Quick Hits

• A runaway school bus carrying students in St. Paul was brought to a halt by bystander Ebro Ahmed after the driver suffered a medical emergency — no serious injuries were reported in the account.
• The Gopher men's hockey team opened its home season with a statement win, upsetting No. 3 North Dakota 5-3 Thursday night.
• The Loop, a North Loop bar and restaurant fixture for two decades, announced it will close next month, according to both KARE11 and KSTP.
• A farmer combining his field last week found a possible "space object" that may be debris from a Chinese rocket, KARE11 reports.
• The St. Paul City Council approved a three-part plan to address homelessness; the resolution now heads to Mayor Kaohly Her.

Minneapolis

• The Loop Minneapolis, a North Loop mainstay for 20 years, posted on social media this week that it is closing next month — ending a two-decade run in one of the city's fastest-changing neighborhoods.
• A bizarre, still-unsolved murder is prompting a community meeting in South Minneapolis: Joe Eder was found stabbed to death in a yard near 43rd St. and Portland Ave. on the morning of Aug. 30, with his car, keys and other items untouched just feet away.
• Minneapolis' Behavioral Crisis Response services are in limbo: KARE11 reports the current vendor stipulated in an email that it would continue services in 2026 only if it received a 2027 contract. The City Council had blocked a contract with a replacement vendor, but Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed that decision Wednesday.
• More than a year after Mariah Samuels was killed by her ex-boyfriend, community members rallied Wednesday demanding accountability — "systems in place continue to fail them," organizers said — as the City Council examines missed warning signs in her death.
• U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said Wednesday she will move out of her Washington, D.C., home after federal agents searched it last week, saying the attention the raid brought has made her feel unsafe there.

St. Paul

• In addition to approving the homelessness plan now awaiting Mayor Her's signature, St. Paul unveiled a new playground this week that was designed with input from kids.
• Across the border, an Osceola, Wis., man — Jared Danger Ler'che, convicted of beating, strangling and fatally shooting his wife before fleeing with their children — was sentenced Thursday to life in prison in Polk County.
• Mark your calendars, hockey fans: Brainerd celebrated "100 Days Out" this week for Hockey Day Minnesota 2027.

Local Sports

• A four-goal third-period barrage — highlighted by two tallies from newcomer Christian Humphreys — powered the Gopher men to Thursday's 5-3 upset of No. 3 North Dakota in the home opener at 3M Arena.
• The Wild couldn't match it out west, falling 2-1 in Calgary Thursday night. Devin Cooley made 36 saves for the Flames, and two first-period Calgary power-play goals (Aydar Suniev among the scorers) held up as the difference.

Minnesota Statewide

• With Election Day nearing, MinnPost sketches what Amy Klobuchar's first months as governor would look like: the DFL nominee says one of her first acts would be appointing an "independent senior leader" as a waste and fraud czar, alongside housing incentives and an investigation of the Metro Surge killings.
• The open U.S. Senate race between Democrat Peggy Flanagan and Republican Michele Tafoya has leaned on grassroots donations so far, but KARE11 reports signs that a "money bomb" of big outside spending could soon drop.
• A scheduled Monday appearance by left-wing streamer Hasan Piker with two DFL lawmakers is drawing condemnation from top Minnesota Democrats.
• Closer to home for anyone battling bugs on the siding this fall: University of Minnesota Extension educators explain why boxelder bug numbers are up this year and how to keep them out of your house.
• And for parents weighing school options, KSTP breaks down what to know about microschools — "Kids get to be kids while also learning at their level," says Kathleen Amstutz, co-founder of Heart Learning Collective in White Bear Lake.