A vulgar, vulnerable radio personality makes the jump to TV 📺

Plus: Meet the women behind the laser loon library card [Plus: Meet the women behind the laser loon library card] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! I recently watched the Robin Williams movie that inspired our daily greeting. And I've gotta say: It's a solid 3 📻 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [As Gov. Tim Walz’s national profile rises, he’s in the middle of discussions about Biden’s future]( - [Dakota community leads reclamation of land near St. Anthony Falls for traditional use]( - [Downtown St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys reducing hours, products because of low sales]( - [Former Minneapolis chef Remy Pettus dies at 41]( - [Brooks: Minneapolis parks workers want you to know why they're striking](   Falen Bonsett is vulgar, vulnerable and about to make the jump from radio to TV Star Tribune Falen Bonsett has the hots for Milburn Pennybags — better known as the Monopoly Man — and she doesn't care who knows it. The candid and sometimes crass KDWB radio personality, who spent nearly a decade providing color commentary during the station's "Dave Ryan Show" before co-hosting her own afternoon program, is known for her ability to connect with audiences on a personal level. And after years behind the microphone, Bonsett has made the leap to TV as co-host of "The Jason Show" on Fox 9. Ryan himself calls Bonsett the "queen of talking about reality and flaws." She's just as comfortable talking about the weather as she is intestinal troubles and chafing thighs. (And as long as we're being candid here: I just spent the last two days laid out, unable to tell if I had contracted the kind of illness that required Sudafed or DayQuil. Turns out I was Sudafed sick.) Reporter and ace wordsmith Rachel Hutton has the [full word-portrait of Bonsett here](.     GOING OUT - [Local restaurant group bringing fine dining to Wisconsin Dells]( - [4 potato salads for your next backyard barbecues]( - [The Big Gigs: 10 best concerts to see in the Twin Cities this week]( Meet the women behind the Laser Loon library card It may not grace the new state flag, but the laser loon found a place in our hearts. And in some of our wallets. That's because a pair of St. Paul Public Library employees took it upon themselves to repurpose the most epic contender for the state's new banner as an unforgettable design for a library card. "I kind of proposed the idea, almost thinking not anybody would take me up on it, right?" marketing and communications specialist Claire Huber said. Well, they did. The card drew thousands to the library after it was unveiled. James Walsh has the [full Q&A with the laser loon library card creators here](. Photo credit [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [Minnesota trooper charged in Rochester crash that killed 18-year-old student]( - [20 charged in July 4th fireworks melee in Minneapolis' Dinkytown]( - [University of Minnesota ag visionary, Forever Green Initiative founder Don Wyse dies]( ON THIS DAY IN 1974 Powell Krueger/Star Tribune Olga Korbut won three gold medals for the Soviet Union during the 1972 Olympic Games. And on July 10, 1974, the 4-foot-10 gymnast dazzled a crowd at the St. Paul Civic Center during a joint performance with her Soviet teammates. Korbut, who was also known as "the Sparrow from Minsk," would go on to win another gold medal at the 1976 games in Montreal. Korbut was even the inaugural inductee to the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1988. It's been a half-century since this photo was taken and gymnasts continue flocking to the Twin Cities, from Simone Biles to Sunisa "Suni" Lee. So, yeah, we're pretty big on vaults and flips 'round these parts. IN OTHER NEWS - [Minnesota’s new Murdered and Missing Black Women and Girls Office could serve as model for country]( - Sahan Journal - [Minnesota human services department investigating 15 autism providers]( - Minnesota Reformer - [Sheepish solar symbiosis: Two very different industries work together on the green energy transition]( - MPR News     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Elliot Stevenson/Instagram There's nothing better than a summer night at the ballpark. Scratch that. There's nothing better than a summer night at the ballpark that also, unbeknownst to you, happens to be free food night for anyone with grandstand tickets at Target Field. That very thing happened to La Jefa and me last year when we treated ourselves to a Twins game on what we thought was a random Friday evening. I still think about that day, particularly how one of the ballpark attendants made me chug my Mountain Dew because you apparently can't take any of the food with you once the game's over. This sunset photo by Elliot Stevenson, who goes by wanderingbadgerphoto on Instagram, brought those memories rushing back. If only I had known it was free food night — I wouldn't have pigged out at Graze Provisions before the game. Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.