What we know about the Park Tavern crash that killed 2, injured 3

Plus: It's the first day of school 🎒 [Plus: It's the first day of school 🎒] 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 can't talk now — [I've got a class to teach!]( (This is my way of saying it's my first day as an adjunct at the U) 📝 On to the news 📢 [Eder Campuzano] By Eder Campuzano TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Why are there fewer reports of UFOs from Minnesotans?]( - [The Minnesota Interview: Alix Kendall’s next stop might be Hollywood]( - [Minnesota tribes grapple with delayed food deliveries because of USDA “mistakes”]( - [Nurse vacancies decline but physician shortage grows at Minnesota hospitals]( - [Souhan: Former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is blind to his own flaws](   The kids are back in school. Here's what's new. Cheryl A. Myers for the Minnesota Star Tribune It's the first day of school for most Minnesota students, which means summer is fully in the rearview and homework, Friday night lights and cafeteria food are all on the menu for hundreds of thousands of kids throughout the state. There's also plenty of change on the horizon. An increasing number of districts are cracking down on cellphones in the classroom as Minnesota, like other states, has given educators more say in how kids use their personal devices while school is in session. Educators and policymakers also continue to worry about anemic standardized test scores in math and reading. Even though the state has set aside tens of millions of dollars to train teachers in new literacy programs, that investment has yet to see much return as about half of Minnesota students test below proficiency in state reading exams. Of course, there's also plenty of joy on the horizon. The fall sports season is already in full swing as kids hit the football fields, volleyball courts, cross country trails and all other manner of athletic proving grounds. Parks and trails were full of families enjoying the final vestiges of summer over the weekend — La Jefa and I ran into several parents and their kids at the State Fair, on patios and city parks. Anthony Lonetree and Mara Klecker have everything you need to know about the new school year in the links below. Plus, Brooks Johnson has a handy guide to packing allergen-free snacks for a healthy lunch. Let the school year begin! Related coverage - [Cellphone bans and a focus on attendance: Here is what’s in store for Minnesota students this year]( - [Minnesota schools are starting a new year, but will the students show up for class?]( - [Minnesota schools answer principals’ calls to ban cellphones in classrooms]( - [Minnesota school test scores are out. Here’s what the newest data show.]( - [Affordable ways to pack allergen-free snacks as kids head back to school]( - [Introducing the Minnesota Top 20, the Star Tribune’s new statewide high school football ranking](     GOING OUT - [Critics’ picks: The 14 best things to do and see in the Twin Cities this week]( - [9 free things to do in the Twin Cities this week](   [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 latest on the Park Tavern crash that killed 2, hospitalized 3 People gathered at the Park Tavern in St. Louis Park yesterday to mourn one of the restaurant's employees and a hospital worker who were killed when a car crashed into the bar's patio Sunday evening. Police arrested Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of St. Louis Park, on suspicion of two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash. Paul Walsh and Reid Forgrave have the [details about the victims and the suspect in the horrific event here](. Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [How Minnesota's Paralympians fared in Paris yesterday]( - [What $400,000 will get Twin Cities homebuyers looking for new construction]( - [Another record-breaking crowd at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday, including Gov. Tim Walz]( FAREWELL TO THE FAIR Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune And what a fair it was. For 12 days, the fairgrounds in Falcon Heights turned into its own festive fiefdom, complete with princesses and other nobility — yes, Fairborn and Fairchild count as royalty for the final stretch of summer. Here at the Star Tribune, our Taste team began its State Fair run with a gauntlet of the new foods on tap for the year, our print team spun up daily fair puzzles or photo essays, while my trusty Today Desk colleagues and I staged an "Amazing Race"-style competition to see which mode of transportation made for the quickest commute to the Great Minnesota Get-Together. (A "young, in-shape cyclist" won the contest handily.) We also had reporters and photographers on the grounds when a deluge came down and canceled the grandstand show, forcing fairgoers to find refuge from the rain as Corn Roast stand workers belly-flopped in the flooded streets. What was your favorite fair memory this year? Did you try the deep-fried ranch? Tell us all about it at [@essential@startribune.com](mailto:essential@startribune.com). IN OTHER NEWS - [Measles outbreak affects at least 30 in Minnesota, closes Somali religious school]( - Sahan Journal - [Dudes (and Ladies!) Rock at the MN’s State Fair Midway Men’s Club]( - Racket - [Music at the State Fair builds community partnerships — and a more inclusive Get-Together]( - Pioneer Press     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Taylor Moon via X So long, sweet summer. Remember how we were getting excessive heat warnings as recently as a week ago? Well, it appears the onset of the new school year brought the autumn weather along with it — lows in the 50s and 40s in the forecast to close the week. And Minnetonka High School strength and conditioning coach Taylor Moon, via X, is here to remind you to be kind to yourselves and each other today. I'm also here to tell you: Don't forget to layer up when the temperatures begin to dip on Friday. Kind of makes you crave a glass of cherry wine. Or is that only for fans of the Foo Fighters? When the temperatures begin to dip at the outset of autumn, I can't help but listen to "Summer's End" from the band's 2007 album "Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace." Let's jam out a little — links for three streaming options below. - ["Summer's End" by Foo Fighters on Spotify]( - ["Summer's End" by Foo Fighters on Apple Music]( - ["Summer's End" by Foo Fighters on YouTube]( 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.