Minnesota
Review: Sparse crowd doesn’t detour Chance the Rapper at Minnesota State Fair
A little slow to catch on to trends in music, the Minnesota State Fair grandstand finally discovered the popularity of hip-hop in 2012 with Wiz Khalifa.
Since then, hip-hop has become something of a staple as reliable as country and classic rock. Pitbull and G-Eazy drew sellout crowds and vociferous responses. This year, Ludacris, who grandstands on Tuesday, has sold more tickets than any other act.
On Friday, Chance the Rapper, a household name from his recent stint as a coach on NBC’s “The Voice,” became the first hip-hop artist to make a second grandstand appearance, after he opened for a sold-out Macklemore & Ryan Lewis in 2013.
The scene: Where was everybody? Chance, the pride of Chicago who sold out Xcel Energy Center in 2017, wondered about ticket sales this week when he dropped a new track, “3,333″ (3 is his favorite number; it’s emblazoned on his familiar ball cap). He questioned with 3,333 tickets sold in a place that holds nearly 14,000, if should he cancel. Heck, no.
For the record, he drew 4,110 fans. And they stood for all 75 minutes, taking over a few choruses such as on “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and waving their arms like windshield wipers when prompted. Many of the guys at the grandstand sported ball caps emblazoned with Chance’s signature “3.” The star, however, wore a multicolored bucket hat and a Bob Marley T-shirt.
The music: Chance the Rapper, 31, who famously won the Grammys for best new artist and best rap album for a streaming mixtape (“Coloring Book”) in 2017, has not released a full-length album since his 2019 debut, “The Big Day.” Since last year, he’s been promising the new “Star Line,” and on Friday night, he played a handful of new songs. Some, such as “Stars Out” and “Bad Boys 2,” have been released, but he offered the unreleased “The Negro Problem,” which details problems associated with Black people, and he concludes anybody’s problems are everybody’s problems.
The music: Backed by three musicians and three singers, Chance delivered a performance rich in musicality. He covered a range of his catalog, from 2013′s “Everybody’s Something” to his smash hit pop collabs, 2020′s “Holy” with Justin Bieber (a disembodied voice) and 2017′s “I’m the One” with DJ Khaled and others.
Biggest takeaways: With a welcomed helping of new material as well as crowd-pleasing favorites, Chance bolstered his reputation as a deft wordsmith with a fast flow and vibrant stage presence. While his ego was sincerely bruised that he didn’t sell more tickets, he seemed genuine in his commitment to give it his all no matter how many people showed up. But he wasn’t completely familiar with his five-day-old “3,333″ because he began one bar a couple of beats too early and then caught himself.
Minnesota
Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech live updates: How to watch, odds, predictions for Mayo Bowl
From NFL to NCAA: The biggest sports controversies of 2024
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Sports Seriously
The Minnesota Golden Gophers and Virginia Tech Hokies will face off in Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday with a mayonnaise bath for the winning coach on the line.
Will Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck or Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry receive a head full of Duke’s mayonnaise?
The Hokies (6-6) will be without over a dozen starters who either entered the transfer portal, opted out of the bowl game or suffered injuries following the team’s 37-17 win over Virigina, including starting quarterback Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten, the Hokies’ season rushing leader. Pry said the Hokies will showcase many young players that will offer fans “a good look at what our team can be in the fall” next season.
The Gophers (7-5) are coming off a 24-7 win over Wisconsin in late November.
This marks the first matchup between Minnesota and Virginia Tech. Here’s everything you need to know:
When is the Mayo Bowl between Minnesota and Virginia Tech?
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Virginia Tech Hokies kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
How to watch Minnesota and Virginia Tech in the Mayo Bowl
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Virginia Tech Hokies will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Live streaming is available on Fubo, which has a free trial.
Watch Minnesota take on Virginia Tech with a Fubo subscription
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Minnesota
Weapon seized by police at elementary school in Fosston, Minnesota; 11-year-old detained
FOSSTON, Minn. — Police detained an 11-year-old after a gun was located at the elementary school in Fosston, Minnesota.
According to a report from the Fosston Police Department, the incident occurred on Thursday, Jan. 2. Fosston is a town in northwest Minnesota, approximately 45 miles west of Bemidji and 70 miles east of Grand Forks.
When police arrived at the school, a weapon was located and seized and the male suspect detained.
The release said the incident is under investigation.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
Minnesota
Norovirus outbreaks doubled in Minnesota in December over 2023
(FOX 9) – The holidays are behind us, but one thing you still want to be vigilant about is the rise in illnesses after spending time with loved ones.
Sickness outbreaks
What we know: Health experts are keeping an eye on COVID-19, the Flu and RSV.
Meanwhile, they’ve noticed an outbreak of norovirus, also known as the stomach flu.
“We’re at about 60 outbreaks reported, and that means more than 1,200 people were sick,” said Amy Saupe, Senior Epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health.
While that’s a small portion of all the illnesses in the state at the time, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says it’s seen twice as many outbreaks reported as it typically would see for the month of December.
“We’re seeing the test positive rates and the total positive tests in these large laboratory systems increasing,” said Dr. Frank Rhame, Infectious Disease Physician with Allina Health.
What you can do
Sickness prevention: Experts say the best way to protect yourself from getting unwanted vomiting and diarrhea, is by doing the basics.
“Always wash your hands 20 seconds, soap and water before eating anything, just in case you’ve touched something that might have norovirus on it,” said Saupe.
Experts also say if you’re sick – don’t prepare food for others.
As for respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, RSV and the Flu?
“We are lower now than we were at this time last year,” said Melissa McMahon, Epidemiology Supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Health.
But lower doesn’t necessarily mean your chances are lower.
MDH says COVID-19 has been fairly high, but steady in the last month. The flu and RSV are both on the rise just in the last two to three weeks.
“It is kind of common to see that increase right after the holidays, people tend to travel a lot. They get together in big groups,” said McMahon.
Health experts add they don’t expect the rise in illnesses to end until at least March. But they do expect an uptick in the next couple of months.
The Source: Minnesota Department of Health officials
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