🌱 Walz Condemns Russia + Food Service Workers Plan Strike

Good morning, Minneapolis! Here's the news for Saturday, March 5.

First, today's weather: Rain at times. High: 42 Low: 28.

Here are the top 5 stories in Minneapolis today:

1. Gov. Tim Walz officially condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday, along with signing an executive order requiring Minnesota state agencies to cut ties with Russian entities. Walz encouraged private companies to follow suit to “help ensure that our state does not aid the Russian government's aggression against Ukraine." (Patch)

2. Minneapolis police officers could get up to $7,000 in raises under a tentative new contract agreement, CBS reports. Mayor Jacob Frey recommended the agreement to the City Council, who still need to approve it. Officers “need to be paid more and fired more,” Frey said. (CBS)

3. A Minneapolis man will serve 50 months in prison for a 2021 hit-and-run which killed a 70-year-old woman. Cameron Bendson pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide for running a red light and striking Rosie Means on her scooter. (KARE11)

4. The Twin Cities are officially at “low” risk level for COVID-19, according to new CDC guidelines. The state’s test positivity rate is below 5 percent for the first time since August. (Paid source: Star Tribune)

5. Minneapolis teachers could strike as soon as Tuesday. The last time the city’s teachers went on strike, it was illegal for public employees to do so. The new book “Strike!: Twenty Days in 1970 When Minneapolis Teachers Broke the Law” will be out in June. (CBS)

Today in Minneapolis:

• Stop by the Minneapolis Winter Farmers Market. (9 a.m.)
• The Midwinter Folk Festival kicks off at the American Swedish Institute. (10 a.m.)
• First Free Saturday at the Minneapolis Walker Art Center. (10 a.m.)
• Minnesota Monthly’s Food & Wine Experience returns to Target Field. (1 p.m.)
• Wine and Canvas hosts a painting class at Naughty Greek. (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The state could see a severe thunderstorm today, with a chance of snow tonight. (Patch)
• City food service workers voted to authorize a strike. (CBS)
• Minneapolis will be back in the state hockey tournament for the first time in more than 25 years. (KSTP)
• The Wild beat the Flyers Thursday to break their four-game losing streak. (Paid source: Star Tribune)
• The U.S. Ski Jr. Nationals begin today at Father Hennepin Park. (Park Board)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you soon!

— 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.