Henderson added that his health has steadily deteriorated since the attack, noting, “I now have issues with my speech, and my need for oxygen has become almost permanent. … My back hurts more than it ever has, often leaving me bed-ridden. … I struggle to walk even short distances due to the pain.”

Also speaking at sentencing was Sharon Henderson, who said of her husband, “The funny, joyful man I once knew is now a shadow of himself — sad and depressed, acutely aware that he has lost the best years of his life. … The laughter and light that once filled our lives have been replaced by sorrow, a daily reminder of what we once had.”

According to the criminal complaint:

The day after the attack, Henderson told police an SUV was closely following him after he had exited Interstate 35 at 210th Street W. After the two parked, the other driver confronted Henderson, yelled obscenities, accused him of cutting him off and threatened to beat him.

Beckett then ordered Henderson to go behind the Walmart, saying he wanted to be somewhere without surveillance cameras.

Henderson was with his mother-in-law and told her to go inside the store to get help.

“Some of the proposed changes are really trying to address the post-COVID ridership trends and help encourage riders back on the system,” Linnell said.

In addition, eligibility for the Transit Assistance Program (TAP) for low-income passengers would be expanded from one year to two, meaning passengers won’t have to sign up every year. Launched in 2017, TAP features $1 rides for the nearly 4,800 people currently enrolled in the program.

If the proposal is adopted, annual fare revenue would drop $4.1 million. but ridership is projected to increase by about 926,000rides.

“We anticipate that we’ll still increase our revenue but it won’t increase quite as fast as anticipated,” said Dennis Dworshak, Metro Transit’s senior manager of revenue operations.

However, one member of the Met Council asked why fares weren’t being increased rather than decreased.

“It seems like we’re putting a lot of money into making a nice [transit] system, but it’s worth less and less and less to our customers, and that’s concerning to me,” said Wendy Wulff, who has served on the council since 2009 after being initially appointed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty to represent the southern suburbs. (Members of the Met Council are appointed by the current governor.)

Most of the new products are antigen tests, meaning they pick up on specific proteins in the viruses. Only one, made by Pfizer, is a molecular test, which is more sensitive because it searches for genetic material. That test is pricier, at around $40.

Many combination tests function just like regular at-home COVID tests: Typically you swab the inside of your nostril, dunk it in a solution and squeeze droplets of the mixture onto a test strip.

As with at-home COVID-only tests, the combination tests likely work best when you have symptoms. If you are vulnerable to COVID or the flu, you may want to test as soon as you feel ill, said Dr. Davey Smith, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Diego.

That’s because the antiviral medications that can reduce the risk of severe cases of COVID and the flu, like Paxlovid and Tamiflu, need to be taken early on.

It’s also crucial to test more than once with the combination tests, and at least 48 hours after the first try if the result is negative, said Nathaniel Hafer, an associate professor of molecular medicine at UMass Chan Medical School. The more you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus, the better your body gets at recognizing it, triggering symptoms as the immune system combats the infection. You can have a hacking cough and full-body fatigue for days before enough virus has built up in your nose to turn a test positive.

If your first test is negative, but your symptoms worsen within 48 hours, there’s an increased chance that you’re sick with COVID or the flu, Smith said.