Minnesota mayor to retire after 45 years
When it came to politics, Marvin Johnson was not given much of a choice. In the late 70s, the city council appointed him to one of their open seats.
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When it came to politics, Marvin Johnson was not given much of a choice. In the late 70s, the city council appointed him to one of their open seats.
One of the longest-serving mayors in the entire country can be found right here in Minnesota. Marvin Johnson has run the town of Independence, Minnesota for 45 consecutive years. He's finally set to retire at the end of this term. John Lauritsen has Mayor Johnson's advice for others in politics.
A Minnesota man has spent nearly 16 years behind bars for a murder state and county leaders now say he didn't commit. A jury convicted Edgar Barrientos-Quintana for the murder of 18-year-old Jesse Mickelson in 2008. Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney joined the call to vacate the conviction. Kirsten Mitchell breaks down the latest on the case and why even the victim's family wants him released.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office on Wednesday afternoon is announcing a "new non-public safety traffic stop policy."
Hennepin County deputies were looking for someone else when they say 28-year-old Clint Hoyhtya opened fire.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Thursday that deputies were justified in using deadly force during a shootout in Minnetonka earlier this year.
Three children under 16 were arrested in the west metro after leading police on a chase in a stolen luxury car Tuesday morning.
Moriarty mentioned several times the biggest challenge is how young some of the children involved are.
We're reporting on kids stealing cars a couple of times a week. But we're also searching for solutions. Ubah Ali sat down with the county's top prosecutor for a story you'll see only on WCCO.
In the first six months of the year, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office says there were more than 4,000 reports of stolen vehicles in the county.
There are new details about a wild video of kids in stolen rides ripping by law enforcement. Thursday, police say they found one of those vehicles, but the case won't make it from the police to prosecutors. As Ubah Ali explains, that's part of the challenge when comes to cracking down on car crimes.
Weeks after the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners proposed a 49% pay hike for themselves, then walked it back, members have adopted a much lower raise.
In Hennepin County so far this year, there have been 475 cases of vehicle theft. More than half — 247 — were committed by juveniles.
The program is a new pathway for referral and intervention when police do not have sufficient evidence to submit a case for charging.
Stunning new video shows brazen kids in stolen cars speeding right past police. Officers say they're seeing that every day in cities across the metro. The troubling trend took a tragic turn when four kids were shot this weekend. So how can we pump the brakes on these dangerous drives? Our Ubah Ali sat down with a half dozen police chiefs and hit the streets for a story you'll see only on WCCO.
The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says it has a response to the crisis of kids, gun violence, and stolen vehicles. But after four kids were shot in a stolen car on the city's north side this weekend, the Minneapolis police chief says the county attorney didn't charge, or divert, the kids involved in the shooting. They ended up back on the street. The chief wants to see more serious consequences. However, some say intervention is what gets results.
The Minneapolis police chief and Hennepin County Attorney's Office are pointing fingers at each other after four children were shot in a stolen vehicle on the city's north side over the weekend.
A bullet has left a man partially paralyzed. The victim says that bullet was fired by a 14-year-old boy. He's fed up and frustrated with how the case is being handled. Our David Schuman talked to him from his hospital bed.
The motion, which passed 4-2, would have increased the commissioners' salary from $122,225 to $182,141 a year.
There is some positive news on crime coming out of the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. Car thefts have seen a big drop.
Some positive news from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department on crime: car thefts have seen a big drop. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy takes a look at what's behind the trend.
Right now, Hennepin County Commissioners make $122,225 a year. It's been that way since 2016. But starting next year, it jumps to $182,141 a year. It's an increase of 49%.
If you could decide to boost your salary by nearly 50%, would you do it? That's what the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners did this week. The hefty hike equates to tens of thousands of dollars.
The association's complaint, filed with the Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board Tuesday, alleged Moriarty and her office "violated several of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct" in charging Minnesota State Patrol trooper Ryan Londregan.
A Minnesota police group has filed an ethics complaint over a controversial case involving a state trooper. It accuses the Hennepin County Attorney of making repeated "false statements" to prejudice a jury and "achieve political ends."
President Trump said he would soon provide "one rulebook" for regulations, sparking some concern a move by the White House would upend individual states' efforts at putting safeguards around the technology.
The three-day music festival announced next year's lineup on Tuesday, which features headliners The Lumineers, Matchbox Twenty and The Strokes.
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a man to 11 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Minneapolis.
A better start to winter is giving snow removal companies in the Twin Cities something they haven't had in a while: steady work and steady customers.
The snowy weather was perfect for not one, but two polar bear birthdays Tuesday at Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The three-day music festival announced next year's lineup on Tuesday, which features headliners The Lumineers, Matchbox Twenty and The Strokes.
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a man to 11 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Minneapolis.
The snowy weather was perfect for not one, but two polar bear birthdays Tuesday at Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The crash happened at approximately 5:50 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 94 near Black River Falls, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.
A growing list of Minnesota schools has decided to close or open late on Tuesday as a winter storm rolls through the state.
A 35-year-old southern Minnesota woman was hit and killed by a train on Monday afternoon, according to the Meeker County Sheriff's Office.
A growing list of Minnesota schools has decided to close or open late on Tuesday as a winter storm rolls through the state.
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Brush off your best puns and defrost your pop culture references, because the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Name a Snowplow contest is back.
Renowned architect Frank Gehry died at the age of 96 on Friday, a representative confirmed to CBS News. His worldwide legacy included two works that were constructed in Minnesota.
Out of the 1,500 men on his ship, Del Thielke was the only one selected to be aboard the USS Missouri when the peace treaty was signed.
An FBI agent was the subject of a dramatic rescue from a car dangling over a Milwaukee interstate, all captured on bodycam video.
The crash happened at approximately 5:50 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 94 near Black River Falls, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.
President Donald Trump's former attorney in battleground Wisconsin is alleging that a judge presiding over his case and that of two other Trump aides charged with felonies related to the 2020 election is guilty of misconduct and must step aside.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
A 28-year-old man has been accused of shooting a Superior, Wisconsin, police officer after crashing a van into a middle school on Sunday.
Firefighters are continuing a 44-year tradition that happens every year north of the Twin Cities.
It was a scary moment in the Twin Cities over the weekend, as a trailer hauling sled dogs turned over on Interstate 494 in Minnetonka.
On Sunday, members of Minnesota's Somali community spoke out against President Trump's social media post calling for an end to temporary protected status.
Two hundred Thanksgiving meals were distributed to this community by Second Harvest Heartland and the Thielen Foundation.
A Minnesota nonprofit is getting a major boost this week as dozens of college students spend their morning sorting donated shoes to support families in need.
President Trump said he would soon provide "one rulebook" for regulations, sparking some concern a move by the White House would upend individual states' efforts at putting safeguards around the technology.
President Donald Trump says he'll soon issue an executive order on artificial intelligence, which could impact some Minnesota laws already in place.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon on Tuesday announced his reelection campaign as he seeks a fourth term as the state's chief elections administrator.
President Donald Trump's former attorney in battleground Wisconsin is alleging that a judge presiding over his case and that of two other Trump aides charged with felonies related to the 2020 election is guilty of misconduct and must step aside.
The Justice Department can release investigative materials from a sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime confidant of Jeffrey Epstein, a federal judge ruled.
The holidays are upon us, and in the town of Kellogg, Minnesota, you'll find a toy store unlike any other.
When we do winter weather stories, there's always that one line people use: cold, snow, ice — it's just what happens here. And this week, Ticket King president Michael Nowakowski said that same idea kind of applies to Minnesota Vikings ticket prices.
Thanksgiving is a big day for the farmers who raise the centerpiece of Americans' dinner tables on the last Thursday of November. But in Minnesota, the nation's top turkey producer, the work doesn't stop once the national holiday ends.
A family-owned Linden Hills bar and restaurant is closing its doors for Thanksgiving, but opening the kitchen for those who need it most.
On the eve of Thanksgiving, Sentyrz Liquor & Supermarket turned into holiday headquarters for last-minute shoppers.
A judge on Tuesday sentenced a man to 11 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Minneapolis.
One person is dead and another was critically wounded in a shooting at Kentucky State University, officials said Tuesday.
It's been one year since Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
An 18-year-old man from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to his role in an assault during a high school basketball game in the Twin Cities.
A 21-year-old man has been accused of shooting at Bloomington, Minnesota, officers before they returned fire near the Mall of America on Wednesday.
Why do we have oily or dry skin? A dermatologist explains the root cause and how it can change over time.
Inspire Change Clinic opened its doors in Minneapolis with a simple mission: provide access to marginalized communities. On Thursday afternoon, the clinic should have been bustling with a waiting room filled with families. Instead, the clinic was empty.
Minnesotans who welcomed a child this year were able to start applying this week to the state's new paid family and medical leave program to take time off in 2026.
Cases always rise in colder months, with the use of furnaces and people working on gas motors in closed garages.
A jury has awarded an Iowa woman a $19.8 million verdict against the Mayo Clinic and a colorectal surgeon in a lawsuit brought in Minnesota courts, according to her attorneys.
The three-day music festival announced next year's lineup on Tuesday, which features headliners The Lumineers, Matchbox Twenty and The Strokes.
Rod Stewart, one of the bestselling musicians of all time, is bringing his legendary voice and decades worth of hits to the Great Minnesota Get-Together in 2026.
Paramount Skydance's $30 per share offer comes just days after Netflix agreed to buy parts of Warner Bros. in a deal valued at nearly $83 billion.
The nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes have been announced. Here are the nominees.
President Trump is hosting the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday after presenting medals to the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees during an Oval Office ceremony Saturday.
Early in the winter season, there are always good nonconference matchups in Minnesota, including Friday, when the Chanhassen girls basketball team visited Blaine. Plus, see the results of other exciting prep games in Minneapolis, Shakopee, Andover and other areas in the state.
Joel Eriksson Ek had a goal and two assists, and the Minnesota Wild scored three times in the third period to beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' five-game winning streak was snapped by the Phoenix Suns on Monday night with a 108-105 defeat.
In her rookie season with Gotham FC, Khyah Harper was part of the club's third championship win last month, in a 1-0 shutout against the Washington Spirit.
In Minnesota, where ice is practically a birthright, one team has skated its way to national prominence.
Fear and uncertainty continue in Minnesota's Somali communities as ICE continues its intensified focus on the Twin Cities.
Opposition to ICE actions is widespread among Democratic elected officials throughout the state, though nowhere more than in Minneapolis, home to the state's largest Somali population.
Minnesotans who welcomed a child this year were able to start applying this week to the state's new paid family and medical leave program to take time off in 2026.
Minnesotans who welcomed a child in this year can start applying to the state's new paid family and medical leave program to take time off in 2026. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Matt Varilek, the commissioner of the state's Department of Employment and Economic Development about the program's rollout and who qualifies for the program.
Minnesotans who welcomed a child this year were able to start applying this week to the state's new paid family and medical leave program to take time off in 2026.
The holidays are upon us, and in the town of Kellogg, Minnesota, you'll find a toy store unlike any other.
With the holidays fast approaching, and lutefisk on the menu for many families, one Minnesota town has the distinction of being called the "Lutefisk Capital of the Country."
How would you like to own a former Cold War missile site? In Dakota County, Minnesota, there's a one-of-a-kind property that could be yours for the right price.
It's a photograph found in homes across the country, and even overseas. The picture "Grace" shows a man bowing his head in prayer with food and what appears to be a Bible in front of him.
Fall harvest means barns across the Midwest are a busy place — but for a central Minnesota woman, they aren't just farm buildings, they're works of art.
Why do we have oily or dry skin? A dermatologist explains the root cause and how it can change over time.
It is the food that is top of mind right now, but did you know more turkeys come from Minnesota than anywhere else in the country?
Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnehaha, Minnetonka, Minnewaska, Minneota. Those are just some of the place names in "the Land of 10,000 Lakes" featuring "minne" as the first five letters.
As we approach Thanksgiving, we wanted to do a deep dive into gratefulness, and why it makes us feel better.
Many commuters know the Interstate 394 and Interstate 94 interchange seems to back up almost every afternoon. And you face the choice: should you wait in the back of the line or try to get closer and swoop in?
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has the latest updates on the forecast as snow falls across the state.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
The first round of snow is wrapping up in the Twin Cities, but more is expected to fall overnight.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says snow is creating slick spots on the roads, causing major slowdowns.
A better start to winter is giving snow removal companies in the Twin Cities something they haven't had in a while: steady work and steady customers.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer has the latest updates on the forecast as snow falls across the state.
The first round of snow is wrapping up in the Twin Cities, but more is expected to fall overnight.
WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer says snow is creating slick spots on the roads, causing major slowdowns.
As federal investigations expand, the state is now pressing pause on all new licenses for home and community-based providers for the next two years. One small provider told us: It's been swept up with the bad actors and is now in danger of closing. Learnability provides 24-hour care to the severely disabled. The CEO told Esme Murphy that the families she serves aren't sure what they're going to do.
Twin Cities college students say a weekend ICE arrest on their campus has left them shaken. The Department of Homeland Security accused the administration of trying to block an arrest. WCCO's Frankie McLister explains who they caught and the conflicting stories about how it all happened.