Quick Hits

• Robbinsdale Area Schools — which serves portions of Golden Valley along with Crystal, New Hope and Robbinsdale — is seeking a higher-than-normal tax levy amid a major referendum ask. KSTP reports some west metro residents could face multiple tax increases from the school district alone.
• Minneapolis set a maximum 11.87% property tax levy increase for next year. The Board of Estimate and Taxation's cap drew mixed reactions from residents as the city weighs service cuts alongside the possible hike.
• Up to 16 Minneapolis public schools could close or merge as early as next year under three options the district has presented. Parents packed the first listening session and pushed back hard.
• Minnesota's Cold Weather Rule kicks in Thursday as temperatures are expected to drop statewide — key protections for households struggling to pay heating bills (KARE11).
• The Lynx's season is over. The No. 8-seeded New York Liberty swept top-seeded Minnesota 87-71 in Game 2 Tuesday night, advancing to the WNBA semifinals.

Golden Valley & West Metro

The biggest story for our area today is the Robbinsdale Area Schools tax question. The district is pursuing a higher-than-normal levy tied to a major referendum ask, and KSTP notes some west metro homeowners could see multiple tax increases from the district by itself — worth watching closely as ballots and levy notices arrive this fall.

Also of neighborhood interest: a Loring Community School parent posted a recap of the Camden Community Feedback session to r/Minneapolis, writing that they couldn't speak before their kiddo's bedtime and that district representatives "again claimed that there is no official plan" — a flashpoint in the broader Minneapolis schools facilities debate (see below).

Minneapolis

• Fatal assault at mental health facility: Officers responded around 6:35 a.m. Sept. 28 to a residential mental health facility, and a Zimmerman man is now charged with murder for killing one person and injuring four others. KSTP reports it's his third violent case in five weeks, coming about a month after separate attempted murder and assault charges.
• Tax levy and budget: The Board of Estimate and Taxation set the 11.87% cap that could leave property owners paying more next year, with residents expressing mixed reactions (KARE11). Separately, KSTP reports residents are weighing in on where the city should prioritize spending as cuts and a tax hike loom.
• School closures: The district presented three options that could close up to 16 schools as soon as next year; the first listening session was packed, and KSTP reports parents and staff challenged the plan.
• Vance Boelter: Less than a month after Boelter requested a speedy trial in his state murder case, his attorneys now ask to delay it, citing the "extensive volume of discovery." A Hennepin County judge has also issued a gag order; Boelter was already convicted in federal court for last summer's lawmaker attacks.
• Two-year-old case: The BCA is seeking tips in a Minneapolis motorcycle shooting that killed a 25-year-old father, posting a public appeal Tuesday.
• Charges filed: Anthony Louis Rowe, 32, of Brooklyn Park, faces three felony counts after being arrested for allegedly shooting another person in the head during a 2025 Minneapolis robbery.
• Missing teen: Onamia police issued an alert for Noah Cody, 17, a medicine-dependent teen last seen in Minneapolis. Keep an eye out.

St. Paul

• The St. Paul City Council voted to approve an outside law firm to represent the mayor in a lawsuit brought by the police chief — notable because state law and the city charter generally require the city to represent employees in litigation (KARE11).
• MinnPost reports summer's sweltering heat caused "clumping" in the artificial turf at Central Senior High, forcing a fall field closure that sidelined student-athletes, per a Sept. 5 email from district athletics staff.
• Attorney General Keith Ellison announced criminal fraud charges Tuesday against nine defendants accused of collectively stealing $3 million from Minnesota's Medicaid program.
• Possible federal student aid cuts could hit beauty schools — and, by extension, your favorite salon — as the Trump administration considers ending certain federal loans (KSTP).

Local Sports

• Lynx: Top-seeded Minnesota was swept out of the WNBA playoffs Tuesday, falling 87-71 to No. 8 New York in Game 2. Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
• Twins: Owner Tom Pohlad, at a Sept. 29 press conference, was blunt — "the record is the record" — after the team missed both of its stated 2026 goals (a winning record and meaningful September baseball). He committed to offseason investment and said he expects playoffs in 2027.
• Gophers: Head coach P.J. Fleck is facing scrutiny after a viral postgame moment showed him wiping a player's blood; KSTP examined the health implications in its "Inside Your Health: Blood exposure" segment.
• Wild: St. John's senior Colin Atkins won Wild season tickets with a lucky shot at the team's State Fair booth — the kind of moment most hockey fans only dream about.

Weather

Temperatures are expected to start dropping across Minnesota — which can mean trouble for people who struggle to pay heating bills. Minnesota's Cold Weather Rule kicks in Thursday; KARE11 has a rundown of what you need to know to protect your household this winter. And if you have travel plans: remnants of Hurricane Polo continue to batter the U.S. Southwest with flash flooding.

Minnesota Statewide

• Elections: Governor and attorney general candidates meet in key debates ahead of the Nov. 3 election; KARE11 has the schedule and how to watch.
• Courts clash: The DOJ has accused Minnesota federal judges of misconduct — including "overtly political" comments and discussing ongoing cases — following a New York Times interview about Operation Metro Surge (KARE11).
• Seasonal fun: ValleyScare is back at the Shakopee theme park, billed as the largest Halloween-themed event in the Twin Cities.
• And a smile to close: An Oakdale man, Mike Seibert, came face to face with a lost emu while grouse hunting in central Minnesota last weekend. Not your typical trail encounter.