Podcast Summary
Police chase, fatal crash: A Minnesota state trooper faces multiple charges after a high-speed chase resulted in a fatal crash, leaving three people dead and several others injured. The trooper, who had a history of vehicle accidents, was released on conditions despite the severity of the incident.
A Minnesota state trooper, Shane Roper, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges related to a high-speed chase that resulted in a fatal crash, leaving three people dead and several others injured. The incident occurred in Rochester on May 18th, and Roper, who had a history of vehicle accidents, was allowed to remain free on conditions by the judge. Meanwhile, Minnesota utilities are making progress in restoring power to customers after severe weather, but another round of storms could complicate the efforts. The state's K-12 public school math and reading scores have remained largely unchanged since the COVID-19 era drop, with the achievement gap between white students and students of color remaining a concern. The lack of buy-in from teachers and administrators towards the low-stakes MCA tests could impact performance scores, which are used as an accountability system at the state level.
Minneapolis successes: Minneapolis continues to thrive despite challenges, with high student scores, returning graduation rates, and successful sports teams, including the Lynx and Gophers football.
Despite facing challenges such as the loss of mature trees due to storms and the difficulty of playing on the road in the WNBA, Minneapolis and its teams continue to thrive. Minnesota students maintain high scores in national exams and graduation rates are back to pre-pandemic levels. The city's initiative to increase its tree canopy will provide long-term benefits, and residents can purchase discounted trees for $30 each. The Minneapolis Lynx have won seven straight games and are in second place in the WNBA, with six of their remaining nine games being on the road. The Minnesota Gophers football team begins their season tonight at home against North Carolina. These successes demonstrate resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
Minnesota sports: The Twins lost to the Braves, extending their losing streak to four games, but still maintain a three-game lead for the wildcard playoff spot. The Vikings start their NFL season soon, and Minnesota has upcoming home games in soccer and MLS, as well as a women's volleyball team. Weather brings a chance of rain tonight, followed by sunny skies and warm temperatures tomorrow.
The Atlanta Braves secured a three-game sweep over the Minnesota Twins with a 5-1 win last night, extending the Twins' losing streak to four games. Despite this setback, the Twins maintain a three-game lead over Boston for the wildcard playoff spot. Looking ahead, the Twins begin a home series against Toronto tomorrow night. On the sports front outside of baseball, the Minnesota Vikings are set to kick off their regular season on September 8th against the New York Giants. The team also has upcoming home games against Toronto in soccer and a road game against San Jose in MLS, as well as a women's volleyball team starting up. In terms of the weather, tonight in Minnesota brings a chance of showers and storms, with lows expected to be in the low 50s to low 60s. Tomorrow, however, brings sunny skies and highs statewide in the upper 70s. Stay tuned for further updates on Friday morning with Jacob Loy.