Quick Hits

• I-394 ramp closed: If you're driving from Golden Valley into Minneapolis this weekend, the ramp from eastbound I-394 to I-94 is shut down for bridge repairs. MnDOT says the closure began Friday night — budget extra time if you're headed downtown.
• Data center plan dead at former Star Tribune site: A developer has scrapped plans for a data center at the 600,000-square-foot former printing plant in the North Loop, as Minneapolis' moratorium on such projects continues. (KSTP, KARE 11)
• Twins pull even, Gophers routed: Emmanuel Rodriguez homered in his first career at-bat Saturday as the Twins edged Cleveland 4-3, a day after dropping the opener 5-2; the Gophers were blown out at home by Mississippi State, 38-13.
• State Fair assault: An Oakdale man is recovering from emergency reconstructive surgery after his fiancée says he was punched, stomped and kicked during a Sept. 5 assault at the Minnesota State Fair.
• Fall settles in: A cold front brought dew points in the low 40s, with rain returning Monday. A tornado touched down in Stevens County — western Minnesota — Friday evening.

Golden Valley & West Metro

A quiet day on the hyperlocal wire — no Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope or St. Louis Park-specific headlines in today's feed — but two nearby items are worth knowing:

• I-394 ramp closure: MnDOT closed the ramp from eastbound I-394 to I-94 starting Friday night for bridge repairs, with the closure running through the weekend. For Golden Valley commuters who rely on I-394 as the main route downtown, expect detours and delays until crews wrap up. (KSTP)
• Beer tasting coming to Plymouth: Jerrod Sumner of Minnesota Monthly joined KARE 11 Saturday to preview a big beer-tasting event coming to Plymouth — and to share tips on how to properly taste beer. (KARE 11)

Minneapolis

• Former Star Tribune site: Plans for a data center at the former printing plant — a 600,000-square-foot building on a 13-acre North Loop site — have been dropped while the city's moratorium on data center projects continues. Initial plans had also included potential housing and retail on the site.
• Overnight shooting: Minneapolis police found a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to his leg in the area of the 300 block of 1st Avenue North. (KARE 11)
• Shoreline Plaza evidence: Newly unsealed search warrants reviewed by KSTP show investigators traced extensive gunfire through Shoreline Plaza following a mass shooting there, according to a BCA evidence log. (KSTP)
• Budget season heats up: The City Council heard a presentation on a $2.3 billion budget this week (per MinnPost's Documenters program). Separately, the Minneapolis Park Board is "going to the mat" for funding after Mayor Jacob Frey's Aug. 12 budget proposal came in significantly below its 2027 request — and board leaders say they're buoyed by the public response.
• Fraud suspect back in custody: Kaamil Omar Sallah, 26, was arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after prosecutors say he fled to Amsterdam in November. He voluntarily returned to Minnesota. (KARE 11)
• 9/11, 25 years on: A Minneapolis FBI whistleblower reflected on the bureau's pre-9/11 failures — in the month before the attacks, Minneapolis agents were actively trying to sound the alarm on a potential terror plot involving a jet. (KARE 11)

St. Paul

• State Fair assault: The fiancée of an Oakdale man says their lives are "forever changed" after he was punched, stomped and kicked during a Sept. 5 assault at the State Fair, leaving him needing emergency reconstructive surgery. (KSTP)
• Cop killer denied parole: Convicted St. Paul cop killer Ronald Reed was denied parole for the fourth time. Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell was the deciding vote; another hearing is set for 18 months from now. (KARE 11)
• Officers cleared: The Ramsey County Attorney's Office will not file charges against two St. Paul officers who shot an armed suspected car thief on an I-94 ramp over the winter. (KSTP)
• Oktoberfest time: Executive Director Jeana Anderson stopped by KARE 11 Saturday with details on the Great German Get-Together — St. Paul's Oktoberfest festivities.
• Teaching 9/11: "We're entering a time where 9/11 is becoming like Pearl Harbor," veteran social studies teacher Eric Erickson told KSTP on the challenge of teaching the attacks to students who weren't even born yet. (KSTP)

Local Sports

• Twins even the series: After dropping Friday's opener 5-2 — Cleveland's Angel Martínez hit a two-run homer and doubled to key a ninth-inning rally — Minnesota bounced back Saturday behind Emmanuel Rodriguez, who homered in his first career at-bat to spark a four-run inning in a 4-3 win. Andrew Morris, Kody Funderburk and Jeff Hoffman handled the pitching. Royce Lewis and Joe Ryan addressed reporters ahead of Friday's opener, with KSTP noting Ryan recently made his return.
• Gophers routed: Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor threw for 227 yards and three first-half touchdowns in a 38-13 dismantling of Minnesota at home Saturday — the Gophers' first-ever meeting with the Bulldogs. Coach P.J. Fleck faced questions afterward. (KSTP)

Weather

• Fall has arrived: A cold front late Friday ushered in much drier air, with dew points in the low 40s — quite comfortable. Sunday could be even drier, but rain moves in Monday, per KSTP's forecast. (KSTP)
• Western MN tornado: A tornado was spotted in Stevens County around 8 p.m. Friday, triggering a warning until 8:45 p.m. for southern Stevens County. No metro impacts were reported. (KSTP)

Minnesota Statewide

• School bus enforcement gap: A KSTP 5 INVESTIGATES review found only one charge has been filed since 2023 for driving out-of-service school buses — despite lawmakers strengthening penalties three years ago and multiple buses being pulled from service. (KSTP)
• Trades pipeline: A first-of-its-kind program connecting Minnesota high schoolers to skilled-trade jobs hopes to close the industry's workforce gap. (KSTP)
• Fatal crash: A motorcyclist was killed and several others injured in a Highway 61 crash in Lake County, according to the State Patrol. (KARE 11)
• Ground zero reflection: A Minnesota Department of Public Safety assistant commissioner who worked at ground zero at age 21 reflected this week on the anniversary. (KSTP)
• Weekend extras: Second-round voting in the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce's "Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota" contest — with Elizabeth Sherry — wraps up this weekend, and the Fall Parade of Homes is back.
• From MinnPost's D.C. Memo: President Donald Trump's plan to help Republicans hold the House and Senate in the midterms is to promise money to potential voters, MinnPost reports. (MinnPost)