MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – With temperatures set to rise into the 40s, many in Minneapolis are taking advantage of the warm weather to enjoy outdoor activities like ice fishing and skating.

Warm weather brings outdoor fun

What they’re saying:

Taro Jelinek spent his Wednesday ice fishing at Lake Harriet, enjoying the sun and nature. “You know, you can sit out in the sun and enjoy the nature. And it’s a great time to do it,” said Jelinek. He noted the comfort of being able to move around without worrying about the cold.

Charlie Broder also took advantage of the conditions, creating an ice rink on the lake. “So this is just what was left over to get clear, and then the wind comes and polishes it, and it stays really nice and smooth,” said Broder.

Ice rink conditions in Maple Grove

Local perspective:

Maple Grove’s Central Park offers a refrigerated outdoor ice rink, but temperatures in the 40s and 50s could impact the ice quality. Zachary Moulton, Recreations Facilities Supervisor, explained, “Some challenges that we will run into is too many days of higher 40s, low 50s. It does certainly take away from the quality of the ice, but we don’t anticipate losing the ice this weekend.”

To maintain the ice, a brine system is used. “There’s, there’s a brine that goes from this building to the floor itself, and when that brine comes back to this building, and it’s below a certain set point, our compressors will kick on to make sure that it’s maintaining its cold temperature,” said Moulton.

Public ice rinks in Minneapolis are expected to remain open until Monday, depending on the weather. However, Maple Grove’s non-refridgerated public rinks may close by Friday due to the warm conditions.

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) – A man was found dead after a reported shooting in Duluth on Tuesday, according to police. 

Fatal shooting in Duluth

The backstory:

Duluth police officers responded to a shooting in the 400 block of Piedmont Avenue. Upon arrival, they found a man who had sustained apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

In a social media post around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, police requested the public to avoid the area to allow officers to conduct their work. The investigation remains ongoing, and no additional details have been released. 

Authorities said the shooting in the Lincoln Park neighborhood is not connected to another fatal shooting that occurred in Duluth just hours later. 

Minnesota BCA investigating a deadly use-of-force incident in Duluth. (FOX 9)

Dig deeper:

At around 9:40 p.m., two St. Louis County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man following a traffic stop in the 7900 block of Grand Avenue. 

A handgun was located near the driver’s seat, the sheriff’s office said. The deputies were not injured. Officials have not released details about what led deputies to fire their weapons, and the man’s identity has not been released.

As of around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, authorities said Grand Avenue remains closed from 78th Avenue West to 83rd Avenue West as authorities continue to investigate. The closure is expected to remain in place for the next several hours. Drivers are advised to use alternate routes during the morning commute until further notice.

The Minnesota BCA is investigating the use-of-force incident. 

Map of the two shootings in Duluth on Tuesday. (FOX 9)

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