🌱 Low Early Voting Turnout + Homeless Encampment Cleared

Good morning! Today's Minneapolis Daily is here.

📣 Our readers love to celebrate good news! You can now shout out your big announcement at the top of the Minneapolis Daily newsletter. Whether it's a grand opening, new product for sale, birthday, anniversary, engagement, wedding or new baby, let everyone celebrate alongside you! Submit your announcement here.

Now, today's weather: Showers, heavy t-storms. High: 82 Low: 63.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Minneapolis:

1. Bloomington police are searching for two suspects in connection with a shooting Thursday at Mall of America. No one was injured but the mall was put on lockdown after the shooting, which stemmed from an “altercation” at the Nike Store. (BMTN)

2. A homeless encampment was cleared out by city workers Friday. A homicide was reported earlier this week in the area near East 28th Street and Nicollet Avenue. (KSTP)

3. COVID-19 detection decreased in Twin Cities wastewater this week, according to the Metropolitan Council. The viral load decreased by about seven percent. (CBS)

4. The U.S. Surgeon General was in Minneapolis yesterday for a discussion on youth mental health. Dr. Vivek Murthy made stops at the Convention Center and the University of Minnesota to speak about the well-being of young people during the COVID-19 pandemic. (KARE11)

5. Most Minnesotans are not voting early for the Aug. 9 primary, the Star Tribune reports. More than 500,000 people submitted early ballots in 2020, but only about 105,000 residents have cast early votes so far this year. (Paid source: Star Tribune)

Today in Minneapolis:

• Tour the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden for free. (Noon)
• The first 10,000 fans in attendance at tonight’s Twins game will receive a Tony Oliva Hall of Fame bobblehead. (6:10 p.m.)
• See “Disney Fantasia: Live In Concert” at Orchestra Hall, with free outdoor entertainment before and after on Peavey Plaza. (7 p.m.)
• Hear live music at the Lake Harriet Bandshell. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Health officials at the Red Door Clinic are reporting that the monkeypox cases under their care “have not been severe” so far. (MPR News)
• More than 300,000 people are expected to attend the Uptown Art Fair this weekend, which neighborhood businesses hope will help revitalize the community. (KSTP)
• Finnegans Brewing Co. acquired the non-alcoholic beer brand Hairless Dog. (TCB)
• The CDC is expected to “ease” COVID-19 guidelines in schools this fall. (Patch)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• School Bus Jobs Hiring Fair & Kiddie Carnival (August 6)
• ACR Homes Job Fair Week | Aug. 8-11 (August 8)
• Add your event

That's all for Saturday! See you Tuesday 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.