Watch CBS News

Bill Hudson

warm-winter-weather-tips.jpg

Folks Take Advantage Of Warm Weather Before Big Freeze Arrives

After weeks of agonizing cold, a winter warm-up was the perfect tonic for stir-crazy Minnesotans. The Mounds View Nordic team strapped on their cross-country skis to make the most of the day at Como Park's ski area in St. Paul. Darlene Fry and her daughter Emma were also there to get in some badly-needed winter fun. "It's nice, very nice," Fry said. "We heard it's supposed to go down again next week, so it's good timing."

shopping-trends-2.jpg

Final Holiday Shopping Weekend Attracts Bargain Hunters, Procrastinators

With weather not posing a problem, shoppers flocked to their neighborhood malls and stores on Saturday to finish or, in many cases, begin their holiday shopping. According to retail analysts, Saturday is expected to be the busiest shopping day in the shortened season. And with just three days remaining until Christmas Day, many are finding deep discounts as retailers try to trim inventories. And it's not just people getting presents under the tree. Leah Goldade of Lulu and Luigi's Pet Boutique says business is brisk.

snow-plow-generic.jpg

Road Conditions Lead To Shake Up At St. Paul Public Works

One of the Twin Cities is getting new snow plows and new leadership after last week's snowstorm. Five days since the snow started falling, streets in Minneapolis and St. Paul are still caked in slippery ice. Extremely cold temperatures haven't helped. Salt can melt five times as much ice at 30 degrees as at 20 degrees. However, when it's colder than that, it's pretty much useless. But St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman isn't waiting for a warm-up. He's making changes in his public works department.

oba1.jpg

Obama Picks Minn. Authors On Small Business Saturday

President Obama was on a mission Saturday. After just 20 minutes, the first family left a privately-owned Washington D.C. bookstore with a stash of nearly two dozen books. Among them, three were penned by Minnesota authors: Kate DiCamillo's "Floyd and Ulysses," Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" and "Heart of a Samurai" by Margi Preus. Preus, who lives in Duluth, was at a remote cabin in northern Minnesota over the weekend. She found about the famous purchase in a text message from her son. "I completely missed it!" Preus said via Skype. "It just said 'Obama bought your book,' and I was like 'What?!'"

fishing-treaty-law-1.jpg

Charges Dropped Against Some In 'Operation Squarehook'

A U.S. District Court judge is dismissing charges against five Native American defendants who were accused of poaching walleye from northern Minnesota lakes and selling them on the black market. The five are among the dozens of people charged last spring following an extensive undercover operation by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and tribal fish and game agents. The two-year sting was code named "Operation Squarehook," in reference to the nets used to capture large numbers of game fish.

Show More
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.