Minnesota Now

Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson talk national sports event funding for the Twin Cities, Minnesota Twins games, the Minnesota Wild winning streak, and the girls state hockey tournament.

Wally is the creator of Minnesota Score Magazine and the co-host of Ten Thousand Takes Sports Show. Eric Nelson is the other co-host of that show and the Vikings reporter for CBS Sports’ Eye on Football show.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

By February 1978, John Lyght had been sheriff of Cook County, in Minnesota’s Arrowhead, for long enough to have seen quite a lot. But a caller from Lutsen said she had an escaped animal on the loose. It was a lion.

Brian Larsen, editor of the Cook County News Herald, spoke with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about his friendship with John Lyght, who was not only Cook County’s longtime lawman but also the first African-American sheriff in Minnesota history.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

February 24 marks the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And it has been a busy week in that part of the world: President Biden visited Poland and spoke to Ukrainians about his support for their country just as Putin gave a speech in a very different political scene. Plus, China made announcements about their plans for peace.

Over the past year MPR News reporter Tim Nelson has been checking in regularly with his old friend and colleague Brian Bonner who live in Kyiv. Brian is a former journalist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the former editor of the Kyiv Post, Ukraine’s premiere English language newspaper. Tim talked with Brian about what’s new in Ukraine.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

By noon on Thursday, Minnesota is nearly through with it’s blizzardy conditions. But there are still blustery winds to contend with. And another storm system is predicted for Monday.

MPR News Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to break down the storm’s biggest impacts and predict what’s next.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

Our top story continues to be the weather. MPR news host Cathy Wurzer got an updated forecast from MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard as the snow finally starts winding down.

Friday is the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. MPR News reporter Tim Nelson is checked in with his friend Brian Bonner in Ukraine about how things have changed since then.

Lots of businesses were closed Thursday because of the snow. But you can usually expect a truck stop to stay open through it all. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer checked in with a truck stop in Mankato about how they've been faring through the storm and what they've seen.

In our Minnesota Now and Then segment we looked back on the story of a legendary Cook County Sheriff and an escaped lion.

The Minnesota Now sports guys Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson are back with the latest on high school state tournaments, Twins spring training, Minnesota United and more.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

Sometimes, strangers help change our outlook on life, help us grow, or renew our faith in humanity. The Minnesota Now team is kicking off a new series called Thank You, Stranger. It explores everyday acts of kindness or courage that had a strong effect on Minnesotans all over the state.

Denise moved around a lot as a child. She had a difficult relationship with her family and ended up setting out on her own as a teenager in Chicago. There, she had a son, Jeffrey, and soon had to move again due to safety issues. Follow her story on the bus in St. Paul as she meets strangers who help her pursue her education and care for her child along the way.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

Governor Tim Walz has declared February 22 school bus driver appreciation day in Minnesota. Snow days aside, those drivers are out there driving 682,000 students to and from school on country and city roads, through rain and snow, early mornings and even late nights.

Jason Brumwell is a school bus driver and small business owner in Red Lake Falls. He spoke to MPR News host Cathy Wurzer about how he got into the business and his favorite parts of the job.

February 22 marks the 43rd anniversary of when an American television audience watched in amazement as one of the great upsets in sports occurred during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Place, New York. The U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team coached by Minnesota legend Herb Brooks with a dozen Minnesota players on the squad, played the vest hockey team in the world at the time. They beat the Soviet Union 4-3. It was called the Miracle on Ice. The U.S.A. men’s team went on to win the gold medal. A member of that team and native of Babbitt, Minnesota Bill “Buzz” Schneider joined Cathy to look back on the historic moment.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.   

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.

Minneapolis based artist, speaker and educator Joe Davis is having a break out year. He tours nationally, he is about to release his second book of poetry, he has an upcoming concert at orchestra hall and he just took home a prestigious award for his work with youth.

Davis joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about his journey as an artist, educator, and poet.

The Minnesota Senate debated into the wee hours of Wednesday morning and passed a pair of bills--one that would grant felons voting rights and another lets people get driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status. MPR reporter Dana Ferguson was up late at the Capitol for the votes and joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about what the proposals would do.