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Minnesota, Twin Cities see a slice of the independent bookstore surge sweeping the nation since pandemic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

Across Minnesota and the nation, new and more diverse independent bookstores have been popping up. In fact, for every independent bookstore that has closed since 2020, more than three new ones have opened, according to the American Booksellers Association.It’s part of a continuing trend jump started by the pandemic, and each of these bookstores has a story of its own.When Josh Hames saw the storefront up for lease in West St. Paul, he knew it was perfect for a bookstore. It was late at night, and the lights on the side of the building illuminated the old brick structure. He could see the tall ceilings through the windows.Books on display at Other Skies Weird Fiction on May 11 in West St. Paul. (Kerem Yücel / MPR News)“It looked like the cover to ‘Needful Things’ by Stephen King a little bit,” he said.Hames, 30, opened Other Skies Weird Fiction in 2022, just in time for his favorite holiday: Halloween. The store sells high-quality editions of horror, sci-fi and imaginative fiction. H...

Authorities identify girl struck by motorist while on bike in Coon Rapids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

Authorities have identified a young girl who was struck by a motorist while riding her bicycle in Coon Rapids on Sunday afternoon.The crash occurred shortly after noon, and the girl is in serious condition at a local hospital, according to a news release issued by the Anoka County Sheriff’s office.The sheriff’s office, which had asked for the public’s help identifying the girl on Sunday evening, posted on Twitter at 7:42 p.m. that she had been found and her family had been notified.***The juvenile has been identified and family has been located. Thank you for your assistance***— Anoka County Sheriff's Office (@AnokaCoSheriff) June 5, 2023The crash is under investigation.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | MN Legislature awards $195M for 90 mph train from Duluth to Target Field

North St. Louis church sustains storm damage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Community members are cleaning up debris from storm damage to the Williams Temple Church of God near MLK and Union. The pastor of the church says, thankfully, no one was injured when strong winds ripped through an exterior wall."Some of the air conditioning (units) are sparking and things of that sort. So, they're cutting off power on the inside,” Bishop Lawrence Wooten said. “It hit, and we had no warning or tornado warning and things like that. It hit, but we're survivors, thank God."Wooten says there is more damage to the roof and siding on the rear side of the building, located in the Kingsway West neighborhood. Debris and pieces of the church were strewn across the intersection.

Kyle Busch holds off Denny Hamlin for NASCAR Cup Series win outside St. Louis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Kyle Busch held off Denny Hamlin through a series of late restarts to win the chaotic, caution-filled NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway just outside of St. Louis on Sunday.Bubba Wallace brought out the 11th and final yellow when his brake rotor let go with five laps remaining. There also were two red flags to go with a two-hour weather delay that caused the mid-afternoon race to finish in the twilight.With the floodlights coming on around the speedway, Busch got a big push from Denny Hamlin on the final restart — the fifth over the last 40-some laps — and pulled away for his third win of the season for Richard Childress Racing.“Our short-track stuff has been a struggle this year. We knew we really wanted to come out here and set a focus on running at a shorter track,” said Busch, whose other wins this year came at Talladega and Auto Club Speedway in California.“I felt like this was a good precursor to what we have coming for the rest of the...

WATCH: Nikola Jokic makes pretty touch pass to Aaron Gordon in Game 2 against Heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

Jokic touch pass to AG Denver leads at halftime as they look to secure a 2-0 lead in the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV! pic.twitter.com/Wta6wdv4iI— NBA (@NBA) June 5, 2023Tell me if you’ve heard this before: Nikola Jokic with a pretty pass past the defense to Aaron Gordon’s waiting hands for an easy bucket.Well, it happened again right before halftime Sunday in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Jokic receives a pass from Jamal Murray and before he even puts the ball on the court, he finds Gordon wide open behind the defense for a reverse layup.The score gave Denver a 57-49 lead in the second quarter.

Fire crews stop forward progress of wildfire in Antelope Valley

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

Firefighters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department have stopped forward progress on the DannyFire after the fast-moving brushfire burned close to 1,600 acres in the Antelope Valley on Sunday, authorities said. Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the blaze, located at West Avenue D and 130th Street in Fairmont, northwest of Lancaster, at around 1:42 p.m, according to fire officials. Wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour were blowing the fire north towards Kern County, making it difficult for crews to combat the flames. The gusty southwest winds are expected to remain through this evening, though a developing "moistening trend" is forecast through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service's spot forecast for the DannyFire. It is unknown what started the fire, but an area barn did catch on fire. However, no one was injured. Officials with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department estimated that around 20 homes were evacuated as a precaution, KTLA'...

Heartbeat of Mexico festival held in Orange

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

A celebration of Mexican culture, tradition and family took over the streets of Orange on Sunday, as part of Chapman University's Heartbeat of Mexico Festival. The Musco Center for the Arts has been hosting the festival since 2016 in cooperation with the Chapman University LatinX Staff and Faculty Forum. The event hosted more than 15 community acts with dancers and musicians.  “It really represents who they are in different regions of Mexico, bringing all that together in one place to let us really appreciate how lucky we are to live in Southern California with that rich history,” Jen Marchese Ernst, the director of Programming for the Musco Center for the Arts, told KTLA.  As pride celebrations were happening in other parts of SoCal, the Heartbeat of Mexico festival organizers said they wanted to bring a pride element to the festivities with emcee Kay Sedia, a self-described "drag queen Tupperware diva."  “The music and the culture go hand in hand,” Sedia said. “I gr...

Former SF Giants manager Roger Craig dies at 93

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

Roger Craig, the manager who brought “Humm Baby” to San Francisco Giants lore and turned the franchise around from its lowest point in history, has died, the team announced on Sunday. He was 93.After a 12-year career as a pitcher and a two-year stint as Padres manager, Craig took over as Giants manager for the final 18 games of 1985 and guided the team until 1992, winning two division titles (1987 and 1989) and one National League championship in 1989.“We have lost a legendary member of our Giants family,” Larry Baer, president and CEO of the Giants, said in a statement. “Roger was beloved by players, coaches, front office staff and fans. He was a father figure to many and his optimism and wisdom resulted in some of the most memorable seasons in our history.”San Francisco, CA September 25, 1989 – Giants manager Roger Craig. (Gary Reyes / Oakland Tribune Staff Archives) After the only 100-loss in Giants franchise history in 1985, Craig’s first full season as skipper starte...

Bodine, Bender deliver big hits for Coastal Carolina in 8-6 stay-alive win over Duke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — Caden Bodine drove in the go-ahead run and Derek Bender added a two-run home run to lift Coastal Carolina to an 8-6 win over Duke on Sunday, keeping the Chanticleers alive in their Conway Regional.The Chanticleers took an 8-5 lead in the seventh inning, breaking from a 5-all tie on an RBI-triple by Bodine and the home run by Bender.Alex Stone hit his second solo home run of the game for the Blue Devils in the eighth.No. 2 seed Duke (37-22) suffered its first loss in the double-elimination tournament as top-seeded Coastal Carolina (42-20) came out of the loser’s breakout to set up a winner-take-all game on Monday.Coastal Carolina’s Graham Brown hit a grand slam for a 4-0 first-inning lead, but Duke came right back in the top of the second with a leadoff home run by Alex Stone and a grand slam by Damon Lux for a 5-4 lead.The Chanticleers tied it with an RBI-double by Payton Eeles in the fourth.___AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports and https://...

NCAA champ Zhang becomes 1st LPGA Tour winner in pro debut in 72 years, wins Mizuho in playoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:52 GMT

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — Two-time NCAA champion Rose Zhang became the first player in 72 years to win on the LPGA Tour in her pro debut, capturing the Mizuho Americas Open with a par on the second playoff hole against Jennifer Kupcho on Sunday.Zhang arrived on the LPGA with the most fanfare since Michelle Wie West in 2005, and she delivered in the shadow of the Big Apple. She went from NCAA champion to LPGA champion in a span of 13 days.The last female player to win as a pro in her debut was Beverly Hanson, who edged Babe Zaharias to take the Eastern Open in 1951.Zhang shot a 2-over 74 in the final round and squandered a chance to win in regulation when she missed an 8-foot par putt after making at least a half-dozen clutch saves in a gritty final round performance.The much-heralded 20-year-old from Stanford made a nearly identical 8-footer on No. 18 at Liberty National on the first playoff hole. Kupcho, who won an NCAA title at Wake Forest in 2018 and had a final round 69, also mad...