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Record Travel Expected For Memorial Day 2024: Here's When To Leave MN

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Record Travel Expected For Memorial Day 2024: Here's When To Leave MN


MINNESOTA — If you’re planning to get out of Minnesota for the three-day Memorial Day weekend, knowing when to avoid the busiest times on major routes can make the difference between a stress-free holiday or one the kids will never let you forget.

Some 43.8 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home to celebrate Memorial Day in 2024. That’s a 4 percent increase from last year, AAA said in its annual Memorial Day travel forecast. Travel this year could approach the record set in 2005, when 44 million people took Memorial Day trips.

Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer, has always been a big road trip holiday. About 38.4 million people plan to take off in their cars, the highest number for the holiday since AAA began tracking Memorial Day travel in 2000.

Airports are expected to be busier than last year, too, with about 3.51 million people flying to their Memorial Day destinations, 4.8 percent more than last year and 9 percent more than pre-pandemic 2019. Crowds could rival the post 9/11 recovery in 2005, when 3.64 million people flew, AAA said.

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“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years.” Paula Twidale, a senior vice president at AAA Travel, said in a news release. “We’re projecting an additional 1 million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead.”

The number of people taking road trips this year is projected to be 4 percent higher than last year, and 1.9 percent higher than before the pandemic in 2019.

Gas prices should be approximately the same as last year, when the national average for regular gasoline was about $3.57 per gallon. On Wednesday in Minnesota, regular gasoline is selling for $3.24 a gallon.

Pump prices always creep higher as the summer driving season gets underway, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East could roil the oil market, AAA cautioned.

Travel Times To Avoid

AAA’s transportation data partner, INRIX, says drivers who are leaving on Thursday and Friday should get on the road early to avoid peak commute time. Travelers returning from their getaways on Sunday and Monday should avoid the peak travel afternoon hours.

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“Travel times are expected to be 90 percent longer than normal,” Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, said in a news release. He advised road trippers to remain up to date on traffic apps, 511 services and local news stations to avoid sitting in traffic any longer than necessary.

These are the best and worst times to travel by car (all times local):

Thursday, May 23

  • Worst time: noon to 6 p.m.
  • Best time: before 11 a.m., after 7 p.m.

Friday, May 24

  • Worst time: noon to 7 p.m.
  • Best time: before 11 a.m., after 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 25

  • Worst time: 2-5 p.m.
  • Best time: before 1 p.m., after 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 26

  • Worst time: 3-7 p.m.
  • Best time: before 1 p.m.

Monday, May 27

  • Worst time: 3-7 p.m.
  • Best time: After 7 p.m.

Peak Congestion Times

Here are the peak congestion times for busy metropolitan routes, the estimated travel time and the increase in traffic due to the holiday:

  • Atlanta: Atlanta to Savannah via I–16E; 4:45 p.m. Saturday; 5 hours, 14 minutes, 54 percent longer than normal.
  • Boston: Manchester to Boston via I-93S; 8:45 a.m Sunday; 1 hour, 48 minutes, 50 percent longer than normal.
  • Chicago: Milwaukee to Chicago via I-94E; 4:30 p.m. Sunday; 2 hours, 25 minutes, 27 percent longer than normal.
  • Denver: Fort Collins to Denver via I-25S; 4:15 p.m. Sunday; 1 hour, 24 minutes, 56 percent longer than normal.
  • Detroit: Detroit to Kalamazoo via I-94E; 8:45 p.m. Sunday; 2 hours, 48 minutes, 40 percent longer than normal.
  • Houston: Galveston to Houston via I-45N; 5 p.m. Sunday; 1 hour, 11 minutes, 73 percent longer than normal.
  • Los Angeles: LA to Bakersfield via I-5N, 6:15 p.m. Thursday, 2 hours, 45 minutes, 84 percent longer than normal.
  • Minneapolis: Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to Minneapolis via I-94W; 8:45 a.m. Monday; 1 hour, 45 minutes, 38 percent longer than normal.
  • New York: New York City to Albany via I-87N, 11:45 a.m. Thursday; 2 hours, 37 minutes, 64 percent longer than normal.
  • Philadelphia: Philadelphia to Baltimore/Washington, D.C., via I-95; 7:30 a.m. Friday, 43 percent longer than normal.
  • Portland: Hood River to Portland via I-84W; 6:30 p.m. Monday; 1 hour, 20 minutes, 42 percent longer than normal.
  • San Diego: San Diego to Palm Springs via I-5N; 6:30 p.m. Monday; 1 hour, 20 minutes, 34 percent longer than normal.
  • San Francisco: San Francisco to Napa via I-80E; 11 a.m. Friday; 3 hours, 4 minutes, 56 percent longer than normal.
  • Seattle: Ellensburg to Seattle via I-90E; 4:30 p.m. Sunday; 2 hours, 34 minutes, 58 percent longer than normal.
  • Tampa: Gainesville to Tampa via I-75S; 9 a.m. Sunday; 3 hours, 47 minutes 88 percent longer than normal.
  • Washington, D.C.: Washington to Baltimore via Baltimore/Washington Pkwy N; 2:15 p.m. Friday; 1 hour, 25 minutes, 72 percent longer than normal.

Other Means Of Travel Rebound

While most people are either driving or flying to their Memorial Day destinations, about 1.9 million people will take trains, buses and cruises, an increase of 5.6 percent from last year, AAA said.

“This category took the biggest hit during the pandemic with fewer people taking public transportation or not cruising at all,” Twidale said. “Now — five years later — we’re back to 2019 numbers. Travel demand has been soaring, and long holiday weekends create the perfect windows for getaways.”



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Minneapolis, MN

Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis

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Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis


Police say two people were hurt and one other man died.

A homicide investigation is underway in Minneapolis after a shooting early Friday morning killed one man and hurt two others.

Minneapolis police were called to the area of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue at around 12:30 a.m.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS cameras caught more than 65 evidence markers scattered across the ground in the area and shattered glass at a bus shelter. Some nearby businesses also appeared to have some damage.

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Minneapolis police are still working to determine what led up to the shooting and who was involved but investigators say first responders found the three men suffering from gunshot wounds.

One injured man is in his 40s, the other in his 50s, police say. Both were taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The third man died at the scene. His name and age haven’t yet been publicly released.

Police say early information suggests the men were on a sidewalk when at least one person opened fire, then fled in a vehicle.

So far, no arrests have been made.

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Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call police at 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail or email policetips@minneapolismn.gov.

“This is a tragic and deeply disturbing act of violence that has taken a life, and left others seriously injured,” MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said. “This kind of violence is unacceptable, and we are committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable.”

Minneapolis police investigating alleyway shooting near East Franklin Avenue

It comes less than 30 hours after another serious shooting along East Franklin Avenue, just a half-mile west of Friday’s scene. That incident left a man hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening gunshot wound. No arrests have been announced in that case either.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is still working to learn more about this shooting. Stay with KSTP-TV for the latest updates on air and on the KSTP app.

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Minneapolis, MN

A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit

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A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis woman who confronted federal immigration officers alongside Alex Pretti in January was among a group of potential litigants who spoke out Thursday about alleged excessive force against people protesting or monitoring the enforcement surge in Minnesota.

Georgia Savageford, who introduced herself as Wynnie at a news conference, said she was inside an officer’s vehicle when she saw federal agents shoot Pretti.

“That day has changed me forever,” she said. “The trauma will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I will never be the same.”

Savageford said she had been legally observing the actions of federal officers in Minneapolis ever since the shooting death of Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Jan. 7. She said she was doing so again on the morning of Jan. 24 when an agent pushed her twice and caused her to fall.

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“As I was going down, three agents proceeded to tackle me and drag me face-down into the middle of the street. They knelt on my back, twisted my arms and my legs to the ground, and handcuffed me. The cuffs were so tight I lost feeling in my hands, which resulted in temporary nerve damage,” she recounted.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately respond Thursday to emails seeking comment. Minnesota officials sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate the killings.

Savageford said Pretti recorded video of her arrest and yelled at agents to leave her alone.

She said the officers put her in the back of a vehicle, from which she saw agents shoot and kill Pretti on the other side of the street.

“At that moment, I thought I was going to die too. I pleaded with the agents to understand why another life was taken, and to not take mine,” she said.

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She added that they told her to shut up and to stop being hysterical. She said they then took her to an ICE holding facility where she was held for 12 hours in a cold cell without ready access to food, water or the bathroom until she was released without being charged.

“I did not know him, but I knew he had my back,” she said of Pretti. “I know the kind of heart he had. One that loves and protects without limits.”

Savageford shared her story at a news conference where civil rights attorney John Burris, of Oakland, California, and other lawyers laid out how they’re paving the way for potential class-action lawsuits over alleged excessive force used against protesters and monitors.

Burris, who specializes in police misconduct, helped win an $11 million settlement against the Oakland Police Department in 2003, and helped win a civil jury verdict of $3.8 million for the late motorist Rodney King, who was beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991.

He said he and his colleagues have filed complaints with federal agencies involved in the Minnesota enforcement surge on behalf of 10 people, including Savageford, as the first step in a process that’s likely to lead to a larger class-action lawsuit.

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“We have many others that are under investigation that have not completed the process. But I thought it was important for us to start this process now. Put the government on notice that we’re here,” Burris said.



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Minneapolis, MN

Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor

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Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor


A fifth grader from Minneapolis received the Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Victor Greenawalt jumped in front of his friend during a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Weston Halsne told local station KARE 11 that Greenawalt saved his life.

“It was really scary,” Halsne told KARE 11. “My friend Victor, like, saved me, though. Because he laid on top of me. But he got hit.”

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Two students were killed and several were injured after a shooter opened fire through the windows of the church last year. The shooter died on the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Congressional Medal Society said in a statement that Greenawalt showed “extraordinary bravery far beyond his years.”

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 3: Flowers line a pathway to Annunciation Catholic Church as U.S. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance visit to pay their respects to victims of the shooting there on September 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The shooting left two students dead and many more wounded. (Photo by Alex Wroblewski-Pool/Getty Images)

“Instinctively, Victor protected a classmate with his own body, directly saving their life during the attack,” the society said in a written statement. “His courage and selflessness became a powerful symbol of hope and humanity for a community in crisis.”

Greenawalt was hospitalized following the shooting, according to a verified GoFundMe page. His sister was also injured.

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He flew to Washington with his family on Wednesday to accept the award.

Greeenawalt met with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., while on Capitol Hill. The ceremony also included a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery.

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He received the Young Hero award, which honors individuals age 17 or younger for their courage.

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