Minnesota's goose capital, Middle River, offers free land, cable and beer to entice people to move there

If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Minnesota's goose capital, Middle River, offers free land, cable and beer to entice people to move there: Make Middle River your home and perks include [a free lot near two prime wildlife spots](, a Sportsmen's Club membership, deals on utilities and a $100 gift certificate to a tavern in town. - Snowstorm could bring 10 inches in parts of Minnesota: Scores of school districts have called off classes or shifted to a virtual learning day as [forecasters predict between 6 and 10 inches of snow to fall]( in an area stretching from Fergus Falls south to the Iowa border and from the South Dakota border east to the Mankato area, the National Weather Service said. Lesser amounts — 3 to 6 inches — are expected on a line from St. Cloud through the western metro and southern metro to Red Wing and Rochester, where a winter weather advisory is in effect until 9 p.m. Friday. - A Q&A with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey: [The 40-year-old mayor of Minneapolis spoke with Star Tribune reporter Susan Du]( about his second term in office, stabilizing City Hall, crime in the community, and the future of the city. - Employers adjust plans after Supreme Court halts vaccine mandate: Many Minnesota employers were relieved Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a federal vaccine-or-test requirement that some feared would make it even harder for businesses to operate amid the continuing economic shocks from the pandemic. In a separate ruling, [the high court upheld a federal mandate on health care providers]( that receive funding from the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs — virtually all hospitals and nursing homes in the state. - Big Lake police chief resigns amid investigation showing he illegally purchased gun for ex-chief: An investigation into former Big Lake Police Chief Matt Hayen found [he illegally purchased a firearm for his predecessor]( by falsifying a firearms transaction record in July. - SUV driver hits and kills girl, 6, who was alone on highway near Lake Mille Lacs: An SUV driver [struck and killed a 6-year-old girl]( who was by herself on a dark highway near Lake Mille Lacs, authorities said Friday. The crash occurred about 10:45 p.m. Thursday on Hwy. 169 near Twilight Road near Onamia, the State Patrol said. - Arizona risks relief funds over anti-mandate rules, Treasury says: The Biden administration is [threatening to recoup COVID-19 relief funds sent to Arizona]( over state provisions that it says discourage families and school districts from following federal guidance recommending face coverings in schools. - SharpLink makes $8.1M deal to buy fellow Minneapolis gaming company:SharpLink Gaming, a company valued at about $45 million that seeks to be a big player in sports and other electronic gaming, [has acquired most of the assets of FourCubed.]( - Michigan AG asks feds to investigate fake GOP electors: Michigan's attorney general is [asking federal prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into 16 Republicans]( who submitted false certificates stating they were the state's presidential electors despite Joe Biden's 154,000-vote victory in 2020. - Toro acquires maker of Spartan Mowers for $400M: [Toro has acquired Intimidator Group](, maker of the zero-turn Spartan Mowers brand, for $400 million. It's the second-largest acquisition that Bloomington-based Toro has made in recent years, after the $700 million purchase of Charles Machine Works in 2019. WATCH THIS What it's like to drive 260 MPH on Germany's Autobahn: [Here's the view from the cockpit of a $3 million Bugatti Chiron]( as it reached 417 km/h near Wittenberg on the roadway famous for its stretches with no speed limit in July. Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. TRENDING - Art Shanty Projects returns to Lake Harriet this weekend with a COVID-proof plan: While the annual event was inspired by Minnesota's ice-fishing shacks, [people won't be entering tiny shanties this year.]( - Why did Minneapolis' famous flour industry go bust? It has been nearly a century since [Minneapolis was the flour milling capital of the world.]( But that industrial achievement, which lasted 50 years, remains a major point of pride in the "Mill City." - The 5 best things our food writers ate this week: From pistachio caramel cupcakes to pizza croissants, [here's a rundown of the greatest hits]( from their dining diaries over the past seven days. SPORTS ROUNDUP - Should they stay or go? A look at the Vikings' top five pending free agents. The Vikings' new leadership will have many roster decisions to make, including [how to approach a handful of prominent players]( scheduled to become free agents in March. - Nine players with Minnesota ties named to U.S. men's Olympic hockey team: [Three Gophers are among the players heading to Beijing](. Players from Minnesota State, UMD and St. Cloud State are on the roster, too.. - Wolves boss Gupta sees team as "buyers" as trade deadline looms: Sachin Gupta not only wants to upgrade the roster, but his bigger goal is a second half of the season [good enough to avoid the NBA's postseason play-in tournament.]( Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. WORTH A CLICK How climate change is unbalancing the insect world: "The pace of global heating is forcing insect populations to move and adapt – and some aggressive species are thriving," [reports Oliver Milman for the Guardian.]( 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: Actor-comedian Bob Saget died this week at 65. What was the name of the character that made him famous in the television sitcom "Full House"? Good luck! FROM THE ARCHIVES Jan. 14, 2018: Jennifer Freking took visitors on a dog sled ride during the TeamNorthxTarget Snow Day event at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Target and Askov Finlayson teamed up to celebrate the launch of a new clothing collection by offering a full day of winter activities that included, dog sledding, snow tubing, and life-sized bubble hockey. 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