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Ice cream shop worker allegedly fired for accepting $100 tip as store claims some customers have ‘dementia’

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Ice cream shop worker allegedly fired for accepting 0 tip as store claims some customers have ‘dementia’


A Minnesota ice cream shop worker was allegedly fired after a customer tipped $100 in the tip jar as the store’s owners seemingly accused her of taking advantage of an elderly customer with “dementia.”

Seth and Lisa Swenson claim their adult daughter Emily, a five-season employee at The Freez in Moorhead, Minn., was canned after the tipping debacle at the roadside eatery last month.

Emily had finished serving a customer when the patron tried to leave the large bill behind even though the worker said she couldn’t accept it, according to the family’s Facebook post.

“Our daughter was offered a $100 tip and told the customer she couldn’t accept it. The customer put $100 in the tip jar and drove away,” the couple said.

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At the end of the worker’s shift, the management at The Freez was furious with Emily and allegedly accused her of “taking” the large tip.

An employee at The Freez in Moorhead, MN was fired after a customer left a $100 tip in the jar, a violation of the small business’ policies. FOX 5 Vegas

Two days later, on April 24, the business submitted an “Employee Warning Notice Form” to Emily for “corrective action.”

“Emily needs to understand that some of our customers are elderly and could be dealing with dementia or other illnesses that make it hard for them to understand their actions,” the shop said in the notice.

“No one in their right frame of mind tips $100 at a place where every menu item is under $12,” the notice shared by the Swensons continued.

The store questioned why a customer would leave a large tip to an employee when the most expensive menu item is under $12. FOX 5 Vegas

Ironically, the ice cream shop was concerned about its public image within their community if word got out that their employee accepted such a large gratuity.

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“As an employee of The Freez, it is your responsibility to protect the reputation of the establishment. If the customer is dealing with issues and the family finds out that she was allowed to put $100 in the tip jar, The Freez will be looked down on as a place that takes advantage of the elderly. Looking out for our customers should take priority over the opportunity to get a tip.”

Emily was fired a day later and her family claimed the generous gratuity was against the Moorhead Freez policy to accept bills over $20 as payment.

“There is nothing in the policy about tip amounts,” the Swenson’s argued.

The ice cream stand sent an “Employee Warning Notice Form” to Emily for “corrective action” on April 24, 2024. SethandLisa Swenson/Facebook

The store fired back the family’s social media post a day later, claiming Emily wasn’t dismissed over the tip and contradicting the warning notice they had handed out days earlier.

“We did not terminate the adult at-will employee of 5 years for accepting a tip. There’s more to the story,” the shop said in a Facebook post.

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It was not clear how old Emily is, but the roadside ice cream stand took exception to her parents sticking up for their “adult daughter.”

“We won’t go into details, it’s a personal matter. However, we believe that if parents are posting for an adult child- they haven’t asked the right questions of their adult daughter,” the store said.

“We are a small business built on a strong work ethic and Moorhead values. Our values and expectations reflect those of the community and our customers,” the post continued. “Ice cream makes people happy. Social media bullying- not so much.”

Emily doesn’t fault the customer for the firing, the family shared.

“Our daughter appreciates the generosity of the lady who tipped her and feels that this kind lady is no way responsible for what happened,” the couple said.

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In February, a Michigan cafe server was fired after she split a $10,000 tip with her fellow front-of-house workers, upsetting the kitchen staff that they didn’t get a share of the large gift.

Linsey Huff — who also goes by the last name Boyd — collected the enormous gratuity off a $32.43 bill from a customer at the Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor while he was in the area for a friend’s funeral.

It was not clear how old Emily is, but the roadside ice cream stand took exception to her parents sticking up for their “adult daughter.” FOX 5 Vegas

The anonymous man, who left the now-viral tip in honor of his late friend, had requested the $10,000 be split among the service staff, as eight servers walked away with approximately $1,200 each.

The disgruntled back-of-house staffers had become angry with Huff for not getting a piece of the nearly 31,000% tip, and drama soon unfolded, causing problems within the staff.

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Minnesota voter registration review finds county record errors

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Minnesota voter registration review finds county record errors


A new state evaluation found Minnesota’s voter registration system mostly works as intended, but some counties did not update their records accurately.

On Wednesday, the Office of the Legislative Auditor published a summary of new voter registration applications submitted in the summer and fall of 2024. The findings stated counties processed 96% of new applications within the legal time frames, but struggled to process applications when recieved within 20 days of an election.

The report also said counties did not always update voter registration records as required by law when the Office of the Secretary of State flagged possible disqualifying conditions, such as incarceration. Counties sent required notices within 10 days to 84% of registered voters whose incarceration or guardianship challenges they removed.

The report goes on to say counties followed the identity verification process correctly for 99.9% of applicants and followed the residency verification process correctly for 99% of applicants. But among applicants counties manually reviewed for residency, counties either inaccurately assigned voter statuses or failed to document their rationale in more than one-third of the cases reviewed.

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The Secretary of State maintains the Statewide Voter Registration System, while counties are responsible for creating and maintaining their own voter registration records. As of January of 2026, nearly 3.8 million people were registered to vote in Minnesota.

Top officials respond

Reaction to the report from Minnesota leaders has been mixed, with some top Republicans saying Secretary of State Steve Simon is to blame for inactive voters being left on voter rolls.

However, Simon’s takeaway from the evaluation was mostly positive, saying, “the report found our office has established the appropriate procedures for counties and that counties have performed their work with a nearly perfect record of accuracy.”

Cory Kampf, president of the Minnesota Association of County Officers, said counties generally agreed with the recommendations but asked for more context. He added voter residency was verified in 99% of applications, following the correct processes.

Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, full statement reads: “This voter registration audit exposes major loopholes in our system, including the thousands of votes that were allowed to register and cast a ballot on Election Day but couldn’t be verified as legal voters. It also showed that the Secretary of State does not follow the law for inactive voters, choosing to leave voters on the rolls years after they should have been deactivated. These are major problems that need to be addressed. Integrity in elections is paramount, and Minnesotans deserve certainty that only legal voters are deciding our elections.”

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Minnesota Looks to Add 1,100 Child Care Slots, With Melrose Among the 11 Funded Communities

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Minnesota Looks to Add 1,100 Child Care Slots, With Melrose Among the 11 Funded Communities


UNDATED (WJON News) — The city of Melrose is one of 11 communities and organizations sharing in the latest round of child care grants.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has announced more than $1.4-million in child care economic development grants that will create more than 1,100 new child care slots across the state.

DEED says more than 80% of the money is slated for outstate Minnesota.

Commissioner Matt Varilek says the grants help working families by ensuring parents are able to work. It also helps employers retain talent and establish the foundation for long-term economic vitality.

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Since the program’s start in July 2023, DEED has awarded more than $13-million in grants to 56 organizations to fund child care startups and business expansions.

25 Board Games That We All Played in the ’70s

From well-known favorites like Clue to cult classics like Masterpiece, these 1970s board games bring a wave of nostalgia for a time when life felt simpler — and maybe even a little more exciting.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

LOOK: The Best Car Ads of the 1970s in One Nostalgic Gallery

From the Pinto to the Civic, get ready to relive the days of manual windows and two-door wagons as we flip through some of the most iconic car print ads from 1970s magazines.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

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Summer Vacation in the ’80s: These Nostalgic Photos Say It All

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz





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Where to watch Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 9

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Where to watch Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 9


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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

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The MLB action continues on Thursday as the Cleveland Guardians visit the Minnesota Twins.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins?

First pitch between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, July 9.

How to watch Cleveland Guardians vs Minnesota Twins on Thursday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

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  • Matchup: CLE at MIN
  • Date: Thursday, July 9
  • Time: 1:40 p.m. (ET)
  • Venue: Target Field
  • Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • TV: Guardians.TV and Twins.TV
  • Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for July 9 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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