What we know about the horrific killing in St. Paul

Plus: Your guide to Minnesota cheeses 🧀 [Plus: Your guide to Minnesota cheeses 🧀] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! It's apparently National Day of Forgiveness, so apologies in advance for the rumbling in your tummy our guide to Minnesota cheeses will inevitably inspire 🧀 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Walz’s tightly structured appearances provide message control for presidential ticket]( - [Twins on cusp of playoff elimination with 13-inning loss to lowly Marlins]( - When big-box stores left, a Minnesota town feared for its future. Downtown investment changed the vibes.]( - [In southwestern Minnesota, the dream of a Buddhist temple collapses]( - [Home of the Month aims for net zero with sleek, pollinator-friendly design in Bloomington](   What we know about this week's horrific killing in St. Paul Elliot Hughes/The Minnesota Star Tribune A St. Paul artist was shot in what authorities describe as a "cold-blooded" killing Wednesday night, and police later fatally shot the man suspected of the crime. Details are scarce about the tragedy, but this is what we know: • The victim, who has not been named, was working on a project in an alley near the Lowertown Lofts Artist Cooperative. She was discovered by a police officer who happened upon her and saw she had been shot in the back of the head. The cooperative has confirmed the victim was a member. • Police have not named the suspect, but a family member identified him as Seantrell Murdock, 29, of Belle Plaine. Richard Mims-Angel helped raise Murdock since he was 2. • Police found Murdock after they were provided with a license plate number that they tracked to an address in Belle Plaine. St. Paul and Belle Plaine police monitored the home overnight. • Court records show Murdock has a criminal history that includes convictions for nonviolent crimes including illegal gun possession, burglary, fleeing from police and receiving stolen property. • Murdock had four children. Check StarTribune.com for the latest developments on the case. You can read the [full story from Paul Walsh, Kyeland Jackson and Elliot Hughes here](. [Read More](     GOING OUT - The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week]( - [Art, dogs and dinner on the farm create fall fun in Eau Claire, Wis.]( - [The Halloween List 2024: 31 days’ worth of spooky movies and TV shows for the season]( What we're up to this weekend Every Friday, your friendly neighborhood Essential Minnesota team will share a bit of what we're up to over the weekend. We'd love your suggestions — maybe we'll give 'em a shot and give you a shout-out in Monday's edition. Send your favorite places to sip, hike, bike and more to essential@startribune.com. Here's what we've got on tap: 🍷 I'm staying hydrated in anticipation of a raucous annual women's weekend in Prescott, Wis., always involving a trip to [Alexis Bailly Vineyard]( in Hastings. Their slogan is "where the grapes can suffer" — but it's definitely all fun for friends sitting under the trees in the glorious sunshine, sipping wine. -Catherine Preus 🎤 La Jefa and I are obsessed with karaoke. And as a start-of-autumn treat, we're hitting up my favorite spot with a bunch of friends. Hint: The bar where we'll be singing terribly is a former speakeasy featured in a recent edition of Curious Minnesota. -Eder Campuzano 🏃🏻 It will be a jam-packed weekend of taking in culture and wrapping up training for the Twin Cities 10 Mile race. Tonight, I'm excited to see "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and find out what the signature "Chicken Chanhassen" dish is all about. -David Taintor   [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.   Brace yourself for something kind of cheesy Minnesota's most famous culinary inventions — the juicy Lucy and hot dish — would be nothing without some good old-fashioned curdled milk. But the cheese racket consists of more than melted, artery-clogging goo here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. And our Food and Culture team has embarked on a mission to bring you up to speed on everything that's out there. Check out Nancy Ngo's guide to Minnesota cheese and intern Grace Noble's look inside St. Paul's blue cheese operation at the links below. Let the Wisconsinites have their cheddar. (Tillamook's is better, anyway.) - [Crafting perfection: The rise of artisan cheeses in Minnesota]( - [St. Paul was once the blue cheese capital of the world]( Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [Connecticut Sun next as Lynx dispatch Phoenix from WNBA playoffs]( - [Ramstad: Delta CEO Bastian says MSP business travel is fully back from pandemic]( - [Justin Jefferson vows to dance the Griddy in Jaire Alexander’s end zone at Lambeau]( - [Brooks: Road construction is making it tough to get around. But small businesses need the extra effort.]( CURIOUS MINNESOTA Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune Why are pulltabs ubiquitous in Minnesota? And why didn't they catch on in other states? The tiny games of chance are the subject of this week's edition of the Minnesota Star Tribune's reader-powered reporting project. Follow along as we explore the history of the humble pulltab and walk newly minted Minnesotans through one of the state's quirkiest customs. As someone who has only been here for just over 2½ years, I can confirm: Visitors go nuts over these things. Erica Pearson [has the full story here](. IN OTHER NEWS - [Minnesota regulators punt on carbon-free definition, keeping door open for polluting sources to be considered down the line]( - Sahan Journal - [New recruits for Minneapolis Police Department include first Somali-American woman, first non-U.S. citizen]( - MPR News - [Lawmaker proposes legislation following WCCO investigation on tracing crime guns]( - WCCO     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Matt Birkholz I am counting down the days until I can comfortably call up my deep bench of argyle sweaters for everyday wear. And this gorgeous sunrise over Lake of the Isles from Matt Birkholz, complete with a tiny hint of fall foliage, makes it feel closer than ever. The forecast shows us highs in the 80s over the weekend. I'll take one final gasp of summer before I move my autumnal wardrobe to a more accessible part of the closet. Because starting next week, it's sweater weather or bust, baby! Thanks for reading Eder Campuzano, reporter David Taintor, editor     [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Premium digital access] GET IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO EVERY STORY [Subscribe]( SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( [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.