Convicted rapist escapes from southern Minnesota jail, remains on the run

Plus: With "cuffing season" near, a Minneapolis dating expert offers advice for pairing well ͏ ͏ If you're having trouble viewing this email, you may [see it online](. [Star Tribune]( Talkers TOP STORIES - Convicted rapist escapes from southern Minnesota jail, remains on the run: Leonardo Lopez Jr., 36, fled from the Watonwan County jail in St. James shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, and he remained a fugitive as of midday Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office said. [Read more.]( - Minneapolis will hike gas and electric bills. Here's where that $10M will go. Minneapolis' climate response funding will first focus on weatherizing older homes for people who can't afford it. [Read more.]( - Snow-covered roads make for rough driving in Twin Cities: The first measurable snowfall of the season in the Twin Cities area has left roads snow-covered and icy, leading to several spinouts and crashes during the Tuesday morning rush hour. [Read more.]( - Blatnik Bridge closure postponed after Duluth project uncovers possible Indigenous site: Work has stalled for the season on the Garfield Avenue/Interstate 535 part of the Twin Ports Interchange after "findings of historical significance" were discovered in the project area, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said Tuesday morning. [Read more.]( - Twins TV broadcaster Dick Bremer retires to become team ambassador: Bremer, a member of the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame, had been the longest tenured play-by-play TV announcer with one team in baseball. [Read more.]( WATCH THIS Please enjoy this supercut of animals at zoos across the country munching on pumpkins: For a hippo, a large pumpkin is just a bite-sized snack. [See the video.]( *** Talk to us! Send feedback on this newsletter, questions, story tips, ideas or anything else to [talkers@startribune.com](. *** TRENDING With "cuffing season" near, a Minneapolis dating expert offers advice for pairing well: Cold weather spurs some singles to race for romance. But settling for any warm body is a mistake. [Read more.]( SPORTS BLINK Expect Vikings to add quarterback and go hard for NFC North repeat: Kevin O'Connell sounds like a coach ready to welcome a new quarterback and keep the Vikings winning streak going. It's not time to trade away talent or tank. It is time to improvise, writes La Velle E. Neal III. [Read more.]( *** Did someone forward this newsletter to you? You can [sign up for Talkers here](. *** WORTH A CLICK Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education: "The growth demonstrates home schooling's arrival as a mainstay of the American educational system, with its impact — on society, on public schools and, above all, on hundreds of thousands of children now learning outside a conventional academic setting — only beginning to be felt," the Washington Post reports. [Read more.]( FROM THE ARCHIVES Oct. 31, 1991: Sisters Samantha Dahl, front, and Erica Dahl trick-or-treat during a record-breaking snowstorm in south Minneapolis. (Photo: Rita Reed/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 © 2023 StarTribune. All rights reserved. We value your opinion! [Give us your feedback.](