🌱 I-94 Closures + Storms Knock Out Power + House Speaker Has COVID

Good morning, Minneapolis! Here's your Friday edition of the Daily.

First, today's weather: Clouds and sun; less humid. High: 82 Low: 56.

Here are the top 4 stories in Minneapolis today:

1. Eleven people in Minnesota died of COVID-19 yesterday, according to the state health department’s daily report. More than 12,500 Minnesotans have died after contracting the virus since March 2020. (KARE11)

2. Wednesday night’s storms in the Twin Cities set a daily record for the area, with 1.94 inches of rain reported. The previous record for May 11 was 1.55 inches. Thousands of people were left without power Thursday. (Patch)

3. Minnesota Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman tested positive for COVID-19, she announced Wednesday via Twitter. She is working remotely and “feeling fine” because she is vaccinated. (Reformer)

4. A portion of westbound Interstate 94 will be closed in Minneapolis this weekend for concrete pavement repairs. The stretch between I-35W and Nicollet Avenue will close tonight at 10 p.m. and is expected to reopen early Monday. (Patch)

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Today in Minneapolis:

• Coffee and Conversations at Franklin Library. (10 a.m.)
• The Minnesota Twins Home Run Lunch returns to Target Field. (11 a.m.)
• Hear the music of Tchaikovsky, Chen and Nielsen at Orchestra Hall. (8 p.m.)
• Steve Martin and Martin Short perform at the Orpheum Theatre. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Hennepin County homelessness services “are facing a $13 million-a-year fiscal cliff” as the pandemic continues, the Star Tribune reports. (Paid source: Star Tribune)
• Minneapolis brewery Dangerous Man Brewing Co. won a bronze medal for its coffee stout at last week’s Craft Brewers Conference. Four other Minnesota breweries were also honored at the event. (Paid source: Star Tribune)
• Minneapolis pastry chef Zoë Francois is back with a second season of “Zoë Bakes,” which begins streaming today on discovery+. (Magnolia Network)
• Tickets are still available for the upcoming Minnesota State Fair preview event. (BMTN)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Gun Violence Memorial Project Collection Event, St. Paul May 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and Minneapolis May 15, noon-4 p.m. (May 14)
• Gun Violence Memorial Project Collection Event, Minneapolis May 15, noon-4 p.m. and St. Paul May 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (May 15)
• ACR Homes Job Fair Week | May 16-19 (May 16)
• Estate Planning Webinar (May 26)
• Add your event

That's all for today! See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based 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 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.

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