You never would’ve known that the Wild are mired in a contract dispute with the best player in franchise history based on the way everybody was acting on Thursday morning at TRIA Rink in St. Paul.

After general manager Bill Guerin spoke to reporters, declining to go into detail about the ongoing contract negotiations, superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov spoke to reporters, as well, smiling big, cracking jokes, and declaring his love for Minnesota.

No barbs being thrown back and forth. No contention to be found. No sign that that Kaprizov and his agent Paul Theofanous reportedly turned down what would’ve been the richest deal in NHL history last week.

All was well as the Wild took the ice for training camp.

It will be hard for to keep the good vibes rolling unless Kaprizov puts pen to paper in short order.

You can only put on a happy face for so long now that everybody is back together in the same locker room.

This will become a distraction for the Wild sooner rather than later if they’re unable to resolve the contract dispute.

It already has to some degree.

Never mind that Guerin tried to drive the conversation toward the Wild and their pursuit of the Stanley Cup during the 30 minutes he spoke on the record. He was forced to answer questions about the contract negotiations.

Never mind that Kaprizov made it clear that he was focused on playing hockey above everything else during the 15 minutes he spoke on the record. He was forced to answer questions about the contract negotiations.

That will be a recurring theme the longer it takes for this process to play itself out. This isn’t going away anytime soon. Not with how much the Wild are banking on Kaprizov to be the straw that stirs the drink for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, the fan base has been freaking out ever since news broke about Kaprizov, and for good reason, especially considering the precedent set once upon a time by former superstar winger Marian Gaborik.

It was hard not to go down the rabbit and think about when the Wild were unable to work something out with Gaborik and they ended up losing him for nothing in the end.

That should serve as a cautionary tale.

As much as the Wild want to work something out with Kaprizov, if that doesn’t come to fruition in the near future, Guerin might have to at least consider entertaining the idea of trading him to the highest bidder to make sure he gets something for him.

As the contract negotiations wear on, more questions continue to pop up, all of which need answers.

Is this Kaprizov not wanting to lock himself into a certain dollar figure while the salary cap continues to rise? Is this Theofanous simply trying to squeeze every dollar out of the Wild before finally making a deal? Is this going to be in the rearview mirror when the Wild play the St. Louis Blues in the opener in a few weeks?

The fact that nobody knows the answer to any of those question is proof this has already become a distraction for the Wild. This going hang over the heads of everybody involved until there’s a resolution.

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Minnesota employers added 5,900 jobs in August, and the state unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.6%, according to data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development released Thursday.

Minnesota’s growth equated to a 0.2% increase in jobs in August, compared to effectively flat employment for the United States as a whole.

Minnesota also added nearly 1,100 workers to its labor force, which accounts for the rise in the unemployment rate despite the addition of more jobs. The state’s labor force participation rate was 68.1% compared with 62.3% nationally. This measures the percentage of people either working or actively seeking work, and is used to calculate the headline unemployment rate. As more people enter the work force, the unemployment rate rises eve as jobs are added.

The state’s unemployment rate in August compares with 4.3% nationally.

Over the year, Minnesota gained 39,255 jobs, up 1.3%, DEED said in its news release. The private sector gained 37,692 jobs, up 1.4%. Both figures outpaced national statistics: U.S. employment grew 0.8% over the year with the private sector up 0.9%.

“Minnesota’s labor market had a strong month in August, adding thousands of jobs and people looking for work,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek in the release. “We continue to monitor our economy for signs that federal disruptions are affecting Minnesota employers. But in August, we outpaced national trends.”

August represented a turnaround from July, for which the state now reports a net loss of 500 jobs compared with June. Those data were revised upward by 3,900 jobs from the initially reported net loss of 4,400 jobs. Varilek at the time attributed that to “mass federal layoffs and funding interruptions, erratic tariffs and shrinking immigration.”

Government employers shed 2,400 jobs, or 0.5%, in August, mostly at the local level.

Construction gained 1,900 jobs, or 1.3%, in August, the third consecutive month of growth, and Education and Health Services rose 4,300 jobs, or 0.7%. Manufacturing lost 900 jobs in August, down 0.3%.

On Sept. 9, the national Bureau of Labor Statistics announced preliminary revisions for national-level job estimates over the past year through March 2025. Minnesota’s annual data will be updated after national revisions are finalized in February.

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By LISEBERTH GUILLAUME

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral is unveiling a massive new mural that honors the city’s immigrants.

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Spanning the sides to the Manhattan landmark’s entryway, the 25-foot-tall artwork of everyday immigrants and notable historical figures comes amid a federal crackdown on immigration that has divided many communities across the country.

The piece was not intended as a political message, according to the Rev. Enrique Salvo, the Roman Catholic church’s rector, but nevertheless sends a message.

“We want anyone that comes in to feel loved and welcomed,” said Salvo, who is himself an immigrant from Nicaragua. “It’s a reminder that it doesn’t matter what’s happening … politically. We have to treat everyone with love and respect.”

The work, titled “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding,” also just brightens up the space for the 6 million visitors that come into the church every year, said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York who commissioned the piece.

A 25-foot-high mural by artist Adam Cvijanovic, the largest artwork ever commissioned for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, is shown during a media preview, in New York, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

“It was very drab,” Dolan told reporters Thursday of the old entryway ahead of the mural’s official unveiling at Sunday Mass. “So, we thought at least we need to spark it up and get some illumination.”

The mural, by local artist Adam Cvijanovic, in part honors Irish immigrants who contributed to the cathedral’s construction. One section depicts the Apparition at Knock, in which, according to Catholic lore, the saints Mary, Joseph and John the Evangelist appeared to locals in the Irish village in 1879 — the same year, Dolan noted, the cathedral opened its doors. Elsewhere, Irish immigrants are seen arriving on a ship.

Artist Adam Cvijanovic poses for a photo during the media preview his 25-foot-high mural, the largest artwork ever commissioned for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in New York, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Other scenes show modern-day migrants alongside famous local figures, including journalist and social activist Dorothy Day, Pierre Toussaint, a former slave from Haiti who became a major philanthropist in the city, and former New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith, the first Roman Catholic to receive a major-party nomination for president.

Cvijanovic said it was also important to him to represent Native Americans in the piece, which features St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint.

Artist Adam Cvijanovic, left, listens as Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks during a media preview of the 25-foot-high mural, the largest artwork ever commissioned for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in New York, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Dolan praised the painter for creating what he described as “an effusive ode to the greatness of this city and those who came here, and those who have turned into their leaders.”

PERHAM, Minn. — An 11-year-old Minnesota boy achieved a remarkable feat this summer by ascending Mount Kilimanjaro alongside his 70-year-old grandfather.

Wyatt Guck of Perham and his grandfather, Stewart Hofland, hiked the mountain in Africa together.

Hofland has been on many adventures through the years, including hiking to the top of the African continent’s highest peak. In December, he told his grandson, should he accept the challenge, he would also be agreeing to a big commitment to physically prepare.

“I thought it would be fun,” Wyatt said, adding that soon after he agreed, the 5 a.m. workouts began, and he built up stamina to hike up to 10 miles in a day while carrying a backpack with about 20 pounds.

Hofland took him to the Perham Area Community Center or CrossFit to use the stair stepper and treadmill. When the weather allowed, the two visited Maplewood State Park to hike its hilly terrain.

The two remained committed and were well prepared when they left for Africa in late June. After 36 hours of traveling, they arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Wyatt Guck enjoyed the vastly different landscapes while hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Hofland)

Before beginning the ascent, Wyatt and Hofland met about a dozen hikers at the base of the mountain, as well as a dozen more guides or porters. Hofland explained the porters carried the bulk of the weight for the hikers, including their tents, food and other supplies.

When the hike began, Hofland gave his grandson some sage advice. During his past experience on the mountain, he learned the person walking directly behind the pace setter had the longest break.

“After I told him that, he was about one foot behind the leader,” Hofland said.

The crew traversed through five biomes. Including the cultivation, rainforest, heather-moorland, alpine desert and the Arctic summit.

“The rainforest was neat, and not a lot of bugs,” Wyatt said, before adding the “moors” looked like a “desert without sand, just rocks and gray dirt. The last two days it’s just rocks.”

Wyatt Guck hiked through five biomes on his way to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Photo courtesy of Stewart Hofland)

Mishaps create memories

There were many memorable moments with the people Wyatt and Hofland met, and things they saw on the trail. However, there are moments that really stick out in most adventures.

For Wyatt, those times often included silly banter and joking with his grandfather, or the time a packet of hot chocolate exploded in his face. In those moments, memories were being built that will likely last his lifetime.

Hofland appreciated those times too, but there was a moment during the ascent when he didn’t know if he could complete the mission.

“Somewhere along the way, I got COVID,” he said. “The night we were ascending my mind and body were telling me I can’t take another step. I’d never experienced that before.”

Because of past experiences climbing various mountains, Hofland knew altitude sickness can impact someone at any given moment. So, he told the lead guide about his dilemma. The guide reached into his backpack and pulled out a packet.

“They called it goo,” he said. “It’s just sugar. But I accused him of giving me illicit drugs because 15 minutes later, I was going up that mountain like it was a hill. It was the dangest thing, and poor Wyatt had to listen to me sing.”

The extra boost came during the final ascent, which was the most challenging day. Hofland explained the final hike lasts several hours and requires waking up at 11 p.m., hiking to the peak, then back down a good portion of the mountain.

Wyatt noted the night hike made him feel like he was in a “snow globe with stars everywhere.”

And at the top, he took in another inspiring view and looked down from the peak to see clouds and a sun that appeared to be poking through them.

As the hike became long and intense, Hofland was able to keep pace with the group, despite not feeling the best. He said his motivation came from his grandson.

“I think I told him there was a rope between his back and my heart,” Hofland recalled.

Wyatt Guck and his grandfather, Stewart Hofland, take in the view as they ascend Mount Kilimanjaro. (Photos courtesy of Stewart Hofland)

On the way down, the hikers were given the option of taking the trail or riding a half-mile scree slope. Wyatt dug his heels into the scree, or loose rocks, and then slid his way to a shortcut and an early break.

“He went down that thing like a squirrel,” Hofland said, adding he also took the shortcut.

After a few more nights camping on the mountain as they descended, they arrived at basecamp where a celebration with singing, dancing and fistbumps awaited them.

Wyatt hopes this is the first of many adventures. He is hoping his next one will take him to the untamed Amazon River for some piranha fishing.

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