Minnesota
Furniture business in Plymouth braces for possible tariff impact
The president’s tariffs to drive up the costs of everyday items, including what many people are sitting on right now — furniture.
Vietnam is the world’s number one furniture builder. Unless a deal gets done, a 46% tax on imports from there will take effect after a 90-day pause.
It’s news that the owners of Minnesofa in Plymouth, Minnesota, are keeping an eye on.
The name and business are new. College athletes Max Bjorklund and Luke Schultz teamed up to flip furniture on Facebook Marketplace.
“We started out of my Dad’s garage in 2022 right after COVID,” Bjorklund said. “We pretty much refurbished old couches, anything we could find at the time, fixed them up to the best of our ability, took pictures of them and hoped we could get some sales.”
Their business grew to a Plymouth store that sells new furniture made in Wisconsin and Vietnam.
On Monday, the editor-in-chief of Furniture Today wrote, “tariffs took dead aim at some of the furniture industry’s largest and most impactful source countries, and they could trigger the most extensive realignment of global sourcing in a generation.”
As for Minnesofa, Schultz said, “I would say uncertainty is where the consumer sentiment and markets are at right now.”
For now, they are seeing a surge in business, albeit the weather or looming tariffs.
“We had a PR day. It’s a personal record. We sold the most couches we ever had,” Schultz said.
They are savoring the moment and preparing for the next.
“If they raise our costs, we probably will have to raise prices a little bit, but that is where we are striving to be that budget friendly store.” Bjorklund said.
Schultz added that their business might have a thinner margin.
Minnesofa works closely with Ashley Furniture, and says they have no word right now of price changes.
A 16-year-old boy is in critical condition after nearly drowning at Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.
Officials were called to Minnehaha Regional Park around 5:15 p.m. Saturday for a technical rescue after a teenager, who was swimming with family, had gone underwater at the base of Minnehaha Falls, did not resurface.
An officer on the scene and witnesses told WCCO that the teen was under the water for about 20 minutes before crews pulled him out.
The Minneapolis Fire Department arrived on the scene and started rescue operations. Crews put on swift-water rescue suits and established safety lines before entering the water where the teenager was last seen.
The teenager was found underwater by firefighters and taken to shore. Firefighters performed CPR and other life saving measures before taking the teenager to a local hospital.
The Minneapolis Park Police say the area is not meant for swimming.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, according to Park Police.
MONTEVIDEO
— One of two suspects charged for their alleged roles in a Sept. 24, 2025, drive-by shooting in Montevideo has entered a guilty plea.
David Michael Pillatzki, 28, of Willmar, entered a petition Thursday, July 2, in Chippewa County District Court to plead guilty to a charge of aiding and abetting a drive-by shooting, which will be reduced from the original felony to a gross misdemeanor as part of a plea agreement.
Contributed
The agreement also calls for Pillatzki to cooperate in the prosecution against the other man charged in the incident.
The criminal complaint against Pillatzki alleges that he was a passenger in a vehicle from which shots were fired at a residence on the 400 block of South Third Street shortly after 8 p.m. Sept. 24. There were two occupants in the residence. Neither was injured.
Pillatzki was upset that his Ford Bronco had been shot on or about May 3, 2025, in Willmar, according to the complaint.
Contributed/ Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office
The man suspected of firing the shots, Albert Vaniler Hughes, 27, of Montevideo, was charged in March after the results of laboratory analysis by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were received.
DNA and ballistic evidence link Hughes to the gun used in the shooting, according to the complaint filed against him.
He has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of drive-by shooting, intentional discharge of a firearm, and reckless discharge of a firearm.
The District Court recently assigned his case to a different judge, and a new court date has not been scheduled.
Minnesota
New LeBron James Rumors Reveal Wolves Free-Agent Pitch to NBA Icon Amid ‘Ramped Up’ Contract Pursuit
The Minnesota Timberwolves have “ramped up” their pursuit of LeBron James in free agency, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“The Minnesota Timberwolves have ramped up their push for LeBron James, with full belief that they are very much in the hunt to land one of the greatest players in NBA history, league sources told The Athletic.
“The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations, said the Timberwolves have been in contact with James’ representatives with a bold pitch: team up with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert to go after the kind of championship that could end any discussion about who is the greatest player of all time.”
Minnesota is in the mix based on comments that James’ agent, Klutch Sports Founder and CEO Rich Paul, made on his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman.
Paul discussed potential landing spots for James with Kellerman via a white board. For what it’s worth, five teams were featured in the middle and more prominently than the rest: the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Denver Nuggets, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Timberwolves.
Minnesota is a unique team for James to consider. On paper, Minnesota is probably in the second tier of the Western Conference right now behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. James could elevate the Wolves, who have stars on offense (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball) and defense (Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels). He would be a great fit in that lineup.
The Timberwolves’ problem is that they have a lot of competition for James’ services. Paul told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that he has spoken with 27 teams about James. But Minnesota is firmly in the mix.
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