Kare11
Twins to kick off 2024 season with big winter celebration
The team will stage three big events this weekend, highlighted by TwinsFest Live! on Friday, Jan. 26, featuring more than 65 current, former and future Twins players
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota is emerging from the grips of recent subzero temps and wind chills, and although winter is far from done, there is a warm breeze of sorts on the horizon.
TwinsFest 2024 will unfold this weekend with three events for fans, with more than 65 current, former and future Twins players and coaches scheduled to take part in all or some of the proceedings. The first is TwinsFest Live!, which takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at the Fillmore in Minneapolis. There will be meet-and-greets and photo opportunities, “player-focused” stage entertainment, celebrity bartenders and more.
Among the players scheduled to appear are All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, staff ace Pablo Lopez, and rookie standout infielder Royce Lewis. Twins legends set to attend are Hall of Famers Rod Carew, Paul Molitor, Bert Blyleven and Tony Oliva, along with greats like Kent Hrbek, Dan Gladden, Michael Cuddyer and Joe Mauer.
Tickets start at $49, with VIP experiences available. Find out more on the Twins website.
Signature Saturday is all about the autographs, and celebrating Twins Baseball at Target Field. There will be memorabilia displays and card shows, paid signings by Twins players, coaches and alumni, kids-themed areas and activities and a merchandise “yard sale.”
Admission is $25 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. The first 3,000 fans through the Target Field turnstiles will receive a voucher good for one complimentary ticket to any 2024 home game (besides the opener) and a Twins beanie.
Finally, TwinsFest 2024 includes two Futures Clinics for kids, offering an opportunity for young players to prep for their own seasons with help from Twins players and coaches. The clinics, put on in partnership with Urban Ventures, will allow kids to learn in an indoor drills and fundamentals-based setting.
Tickets for the clinics are $20. There are two sessions, morning for youth ages 6-12 and afternoon for ages 13-18. The Twins say all spots in the morning session are filled, but there are limited openings in the afternoon.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11’s newscasts. You’ll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist:
Kare11
Minneapolis City Council votes to shut down HERC permanently
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a plan to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on Thursday.
The resolution comes after decades of protests against the massive North Loop trash incinerator that burns roughly 365,000 tons of garbage a year.
“Today is a big step towards protecting the health of our communities and addressing longstanding environmental injustices that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said councilmember Robin Wonsley, in a statement.
The resolution calls for the incinerator to be permanently closed by Dec 31, 2027 and for the entire facility to be shut down by Dec 31, 2033.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
In October 2023, the Hennepin County Board signed off on a plan to close the HERC between 2028 and 2040, depending on how quickly the county can transition into a zero-waste system.
Of the garbage burned at the HERC, 75% comes from the city of Minneapolis. The other 25% comes from a dozen other cities in the area. The HERC produces enough energy to power more than 25,000 homes and half the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.
At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 10, Jenni Lansing with the City of Minneapolis Health Department provided analysis on the air pollution impacts of HERC. She said the health department supports working towards a zero-waste future and the ultimate closure of HERC, but said closing it now is not the solution.
“Overall emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by on-road and non-road, mobile and nonpoint sources, and these sources drive the cancer and non-cancer risks to health in Minneapolis,” Lansing said.
Hennepin County defines zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Kare11
Halloween storm knocks out power and spins cars into ditches
The snow is really coming down in some places with Maple Lake getting 3.5″ so far.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The wettest Halloween storm ever — is making mischief before little trick-or-treaters hit their neighborhood’s slushy streets.
Officials are reporting several power outages and car spin-outs.
There have been over 14,000 power outages, according to Xcel Energy.
The Minnesota State Patrol has responded to 169 crashes and 94 vehicles off the road, as of 2. pm. Thursday.
Meteorologist Beny Dery said an additional 1 to 2″ of snow is possible before things taper off this evening.
So far some of the totals around town are: 3.5″ Maple Lake, 3.0″ Buffalo, 2.5″ Dassel, 2.4″ Windom, 2.0″ St. Bonifacious, 1.5″ Maple Plain and 1.5″ in Bethel.
The snow is expected to let up from west to east and should wrap up for the metro between 5 to 6 p.m.
Kare11
Minneapolis shooting prompts City Council to request audit
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”