🌱 Aurora FC To Host Championship + Aquatennial Fireworks Tonight

Good morning, Minneapolis. Let's get to your five-minute guide to today's headlines.

First, today's weather: An afternoon thunderstorm. High: 88 Low: 65.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Minneapolis:

1. Jamal Smith faces a life sentence after being found guilty of first-degree murder at the conclusion of a seven-day trial. Smith was accused of shooting and killing Jay Boughton during a “road rage incident” last year on Highway 169. (MPR News)

2. Lowry Hill residents raised funds to hire additional security patrols in the neighborhood as crime surges across the Twin Cities. MinnPost reports some Minneapolis residents are raising “concerns over how the program can operate given the [police] department’s staffing woes.” (MinnPost)

3. The undefeated Minnesota Aurora FC will host the South Georgia Tormenta FC today in the USL W League championship. The game is set for 7 p.m. at TCO Stadium. (KARE11)

4. Minneapolis Animal Care and Control is offering free pet adoptions today. National Adoption Weekend runs through Sunday in the city. (KARE11)

5. It’s the final day to enjoy the Minneapolis Aquatennial! Today's events include two craft markets and the annual AquaJam. Target Fireworks will light up West River Parkway at 10 p.m. (Aquatennial)

Today in Minneapolis:

• A free “Art on the Edge” Festival is held in the Linden Hills neighborhood. (10 a.m.)
• Twin Cities Carifest offers food, music, arts and crafts. (11 a.m.)
• A salsa cook-off is held at Midtown Global Market. (Noon)
• Love the new “Persuasion” adaptation on Netflix? Check out another take on Jane Austen with “Emma” at the Guthrie Theater. (1 p.m.)
• A Steely Dan cover band performs at the Parkway. (8 p.m.)
• Lyle Lovett and His Large Band perform at State Theatre. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Nook has renamed its “Birk Burger” after its namesake Matt Birk made controversial comments about rape and abortion this week. (Patch)
• A group of former warehouses in the North Loop will be renovated into modern apartments, the Star Tribune reports. (Paid source: Star Tribune)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Get your car washed this Saturday (July 23) and support mentoring opportunities for local kids (July 23)
• POWER: Drag Brunch (July 23)
• Add your event

That's all for June 23! See you soon for more local stories.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a newsletter writer and partner content curator from Chicago. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the 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.