Why this Minnesota college is cutting tuition

Plus: A new bacon mashup [Plus: A new bacon mashup] View this email as a [web page]( [The Minnesota Star Tribune](   [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota! Anyone else's fall wardrobe crying from the closet? Oh well. ☀️ On to the news 📢 [Zoë Jackson] By Zoë Jackson TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [Troubled Minneapolis charter school featured in new Minnesota Star Tribune series closes]( - [These Twin Cities suburbs want you to vote on a sales tax hike this election.]( - [House GOP homes in on Walz’s time in China as it targets Beijing as chief adversary]( - [Supermoon on Tuesday will also feature a partial lunar eclipse]( - [MacKenzie Scott gives $9 million to Duluth business nonprofit](   Bethel University to cut tuition by 40% next year (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Skyrocketing college costs usually make headlines. But this week, Bethel University announced that tuition will drop for students by 40% starting in fall 2025. The change is an effort to increase transparency and reduce sticker shock on tuition pricing, university officials said. The reduction, to about $26,000 — about $18,000 less than this academic year — matches what many students end up paying after the scholarships making private college possible for many kick in, they said. Other private universities have made similar tuition cuts in the past including Concordia College and Concordia University-St. Paul. Read more about [Bethel's price drop here](. Related coverage - [Bethel University cuts several programs to address declining enrollment]( [Read More](     GOING OUT - [9 free things to do in the Twin Cities this week]( - [Minneapolis hospitality titans team up to open a tiny new bar]( - [He shares the magic of movies – from the back of a bike](   [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.   How two Minnesota companies teamed up to create Cinnamon Toast Crunch bacon You might want to read this one after you've had breakfast. Consumers are hungry for sweet and savory options, and a new mashup by two Minnesota brands is hitting the spot for grocery shoppers. [Read more about how TikTok inspired the mashup]( that became Hormel’s Black Label bacon sprinkled in Cinnamon Toast Crunch's "Cinnadust." Hormel Foods MORE FROM THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE - [Four things to know about Theodora Gaïtas, the newest member of the Minnesota Supreme Court]( - [Minnesota Rep. Jeff Dotseth charged in 2008 with abuse of then-wife, court filings show]( - [Man in shootout with deputies in western Minnesota had raised his family’s concern]( FOOTBALL ACROSS MINNESOTA Provided Chip Lohmiller traded his football jersey for a firefighter’s uniform after retiring from the NFL. The Super Bowl champion from Woodbury and the Gophers has found his calling as fire chief of Crosslake, Minn. He was known for his calm under pressure as a kicker. He brings the same preparedness in dealing with emergencies as a firefighter. Lohmiller, whose 62-yard field goal against Iowa in 1986 remains the longest in Gophers history, also owns a company that trains firefighters throughout Minnesota. He compares his role at fire scenes to that of a quarterback as he assigns tasks and oversees the situation. - Chip Scoggins [Read more here.]( IN OTHER NEWS - [WA board cancels training by ex-Minnesota cop who killed Daunte Wright - Seattle Times]( - [A former autism center employee tried to report fraud to the state. Nobody responded. - Minnesota Reformer](     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE Reddit/Ciller1234tj The beautiful aurora borealis was once again visible to the naked eye in Minnesota last night. I don't know about you guys, but waking up in the middle of the night in hopes of glimpsing these colorful lights, or in the morning seeing photos on everyone's timelines, just doesn't get old. If you missed it, don't worry — there are probably more opportunities on the way. We rounded up these [tips on chasing the lights]( yourself. I hope they help inspire you to go outside and look up. Thanks for reading Zoe Jackson, 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.