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Axios Twin Cities Deep Dive

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Get smarter, faster about what’s happening in your backyard with local reporter Torey Van Oot.

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A guide to fun things to do in Twin Cities this weekend.

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Four athletes have made more than $100 million playing in Minnesota, with Joe Mauer topping the list — for now.

The St. Paul-born former Twin made $223 million during his 15 seasons in Minnesota, according to Spotrac. 

Former Wolves star Kevin Garnett is the only other athlete to have made more than $200 million during his time in Minnesota.

Between the lines: Kirk Cousins will make another $30 million this year with the Vikings. If he were to get a contract extension he could move up to the top spot.

Karl-Anthony Towns' four-year, $224 million contract extension begins next season. Unless the Wolves big man gets traded, he will move ahead of Mauer in two years.

Joe Mauer is still Minnesota's highest paid athlete ever

Joe Maurer is still king, but not for long

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Four athletes have made more than $100 million playing in Minnesota, with Joe Mauer topping the list — for now.<ul><li>The St. Paul-born former Twin made $223 million during his 15 seasons in Minnesota, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Spotrac" data-vars-click-url="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/joe-mauer-527/" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/minnesota-twins/joe-mauer-527/" target="_blank">Spotrac</a>. </li></ul>

Sports

Axios Twin Cities, anchored by Torey Van Oot, Nick Halter and Audrey Kennedy, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard

Puttshack, a boozy mini golf chain, is coming to the North Loop in late 2024.

Details: The company behind the concept announced yesterday it signed a lease for 20,000 square feet on the main floor of an under-construction apartment development at 246 7th Avenue N. (behind Freehouse). 

State of play: Puttshack, created by the founders of Topgolf, is already open in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, and St. Louis.

What they're saying: Axios Miami's Martin Vassolo reviewed his city’s Puttshack, saying it "combines the upscale feel of a moody cocktail lounge with the nostalgia of a middle-school birthday party."

Puttshack planning mini golf, booze in North Loop

The venue will be on the first floor of a new apartment building and opens in late 2024.

Puttshack's Miami location. Photo: Martin Vassolo/Axios

Entertainment

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Puttshack" data-vars-click-url="https://www.puttshack.com/" data-vars-content-id="781cd1ba-4bf1-46b4-a939-9e8647440efd" data-vars-headline="Puttshack planning mini golf, booze in North Loop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.puttshack.com/" target="_blank">Puttshack</a>, a boozy mini golf chain, is coming to the North Loop in late 2024.Details: The company behind the concept announced yesterday it signed a lease for 20,000 square feet on the main floor of an under-construction <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="apartment development" data-vars-click-url="https://rejournals.com/cedarst-companies-to-develop-358-apartment-units-in-minneapolis-north-loop/" data-vars-content-id="781cd1ba-4bf1-46b4-a939-9e8647440efd" data-vars-headline="Puttshack planning mini golf, booze in North Loop" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://rejournals.com/cedarst-companies-to-develop-358-apartment-units-in-minneapolis-north-loop/" target="_blank">apartment development</a> at 246 7th Avenue N. (behind Freehouse).

Food and Drink

The group taking credit for hacking Minneapolis Public Schools has followed through on its promise to post the data online.

What's happening: The hackers, who go by Medusa, have uploaded a 100-gigabyte file that they claim is the data they stole during a February breach, cybersecurity expert Brett Callow tweeted.

Medusa had been asking MPS for a $1 million ransom, which MPS rejected.

Yes, but: The file is just a small fraction of what Medusa claims it has. The hackers say the records contain a significant amount of sensitive information, including student sexual violence allegations, district finances and student discipline, according to education news organization The 74. 

What they're saying: MPS said last Friday it was working with cybersecurity specialists to download the data and review it to "determine the full scope of what personal information was impacted and to whom the information relates."

Officials said it would take "some time" to review the data, but didn't specify how long and didn't respond to an Axios request. 

Flashback: Earlier this month Medusa posted a video of someone browsing through the data. Among other things, it showed a letter about a student's suspension, employee tax forms, HSA withdrawals, contracts with vendors and resumes of job applicants.

Threat level: Cybersecurity experts have continually warned MPS families and staff to keep a close eye on their bank accounts and be mindful of phishing attempts.

MPS also suggests changing personal account passwords. 

Hackers post Minneapolis schools data

MPS is reviewing what data has been posted, but gave no timeline on how long that would take.

Illustration of a fish hook surrounded by multiple cursors

Cybersecurity

The group taking credit for hacking Minneapolis Public Schools has followed through on its promise to post the data online.What&#x27;s happening: The hackers, who go by Medusa, have uploaded a 100-gigabyte file that they claim is the data they stole during a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="February breach" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/02/28/minneapolis-schools-cyber-attack-feared" data-vars-content-id="90a67acf-bea4-4d5d-9142-eb1be1c777b6" data-vars-headline="Hackers post Minneapolis schools data" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/02/28/minneapolis-schools-cyber-attack-feared" target="_self">February breach</a>, cybersecurity expert <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Brett Callow tweeted" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/BrettCallow/status/1638367078708314112" data-vars-content-id="90a67acf-bea4-4d5d-9142-eb1be1c777b6" data-vars-headline="Hackers post Minneapolis schools data" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/BrettCallow/status/1638367078708314112" target="_blank">Brett Callow tweeted</a>.

News

Developers can't get enough of the Southdale area.

The latest: The Macy's Furniture Gallery on France Avenue is slated to be demolished and replaced with two office towers and two apartment buildings totaling 430 units.

Details: Developer Enclave of West Fargo, North Dakota, is behind the proposal, according to city documents.

What they're saying: Macy's confirmed to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that it has an agreement to sell the 8-acre site. It did not say if this is the end of its furniture showroom or if it will move somewhere else.

But the retailer considered selling the site seven years ago and, at that time, envisioned moving its furniture sales into its Southdale Center mall store.

Zoom out: Few areas of the Twin Cities have more interest from developers than Edina's Southdale district, even if the mall itself has struggled with high vacancy.

Right across the street from Macy's, another developer is proposing an upscale hotel with a rooftop bar alongside a high end office building.

The new proposals come in the wake of several other recent projects that have added thousands of apartments, a Life Time health club, offices and several restaurants and retailers.

Flashback: When architect Victor Gruen designed Southdale as the nation’s first enclosed shopping mall in the 1950s, his long-term vision was to make the suburb more urban with housing and daytime jobs.

What's ahead: The Edina Planning Commission will review the Macy's redevelopment during its April 12 meeting.

Redevelopment of Edina Macy's furniture would bring housing and offices

The project is the latest by developers trying to get a piece of the Southdale area.

This layout shows two office towers on France Avenue and behind them are two apartment buildings. Image: City of Edina 

Land development

Developers can&#x27;t get enough of the Southdale area.The latest: The Macy&#x27;s Furniture Gallery on France Avenue is slated to be demolished and replaced with two office towers and two apartment buildings totaling 430 units.

Real Estate

Xcel Energy announced Thursday its Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant leaked water that contained radioactive tritium last year.

Details: Xcel said it confirmed the leak to federal regulators and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Nov. 22. Xcel patched it soon after it found the source on Dec. 19, according to the Star Tribune.

What they're saying: Xcel said tritium emits low levels of radiation that are similar to what is found in food people eat. It said the spill "poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment."

The Star Tribune said that 400,000 gallons leaked into the groundwater.

Threat level: Xcel said it's recovered 25% of the tritium and will continue to do so over the next year. Once recovered, the water is treated and reused.

It said it's monitoring two dozen wells on the site, and the spill is "fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water."

Yes, but: This is the first public announcement of a leak that regulators knew about four months ago.

The Star Tribune asked MPCA assistant commissioner Kirk Koudelka why the public wasn't notified earlier, and he said, "We have now sufficient information to be able to share it out to a wider group."

Monticello nuclear plant leaked 400,000 gallons

Regulators knew of the leak in November but didn't make a public announcement about it until now.

A grayish brown building and large column of a nuclear power plant in Minnesota

This July 24, 2008 photo shows the Monticello nuclear power plant in Monticello, MN. The site began operating in 1971. Photo: Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

Energy

Xcel Energy <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced Thursday" data-vars-click-url="https://mn.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/xcel-energy-reports-on-progress-to-recover-and-treat-water-leaked-at-monticello-MCH7GZ2C3G6ZCILHHZTJ7HWALYKM" data-vars-content-id="db046671-7707-42cb-9aea-6528f4b71739" data-vars-headline="Monticello nuclear plant leaked 400,000 gallons" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mn.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/xcel-energy-reports-on-progress-to-recover-and-treat-water-leaked-at-monticello-MCH7GZ2C3G6ZCILHHZTJ7HWALYKM" target="_blank">announced Thursday</a> its Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant leaked water that contained radioactive tritium last year.Details: Xcel said it confirmed the leak to federal regulators and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Nov. 22. Xcel patched it soon after it found the source on Dec. 19, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Star Tribune" data-vars-click-url="https://www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cleaning-up-a-radioactive-water-spill-at-monticello-plant-minnesota-tritium/600259470/?refresh=true" data-vars-content-id="db046671-7707-42cb-9aea-6528f4b71739" data-vars-headline="Monticello nuclear plant leaked 400,000 gallons" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.startribune.com/xcel-is-cleaning-up-a-radioactive-water-spill-at-monticello-plant-minnesota-tritium/600259470/?refresh=true" target="_blank">Star Tribune</a>.

Nick Halter

Featured stories

Hackers post Minneapolis schools data

Puttshack planning mini golf, booze in North Loop

Redevelopment of Edina Macy's furniture would bring housing and offices

Joe Mauer is still Minnesota's highest paid athlete ever

Monticello nuclear plant leaked 400,000 gallons