Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Boat Show opens today, names Innovation Award winners | Boating Industry
The sold out Discover Boating Minneapolis Boat Show, in partnership with Progressive Insurance, opens today and runs through Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
The 2024 boat show has 700 new boats for attendees to see and shop – the largest collection of freshwater boats in the country. The Land of 10,000 Lakes oasis returns featuring daily live music, local bites and beverages, along with the Antique & Classic Boat Display, and “boating 101” courses at the Fred’s Shed How-To Center, presented by Progressive.
And for the first time, the boat show is hosting a Coat Drive, sponsored by the Select Minneapolis GMC Dealers, where attendees can donate a new or gently used coat on opening day in exchange for free admission. Coats will be donated to local charity Joseph’s Coat Minnesota.
The NMMA and Boating Writers International (BWI) announced the winners of the 2024 Minneapolis Innovation Awards, recognizing groundbreaking new consumer marine products, during the Sneak Preview event on January 17.
The Minneapolis Innovation Awards honor manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products in the boating industry to market in five categories: aluminum and non-fiberglass fishing boats, fiberglass fishing boats, pontoon boats, and furnishings. This year’s program, which received the largest amount of entries since its inception in 2018, honored five Innovation Award winners across three categories – one in the fiberglass fishing boat category, two in the pontoon category, and two in the furnishings category.
“We’re honored to present the 2024 Minneapolis Innovation Awards to this year’s recipients, companies that are propelling our industry forward,” noted Show Manager Darren Envall. “We’re excited to showcase these innovations and the dozens of other new marine products at the 2024 Discover Boating Minneapolis Boat Show, providing attendees a premier boating marketplace to see and shop the best in boating, and get ready for life on the water.”
In the fiberglass fishing boat category, Skeeter Boats received the Innovation Award for the WXR 2060F.
“While offering a new level of deck space, Skeeter went a step further for its new WXR 2060F by redesigning in the hull, eliminating flex for more stability in the new console pods for a better boating experience.” says judge Adam Quandt.
In the pontoon boat category, dual winners Harris Boats was honored with the Innovation Award for the Harris Crowne 250, and Barletta Boats received the Innovation Award for the Barletta Lusso L25UCAT.
“From its new Zero-G Lounger to a newly designed chassis, no details went unchecked in the next iteration of the Crowne from Harris. Bow to stern, the Crowne takes boating in luxury and comfort to the next level,” said judge Adam Quandt about the Harris Crowne 250.
“We’re used to seeing twin engine pontoon models, but Barletta’s custom engine pod design is unlike anything else out there,” said Judge Brady Kay about the Barletta Lusso L25UCAT. “Mounting the two engines together increases the functionality for a smooth and powerful ride.”
In the furnishings category, dual winners Lillipad Marine received the Innovation Award for the Lillipad Marine Easy Step Ladder, and Premier Pontoons received the Innovation Award for the Premier Angler.
“It’s not just another ladder, designed with simple, common sense features for aftermarket use, the Lillipad Marine Easy Step Ladder incorporates hidden, innovative features,” said judge Bill Guis of the Lillipad Marine Easy Step Ladder. “It’s built for easy installation with versatility to accommodate the boater and their pets use on new or vintage boats.”
“As impressive as the Premier Angler is, there is one new feature that stands out above all others and that’s the exclusive Troll & Stow system,” said Kay of the Premier Angler. “Truly a game-changer, the revolutionary trolling motor design stows completely below deck for a clean, clutter-free deck.”
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis man is third convicted in Coon Rapids triple murder
An Anoka County jury has found guilty the last of three defendants in last year’s fatal shootings of a woman, her son and husband after he and two accomplices posed as UPS delivery drivers and went into the family’s Coon Rapids home looking for money.
Omari Malik Shumpert, 20, of Minneapolis, was convicted Friday in Anoka County District Court of three counts of aiding and abetting first-degree murder in the Jan. 26, 2024, killings of Shannon Patricia Jungwirth, 42, her son Jorge Alexander Reyes-Jungwirth, 20, and her husband, Mario Alberto Trejo Estrada, 39.
Shumpert fatally shot Estrada after he fought back, prosecutors said.
He’s scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 9, a day after his older brother Demetrius Trenton Shumpert will go before a judge for sentencing.
Jurors previously convicted Demetrius Shumpert, 33, of Minneapolis, and Alonzo Pierre Mingo, who prosecutors said orchestrated the robbery plan and pulled the trigger in the killings of Jungwirth and Reyes-Jungwirth.
Mingo, 39, of Fridley, was sentenced to life in prison in September.
Mingo, a former UPS seasonal employee, wore his old uniform while carrying a box to convince Jungwirth that he was delivering a package, prosecutors said.
Several surveillance cameras were mounted throughout the house in the 200 block of 94th Avenue Northwest. Video showed Demetrius Shumpert and Mingo forcing Jungwirth to open credenza drawers while demanding money.
All three victims were shot in the head, and two of the killings were on video. Two small children, both under the age of 5, were also in the home at the time of the killings but not injured.
Court records said Estrada was suspected of drug trafficking and that law enforcement was on his trail in the days leading up to the killings. Afterward, investigators searched a Golden Valley storage unit that Estrada had rented under a false name and seized three bags of white powder, seven bags of psilocybin mushrooms, three bags of marijuana and a bag of meth, according to a search warrant affidavit.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis College teams up with Toys for Tots to provide holiday gifts for student parents
For many student parents at Minneapolis College, the holiday season arrives during one of the busiest and most stressful times of the year.
Final exams, work schedules and family responsibilities often collide in December. This week, a Toys for Tots giveaway on campus offered some relief.
The college partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program to provide gifts exclusively for student parents. School officials say more than 145 student parents signed up for the event, representing nearly 270 children.
Veronica Krawiec is a nursing student at Minneapolis College and the mother of a young son, Christopher. She said balancing school, work and parenting can be overwhelming, especially around the holidays.
Krawiec said she was able to find a Lego set her son specifically asked for this Christmas, something she was not sure she would be able to afford on her own.
She said the support she receives on campus has made a significant difference, pointing to resources like the Student Support Center and food pantry. Krawiec said those services help her focus on school without feeling ashamed for asking for help.
“As a mom most of the time I feel like I’m failing but like this this helps me a lot to not feel as bad,” she said.
Sharita Jackson, a first semester addiction counseling student and single mother of two, also attended the giveaway. She said resources like the Toys for Tots event help ease some of the pressure that comes with being a student parent.
Minneapolis College staff say the need among student parents has grown this year, in some cases doubling. The college estimates nearly 20% of its students are parents, and more than 70% of students identify as Indigenous or people of color, international, low income or first generation.
In addition to holiday giveaways, the college offers a Student Parent Center, a food pantry, basic needs support and access to housing, financial and veterans resources. Staff say those services are designed to help students stay enrolled and succeed while raising families.
College officials say events like the Toys for Tots giveaway help reduce stress during the holidays and allow student parents to focus on finishing the semester strong.
Minneapolis, MN
ICE agents clash with dozens of residents in streets of South Minneapolis
A tense situation developed in South Minneapolis Monday afternoon, where dozens of residents confronted ICE agents operating in the streets near Lake Street and Pillsbury Avenue, not far from the Karmel Mall.
WCCO reporter Esme Murphy was also on the scene and reported that chemical irritant had been deployed. Murphy and a WCCO photographer were among those who were hit with the irritant.
Murphy reported seeing at least three people in handcuffs, but it was not immediately clear for what reason they were being detained. The scene seemed to have cleared by 2:30 p.m.
Hennepin County Sheriff’s deputies were observed at the scene. Local law enforcement have been deployed to control crowds since the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge in recent weeks. One of the recent ICE operations in the metro area was a raid at a construction site in Chanhassen over the weekend.
The Karmel Mall is the nation’s first Somali shopping center. The enhanced ICE actions came just after President Trump said, “I don’t want [Somalis] in our country” and claimed Somalis are “completely taking over the once great State of Minnesota.”
Few other details were immediately available, but WCCO crews on the scene noted that many of those protesting against ICE were using whistles, which in many prior confrontations have been used to try to warn neighbors that ICE agents were in the vicinity.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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