Quick Hits

• Major drug seizure in Golden Valley: Hennepin County Sheriff's investigators seized 59.6 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly 2 pounds of cocaine from a Golden Valley apartment last week.
• Downtown Minneapolis mass shooting: Three people are dead — including the suspected shooter — after at least six people, two of them police officers, were shot Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis. The suspect was reportedly in the process of being evicted after threatening other residents with a gun.
• North Memorial merger finalized: North Memorial Health's merger with South Dakota-based Sanford Health closed Tuesday, meaning North Memorial facilities will now operate under Sanford.
• Man found dead in Golden Valley lake: The Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol was called to a Golden Valley lake at about 7:25 a.m. Wednesday; law enforcement is still working to learn more.
• Blue Line Extension stalemate: Hennepin County leaders are pressing the Met Council to "step up" and close the funding gap on the $3.5 billion, 13-mile line to Brooklyn Park.

Golden Valley & West Metro

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office says investigators found 59.6 pounds of methamphetamine — almost 60 pounds — and nearly 2 pounds of cocaine in a Golden Valley apartment last week (KSTP).

Separately, a man was found dead in a Golden Valley lake Wednesday morning at about 7:25 a.m., after the Sheriff's Office Water Patrol was called in; investigators are still working to determine what happened (KSTP).

North Memorial Health's merger with Sanford Health is now finalized, the systems announced Tuesday — a significant change for the health network whose flagship hospital serves Golden Valley and neighboring Robbinsdale (KSTP).

Closer to home on the neighborhood forums: a St. Louis Park resident is asking for recommendations on a front door and storm door replacement for under $2,000, in case any neighbors have a contractor they trust (r/Minneapolis).

Minneapolis

Three people, including the suspected shooter, are dead after at least six people — among them two Minneapolis police officers — were shot in downtown Minneapolis Wednesday. HCMC said both officers were in stable condition as of about 6:45 p.m. Witnesses identified the suspect as a 35-year-old man who was in the process of being evicted, and who had been evicted for threatening other residents with a gun; neighbors told KARE 11 there had been concerns about him before the shooting. Minnesota and national leaders reacted as the city absorbed the news (KARE 11, KSTP).

Vance Boelter — federally convicted in last summer's deadly attack on Minnesota lawmakers — pleaded not guilty to state charges in court Wednesday, where a judge denied his request for lower bail (KSTP).

The stalemate over the $3.5 billion Blue Line Extension continues: Hennepin County leaders took their fight with the Met Council public, urging the regional body to fund a budget gap for the 13-mile, 13-stop line from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park (KARE 11).

A search warrant says the driver in the Brooklyn Center crash that killed a 6-year-old girl and left another child in critical condition admitted to using cocaine days before the collision (KSTP).

Ericka Wheeler, the mother in the Bar Zia shooting case, shared a raw reaction after Tuesday's sentencing in Hennepin County court: "That still don't bring my son back" (KSTP).

And for families noticing an earlier first bell: KSTP explains why some Minnesota school districts are starting classes before Labor Day this year (KSTP).

St. Paul

Three Minnesota men are charged after investigators discovered several dead and injured roosters on a Forest Lake property during an animal cruelty investigation into an alleged cockfighting operation (KSTP).

A proposed increase in public school funding will be on the November ballot, pushed Tuesday at the State Capitol by a coalition of DFL and Republican lawmakers joined by educators (KSTP).

New data is raising questions about how Ramsey County allocated $2.25 million for shelter expansion ahead of the Pig's Eye Park encampment closure in St. Paul (KSTP).

And a fact check for East Metro readers: Ramsey County is not Minnesota's most diverse county — MinnPost finds Mahnomen County generally takes that title, though Ramsey ranks high (MinnPost).

Local Sports

The Twins hung 10 runs on the Tigers in the sixth inning Tuesday night — Royce Lewis and Ryan Jeffers each hit three-run homers — on the way to a 15-2 romp over skidding Detroit (KSTP).

Vikings GM Nolan Teasley, reviewing the initial 53-man roster, said J.J. McCarthy faces the "hardest job in sports" and stressed that roster-building is a continuous process — the team is also hosting a free agent pass rusher for a visit ahead of the Sept. 13 opener against Green Bay (KSTP).

Gophers men's basketball coach Niko Medved, speaking Wednesday at the State Fair, said of leading scorer and forward Cade Tyson: "Would be unbelievable to have him back" (KSTP).

Former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins will start the Raiders' season opener Sept. 13 against Miami, new coach Klint Kubiak announced (KSTP).

Minnesota Statewide

Gubernatorial candidates Klobuchar and Demuth outlined differing approaches to Minnesota's housing costs and supply in a KARE 11 forum, streamed live at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday (KARE 11).

Minnesota's appellate courts were impacted by a cybersecurity breach at a vendor — the judicial branch says court systems and networks were not affected, but backup data was (KARE 11).

State Fair-goers needing a break can visit the Fraser Sensory Building for therapy dogs and a giant fidget spinner (KARE 11).