A "serious, sobering report" prompts changes at Shakopee Fire Department

Plus: St. Paul Saints under fire for naming 2024 pig mascot "Ozempig" ͏ ͏ If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - A "serious, sobering report" prompts changes at Shakopee Fire Department: Shakopee is hiring a new fire chief and reorganizing parts of its Fire Department after a report identified glaring deficiencies with management, training and staffing levels — and a consultant labeled it the "worst department" they had seen in nearly two decades of consulting. [Read more.]( - Ex-Gov. Carlson wants to know why public wasn't told sooner about Stillwater PFAS contamination: Nearly a year after a city well was shut down due to PFAS contamination, Stillwater residents will soon see the first official notice from the government of the problem — a delay that's drawn criticism from former Gov. Arne Carlson. In a letter to the Minnesota Department of Health, Carlson called it "stunning" that people weren't informed sooner. [Read more.]( - Man charged after evidence disturbed in vehicles at MPD forensic garage: A criminal complaint says the suspect entered more than two dozen vehicles and stole some evidence. Numerous cases are potentially affected, including at least one involving a homicide. [Read more.]( - Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in New York hush-money criminal case: Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial. [Read more.]( - St. Paul Saints under fire for naming 2024 pig mascot "Ozempig": The Saint Paul Saints announced the topical name for the tiny pig that will deliver baseballs and provide refreshments for umpires during the first half of the 2024 season. But the swine's moniker, "Ozempig," has some folks accusing the minor league team of body shaming as it attached the pig's weight — and expected gain in mass — on social media and detailed its fictional weight loss journey in a blog post announcing the new name. [Read more.]( WATCH THIS Enormous salmon feeding frenzy spotted off Australia: Drone footage shared by Leah Bailey showed thousands and thousands of salmon surfacing to feed off the coast of Kingston SE in southern Australia. [See the video.]( *** Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. *** TRENDING Dance-music festival will be first concert ever at Allianz Field: Finally. Five years after it opened, Allianz Field in St. Paul will play host to its first major concert. [Read more.]( SPORTS BLINK Dark cloud looming over Twins as season begins: Reliable pitching made the Twins' big winners last season, but can they count on that again? [Read more.]( *** Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. *** WORTH A CLICK South Carolina has $1.8 billion but doesn't know where it came from or where it should go: "It's the latest trouble with the state's books and the two agencies, typically led by elected officials, that are in charge of making sure government accounts stay balanced," Jeffrey Collins reports for the Associated Press. [Read more.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES March 27, 2020: Oak leaves litter the surface of Schulze Lake in Eagan as the ice begins to melt. (Photo: Brian Peterson/Star Tribune) Connect with Star Tribune [facebook]([twitter]([pinterest]([instagram]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( This email was sent by: StarTribune, 650 3rd Ave S, Suite #1300, Minneapolis, MN, 55488 © 2024 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](