Minnesota

Minnesota’s ignition interlock program enters its 15th year. What is it?

Published

10 months ago

June 29, 2025

Minnesota’s ignition interlock program enters its 15th year. What is it?

A published scale determines how long an ignition interlock program participant must use the IID, with time ranging from two to 10 years. Factors include previous offenses, a driver’s blood alcohol level, whether a driver refused a roadside test and if an offender was under 21. Failure to adhere to program requirements can tack on more time.

Ignition interlock program participants must demonstrate abstinence by “regular and consistent” use of the device. DPS defines that as providing 30 successful initial breath tests per month. Failed or missed tests can result in sanctions that include dismissal from the program and loss of all driving privileges, and possible criminal charges.

Tampering with or removing a device, not having the device calibrated by a certified dealer every 60 days or having someone else provide a breath sample also lead to sanctions. Program participants must drive a vehicle equipped with an IID. Renting a car without one is not permissible.

Drunk driving arrests in Minnesota annually topped 35,000 in the mid-2000s and something had to be done. State law allowed for a pilot project in Hennepin and Beltrami counties, and the results showed the devices were effective in reducing DWI recidivism. The pilot became law statewide.

Drivers getting an device pay for installation, removal, leasing, inspections to keep the device calibrated, insurance costs, damaged equipment and license reinstatement. The cost can add up several hundred dollars on top of court-imposed fines. The cost to the state is zero.

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Minnesota

Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante wins men’s college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award

Published

10 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante wins men’s college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award

Minnesota Duluth sophomore forward Max Plante is the winner of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in men’s college hockey.

He edged fellow finalists, T.J. Hughes, a senior forward from Michigan, and Eric Pohlkamp, a junior defenseman from the University of Denver.

Plante scored 25 goals and had 52 points in 40 games in his second season with the Bulldogs. The 2024 second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings finished third in NCAA Division I scoring behind Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach (59) and Hughes (57).

He’s the first Minnesota Duluth player to win the award since Scott Perunovich in 2020 and the seventh overall.

Plante’s father, former NHL player Derek Plante, also played for Minnesota Duluth and was a Hobey Baker top 10 finalist in 1993.

Michigan State’s Trey Augustine was named the top goaltender in the Friday, April 10 ceremony. He went 24-9-1 for the Spartans with a 2.11 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.

Wyttenbach was named college hockey’s rookie of the year.

Recent Hobey Baker Award winners

2026: F Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth
2025: F Isaac Howard, Michigan State
2024: F Macklin Celebrini, Boston University
2023: F Adam Fantilli, Michigan
2022: G Dryden McKay, Minnesota State
2021: F Cole Caufield, Wisconsin
2020: D Scott Perunovich, Minnesota Duluth
2019: D Cale Makar, UMass
2018: F Adam Gaudette, Northeastern
2017: D Will Butcher, Denver
2016: F Jimmy Vesey, Harvard

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Minnesota

New strain of COVID detected in 25 states including Minnesota

Published

22 hours ago

April 10, 2026

Press Room

New strain of COVID detected in 25 states including Minnesota

(St. Paul, MN) — State health officials are keeping an eye on a highly mutated new COVID variant called B-A 3-dot-2, or “cicada.” Minnesota Department of Health Epidemiologist Keeley Morris says, “With that many mutations it’s likely going to be pretty good at evading any immunity that people have from being vaccinated or also from prior COVID-19 infections.” She says the good news is that B-A 3-dot-2 doesn’t seem to be causing more severe illness. The C-D-C says the “cicada” variant has been detected in at least 25 states. Morris says Minnesota has detected three cases of either B-A 3-dot-2 or some of its descendants, and we also had one site that had a positive wastewater detection.

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Minnesota

Community members show up to support Mercado Central, businesses hit hard by ICE surge

Published

1 day ago

April 9, 2026

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Community members show up to support Mercado Central, businesses hit hard by ICE surge

Mercado Central on Lake Street in Minneapolis has been more than a marketplace; it’s a heartbeat, a place filled with food, culture and community. During Operation Metro Surge, that heartbeat slowed.

“We’re a co-op. We’re all business owners that just need support from our community,” Ajeleth Moreno with El Rincon Pupuseria said.

Many regular customers stopped coming and the change was impossible to ignore.

“Our regulars would not be here at all in the beginning months, but we did get really good support for the community,” Joscan Moreno said.

That community is showing up with purpose.

“I think it’s important to set an example and to show other community members that we are still here. We still need to be showing up and there’s so many beautiful examples of resilience out here today,” Rose Gomez said.

Through a wave of community support, online donations, to simply having people walk into their doors again.

“These places are few and far between, I don’t know if I know of any place exactly like this,” Simon Fitzkappes said. “And for our community to lose such a great spot, it’s really detrimental. We all hope that doesn’t happen.”

Because here, the business owners and diners alike say every visit and dollar matters.

“We’ve never got this many people here,” Ajeleth Moreno said. “We just hope it stays that way because we don’t want to be forgotten again.”

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