On Lake Minnetonka, Business Is As Slow As The Boats
High water continues to keep boat traffic to a crawl on Lake Minnetonka. For the past couple of weeks, a lake-wide no wake order has stayed in effect.
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High water continues to keep boat traffic to a crawl on Lake Minnetonka. For the past couple of weeks, a lake-wide no wake order has stayed in effect.
As kids step from the boats and onto the docks at Big Island, a day of fun and pleasure awaits each one of them. As parents of special needs children will tell you, the health challenges of one child affect the entire family. Nobody knows that better than Stacy McAllister.
Thursday was a long day for some people living near Minnehaha Creek. In St. Louis Park, some homes were surrounded by more than a thousand sandbags.
Communities along the Minnehaha Creek faced flooded yards and streets Thursday. The 22 mile-long creek, which connects Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Falls, reached the highest water levels ever recorded Thursday morning. People in the St. Louis Park Creekside neighborhood are helping each other stack sandbags.
The rising waters are causing trouble on Lake Minnetonka. The no wake restriction has been in effect for almost two weeks. The water is so high boats aren't allowed to open up on the lake.
Almost a dozen sailboats capsized on Lake Minnetonka Saturday morning during a regatta. There were between 30-40 sailboats taking part in a weekend sailboat race near Smith Bay and Browns Bay when wind gusts reaching 50-60 mph began to wreak havoc on boaters.
The Green Line opening is just the newest chapter in the rich, storied history of University Avenue. Minneapolis and St. Paul were connected in 1890 with the creation of the street car system, according to Chad Roberts with the Ramsey County Historic Society.
Boaters and other lake goers are still being asked to go slow on Lake Minnetonka. On June 5, the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District implemented an "Emergency High Water" declaration, during which it is against the law for any watercraft to go at a speed that would result in more than a minimum wake.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has lifted the swimming advisory on Lake Minnetonka and Dutch Lake. Residents of the city of Mound were warned to stay out of both lakes at the beginning of the month when heavy rains caused sewage water to be rerouted into drains.
Go slow or get an expensive citation -- that's the message from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol. This is the first time Lake Minnetonka has ever had a minimum wake restriction on the entire lake. Deputies are on the water to educate and enforce the restriction.
Chad Greenway did his best Superman impression this week. For his next feat, Greenway could further endear himself to new Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer by figuring out how to clone himself.
Due to high waters, officials are enforcing a minimum wake restriction for all of Lake Minnetonka. That means boats, jetskis and other watercrafts cannot go above 5 mph while the restriction is in place.
The Twin Cities metro area was hit by so much rain over the weekend, the City of Mound is worried that sewage could back up into about 1,000 homes. So to try to keep that from happening, the city is pumping untreated sewage onto land.
You may have to change your Memorial Day weekend plans if they include canoeing or kayaking down Minnehaha Creek. The recent rain caused high levels on Lake Minnetonka. As a result, water is being released into the creek to lower it. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District warns the release is causing unsafe conditions.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office is urging boaters to create a safety plan before hitting the waters this Memorial Day weekend. With a High Water Declaration in effect for Lake Minnetonka, Sheriff Rich Stanek says boaters need to manage their wakes properly, as well as have the necessary safety gear in place.
We're heading towards Memorial Day weekend and coming with it is sun and warmer temperatures. It's got boaters and anglers looking forward to getting out on the boat. It also makes for the perfect time for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to remind people about boat safety and to "Think Zero."
Nearly a half million people are out on Minnesota's lakes this weekend for the state fishing opener. Governor Dayton was in the Brainerd Lakes area, trying his luck on Gull Lake. The governor was among thousands of Minnesotans who got out on the water at the stroke of midnight.
An annual report card gives mixed grades to some of the most popular Twin Cities lakes. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District sprawls over 181 square miles from the far western suburbs to the Mississippi River.
Not only is Minnesota the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we're also home to the second-highest number of registered boats in the nation. Only Florida has more motorboats registered than the 540,000 cruising our waterways. But there's a new trend that's getting even more families on the waters.
With the long, cold winter we all endured, we weren't sure this day would ever come. The Freshwater Society and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol officially made the call Thursday morning that the ice is now officially out on Lake Minnetonka.
Soon the lakes will be completely ice free, and we will see lots of people out on canoes. But there is one canoe in the west metro that will definitely not be going back into the water. That's because archaeologists have just determined it is nearly 1,000 years old.
A 37-year-old man had to be rescued from Lake Minnetonka on Saturday after his snowmobile went through the ice, according to the Carver County Sheriff's Office. Authorities received several 911 calls just before 9 p.m. that a snowmobile and its rider had fallen through the ice at the southern end of Smithtown Bay on Lake Minnetonka.
A million dollar home on Lake Minnetonka burned to the ground Thursday morning. The fire started around 9:30 a.m. at a home on Old Beach Road in Orono, Minn.
Team WCCO braved the elements Saturday for a pair of charity pond hockey games on Lake Minnetonka. The team ranged in age from 14 to 62, and happily accepted the help of former Wild player Mark Parrish as a ringer. "This is awesome," Parrish said. "It takes you right back. This is where it all began for all of us." The wind chill on Lake Minnetonka was minus 15, but it was all for a good cause.
The view of Lake Minnetonka from the house that Jimmy Jam built is breathtaking. This 22,000-square-foot property sits on 3.5 acres, complete with 300 feet of Lake Minnetonka shoreline. WCCO was the first to show viewers inside the home before it went up for sale last summer. Scott Stabeck of the Stabeck Group at Lakes Sotheby's Realty in Wayzata is the listing agent.
Maple Grove quarterback Kaden Harney led Maple Grove on a dominant run the past two years. The Crimson won the state championship in 2024 and went on a 23-game win streak.
A bitter blast arrives in Minnesota just as the holiday season shifts into high gear. The cold temperatures are leading to some cancellations and an important message to bundle up.
Police in St. Paul, Minnesota, are investigating after they say a woman was found fatally shot in an apartment on Friday afternoon.
Ice dams are one of the many things to "love" about a cold Minnesota winter. As temperatures plunge this weekend, the formations are growing across Twin Cities homes.
The Minnesota Wild have traded Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Quinn Hughes, both teams announced Friday night.
A bitter blast arrives in Minnesota just as the holiday season shifts into high gear. The cold temperatures are leading to some cancellations and an important message to bundle up.
Police in St. Paul, Minnesota, are investigating after they say a woman was found fatally shot in an apartment on Friday afternoon.
Ice dams are one of the many things to "love" about a cold Minnesota winter. As temperatures plunge this weekend, the formations are growing across Twin Cities homes.
Some members of the Twin Cities' immigrant community say Operation Metro Surge is not only striking fear in the Latino and Somali communities, but it's also harming their small businesses.
Food Bank Eatery in North Minneapolis provides free meals for children, who may have little to eat after the pause of SNAP benefits for many in the community.
A 13-year-old student in Moorhead, Minnesota, was arrested on Thursday after he was found at a middle school with around 1,500 pills that police suspect are laced with fentanyl.
A special city council meeting held Wednesday in the central Minnesota cabin-country town of Nisswa had one item on the agenda: discussing the conduct of Mayor Jennifer Carnahan.
Authorities say a man shot a student outside a southern Minnesota high school Friday morning before dying by suicide.
Police say they used "less-than-lethal tools" to subdue and subsequently arrest a man suspected of injuring another man in southeastern Minnesota early Thursday morning.
The story begins years ago when the city acquired one of the T-38 Talon Thunderbird jets from the Air Force.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors are starting to select the jurors who will decide whether a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal officers broke the law.
Joel Brennan, a former top official in Gov. Tony Evers' administration, announced Thursday that he is running to succeed the two-term Democrat, joining a crowded primary field for the 2026 election.
A Wisconsin judge on Tuesday refused to step aside as requested by President Donald Trump's former attorney, who faces a felony forgery case related to the 2020 election in the battleground state.
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.
Food Bank Eatery in North Minneapolis provides free meals for children, who may have little to eat after the pause of SNAP benefits for many in the community.
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.
The kingpin behind the nation's largest case of pandemic fraud was convicted nearly nine months ago, but the White House is putting a renewed focus on the scheme and new pressure on Minnesota to stop it from happening again. Jonah Kaplan reports on plans announced by Gov. Tim Walz to fight fraud.
Immigration enforcement efforts are striking fear in Minnesota's Latino and Somali communities, and leaving local businesses hanging on by a thread.
A special city council meeting held Wednesday in the central Minnesota cabin-country town of Nisswa had one item on the agenda: discussing the conduct of Mayor Jennifer Carnahan.
A ruling striking down emergency levies could force the federal government to return most of the tariff revenue it has collected this year, according to Penn Wharton.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released 19 photos from a trove of images obtained from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
The holidays are upon us, and in the town of Kellogg, Minnesota, you'll find a toy store unlike any other.
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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 20-year-old Minneapolis man was found guilty for his role in the shooting of three people inside a Coon Rapids home in January of 2024.
A 13-year-old student in Moorhead, Minnesota, was arrested on Thursday after he was found at a middle school with around 1,500 pills that police suspect are laced with fentanyl.
Moore, 39, is charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering.
Two men were hurt when someone in a vehicle shot into a north Minneapolis home Thursday night, according to police.
Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Friday unveiled a new statewide fraud prevention program in the state's latest effort to crack down in the wake of the Feeding Our Future scandal — a scheme that siphoned away $250 million in taxpayer funds meant for hungry children.
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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.
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.
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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.
Maple Grove quarterback Kaden Harney led Maple Grove on a dominant run the past two years. The Crimson won the state championship in 2024 and went on a 23-game win streak.
The Minnesota Wild have traded Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Quinn Hughes, both teams announced Friday night.
Moore, 39, is charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering.
Lindsey Vonn raced to a stunningly fast win in a World Cup downhill on Friday to earn her first victory after a five-year retirement.
President Trump hosted members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team — famous for defeating the Soviet Union in the "Miracle on Ice" — at a bill signing.
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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 story begins years ago when the city acquired one of the T-38 Talon Thunderbird jets from the Air Force.
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.
It's the time of year when we accumulate the most stuff. When we do, people often throw around the word "hoarding." But it turns out it's a frequently misunderstood term.
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.
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.
A bitter blast arrives in Minnesota just as the holiday season shifts into high gear. The cold temperatures are leading to some cancellations and an important message to bundle up.
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.
Next Weather meteorologist Mike Augustyniak says temperatures across Minnesota on Sunday morning are expected to drop into the double digits below zero.
A bitter blast in Minnesota arrives just as the holiday season shifts into high gear. The dangerous cold is leading to some cancellations and an important message from a health expert. Ubah Ali explains.
There's a chance the temperature in the Twin Cities won't reach above zero on Saturday, according to Next Weather meteorologist Mike Augustyniak.
The Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game is on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Ren Clayton went to practice to talk with quarterback Kaden Harney about his future and the sudden end to Maple Grove's dominant run.
A drop in the number of hockey players in St. Paul last year resulted in the city having just one high school team for the entire district. Hear from this year's squad. Plus, Maple Grove quarterback Kaden Harney discusses his future and the sudden end to his school’s dominant run.
Next Weather meteorologist Mike Augustyniak says temperatures across Minnesota on Sunday morning are expected to drop into the double digits below zero.
A bitter blast in Minnesota arrives just as the holiday season shifts into high gear. The dangerous cold is leading to some cancellations and an important message from a health expert. Ubah Ali explains.
There's a chance the temperature in the Twin Cities won't reach above zero on Saturday, according to Next Weather meteorologist Mike Augustyniak.