Minneapolis, MN
Smoke from Canadian wildfires brings poor air quality to Minnesota Monday, alert issued
Minnesota weather: Hazy sky for Monday
Smoke from wildfires in Canada reached Minnesota, causing a hazy sky for Monday. Much of the state is under an air quality alert.
Fox – Fox 9
Minnesota officials issued an air quality control warning through mid-day Monday as smoke from Canadian wild fires moves to northern parts and sweeps across the state.
“Fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, across all of Minnesota,” stated the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in a press release.
The warning is set to expire at 12 p.m. Monday.
Areas in west, central and northern Wisconsin, as well as southern Minnesota, have visibilities that range from 4 to 7 miles, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a part of the USA TODAY Network.
Minnesota air quality map
Map shows wildfires in US, Canada
Who should avoid being outside?
According to the agency, everyone should limit “prolonged or heavy exertion and limit time spent outdoors,” but sensitive groups should should avoid the outdoors all together and limit the amount of time they spend outside.
Sensitive groups include:
- People with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other breathing conditions
- People with heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes
- Pregnant people
- Children and older adults
People who are sensitive may experience worsening of existing heart or lung disease and worsening of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions which can lead to the following:
- Asthma attacks
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
How can smoke impact the average person’s health?
The agency warns that people may experience several symptoms if they have prolonged exposure to the poor air quality.
It states that wildfire smoke can irritate one’s eyes, nose, and throat and cause…
- Coughing
- Chest tightness,
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
“Anyone experiencing health effects related to poor air quality should contact their health care provider,” states the agency. “Those with severe symptoms, chest pain, trouble breathing, or who fear they may be experiencing a heart attack or stroke should call 911 immediately.”
Why is air quality in Minnesota so bad?
According to the agency, smoke from wildfires in northeast British Columbia swept in after a cold front.
Canadian fires prompt evacuations
On Saturday, 3,200 people living in northeastern British Columbia were under an evacuation order, Reuters reported, as fires charred over 24,710 acres.
According to Natural Resources Canada, there are over 100 active wildfires burning in the country, six of which are out of control.
The smoke from those fires is what lead the agency to release the air quality alert, the first of 2024, reports ABC News.
Not the first time smoke travels from Canada to the US
Last year, Canadian wild fires caused New York’s sky to turn orange and look like a scene out of an apocalyptic movie.
However, there’s some disagreement among experts about whether the U.S. should brace for a repeat of 2023’s air-quality issues.
“It is extremely unlikely that the 2024 fire season will be as extreme as 2023, as 2023 was a record-smashing year,” Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, previously told USA TODAY.
He adds that the drought the country faced is a sign of a warmer-than-normal summer and “suggest the potential for an active fire season.”
But, Rebecca Saari, an associate professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, pointed out the drought and warm forecast, too, and said that she sees “similar patterns to last year.”
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Minneapolis, MN
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.
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.
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.
Minneapolis, MN
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.
“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.
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.
“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.
Minneapolis, MN
Boy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
WASHINGTON (TNND) — 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.”
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.
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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