Minnesota
Ice cream shop worker allegedly fired for accepting $100 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.
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.
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.
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.
“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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Minnesota
If Nolan Teasley is the “primary football executive” in Minnesota, Seahawks will get compensatory picks
The hiring of Seahawks assistant G.M. Nolan Teasley as the Vikings’ new G.M. will carry a specific benefit for his former team.
Per the league, Teasley qualifies as a diverse candidate under the NFL provision that gives the former team of a newly-hired G.M. or head coach a pair of third-round compensatory draft picks.
The only question is whether Teasley will be Minnesota’s “primary football executive.” That requirement prevented the Bears from receiving the compensatory draft picks when assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham was hired to be the Falcons G.M. The league decided that president of football Matt Ryan is the “primary football executive” in Atlanta.
The Bears appealed the decision to the league, and Bears fans continue to be mystified by the outcome — especially since Ryan has made it clear that Cunningham is a General Manager “in every facet of the word.”
Minnesota has no similar position to Ryan’s job with the Falcons. The only alternative to Teasley would be coach Kevin O’Connell. But there has been no indication that, moving forward, O’Connell will emerge as the top football executive for the Vikings, with full control over the roster and the draft.
The NFL’s full collection of diversity of initiatives have recently come under attack by Florida’s attorney general. The Seahawks getting two extra third-round draft picks undoubtedly will spark a reaction from those who, in the current climate, attack efforts aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Minnesota
Where to watch Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 30
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
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.
The MLB action continues on Saturday as the Minnesota Twins visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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 Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates?
First pitch between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Minnesota Twins is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 30.
How to watch Minnesota Twins vs Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: MIN at PIT
- Date: Saturday, May 30
- Time: 4:05 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: PNC Park
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- TV: Twins.TV and SportsNet Pittsburgh
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 30 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Minnesota
Minnesota DFL Convention gets underway in Rochester
(ABC 6 News) — It’s a big weekend for politics in Minnesota as both the DFL and GOP conventions are getting underway.
The DFL Convention is being held in Rochester, and delegates will endorse candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, and governor on Friday night.
Current Attorney General Keith Ellison received the DFL endorsement for attorney general.
Meanwhile, endorsements for U.S. Senate will be up on Saturday.
On Sunday, delegates will be voting on who they will back for state auditor.
A big shakeup in the convention took place earlier this week with Rep. Angie Craig announcing she will not seek the DFL endorsement as she campaigns for U.S. Senate.
Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig no longer seeking DFL endorsement in Senate race
Both Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are running for the seat on the DFL side.
This U.S. Senate seat is open after current Sen. Tina Smith announced she will not be running for reelection.
Senator Tina Smith will not seek reelection in 2026
As for the gubernatorial race, Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to receive the DFL endorsement on Friday night. ABC 6 News is at the convention, and we will have the latest updates throughout the weekend both on air and online.
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