How former inmates help their peers stay out of prison

Plus: What should kids know about George Floyd’s murder? [Plus: What should kids know about George Floyd’s murder?] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! I'm not thrilled about the sun setting earlier but I do appreciate the extra slice of daylight I get in the morning 🌞 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Five extra points: Will Reichard may have bigger concern than misses while an old Vikings concern remains]( - [What researchers learned after the death of one of Minnesota’s oldest known Canada lynx]( - [Gov. Tim Walz heads to ‘blue wall’ states in final vice presidential campaign swing]( - [Why now might be the best time to shop for a Minnesota lake home]( - [Do lower speed limits on city streets actually slow down drivers?](   [How a group of former inmates are helping their peers stay out of prison]( Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune "It's tough to go to prison," Erick Washington says. "But the only thing that can be harder is coming out." That's because former inmates face various obstacles when they return to the lives they had pre-incarceration. There's the difficulty of finding a legitimate job and the ease with which they can fall back into sketchy work. There's also a level of maturity you don't necessarily achieve when you're locked up. But Washington runs a nonprofit that partners with the federal court system to help men transition once they get out. And that's the focus of our main story this morning, a dispatch from reporter Stephen Montemayor on the Kingsmen Project. He spoke with judges, program founders and participants to give us a look at the struggles former inmates face once they're released. If you've ever felt awkward running into co-workers or classmates out in the wild, imagine attending a barbecue alongside a judge who sentenced you to six years in prison. [Montemayor has the full story here](. [Read More](     GOING OUT - [Review: Why was R&B icon Usher such a big tease in Minneapolis?]( - [‘Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book’ showcases 100 holiday contest favorites]( - [Feeling election stress and anxiety? Let us help.]( [How do you talk to kids about George Floyd's murder?]( Shannon Gibney's daughter had questions about George Floyd's death and the Black Lives Matter movement. The family regularly walked from their home in south Minneapolis to George Floyd Square in the months after his murder and saw people singing, dancing and sharing meals. But Gibney felt her kids needed to fully understand the seismic shocks the 2020 killing sent throughout the nation, so she wrote a book. Books editor Chris Hewitt has the [full story behind "We Miss You George Floyd" at the link here](. Leeya Rose Jackson/ University of Minnesota Press   [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 MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [Minnesota-made ‘Oregon Trail’ game being adapted into a movie]( - [Where are Minnesota's best deer hunting regions? Things to know ahead of the 2024 opener.]( - [Different style, same result as Wild keep winning]( THIS WEEK IN NATURE David Joles/The Minnesota Star Tribune Many birds have already migrated out of Minnesota, but you might still see flocks of tundra swans flying across the state. In [today's edition of This Week in Nature](, learn about how they gather in various spots around the state before heading to their winter homes. Also, keep an eye out for American coots and golden tamarack trees — the only conifers in Minnesota to turn bright yellow and drop all their needles in autumn. — Pam Louwagie, senior Outdoors team leader IN OTHER NEWS - [M Health Fairview teen model treats drug addiction and mental illness together]( - MinnPost - [Will Gen Z go to the polls?]( - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine - [Minnesota campaigns, volunteers make their final play for votes as clock ticks down]( - MPR News     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE MisterSquirrel via Reddit It's been 37 years since the Twins claimed their first World Series in Minnesota. My favorite bit of trivia about this particular sporting event is how the Twins' forcing of a Game 7 also created a scheduling conflict for the Vikings — the NFL had to reschedule the team's game against the Denver Broncos for the following day. Reddit user MisterSquirrel dug up this copy of the front page of the Star Tribune from the day after that fateful World Series win and it's yet another reminder, at least to me, that the team would win the championship again four years later and it somehow seems like an event lost to the tides of time. (Or, you know, to the 28 inches of snow that dropped in the Twin Cities about a week later.) Tap or click on the image above to see the full post. 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. 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