3/29/2024 -- Twins Season Kicks Off

Safety

Minneapolis Moves Forward With Community Safety Center and Police Precinct Under Same Roof 🚨

The Summary: Minneapolis is moving ahead with plans for two community safety centers along Lake Street. One will house the new 3rd Precinct police station as well as social service agencies.

Development Timeline: The city purchased the site for the new center last fall for at least $10 million. Inspections and environmental testing are ongoing, with plans to close on the property in June and open the center in early 2025.

Community Perspectives: Opinions among residents vary. While some like the idea of a centralized hub for police and community resources, others have expressed opposition, preferring separate spaces for police and services.

Further Engagement: Additional community engagement sessions are scheduled, including events at Little Earth and Minnehaha Senior Living facility in April.

Twins

Twins Win Season Opener! Here’s What You Should Know Heading Into This Season ⚾

The Summary: After winning their first playoff game since 2002, the Minnesota Twins are set to keep the momentum going. They opened their season yesterday with a 4-1 win over the Royals fueled by a strong performance from starting pitcher Pablo Lopez.

Offseason Moves: The offseason for the Twins was largely quiet with limited free agent signings — notable departures include center fielder Michael Taylor and starting pitcher Sonny Gray. The offseason was underscored by the Twins announcing they were cutting payroll.

Buxton in CF: It’s no secret that Byron Buxton has struggled with injuries during his career with the Twins. After hitting in the DH spot last year, Buxton has indicated that he is poised to start in center field again.

Weak Division: The AL Central is expected to be one of he weaker divisions once again and the Twins are the betting favorite to run away with their second division title in a row.

New Announcer: Off the field, the Twins are also set to debut a new TV announcer. During the offseason, the team announced Cory Provus would be replacing Dick Bremer.

Season Previews: Get ready for the season with these great previews from the Gleeman & The Geek podcast, CBS Sports, and MLB.com

Oh….and be sure to brush up on the Twins theme song.

Business

❯ MyPillow Evicted: MyPillow is facing a court-ordered eviction from a Shakopee warehouse for owing over $200,000 in rent. The eviction adds to the company's financial troubles, including revenue loss and ongoing legal battles, amid CEO Mike Lindell's controversial claims about the 2020 election.

❯ Thrivent + Twins: Thrivent announced its inaugural partnership with the Minnesota Twins, securing naming rights to Target Field’s club level and launching a philanthropic program that involves fans in distributing $200,000 annually to nonprofits.

GAME: TC Insider Mini Crossword

This Twins player was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2021. Know who it is? Solve the TC Mini now.

What Else We’re Reading…

Five Years After Donating Sperm, Donor Wants To Be Father

Laura Yuen from the Star Tribune wrote an interesting story about a couple, Julianna and Catherine Sheridan, who asked one of their mutual friends to donate sperm so they could have a child. Their friend, Chris Edrington, was excited for the couple and said yes. Fast forward five years and Edrington wants the courts to recognize him as the now five-year-old girl’s father.

Read the full story here.

Sports

🐺 Wolves Ownership Drama

The Summary: The Timberwolves are no longer for sale according to current majority owner Glen Taylor. The prospective buyers, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore fired back with their own statement saying Taylor got sellers remorse.

Failed Deadlines: Taylor is alleging that Lore and Rodriguez failed to meet the appropriate dealines to acquire the majority stake.

Increased Value: The original deal, which started in 2021, valued the franchise at $1.5B. Estimates now have the Wolves valued at $2.5B. The increase in value has fueled speculation that Taylor is being opportunistic.

In Other Sports…

💲 The Gopher Men’s Basketball team fell victim to the volatile NIL market with three players entering the transfer portal.

🏒 The Gopher men’s hockey team won their NCAA tournament first round game against University of Nebraska-Omaha. They will now face top seed Boston University on Saturday.

🏀 Both the Minnesota State Mankato men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship games. The women will play Texas Woman’s University on Friday while the men will play Nova Southeastern on Saturday.

Quick hits

Headlines From Around The Twin Cities ✔

❯ Blue and White Taxi owner in Minneapolis says they are prepared to hire more drivers should Uber and Lyft leave (Kare11)

❯ A 14-year old from Noarth Oaks won the national women’s chess title, defeating a 40-year old grandmaster (MPR)

❯ Surly’s Axe man IPA won the “best-in-show” category at the Minnesota Brewers Cup (Kare11)

❯ The most expensive home listing in Saint Paul history is currently for sale at $3.9M (Bring Me The News)

❯ Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has launched his own line of marijuana edibles (Fox9)

❯ Advocates are pushing to replace I-94 with a boulevard through the Twin Cities (Axios)

Beyond the Twin Cities

Headlines From Greater Minnesota ✔

❯ The Mayor of Duluth posted a “cheeky” in response to Kathy Cargill’s latest satement (X)

Plan for St. Cloud homeless shelter moves ahead despite business opposition (MPR)

❯ University of Minnesota Duluth has announced a new chancellor (Duluth Tribune)

❯ Duluth City Council votes down Israel/Hamas ceasefire resolution (Northern News)

The Final Word: Go Twins! and Go Food!

It seems like just yesterday the Twins were winning their first playoff game in 21 years. I couldn’t be more excited to see if the Twins can maintain their spot as the team to beat in the AL Central.

If you’re not as excited about the baseball itself, check out this preview of all the new food that will be at Target Field this season.

-Patrick