ST PAUL, Minn. — As feathers flew, Tim Walz accepted the symbolic presentation of a turkey Tuesday as he eases back into his duties as Minnesota’s governor following the Harris-Walz ticket’s defeat in the presidential election.

Unlike the Minnesota-grown turkeys that President Joe Biden pardoned at the White House on Monday, Walz didn’t pardon this turkey, he said, “because in Minnesota we know turkeys are delicious.”

The 41.8-pounder (19 kilograms) named Tom was raised by Paisley VonBerge, a Future Farmers of America leader from Hutchinson, and it will star in her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. It flapped its wings and shed feathers as she hoisted it onto a display table but quickly calmed down, oblivious to its fate.

“After today, this bird will go back to my farm to be enjoyed the way that turkeys are intended,” Paisley said.

“That is very Minnesotan,” Walz added to loud laughter. “We don’t hide the fact we love our turkeys.”

Minnesota produces more turkeys annually than any other state. Its farmers raised 38.5 million birds in 2023, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, followed by North Carolina at 29 million. North Carolina edged Minnesota last year in total poundage, producing just over 1.07 billion pounds (485 million kilograms), compared with just over 1.05 billion pounds (467 million kilograms) for Minnesota.

The ceremony in the governor’s reception room was the first time Walz had met with reporters at the state Capitol since last summer, before Vice President Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate.

While Walz has held private meetings in recent weeks with staff, legislative leaders and other public officials, interviewed potential judicial appointees, and fielded some press questions, he’s still ramping back up with public events. He said Tuesday that he had no regrets about agreeing to run — and is proud he did.

The Walz-Harris ticket got over 74 million votes to nearly 77 million for President-elect Donald Trump. While Walz said that shows that many Americans liked the message he and Harris put out, he acknowledged it was “not quite enough.”

“I was just glad to be out there, and to be honest, glad to tell Minnesota’s story — that we get things done together and we’re pretty hopeful people,” he told reporters.

Walz is already preparing for the upcoming legislative session, when he and his fellow Democrats will have to share power with Republicans — a contrast with the last two years when they enjoyed the “trifecta” of controlling the governor’s office and both the state House and Senate.

While Democrats kept their one-vote majority in the Senate, recounts that wrapped up Monday confirmed that the House will be tied 67-67 when lawmakers convene Jan. 14, barring successful court challenges that could be filed in a few races.

That’s going to force compromises if lawmakers are going to pass a balanced budget before the session ends in May. But Walz said they proved power sharing could work in 2019, when Republicans controlled the Senate and Minnesota was one of the few states with a divided Legislature.

“We’re going to have some opportunities to continue to move in the positive direction we’ve gone,” Walz said.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The Marines’ Toys of Tots campaign is back for the 2024 holiday season! KARE 11 is proud to partner with the Marines as we collect toy donations at our studios in Golden Valley.

Below, find out more information about where to donate, what to donate, how to appear on television, and how to receive a toy for your child.

The KARE 11 Toys for Tots tent will be open from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. starting Dec. 2 through Dec. 18 at our studios in Golden Valley.

Click here to find a full list of other drop-off locations.

Yes! You can make a monetary donation through KARE 11’s Give 11 page, or using the form below. Give 11 is a website that makes it easy to donate whatever you can afford. You can also donate directly to the Marines.

You can still sign-up for an on-air appearance on KARE 11 using this form. We’re especially looking for organizations or groups who can stop by in the morning for recorded appearances that will air during our noon and 4 p.m. newscasts.

The Marines accept monetary donations and new, unwrapped toys. Some examples are games, action figures, dolls, baby toys, puzzles, and non-realistic-looking weapons. They do accept homemade toys but ask that they are safe and free of sharp edges and small items that could be swallowed or otherwise injure the children that receive these donations.

Toys are distributed to kids from 0 – 15 years old. Typically, there is a shortage of toys for infants and teenagers.

Gift cards are accepted but are not distributed as gifts. The Marines take donated gift cards and purchase gifts for the program.

The Marines are asking for toys and financial donations to be donated by Dec. 18 to allow time for them to be distributed. 

Families need to contact a distribution agency working with Toys for Tots. For a list of agencies, click here.

Only toy requests by family members with custodial responsibility are normally approved; other requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. The age limit is 15 years old.

A child may only be registered through one charity organization. Multiple registrations by different family members, at different locations, are not allowed.

A receipt/combination letter will be provided to the donor that appears on the donation check ONLY. This will be issued sometime in January/February of the following calendar year, by the corporate office in Virginia, NOT by the local office. We are not legally allowed to provide any receipt to anyone.

The above applies if you host a charity fundraiser event and collect donations in the form of checks addressed to Toys for Tots/Marine Toys for Tots Foundation that are turned into the local office(s).

If you have donations made out to a person/company who then processes those donations into a check made payable to Toys for Tots/Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, a receipt will be issued to the name on the check only.

To become a Distributor (agency) you must complete the form on www.toysfortots.org. Agencies are required to have a 501(c)3 Tax ID number and must be located in counties that are covered (which include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties). Visit www.toysfortots.org for full details and a full list of counties served.

The Marines’ Twin Cities Toys for Tots page is located here: http://www.facebook.com/t4ttwincities. Please like and share this page.

More information about Twin Cities Toys for Tots program can be found on the local Toys for Tots website.

CARVER, Minn. — Editor’s note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 on Nov. 25, 2024.

A Kansas City man is being held in the Carver County Jail on assault charges after prosecutors alleged he critically injured a teenage Fleet Farm employee.

The criminal complaint filed Tuesday showed 31-year-old Gerald Hudson was charged with first- and second-degree assault, for the attack that left the 17-year-old employee with a 2- to 3-inch laceration to the back of her neck. Court documents said the alleged assault occurred inside the company’s Carver location just after 2 p.m. Sunday.

According to prosecutors, surveillance video showed Hudson entering the store before walking past the teen and to the end of an aisle. Authorities claimed Hudson looked right and then left before turning around and making a “striking movement” toward the teen, who was then seen on video holding the back of her neck and running from the area.

A witness told police they heard the teen yell, “he just stabbed me,” and saw the suspect, now identified as Hudson, run outside to the parking lot and drive away.

The complaint said Hudson was arrested in Chanhassen and brought in for questioning, where authorities claim he made a number of voluntary statements, including, “I didn’t stab anyone, I didn’t have any guns or anything like that, I just hit someone with a thing.”

The teen, prosecutors said, was taken to HCMC for treatment and her last known condition was critical but stable.

At the time of the filing, prosecutors said a potential weapon had still not been located.

A judge set bail for Hudson on Tuesday and scheduled his next court appearance for Dec. 13.