These are the hottest housing markets in the Twin Cities metro

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - These are the hottest housing markets in the Twin Cities metro: For home sellers in the Twin Cities metro, 2020 couldn't have been better. For buyers, however, last year was a battle. With mortgage rates falling to record lows and a pandemic upending how and where people want to live, sales exceeded new listings throughout much of the metro.Bidding wars were the norm and prices rose to record highs, forcing buyers to several far-flung suburbs that [topped the Star Tribune's fifth annual Hot Housing Index](, which ranks communities based on the annual change in average market time, sale price, number of sales and percent of original list price received by the seller. - One-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine prevents COVID, but less than others: Johnson & Johnson's long-awaited vaccine appears to protect against COVID-19 with just one shot – not as strong as some two-shot rivals but still potentially helpful for a world in dire need of more doses. J&J said Friday that in the U.S. and seven other countries, [the single-shot vaccine was 66% effective overall]( at preventing moderate to severe illness, and much more protective — 85% — against the most serious symptoms. - New proposal would scrap Minneapolis Police Department but maintain officers under new agency: Seven months after they pledged to work toward "ending the Minneapolis Police Department," [a trio of City Council members have introduced a second proposal]( that would eliminate the department, though it would keep the police. The plan calls for the city to create a new Department of Public Safety that includes police and "additional divisions … to provide for a comprehensive approach to public safety beyond law enforcement." - Minnesota Court of Appeals asked to intervene in Floyd case: Prosecutors in the George Floyd case took the unusual step Thursday of [asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to intervene]( after a lower court twice refused their request to hold one trial in the summer for all four ex-Minneapolis police officers charged in the case. The strongly worded request from Attorney General Keith Ellison's office accused Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill of violating state law and abusing his power when he ordered that one trial would start in March and a second would start five months later. - Bloomington schools return to distance learning after COVID-19 outbreak: The district was one of many in Minnesota thatbegan reopening elementary schoolsearlier this month, following a change in state guidelines. Now, [it's the first in the metro area to have to reverse course](because of widespread virus activity. - Western Minnesota town flummoxed by man who claims he's above the law: Complaints by neighbors have included goats on the loose. Dogs on the run. Trash piles and junk vehicles. Flying a Confederate flag. Posting a threatening sign. Yet trash still litters the lawn. The dogs still roam free. The junk vehicles haven't moved. Because the owner of the property, 32-year-old Brian M. Nelson, doesn't believe the law applies to him. After nine months of back-and-forth, [local officials aren't sure what to do next.]( - More than 6% of Minnesota's population has received COVID-19 vaccine: At least 345,636 people have received first doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota, according to state figures released Friday, and 96,842 have completed the two-dose series. [More than 6.3% of Minnesota's population has now at least received a first dose of vaccine]( against a novel coronavirus that has caused 459,747 known infections and 6,168 COVID-19 deaths in the state. That includes 28 deaths reported Friday and 1,145 infections verified through diagnostic testing. We are [tracking the spread of COVID-19 here]( and [the progress of Minnesota's vaccination program here.]( - Lakeville school board closes some meetings to the virtual public: The Lakeville school board has [decided to stop broadcasting and recording some of its meetings]( to allow for more candid conversations, a move that does not violate state law but is troubling some residents and government watchdogs. - Albert Lea restaurant faces $9,000 fine as it plans party: The restaurant has had [quite a few run-ins with the law]( for violating Gov. Tim Walz's restrictions on dining and bars. - Ohio town reckons with charges in U.S. Capitol riot: It was a now-shuttered bar that brought the FBI and other investigators to Woodstock, Ohio, around 40 miles northwest of Columbus, this month. It is here, federal authorities allege, that Army veteran Jessica Watkins tended bar and recruited members for a local militia group she has said in social media posts she founded in 2019. In a criminal complaint filed Jan. 19 and a federal indictment Wednesday, Watkins and a member of her militia, ex-Marine Donovan Ray Crowl, are charged, along with a Virginia man, with [helping to plan and coordinate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.]( WATCH THIS Residents of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., dig their buried cars out during massive snowstorm: The ski-resort town near Yosemite National Park was expecting [a massive winter storm to drop up to 10 feet of snow.]( Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Warroad, Minn., comes together on a 2.5-mile skate path: It all started when three men decided to connect the three ice rinks they had constructed in their backyards on the meandering Warroad River. One man took his ATV and started plowing. That became a three-quarters of a mile ice path on the meandering river. Then they figured: [Why not keep going?]( - Should you really let your car run on cold mornings before driving it? That advice from dad made sense decades ago. [Now, not so much.]( - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From cinnamon bread to pulled pork, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past 7 days. SPORTS ROUNDUP - The Vikings could trade for Deshaun Watson, but should they? It's rare that [a quarterback of his age and skill set]( would become available. - Mom asks. Facebook answers. Photo plea for daughter's milestone goes viral. Betsy Kneepkens didn't think she'd get to have photo evidence of her daughter's anticipated 3,000th career point with Duluth Marshall. [She'll get that — and more.]( - Falvey values flexibility in players, contracts in reshaping Twins: In these unpredictable times, Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey is always looking for the pieces to an ever-changing puzzle, [writes Jim Souhan.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK The famous children's author and the wrongly imprisoned Black Panther: When Madeleine L'Engle, the prolific author ofA Wrinkle in Time,began exchanging letters with a Black Panther imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit, neither could have imagined what the relationship would yield, [writes Abigail Santamaria for Vanity Fair.]( TALKERS TRIVIA Want to win a $15 gift card of your choice? It's Friday, so that means it's time for another trivia question. The correct answer to this question can be found in a story that appeared in Talkers this week. We can't prevent you from simply Googling the answer, so Googling is encouraged! E-mail your answer to talkers@startribune.com by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. A winner will be selected at random from the correct responses. That lucky reader will receive a $15 card of their choice from one of several retailers — Best Buy, Target, Holiday or Menards — as well as a shout-out in Monday's newsletter. Here is this week's question: Target is partnering with which iconic clothing company to launch an exclusive home and lifestyle collection? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Jan. 29, 2019: Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, held his black lab Lucy while service dog Daniel from Pawsitivity Service Dogs checked out the press conference room at the State Capitol. Republicans introduced "Raven's Bill," which would designate the Labrador Retriever as the official dog breed of Minnesota. 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