Quick Hits

• Light rail is coming to the west suburbs. Metro Transit's Green Line extension — the 14.5-mile light rail line connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul to St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie — will open in June 2027, per KARE 11.
• Minneapolis school closures are "not about money," the district says. Minneapolis Public Schools shared new details Friday on its plan to close at least 14 schools, while parents raise alarms that as many as 16 could close or merge.
• The U.S. Department of Justice sued Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul Thursday over the state's 30-day waiting period for purchasing a firearm, KSTP reports.
• Vance Boelter returned to court Friday on state charges — two months after his federal sentencing in the deadly attack on Minnesota lawmakers last summer. The Hoffman family: "It's devastating."
• Gray and cool to start the week. Saturday's drizzle totaled only about a tenth of an inch; expect lingering clouds early this week with rain returning by Tuesday.

Golden Valley & West Metro

A quiet day for Golden Valley headlines in the feed, but the biggest West Metro news in weeks landed next door: KARE 11 reports the long-awaited Green Line extension — Southwest LRT — will open in June 2027. The 14.5-mile line will connect Minneapolis and St. Paul to St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie, finally putting light rail within easy reach of Golden Valley commuters heading downtown. After years of construction and delays, west-metro residents now have a firm date on the calendar.

Minneapolis

• Minneapolis Public Schools answered community questions Friday at a news conference held at the John B. Davis Education Service Center, discussing the transformation plan unveiled earlier this month. Per KSTP, district officials insist the proposed closures of more than a dozen schools are "not about money" — but parents are pushing back, raising concerns that the plan could close or merge up to 16 schools and force students to move.
• Weekend food note: Twin Cities Pasta Club has opened at the Market at Malcolm Yards food hall. Chef and owner Beth Wells stopped by the KARE 11 Saturday studio to share popular dishes from the new eatery — a tempting option if you're planning a fall outing.

St. Paul

• St. Paul's mayor was served with a sexual harassment lawsuit ahead of a notable milestone: the John Ireland Boulevard Bridge has reopened just in time for the Twin Cities Marathon, KARE 11 reports.
• Police need help identifying a hit-and-run suspect believed to have struck an e-bicyclist on Aug. 17 around 1:13 a.m. St. Paul Police are asking anyone with information to come forward.
• Levy season is heating up across the metro: St. Paul Park is proposing a 1.8% tax levy increase — among the lowest in the metro as many Minnesota cities weigh considerably bigger hikes. Worth watching as Golden Valley and its neighbors finalize their own budgets this fall.

Local Sports

• The Twins and Rangers split the weekend series at Target Field, with Texas's AL West race going down to the final day. On Friday, the Twins cruised 10-2 as Jacob deGrom matched a career high by surrendering eight earned runs. Saturday's rain-delayed rematch went the other way, 6-2 Texas, with Danny Jansen homering and driving in two. The regular season wraps up Sunday.
• A milestone on the volleyball court: No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul erased a 2-1 deficit to beat No. 13 St. Cloud State in five sets Saturday at the Gangelhoff Center, delivering the 700th career win for coach Starkey.

Weather

Saturday's light rain is wrapping up this evening, leaving roughly a tenth of an inch of total rainfall — a slow, soaking drizzle that at least worked its way into the ground. Expect clouds to linger through the early part of the week, with rain returning by Tuesday. Keep the umbrella handy for midweek.

Minnesota Statewide

• Minnesota State may close campuses and merge schools as it moves to "right-size" the system. Chancellor Scott Olson says a quarter of the system's schools are in financial distress, KARE 11 reports — a story with real stakes for metro families with students in the system.
• Vance Boelter was back in court Friday for state charges tied to last summer's deadly attack on Minnesota lawmakers, two months after he was sentenced in federal court. Members of the Hoffman family spoke out ahead of the hearing, calling the ongoing proceedings "devastating."
• A deadly rabbit disease has been confirmed in northern Minnesota: RHDV2 was confirmed in one colony and is suspected in a second after significant rabbit losses, KARE 11 reports.
• An Otter Tail County standoff ended in a man's death after an officer-involved shooting Thursday. Deputies responded around 5:47 p.m. to a home on Twin Lake Road in rural Battle Lake.
• From Washington, via MinnPost's D.C. Memo: members of Congress spent the week wrestling over diesel fuel policy, even as President Trump saber-rattled against Iran at the United Nations and hosted China's leader at the White House.