he wanted to take care of cabinet position nominations first before nominating department heads like O'Hara. He blocked questions about O'Hara's future from reaching the chief directly during Thursday afternoon's press conference, instead reaffirming support and stating that Barnette's fight should not inform what will happen with O'Hara's nomination vote. 

Councilor Osman, who voted against Barnette, said that he is supporting O'Hara for another term as chief of police. 

"He has changed the leadership of the police, we are heading in the right direction," Osman said

Gabriel Mendoza was just 23 when he was murdered while working security at an Uptown Minneapolis club in 2022.

"My biggest priority is making sure that Gabe's story is still heard until we start to get answers," said mother Katrina Mendoza.

His mom says she calls investigators weekly. 

"It is a family's worst nightmare," she said.

Her son was shot to death on Oct. 16, 2022, while working at the now-closed bar Fire House on the corner of Lagoon Street and South Fremont Avenue.

"His energy, his personality, he was really fun, loud guy," said sister Ariel Scaife.

"Maybe you were there that night and left early and think you don't know anything, or maybe you wanted to give your statement but felt afraid because it's traumatic," said Katrina Mendoza.  

They're asking those that were there or around to think back, just like they do constantly.

"I had just seen him. He was here that day. He was breakdancing with his cousin right on the floor behind you," said Katrina Mendoza.

Scaife says the bar was packed that evening.

"We saw the social media of videos on like Snapchat and Instagram of people there," said Scaife.

Now, they all feel the void.

"Things that people don't often talk about is the surviving children and how they have changed parents, so it affects us all," said Katrina Mendoza.

Minneapolis police say the case remains open, and Gabriel Mendoza's family deserves justice. Anyone with information on this case can submit an anonymous tip online to Crime Stoppers, or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

"There wasn't the style of food that we were used to eating in Arizona growing up," Marcos Ayala said. "It's really influenced by Sonora, Mexico. And so a lot of my family, my wife's family's recipes reflect that."

They eventually opened Arizona Taco Co. in New Hope in 2019 

"The community really supported us," he said. "We didn't know if we're going to make it from month to month."

They supported it because they love it, with 5,000 Google reviews and nearly a perfect five-star rating. They've since decided to expand and are opening a second location in Uptown this spring off West Lake Street and South Girard Avenue. It'll be a sit-down spot complete with a full bar and community events like salsa dancing and cooking lessons.

"We're excited to be part of the movement there in Uptown," Sheila Ayala said.   

"To draw, you know, the people back to that area and start, you know, being the Uptown that we knew when we got here in 2000, right, it was a different place, it was a different time and we really enjoyed spending time in Uptown. We would like to see that again," he said.

Their New Hope location is a fast-casual counter service spot with a hefty menu that's loaded with delightful options.

"Right here we have our fresh tacos, this is shredded beef, this is carnitas which is a slow-roasted pork. That's an al pastor, which is a marinated pork with pineapple, and then that's our carne asada," he said. 

"Everything is made by scratch, from our tortillas to our corn tortillas, all of our sauces, our pizza dough," she said.

All your favorite taco varieties can also go right on a pizza pie. But one item stands out as their most popular.

"Probably our birria tacos, or what some people call 'dunk tacos,'" he said.

A flavor you'll soon be able to find in the heart of Uptown.

"We're excited to be there, and we would like to see [Uptown] turn around," he said. 

The goal is to open the new location in the next month or two.

Mick Abel pitched six scoreless innings and Josh Bell went 3 for 4 with a home run for the Twins, who posted the first four-game sweep in Major League Baseball this season. The last team the Twins swept in four games was the Athletics in June 2024.

Gleyber Torres tied the game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly for the Tigers, who lost their eighth consecutive road game. They lost center fielder Parker Meadows in the eighth after a head-to-head collision as left fielder Riley Greene caught Bell's fly ball.

Eric Orze pitched a perfect ninth to become the fifth different Twins pitcher to record a save in 13 games this season, after Garrett Acton went two innings for his first career win.

Abel struck out seven batters and stranded seven runners, including five in scoring position as the Tigers lost their eighth straight road game. Minnesota has surrendered two first-inning runs in 13 games. Only Cleveland (one) has allowed fewer in the major leagues.

The Twins (7-6) moved above the .500 mark for the first time since they were 36-35 last June 16.

The Tigers, who finished a stretch of 10 of 13 games on the road, took the best batting average in baseball with runners in scoring position into the game and went 0 for 11 in those situations.

Detroit hosts Miami in a three-game series starting on Friday. Chris Paddack pitches for the Marlins, and Keider Montero takes the mound for the Tigers.

Minnesota begins a three-game series at Toronto on Friday. Simeon Woods Richardson pitches for the Twins, and Patrick Corbin makes his season debut for the Blue Jays.

Gandi Yusuf Mohamed had two companies — GAK Properties LLC and GIF Properties LLC — that he used to receive and launder the proceeds of the fraud scheme, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Between March 2021 and July 2022, he received more than $1.1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program money that was meant to feed hungry children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gandi Mohamed is the brother of Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, who opened several food sites and enrolled them in the federal program under the names of her family members and friends. 

He was one of 10 people charged by federal prosecutors in February 2024. All of them have since taken guilty pleas.

Gandi Mohamed was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. 

Abdullahe Nur Jesow pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering in October. The judge also ordered him to pay more than $860,000 in restitution. 

Court documents say that between December 2020 and September 2021, Jesow purported to operate a Federal Child Nutrition Program meal distribution site, operated by a nonprofit called Academy for Youth Excellence, on Lake Street in Minneapolis. 

During those months, the nonprofit claimed to have served over 1.7 million meals to children. Academy for Youth Excellence and its alleged food vendor, S&S Catering, received more than $4.2 million in federal funds. Jesow used the funds for his own benefit by buying a home in Columbia Heights, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

"The sentence handed down today should be a clear message to those who would seek to enrich themselves by defrauding critical child nutrition programs," said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. "The FBI and our investigative partners have and will continue to direct significant investigative resources to rooting out fraud in the programs that support and sustain our children and our communities."

Jesow was the 56th person to plead guilty in the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.

Court documents said Firomsa Ahmed Umar, of Fridley, Minnesota, firebombed Fletcher's Ice Cream and Cafe on Hennepin Avenue East twice in late October. He was found guilty of arson, attempted arson and two counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device.

The jury also determined that Umar chose the ice cream shop because of "gender identity or sexual orientation;" the shop was founded as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and the owner believed it was targeted because of the Pride flag hanging outside. 

Witnesses saw him flee in a Honda Odyssey after he threw a Molotov cocktail at the shop on Oct. 20, and officers pulled him over shortly after. He had a red gasoline container in the car. 

The jury came to a decision in just under two hours. 

Umar also faces state charges of arson, but the case is on hold. His sentencing date in the federal case has not been set. 

Instead, Schlag was in a neck brace, lying on the ground in the woods. Buxton had just descended some 130 feet from a hovering helicopter to help her. 

"Hey Annette. My name is Brian, I'm a medic with St. Paul," Buxton said. "We called everything to get you out of here today." 

According to the DNR, Schlag was dismantling an illegal deer hunting stand when she fell about 20 feet on March 30. It happened in the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area near Plainview, east of Rochester. 

At first, state trooper Lt. Craig Benz said that local first responders were able to locate the officer and provide care. But when those local firefighters realized Schlag may have internal injuries, they contacted the Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART). Benz serves as chief pilot, taking off with Buxton and his fellow St. Paul Fire Captain Frank Tate. 

The DNR shared video of the rescue. As Benz keeps the chopper steady, Tate mans the winch, helping to lower Buxton to the forest below. Once on the ground, Buxton's bedside manner takes over. The camera on his helmet captures what he says to Schlag. 

"My job is you. That's my sole job, alright?" Buxton said.

He coaches her as he secures the DNR officer in what's called an ARES bag; it's like an enclosed gurney that secures a patient before they are taken up into the sky. Buxton is alongside her as they ascend; Tate is there, hanging out of the helicopter, to bring them inside. 

"I don't think there's any time for fear," Tate said, "When you do get a call, it's very rewarding. We put hundreds if not thousands of hours into training to do this." 

Buxton said that part of that training is helping people feel safe as they are brought skyward.

"If the patient is not in a position to be rescued, we did our job poorly," Buxton said. 

The team brought Schlag to an ambulance waiting in a nearby field. Schlag is now recovering, putting out a statement via the DNR to WCCO. 

"On behalf of my husband Ben and I, as well as our friends and family, we want to extend our most heartfelt thanks to all the incredible first responders and medical staff who assisted in the rescue and follow-up medical care. This was certainly unexpected, but we are grateful it didn't lead to a more undesirable outcome," Schlag said. "The outpouring of support we have received has been nothing short of incredible." 

Schlag went on to thank eleven agencies involved in emergency response and medicine. 

Benz said it's all a team effort. The equipment is also critical for MART; the helicopter they used in this rescue operation was purchased about one year ago. Benz explained that it has newer technology that ensures they can remain in the air during a rescue, avoiding the process of landing that was required with their previous aircraft. 

Benz said that state police use the helicopter often for patrolling work. These kinds of rescue operations happen about 30 times a year, he said.   

"We have the capacity to raise a lot of fish here at the hatchery," said Ruth King, an educator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

King is talking about thousands upon thousands of little walleyes and muskies.

As the Gov.Thompson Hatchery in Spooner, Wisconsin, celebrates three decades in operation, they're getting ready for another season of raising fish. But first, they have to catch them. Not with bait, but with nets.

"Tedious. It takes a long time to fix these nets," said fish technician Ben Oldenburg.

The nets capture spawning fish for their eggs. They are fertilized in the lake and then taken back to the hatchery, disinfected and put in jars where they hatch into holding tanks.

"They'll spend a couple of days in the tanks and then we spend all summer feeding them in our ponds out back," said King.

There are 46 rearing ponds at the hatchery. In September, the fish are taken out of the tanks and relocated to lakes and rivers across northwest Wisconsin.

"If you were to draw a line from Hudson to Eau Claire and up to Ironwood, Michigan, that's roughly the geographic area we cover," said King.

The entire operation gets support from a pretty unique group: Friends Into Spooner Hatchery, or "FISH."

"They can see through the murals on the wall the story of how the hatchery works," said Larry Damann, a FISH board member.

Damann takes guests to the visitor center which has its own fish tales to tell. His group is known for promoting conservation, including their "Adopt a Musky" program where the fish are tagged, and when caught, people can learn where they've been and how much they've grown.

"Even guys who fish will come here and learn a lot about things they didn't know about their sport," said Damann.

When it comes to trophy fish, the goal here isn't to reel them in but to raise them — creating new generations of fish, and hopefully new generations of anglers.

"I highly recommend stopping anywhere around the fishing opener. We almost always have something to see," said King.

The hatchery and visitor's center are open Monday through Friday.

The Wisconsin DNR is also turning the old 1914 hatchery on site into a walk-through museum that will be open to the public.

The River Falls Fire Department says crews were dispatched to a fire at Walker Farm, located near County Road M, at approximately 1:30 a.m. 

Upon arrival, crews found a barn fully engulfed in heavy fire and smoke, and immediately began efforts to extinguish the flames.

It took several hours to put out the fire, with the fire department saying crews remained on scene until 6:12 a.m. A short time later, firefighters were called back to extinguish a small rekindle.

Steffanie Walker says a barn fire is a farmer's worst nightmare.

"It's part of us. I've always said this farm is bigger than all of us," Walker said. "I opened this door and smoke just billowed out."

The family of five, who also runs a farm store on the property, came home from their kindergartener's football practice to a kitchen fire. They spent the night at a family member's home in Woodbury, Minnesota.

"Unfortunately got a phone call at 1:30 a.m. that the big barn was on fire. My husband and I rushed here," she said. 

The fire killed the kids' pony named Cookie, three of their dogs and more than 200 chickens, ducks, geese and a few other four-legged friends.

"It was too far gone before anyone had gotten here," she said.

A dog and several barn cats survived. WCCO witnessed Walker rescuing a singed cat. Their friend took it to a local animal hospital.

The surviving dog and rescued cat were both back home on Friday, according to Walker.

"That whole morning, night was so numb," she said. "What will do here will still be here."

The mom says a pack of scissors on the stove is what caused their kitchen fire, but they don't know what set the barn on fire. They believe they weren't related.

An online fundraiser has been set up for the family. The Walkers want to thank the community for their constant support so far.

As a result of the barn fire, the family says the Walker Farm Store will be closed for several days.

Fridley Public Schools and Duluth Public Schools filed the lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during the peak of Operation Metro Surge.

The districts are trying to fight an executive order signed by President Trump in January 2025. The order reversed an October 2021 policy by the Biden administration prohibiting immigration enforcement actions at or near schools and other "sensitive locations" like churches or hospitals.

"Our district needed a helper. We needed to pursue how to keep our children safe. My job is not about federal immigration policy, it's not about ICE enforcement, but it is about children's safety and the safety of our children was taken away and their federal right to attend school in a safe learning environment was taken away," Fridley Superintendent Brenda Lewis said. "And we looked at multiple ways to get that safety back and this was one of the ways, and also, we never want to see this happen to another school district in this state or the nation."

When the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Homeland Security told WCCO in a statement that agents are not going to schools to arrest children, but instead to protect them. 

"Criminals are no longer be able [sic] to hide in America's schools to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense," said Tricia McLaughlin, former assistant secretary of DHS. "If a dangerous illegal alien felon were to flee into a school, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect public safety. But this has not happened."

Both sides made their arguments in court Wednesday. The judge said a decision will come at a future date.

The Minneapolis City Council referred a package of four proposed ordinances to staff, according to city records. The ordinances would create a licensing framework, update zoning regulations, revise health standards and add exceptions to existing indecency laws.

The proposed changes come as the city council also considers a proposed ordinance that would decriminalize drug paraphernalia.

Adult bathhouses and sex venues were a component of nightlife prior to the advent of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which led to the passage of a surfeit of ordinances banning them among virtually all U.S. urban areas. As reported by the Star Tribune, the last bathhouse to operate legally in Minneapolis closed in 1988.

The Star Tribune added that, in a statement, council member Jason Chavez argued, "LGBTQIA+ gathering spaces, including bathhouses, have long been targeted by criminalization and policing, and our communities have paid a devastating price for that." 

Several cities in Minnesota, including Duluth and St. Paul, have allowed the bathhouses to continue operating with varying levels of oversight.

One ordinance would add a new chapter to city code specifically for adult sex venues. It would establish licensing and business regulations for establishments where sexual activity between consenting adults may be facilitated.

A second ordinance would amend the city's zoning code to update definitions and standards for sexually oriented uses. The changes aim to eliminate what officials described as stigmatizing language and reflect advances in preventative care. A third ordinance would amend the city's health and sanitation code, specifically provisions related to contagious diseases and what the code currently calls high-risk sexual conduct.

Finally, a fourth ordinance would amend the city's miscellaneous offenses code to add exceptions for licensed establishments where sexual activity between consenting adults may be facilitated.

Attorney Joe Tamburino says legalizing bathhouses poses legal risks for business owners and complicates the role of law enforcement.

"First, there is going to be owner liability. What will the owners be liable for or when someone goes to a bathhouse, will they have to sign waivers where they say whatever happens to me in here, I'm not going to sue the owner," Tamburino said. 

The City Council is not slated to make a decision on Tuesday, but is expected to direct staff to do more research.