ST. CLOUD – Superintendent Laurie Putnam, who has been at the helm of St. Cloud’s increasingly diverse school district since 2022, has been named the 2025 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year.

The honor, recently announced by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, puts Putnam in play for the national title, as well.

Before starting as superintendent, Putnam served as assistant superintendent for three years, as well as a counselor, assistant principal and principal in the central-Minnesota school district.

“Her visionary leadership, dedication to equity and inclusion, and commitment to student success have transformed St. Cloud Area Schools and left a lasting impact on the entire community,” said Deb Henton, executive director at the association. “Dr. Putnam’s efforts to foster a collaborative, inclusive learning environment inspire educational leaders across the state.”

In a news release, Henton cited several factors considered by a panel of representatives from educational organizations in the state, including Putnam’s work to dismantle systemic inequities within the district, find innovative funding solutions and involve the community in education.

In recent years, the district has partnered with community organizations to implement “Grow Your Own” programs to increase staff diversity — which is important because the demographics have shifted dramatically in the district in the past 15 or so years. Students of color comprise a majority of district enrollment and, compared with surrounding districts, St. Cloud has higher percentages of students in poverty, who are homeless, enrolled in special education or who do not speak English as their first language.

“In Greater Minnesota, where only 1.2% of the teacher pool are people of color, St. Cloud Area Schools has achieved 8.5% representation among teachers and 21.6% of administrators identifying as people of color,” the release states. “This focus on representation has fostered a more inclusive and welcoming school environment, where students see themselves reflected in their educators and feel a greater sense of belonging.”

Under Putnam’s leadership, the district also received $7 million in grants to turn two schools into full-service “community schools” that provide additional arts activities and after-school programs for kids, as well as health care, financial counseling and career services for families. The program rolls out in January.

As October surprises go, the most surprising thing about this one was that anyone saw it.

But someone, somehow, at some point, climbed on top of the unoccupied worksite that is the Minnesota governor’s residence with some paint. There, the timid tagger scribbled a political hot take that only birds, HVAC repair technicians and drone operators could see.

Minneapolis photojournalist Chad Davis spotted the partisan graffiti on the taxpayer-owned building on Wednesday and shared the images — possibly spoiling the vandal’s plans for an Election Day or post-election reveal of “Walz failed” scrawled across a rooftop that belongs to the people of Minnesota, who are now going to have to foot the bill to clean up the mess.

If you’re the tagger in question, remember: This entire rooftop could have been a tweet.

The Minnesota State Patrol has not yet provided an update on the investigation. The state patrol is responsible for the governor’s safety and the security of the governor’s residence — or residences, in this case. The Walz family moved out last year when the $6.3 million renovation project began and into a $330,000-per-year rental. The big brick governor’s mansion on St. Paul’s Summit Avenue has been a work site ever since, complete with scaffolding that might explain how someone could make their way onto the roof.

It wouldn’t be the first time scaffolding on a public building in Minnesota tempted someone into a petty misdemeanor. In 2013, when the Minnesota Legislature had just begun its massive renovation project, an unidentified climber scaled the Capitol dome and led security officers on a nerve-wracking low-speed chase, 223 feet above street level. Eventually, the hooded intruder clambered back down and fled into the night.

Bystanders observing the scene in Minneapolis recalled hearing the female police negotiator pleading with Matariyeh to surrender. When shots rang out over the phone, the negotiator dropped to her knees and cried. Colleagues could be seen comforting her.

O’Hara said the shots in Minneapolis were fired shortly after an altercation involving Matariyeh’s ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend, who arrived to the apartment to retrieve some items. Matariyeh and the woman share a child, who was at day care at the time. Police went there to ensure the child’s safety shortly after the suspect fled. The ex-girlfriend and the boyfriend were also not harmed.

The chief said that when police initially responded, it was unclear whether the suspect was still inside the apartment. There is no indication of a domestic violence history between the pair.

At one point after Mayerchak was shot, an officer or dispatcher radioed that the suspect was the man from Minneapolis: “He did say he was willing to shoot cops. Proceed cautiously.”

A short time later, the suspect was leading police on a chase of speeds of more than 100 mph while on the phone with the Minneapolis negotiator, threatening “suicide by cop.”

At about 2:29 p.m., Matariyeh was arrested, and a gun was recovered in the ditch.