Axios Twin Cities

Early voting begins in Minneapolis this morning, with a consequential question on the future of the police department back on the ballot.

Driving the news: In an eleventh hour ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned a Hennepin County judge's decision to strike the police charter amendment from the ballot over concerns that the language was too vague.

Why it matters: Question 2, which proposes replacing the Minneapolis Police Department with a new public safety agency that could include officers "if necessary," could fundamentally change public safety in Minneapolis. Changes include removing the minimum officer requirement and giving the City Council more say in police policies.

• Supporters argued that the judge's intervention subverted the will of the 20,000-plus voters who signed a petition to get the measure on the ballot.

Between the lines: The fight over the measure is attracting national attention and major spending on both sides — opponents are launching their first TV ad.

• The battle could impact turnout and the outcome of other local contests, including the mayoral race and competitive City Council match-ups.

Zoom out: Voting is not just in Minneapolis. Early voting begins in dozens of municipalities and school districts across the state today.

• Voters in St. Paul pick a mayor, school board members and face a rent control question of their own.
• Contests elsewhere cover city government, school boards, tax levies and other local ballot questions.

Be smart: Absentee ballots can be cast in person, often at an early vote center or local election office, or by mail. There are many voting sites across Hennepin and Ramsey counties.

• You can see what's on your local ballot (and find your eventual Election Day polling place) using this tool on the secretary of state's website.

Read and share the full story.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend in the Twin Cities! Here are some things to do:

🌾 Celebrate Minnesota's harvest season and Native American culture at Saturday's Wild Rice Festival in Roseville. Enjoy traditional wild rice harvesting demonstrations, apple cider pressing and Native drummers and dancers from Little Earth. Free.

🚶‍♀️ Take a walking tour Saturday afternoon and discuss one of Minnesota architecture's most recognizable features: the three-season porch. Artist Monica Sheets will lead the tour, in collaboration with Birchwood Palace Industries and streets.mn. Free.

🌟 Walk/bike/rollerskate to the Midtown Greenway Saturday night for the Greenway Glow Arts Festival, featuring art installations, theater performances and live music. Free, or VIP for $55.

🥦 Twin Cities VegFest is back. The biggest plant-based festival in the Midwest takes over Harriet Island Park on Sunday with 120+ vendors, speakers and cooking demos. Free.

🐶 Bring your pups to Goldzilla on Sunday, a fundraiser and fair dedicated to golden retrievers. All money raised supports rescuing and rehoming golden retrievers and golden mixes. Free.

🗓 This is just a sample of what's coming up: View the full list, including Oktoberfest celebrations, a wrestling match and a zine fest.

Minnesota is expected to welcome 275 Afghan refugees to our state in the coming weeks, State Department data obtained by Axios' Stef Kight shows.

The big picture: The arrivals are part of an initial group of about 37,000 Afghans heading to states across the country, Kight reports. Many faced harrowing journeys to get here.

• Of note: The group includes Afghans who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan and applied for the Special Immigrant Visa.

What we're hearing: The Minnesota Department of Human Services has been advised that the total number of evacuees and Special Immigrant Visa holders arriving in the weeks ahead could be even higher, at 340.

How you can help: Sahan Journal rounded up a list of local groups collecting supplies for the evacuees who land here.

• DHS set up an email list for those who want information about how to get involved.

🍺 The owners of Gasthof in Northeast Minneapolis sold their building for $2 million. The German restaurant hasn't reopened since its closure during the pandemic. Real estate records indicate it may become a school. (Finance & Commerce)

🦠 More than two dozen Minnesota schools have reported five or more COVID-19 cases over the last two weeks, data released by MDH Thursday shows. That's up from six as of last Thursday. (MDH dashboard)

⚖️ The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of unanimous decisions by the state's Board of Pardons, dealing a blow to Gov. Tim Walz, who wanted only 2/3 votes. (Star Tribune)

Sixty years ago today, the Minnesota Vikings played their first game as a new NFL franchise, crushing the Chicago Bears 37-13 at Met Stadium in Bloomington.

• Fran Tarkenton threw four touchdown passes and ran for another.

The season didn't go so well after that. The Vikes, under coach Norm Van Brocklin, finished 3-11.

Don't blink or you might miss the fall color this year.

State of play: While trees remain mostly green in the Twin Cities, areas in northern Minnesota are already more than one-quarter of peak fall color.

What to know: Experts predict this summer's drought will cause peak fall color to come sooner and end quicker than normal in some areas.

• So keep an eye on the fall color map.