Minnesota
Inside Minnesota’s LARK Toys, a one-of-a-kind marvel
The holidays are upon us, and in the town of Kellogg, Minnesota, you’ll find a toy store unlike any other: LARK Toys.
“They are getting into everything, but that’s good because it’s a toy store!” said Katelyn Key, a LARK customer shopping with her kids.
And no better place to get into things than a store of such massive size.
“We fill about 20,000-square-feet plus with the best toys that we can find,” said Miranda Gray-Burlingame.
She and her family are the proud owners of LARK Toys. The original owners, the Kreofskys, opened the store in 1983 and named it “Lost Arts Revival by Kreofsky,” or LARK for short.
“‘Lark’ also means a carefree, whimsical adventure,” said Gray-Burlingame.
And that’s what they aim for. Part of this is a museum, and a trip down “Memory Lane” reveals toys that are nearly a century old. There’s even a Gen X Star Wars corner.
“An 8-year-old John Lauritsen would have loved this section right here. These are vintage toys from the ’80s,” Lauritsen said.
“The Rancor is probably the most celebrated, but all of them have been played with for many, many, many hours,” said Gray-Burlingame.
From the toy store to the bookstore, which has a vast selection — but it’s not quite as it seems. One of the book shelves is actually a secret door that leads into a gathering space designed for celebrations.
“It’s for music, for meetings, for dancing,” she said.
What makes LARK truly stand out is its hand-made selection, and that’s where Tim Monson comes into play. He’s been doing this for a long time.
“It’s coming up on 40 years. I do all the maintenance, the woodworking, build all the displays,” said Monson, LARK shop manager.
He creates letter blocks, pull toys and puzzles. Monson is a one-man Santa workshop, and there’s pride in knowing customers buy thousands of his hand-crafted toys each year.
“And that’s a uniqueness you can’t find anymore, so pretty proud of that,” said Monson.
There’s the sound of his bandsaw, and then there’s the sound of a carousel. Every half hour, fish, ostriches and giraffes with monkeys spin around the store.
Just like the hand-carved toys you find at LARK, it also houses a carousel featuring animals hand-carved from basswood. But this ride proves you’re never too old to be a kid.
“For little kids and all the way up to folks who are over 100, we have a wall of photos back there of people who are over 90. When they come, they get a free ride and a certificate that says they’re ‘forever young,’” said Gray-Burlingame.
It’s a different kind of toy story, a place that’s hoping to build happiness one playset at a time.
“We know that everybody loves their kids and wants a better world for them, and watching them enjoy their kids, it’s just great,” said owner Kathy Gray.
“We are really, really lucky to be in the business of playing,” said Gray-Burlingame. “We hope that LARK has a very long, long, fun future.”
LARK also has mini golf when the weather cooperates. They are open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, but are only open on the weekends during January and February.
Minnesota
Minnesota Wild Recalls Defenseman David Špaček From Iowa | Minnesota Wild
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled defenseman David Špaček (SPAH-chehk) from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Špaček, 22 (2/18/23), owns 19 points (3-16=19), 61 shots and 10 penalty minutes (PIM) in 35 games with Iowa this season, leading the team in assists (T-12th among AHL defensemen) and ranking second in points and shots. The 6-foot, 190-pound native of Columbus, Ohio, recorded 31 points (4-27=31), 31 PIM and 117 shots in 72 games with Iowa during the 2024-25 season, leading the team with 18 power play assists, ranking second in assists, and pacing team defensemen in scoring. For his career, Špaček owns 62 points (10-52=62), 62 PIM and 251 shots in 168 games over three AHL seasons (2023-26).
Špaček will represent Czechia at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic games and has previously represented Czechia at multiple international competitions, including the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two assists in eight games, and the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he posted five assists in 10 games to help Czechia secure gold. He also helped Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Tournament, recording eight points (3-5=8), 11 shots and a plus-7 rating in seven games.
Špaček was selected by Minnesota in the fifth round (No. 153 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft and has yet to appear in an NHL game. He will wear sweater No. 82 with the Wild.
Minnesota will host the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.
Minnesota Wild single-game tickets are on sale now at wild.com/tickets, ticketmaster.com and at the Grand Casino Arena Box Office. Flex, 11-Game, half and full season memberships are also available for purchase. Please visit tickets.wild.com or contact a Wild Ticket Sales Representative by calling or texting (651) 222-WILD (9453) for more information. Group reservations of eight or more tickets can contact [email protected] for more information. Single game suite rentals are also available, contact [email protected] for more information.
Follow @mnwildPR on X and visit www.wild.com/pressbox and for the latest news and information from the team including press releases, game notes, player interviews and daily statistics.
Minnesota
Minnesota Prosecutors Quit, Trump in Detroit, Inflation Report : Up First from NPR
Veteran federal prosecutors in Minnesota resign after pressure from Justice Department leaders to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent, raising new questions about political interference.
President Trump takes his economic message on the road, pitching affordability as voters remain frustrated by high prices.
And while gas prices have dipped, rising heating costs, grocery prices, and stubborn inflation show why relief still feels out of reach for many families.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Gigi Douban, Krishnadev Calamur, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.
(0:00) Introduction
(02:19) Minnesota Prosecutors Quit
(06:10) Trump in Detroit
(09:52) Inflation Report
Minnesota
Effort to impeach Kristi Noem backed by Minnesota lawmakers
Hundreds more ICE agents coming to MN, Noem says
DHS Sec. Kristi Noem says hundreds more ICE agents are coming to Minnesota. They began arriving on Sunday, and more are expected to arrive on Monday. This comes days after an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and comes amid rising tensions as people protest ICE in Minnesota, demanding they leave.
(FOX 9) – Several Minnesota lawmakers are backing an effort signed by more than 50 Democrats in the House of Representatives to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem stemming from accusations of obstructing Congress and violating public trust.
Noem impeachment effort
What we know:
A total of 53 House Democrats have co-signed a bill set to be introduced by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (Illinois).
Tensions have risen in the Twin Cities following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of ICE officer Jonathan Ross. The shooting has sparked protests across the city, including outside the regional ICE headquarters.
In December, the Trump administration launched Operation Metro Surge, bringing more than 100 federal agents into the Twin Cities.
In January, the Department of Homeland Security launched a new 30-day surge, bringing a reported force of 1,500 ICE officers and 600 Homeland Security investigators into the state with an aim at tackling fraud.
According to Noem, the total has since increased to more than 2,000 agents presently operating within the state.
In the months prior to the focus on Minnesota, the Trump administration also sent additional troops to cities such as Portland, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Dig deeper:
The articles of impeachment that are set to be formally introduced on Jan. 14, 2026, will accuse Noem of three counts:
- Obstruction of Congress: Stemming from members of Congress being denied entry to DHS facilities and for withholding congressionally appropriated disaster relief funding.
- Violation of public trust: Allegedly denying ICE detainees due process and violating the First and Fourth amendments.
- Self-dealing: Stemming from reports that Noem awarded $220 million in contracts to a firm run by her spokesperson’s husband.
What they’re saying:
“Secretary Kristi Noem is an incompetent leader, a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of justice, violation of public trust, and self-dealing. Secretary Noem wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area, and now, her rogue ICE agents have unleashed that same destruction in Minneapolis, fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good,” said Rep. Kelly in a statement on her official website. “From Chicago to Charlotte to Los Angeles to Minneapolis, Secretary Noem is violating the Constitution while ruining — and ending — lives and separating families. It’s one thing to be incompetent and dangerous, but it’s impeachable to break the rule of law.”
Minnesota Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum also plan to support the impeachment efforts.
“Secretary Noem should be fired. If she is not, I support impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate for her obstruction of Congress and violation of public trust,” said Rep. McCollum in a statement. “This past year, Americans in cities across the United States have felt the chaos and terror of Secretary Noem’s Department of Homeland Security and ICE. Secretary Noem has demonstrated that she is unable to enforce immigration law in a peaceful and ethical manner. Her deployment of unprofessional, poorly trained, masked immigration agents has put our neighbors in danger of physical harm.”
Minnesota’s Democratic lawmakers, along with mayors Jacob Frey and Kaohly Her, along with Gov. Tim Walz, have also been vocal critics of DHS immigration enforcement efforts in the wake of the shooting of Renee Good.
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