Minnesota Today 8/6/25

Aug 06, 2025

Here are the key statewide Minnesota news developments from 3:00 PM CDT on August 5, 2025, through 3:00 PM CDT on August 6, 2025:

🏀 Sports: Minnesota Twins

On Wednesday, August 6, the Minnesota Twins bounced back with a 9–4 win over the division-leading Detroit Tigers behind a huge offensive surge.
- Luke Keaschall drove in three RBIs including two doubles, while Brooks Lee, Alan Roden, and Austin Martin each homered. Thomas Hatch provided 4⅓ scoreless relief innings for his first win of the year.
In contrast, on August 5 (evening game), the Tigers beat the Twins 6–3, highlighted by home runs from Kerry Carpenter, Wenceel Perez, and Dillon Dingler; Minnesota still managed solo homers by Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner.

Head coach Cheryl Reeve was named WNBA Coach of the Month for July after leading the Lynx to a 9–3 record, bringing her career wins to 350 and marking the franchise’s 500th victory. As of early August, the Lynx hold a 24–5 record—best in the league.
On August 3, the Lynx made a blockbuster trade, acquiring DiJonai Carrington from Dallas in exchange for Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson, and a 2027 second-round pick. Carrington is expected to bolster Minnesota’s bench ahead of the August 7 trade deadline.

Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL‑Woodbury) officially resigned by August 4, following her felony burglary conviction. The vacancy precipitates a high-stakes special election that could affect the Democrats' narrow one-seat majority in the state Senate.
In District 34B, representing parts of Brooklyn Park, a special election is scheduled for September 16, with the primary on August 12, to fill the seat left vacant by the late Speaker Melissa Hortman.

Effective August 1, several new laws took effect across the state, including:
- Stricter DWI penalties: extended lookback periods (20 years), expanded interlock device requirements for repeat offenders, longer license revocation periods for vehicular homicide, and harsher misdeeds related to disabling ignition interlocks.
- Housing protections for people training service dogs, ensuring they can’t be barred by HOAs or landlords.
- Expanded criminal background checks for applicants to open adult entertainment venues or massage parlors.
- Modest changes such as raising speed limits for garbage trucks and husbandry vehicles (from 30 mph to 35 mph) and enhanced confidentiality protections in restorative justice programs.

Canadian wildfire smoke, originating from Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, severely degraded air quality across northern cities including Minneapolis. On August 1, the Twin Cities ranked among the worst worldwide for air quality, prompting alerts and health advisories. Conditions began improving by August 3–4.

A search and rescue operation is ongoing for a Minnesota man missing in Wyoming’s Cloud Peak Wilderness since late July—while he’s from Minnesota, this incident isn’t based in Greater Minnesota and not linked to our timeline window.
MnDOT began a paving preservation project on highways 1, 71, and 72 starting August 4—these are in Greater Minnesota and are ongoing, though not specific to the August 5‑6 timeframe.
The air quality advisory from wildfire smoke and state DWI law coverage were statewide and reported earlier than our target window

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