(St. Paul, MN)  --  Over 85 percent of Minnesota schools will get extra money to test students for COVID-19.  The funding also will cover the cost of additional staffers who will administer the tests.  The state designated 55 million dollars to go to schools that applied for the grant.  The funds will provide test kits, protective equipment, and other needed supplies for testing.

(Duluth, MN)  --  A St. Louis County woman is going to prison for stealing over 300 thousand dollars from her employer, Fortune Bay Resort Casino.  Jennifer Boutto has been sentenced to eight months behind bars. The 33-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and theft of tribal funds.  Boutto was the former front desk supervisor, which allowed her to issue cash refunds without direct supervision.

(Proctor, MN)  --  The police investigation into the Proctor football team student misconduct is over.  Authorities are preparing to send their report to prosecutors in St. Louis County.  The nature of the allegations has yet to be released.  Football activities for Proctor players were canceled in September.

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines is adding 11 non-stop flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this spring.  Some of the destinations include Buffalo, New York; Jacksonville, Florida; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Sun Country will continue non-stop service from MSP Airport to New Orleans, Milwaukee, Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Ashville, North Carolina.

Members of a special working group try again this afternoon (3pm) to agree on COVID bonuses for Minnesota's front-line workers, over a month past the original target for a special session to distribute 250 million dollars.  Stillwater Republican Senator Karin Housley says Democrats propose 670-thousand Minnesotans who couldn't work from home each get 375 dollars -- while Republicans' plan... "Those really, really front-line workers that faced COVID and a high-risk of contracting COVID every single day... giving each one of those one-thousand dollars." House Democratic Majority Leader Ryan Winkler says there's middle ground, but Republicans' issues are "just getting in the [...]

MSP International Airport is gearing up for one of the most popular travel times of the year--the long MEA weekend. After a slower year in 2020 due to COVID, airport spokesman Jeff Lea says... "We'll expect to see a doubling of passenger traffic compared to 2020 for this week on some days." Lea says Thursday will likely be the airport's busiest day. Between now and the end of the week, Lea is urging air travelers to arrive two hours in advance of a domestic flight or three hours in advance of an international flight.

More hours of darkness this time of year can contribute to an increased number of crashes between people driving and walking. Anne Meyer with MnDOT is urging travelers to use caution. "So when you're driving that means watch for people walking, stop for people crossing the road and slow down, speed can make a big difference and when you're walking just remember, be alert for turning vehicles, look in all lanes of traffic before you cross the road." Motor vehicle crashes have killed 45 pedestrians in 2021, which is nine more pedestrian deaths than this time last year.

Early next month an unorthodox traveling museum will make its way to Minnesota. Dr. Samuel West, the museum's curator, says his goal is to showcase how thinking big, even when it leads to failure, can lead to big innovations. One exhibit may hit home with Minnesota sports fans, a look back at the glowing hockey puck used on T-V in the 1990's. "They made all kinds of tacky graphics along with it. It was short lived, it didn't work out, and that’s okay, if they don't continually test new technology or new ways of doing things, there will be no progress." [...]

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  Target is ramping up tech presence in its stores ahead of the holiday season.  The nationwide retailer announced plans to expand its shop-in-shop experience with Apple.  That would roughly double the stores with this feature from 17 to 36, though most are in Florida and Texas.  The shop-in-shop experiences function like miniature Apple stores within participating Targets, with dedicated sections for Apple gear.  The news follows closely on the heels of Apple's latest event where the company showcased a new generation of AirPods and new MacBook products.

(Brooklyn Park, MN)  --  Several houses and a daycare are hit by gunfire in Brooklyn Park.  Police say they heard gunshots late Tuesday afternoon and officers later found several damaged buildings near the 76-hundred block of Unity Avenue North.  Police say witnesses told them two groups of people were shooting at each other, but no injuries have been reported.  No arrest have been made.