Town kept in the dark about investigation after high school’s football season canceled

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Town kept in the dark about investigation after high school's football season canceled: When [allegations of student misconduct involving the school's football team]( surfaced last week, the typically chatty town of 3,000 locked down, many residents afraid to speak publicly about their fears and worries. School employees and students were told to stay silent, the school board banished public comment about the situation at a meeting this week and district officials and local police remain mum about even the most basic investigative details, all amid the cancellation of the entire football season. It is the second serious allegation involving Proctor schools within five weeks. - Minnesota county jails struggle to fill corrections officer jobs: In Dakota County, an increase in inmates and 18.5 open corrections positions [prompted the jail in August to start sending up to 40 male inmates]( — nearly a third of the jail's average population — to the Wright County jail, which can handle more people. - A guide to the 2021 Minneapolis Park Board and Board of Estimate & Taxation candidates: All nine Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) commissioner seats are up for election after the board first permitted then prohibited large homeless encampments in parks across the city amid last summer's civil unrest.Voters will also select two new members for the Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) this fall. We asked each candidate to answer questions on top issues. [Here's what they said.]( Don't miss [our guide to the Minneapolis mayor and City Council candidates]( and this [Q&A on the proposed charter amendments on the ballot]( this year. - Alleged Hwy. 169 shooter brandished gun at other drivers, prosecution says: Hennepin County prosecutors are newly alleging that the man charged with fatally shooting a motorist during a suspected road rage encounter in Plymouth had been [brandishing his gun at other vehicles on his multistate route to the Twin Cities]( and has long been carrying out this threatening behavior. - Boogaloo Bois member pleads guilty to rioting after George Floyd's death: A member of a far-right anti-government group [pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to a federal riot charge]( in connection with civil unrest after George Floyd's murder. According to charges, Ivan Harrison Hunter admitted to traveling from San Antonio, Texas, to Minneapolis "with the intent to participate in a riot," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota. Wearing a skull mask and tactical gear, Hunter shot 13 rounds at the south Minneapolis police headquarters while people were inside, according to the complaint. - Biden, Democrats work to scale back $3.5 trillion spending plan: Democrats were back at it Friday, doggedly determined to [rescue a scaled-back version of President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion government overhaul]( and salvage a related public works bill after a long night of frantic negotiations resulted in no deal. With only hours to spare, Biden on Thursday evening [signed legislation to avoid a partial federal shutdown]( and keep the government funded through Dec. 3. Congress had passed the bill earlier Thursday. - Minneapolis Civil Rights Department Director Imani Jaafar resigns: Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights Director Imani Jaafar has [resigned from the department after occupying the interim role for just over four months](. Besides serving as the interim director, Jaafar was the director of the Office of Police Conduct Review, which investigates allegations of police misconduct, since 2015. By leaving the department, she is also vacating that role. Jaafar could not immediately be reached for comment. The reason for her departure was not made public. - Historic wildfires once destroyed entire cities in northern Minnesota. Could it happen again? Because Minnesota's ecosystem of boreal forests and prairie grasslands rely on occasional fires to remain healthy, [it also makes them prone to large-scale wildfires.]( CORRECTION: An item in Thursday's edition of Talkers misidentified the location of Proctor High School. It is in the city of Proctor, outside of Duluth. WATCH THIS Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, BBC journalist "play drums" with their teeth: Grohl [showed off this unusual talent]( during an interview with BBC News. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Why Crisp & Green founder sees business magic on Wayzata's Lake Street: On Friday, Crisp & Green and Stalk & Spade founder Steele Smiley [announced he is currently developing a third fast-casual restaurant]( — Paco & Lime, a Mexican-food themed, fast-casual restaurant that will open in January 2022 at 714 E. Lake Street, the same building where he launched Steele Fitness more than 15 years ago. - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From caramel apples to birria tacos, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the last seven days. - 13 ideas for fall fun in Minnesota, from scarecrow contests to haunted hayrides: A sampling of [orchard activities, fall festivals and local hauntings]( that offer something for all ages — and fear factors. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Twins can't let Byron Buxton become their David Ortiz: As much as front offices are measured by wins and losses, they are also employed to avoid disasters. Letting Buxton leave as a free agent would be a disaster, [writes Jim Souhan.]( - Gophers' reluctance to embrace passing game this season remains baffling: The Bowling Green debacle last week was jarring in its imagery, with QB Tanner Morgan completing only five passes for 59 yards wrapped inside [a play-calling strategy that made little sense.]( - Gophers men's hockey opener postponed because of health concerns in Alaska: The Gophers and Alaska on Friday [postponed this weekend's series]( because of health and safety concerns at Alaska. The teams were scheduled to play Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK The moon is leaving us, and there's nothing we can do to stop it: "Each year, our moon moves distinctly, inexorably farther from Earth—just a tiny bit, about an inch and a half, a nearly imperceptible change. There is no stopping this slow ebbing, no way to turn back the clock. The forces of gravity are invisible and unshakable, and no matter what we do or how we feel about them, they will keep nudging the moon along. Over many millions of years, we'll continue to grow apart," [writes space reporter Marina Korena for the Atlantic.]( 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: Which Thai restaurant in the Twin Cities recently began using robots to deliver food and bus tables? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Oct. 1, 2017: Vikor, a former stray cat born underneath a porch, sits in his carrier with his owner Joyce Cundy, left, of Edina, surrounded by dogs before the annual Blessing of the Animals at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. (Photo: Leila Navidi/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 © 2021 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](