Debate prep: 5 must-read Star Tribune stories about Tim Walz

Plus: Your guide to Halloween in the Twin Cities 🎃 [Plus: Your guide to Halloween in the Twin Cities 🎃] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Happy 100th birthday to former President Jimmy Carter. And to you: Welcome to the absolute best month of the year 🎃 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - Timberwolves players ‘still processing’ trade of Karl-Anthony Towns to Knicks]( - [Fencing proposal for Minnehaha off-leash dog park would block most of the beach]( - [Yuen: When transplants to Minnesota can’t find friends, we all should be concerned]( - [Minnesotans sweating in farm country as the Farm Bill dies (again)]( - [Blown offsides call in Gophers vs. Michigan game spurs Big Ten officiating change](   These 5 Star Tribune stories are must-reads for vice presidential debate watchers Glenn Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune If you only read a handful of stories about Gov. Tim Walz today, make it these five. The Democratic vice presidential nominee will face off against his Republican counterpart, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, for a debate hosted by CBS News tonight. Minnesotans are already familiar with Walz's folksy demeanor and his record as both a congressman and governor for the North Star state. His national profile began to rise as chair of the Democratic Governors' Association, a position that saw Walz take on the role of surrogate for President Joe Biden's re-election campaign. A series of viral TV appearances made him a frontrunner for the No. 2 spot on the ticket when Biden dropped out and Vice President Kamala Harris took up the mantle of party standard-bearer. Now, with a little more than a month to go before Election Day, Walz is one of the most visible Democrats in the country as he leverages his rural bona fides and Midwestern dad energy on the campaign trail. Here's how to watch the vice presidential debate: • The event begins at 8 p.m. • WCCO will carry it live as the local CBS affiliate • Other networks will also carry it live on air and via YouTube To get a sense of what to expect from Walz and the criticisms Vance might level at the governor, check out the links below. Related coverage - [Midwest showdown: Tim Walz and JD Vance face off in primetime debate tonight]( - [A chameleon or pragmatist? Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s political evolution in the spotlight in VP race]( - [Minneapolis riots, Feeding Our Future fraud lead list of vulnerabilities for Walz on national ticket]( - [Minnesota Poll: Walz is a polarizing figure for Minnesotans]( - [Fact check: Did Tim Walz ‘let rioters burn down Minneapolis’?]( [Read More](     GOING OUT - [9 free things to do in the Twin Cities this week]( - [Critics’ picks: The 12 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week]( - [Review: On its farewell tour, Jeff Lynne’s ELO could have used more Jeff Lynne]( - [Du Nord’s comeback cocktail room serving Lake Street once more](   Get in, loser, we're watching scary movies 🎃 Every October, La Jefa and I whip up a list of 31 scary movies or TV shows to watch — one for each day of the month. We call it "The Halloween List," and you can [check out this year's offerings here](. Here's what's on tap tonight: 😱 "The Substance:" At least once a year, I choose one horror movie to go into fully blind and this time around I'm choosing this Demi Moore thriller. Don't tell me anything about it. "The Substance" is playing in theaters. I cheated and saw it last night at the AMC in Southdale Center so that I can watch the vice presidential debate tonight. It's phenomenal but intense — definitely not for the weak of heart.   [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.   The season for all things spooky October is finally here. And not only has it brought us a respite from that oppressive extended summer, but it's also officially acceptable to really lean into Halloween. Ghosts. Goblins. Another frightful thing that starts with "G." Melissa Walker's guide to Halloween happenings around the Twin Cities has it all. [Check it out here](. Michael Jamieson/Kay Michael Photography MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [Someone playing the lottery in Edina just got $2 million richer]( - [Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood kick off Habitat For Humanity projects in St. Paul]( - [Bikes are flying off the racks at the University of Minnesota's new library program]( FOOTBALL ACROSS MINNESOTA Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune Randy Shaver was under a time crunch on a recent Friday night to get to a high school 30 miles away. But he saw a familiar face on the sidelines at the Lakeville South football stadium and stopped to chat. This happens to Shaver a lot when he visits a high school football game. As sports director and news anchor at KARE 11 for 41 years, Shaver became synonymous with Minnesota prep football. His Friday night show, “Prep Sports Extra,” gave us all the scores and highlights from games across the state for four decades. He retired from television this summer, but his retirement involves a lot of hustle. I asked Shaver if I could tag along with him, and I wrote about that experience for [this week’s Football Across Minnesota column](. In the car ride between schools, Shaver noted that his fondness for high school football stems from several factors: Trusted relationships with coaches, and the ability to find and tell great stories because high school sports provide much better access than college or pros. Shaver became joyfully animated when sharing an interesting storyline he had unearthed that week involving a Lakeville North player. “I’m sure you feel the same way when you’re doing something you love,” Shaver said. “I love it.” -Chip Scoggins, columnist     IN OTHER NEWS - [How St. Paul police found the killer of Lowertown artist and grandmother]( - Pioneer Press 🔒 - [As debate rages over coverage, rural Minnesotans face challenges getting fertility care]( - MPR News - [Half of Minnesota tourism businesses experienced summer slump]( - WCCO THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Kyndell Harkness/The Minnesota Star Tribune It's been nearly 20 months since former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care. And today he celebrates a milestone no other U.S. president has ever reached. Happy 100th birthday, President Carter. His hometown of Plains, Ga. — [where he's known as "Mr. Jimmy"]( — is celebrating with a military jet flyover, a naturalization ceremony and a concert, though Carter won't be in attendance. He was the last Democrat elected to the White House who only served a single term. He was also the second to select a Minnesotan as his vice president: Walter Mondale. (Lyndon B. Johnson picked Hubert Humphrey as his.) In the 2001 photo above, Carter is visiting the University of Minnesota when the law school building was officially named after Mondale. 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.