🌱 Air Quality Alert Sets Alarming Record + July 4 Events Guide

It's Wednesday, Minneapolis. In today's Daily, find out:

• Why Tuesday's air quality set an alarming record for the state Pollution Control Agency.
• What Minnesota organization is hiring more than 1,000 people.
• Why the "Today" Show visited Target Field.

But first, today's weather: Heavy thunderstorms. High: 79 Low: 63.

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Here are the top 4 stories today in Minneapolis:

1. Two teens from the Twin Cities area died Sunday after cliff jumping at Lake Superior. Officials said Maximillian Williams of Inver Grove Heights and Austin Henning of South St. Paul drowned at Black Beach in Silver Bay. They were both 18 years old. (Patch)

2. Twin Cities air quality was once again among the “worst in the world” Tuesday due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. Residents were asked to limit outdoor activities due to “unhealthy” conditions. Yesterday marked the state’s 23rd air quality alert of the year, the most ever recorded in a single season. (KARE11/MPR News)

3. U.S. Bank Stadium was officially paid off Monday by the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget. KSTP reports Monday's $378 million payment came more than 20 years earlier than expected. (KSTP)

4. A GoFundMe page has raised more than $10,000 for soccer team Minneapolis City SC. The organization’s club trailer full of equipment was stolen Sunday. (BMTN)

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Today in Minneapolis:

• "Coffee and Conversations" is held at the North Regional Community Library. (9:30 a.m.)
• Check out the Minneapolis Market on The Commons. (11 a.m.)
• A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held at El Norte Mexican Bar & Grill. (Noon)

From my notebook:

• In case you missed it: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden made an appearance in Loring Park over the weekend for Twin Cities Pride celebrations. (MPR News)
• Patch has a new curated guide to fireworks displays and other July 4 events in the area. (Patch)
• The Minnesota State Fair Employment Center is now open and looking to hire more than 1,700 people. (CBS)
• The “Today” Show visited Target Field for a feature story on Stephen Shear, who is visiting every MLB ballpark this season and buying tickets for hundreds of kids in community organizations. (TODAY)

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You're all caught up, Minneapolis. See you tomorrow for another guide to the news.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her writing has been recognized with awards from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Minneapolis Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.