Why was the Mall of America built in Minnesota?

Plus: Red Lake Nation football team hasn't won a game in years, but its coach keeps kids undefeated; winning cookies; Wisconsin's famed 'Fantasy Suites' hotel; help searching for senior homes; why Giants Ridge is most underrated ski area in Midwest. ͏ ͏ If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Best of the Week [Why was the Mall of America built in Minnesota?]( [The "fantasyland" proposal for the former Met Stadium site almost didn't materialize.]( [Red Lake Nation football team hasn't won a game in years, but its coach keeps kids undefeated]( [They often play against opponents with twice as many players. Sometimes, coach Nolan Desjarlait wonders how he keeps doing it. The answer always comes: "I refuse to give up on them."]( [Wisconsin's famed 'Fantasy Suites' hotel answers questions you never asked]( [Some call it a "sex hotel," offering fantasy suites featuring an igloo and a hot air balloon.]( [Meet the winning bakers of the 20th annual Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest]( [These five bakers won us over with sugar, spice and everything nice.]( [In meatpacking towns, some say child labor is 'not a secret']( [Labor Department attorneys say PSSI, a Wisconsin-based cleaning service, illegally employed six underage staff at JBS Pork in Worthington and Turkey Valley Farms in Marshall.]( [Family's unplowed prairie to become one of state's newest refuges]( [Scientific and Natural Areas are a key tool in the state's fight to save species from extinction.]( [Searching for a senior home? A new tool helps Minnesotans screen out unsafe providers]( [The website is a collaboration of elder advocates and the state Department of Health.]( [Why modest Giants Ridge is the most underrated ski area in the Midwest]( [Iron Range landscapes, veteran management and a family focus make the Giants Ridge ski experience top-notch.]( [What's a 65-year-old retiree to do? Hike the Appalachian Trail]( [Cory Kolodji grew up in Baltimore; it had been his dream to hike the trail that traverses 14 states. But then things got in the way.]( ['Project Runway' star Christopher Straub expands his fashion empire from Shakopee]( [He's curating fashion shows, making the rounds on local TV shows, crafting leather goods and writing and illustrating children's books — while raising two boys and a flock of chickens with his husband.]( 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 © 2022 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](