When the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship comes to the Twin Cities in December, not many will know that more than 50 years ago, a diminutive former Gophers hockey player was a catalyst in the establishment of the tournament that now garners worldwide media attention.

Murray Williamson died this week at age 92 after dealing with an illness for the past several weeks. Originally from Winnipeg, he first came to Minnesota to play for the Gophers in 1956, and he coached the 1972 U.S. Olympic team to a silver medal in Sapporo, Japan.

“Murray was truly a legend. As a player, I believe he was an All-American, but what he did after, he gave back so much to USA Hockey and the growth and development of our sport,” Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko said. “He was a true icon, and we lost one of the all-time greats that found his way to our campus and never left.”

As recently as July, Motzko and Williamson spent time together in Minneapolis, promoting the coming World Juniors, which will be played in the Twin Cities for just the second time in its half-century of history.

After his turn as the Olympic coach, Williamson wanted more opportunities for American players to continue in the game after high school. Despite some initial push-back from the NCAA and others, he worked to grow junior hockey leagues and what eventually became the World Juniors.

From a family of humble means when he came to Minnesota for college, he also got into the lodging business and at one point owned seven hotels in Minnesota and Florida.

Part of his success in coaching and in business stemmed from a naturally extroverted personality.

“He used to drive me crazy whenever we went somewhere, whether it was the golf course or a restaurant or the hockey rink; he would talk to anybody and everybody,” said former Gophers forward Dean Williamson, one of Murray’s three sons. “Even in the hospital, whether it was the nurse or the person delivering his food, he would strike up a conversation and ask where they were going to school, what they were studying, whatever. It was amazing how he always had a crowd around him.”

The family’s foray into hotels came after Williamson and a few friends started a summer hockey camp in Bemidji, and parents from the Twin Cities bringing their children to the camp complained about a dearth of available lodging.

The author of several books about hockey in the U.S., Williamson is survived by his three children, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He and his second wife, Patricia, were married for more than 30 years. Williamson’s granddaughter Taylor was the 2015 Minnesota Ms. Hockey winner at Edina and played for the Gophers, as well.

Plans for a celebration of life and funeral are pending.

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As some major retailers exit St. Paul neighborhoods, the Sun Ray Shopping Center is poised to welcome a new big box retailer this fall.

Known for its discounted apparel and home decor, Burlington will open a new storefront at the Sun Ray Shopping Center in St. Paul on Nov. 1, according to the retailer.

“Burlington will occupy a 20,206-square-foot space at the west end of the center,” said Maria Pace, a spokesperson for Brixmor Property Group, which owns and operates the shopping center at 2089 Old Hudson Road.

Less than a mile from 3M headquarters, Sun Ray Shopping Center also recently welcomed Ross Dress for Less, the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the nation, and Five Below, which sell collectibles, candy and room décor.

“The addition of Burlington builds on strong leasing momentum at Sun Ray, following the openings of Ross Dress for Less and Five Below last year,” Pace said in a statement.

Sun Ray, constructed in 1956, recently received upgrades including new pylon signage. (Courtesy of Brixmor Property Group)

The shopping mall also received upgrades including “refreshed facades” and new pylon signage that enhances the mall’s visibility with over 93,000 vehicles passing it daily along Interstate 94, Pace said.

Brixmor Property Group owns and operates approximately 360 retail centers across the country including the Roseville Center at the corner of Larpenteur and Lexington avenues, Southport Centre I-VI in Apple Valley, Richfield Hub and White Bear Hills Shopping Center.

The Sun Ray Shopping Center, which spans nearly 291,000 square feet, is over 80% leased, according to Brixmor records. The roughly 10 available spaces at Sun Ray range from 425-square-feet to 11,749-square-feet.

Built by construction and realty firm Kraus-Anderson in 1956, Sun Ray is now anchored by Cub Foods and home to a Dollar Tree, Planet Fitness, Jimmy John’s and Sally Beauty Supply, to name a few.

Formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, the New Jersey-based retailer operates more than 1,100 stores across 46 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Other Burlington locations in the east metro include Roseville, West St. Paul, Apple Valley and Oakdale.

Burlington’s total sales for the second quarter, which ended Aug. 2,  increased 10% compared to the same period last year, totaling $2.7 billion, according to a recent news release from the retailer. Comparable store sales increased 5% compared to last year’s second quarter.

For the first six months of Fiscal Year 2025, total sales were up 8% compared to last year and net income increased 28% compared to the same period, the release states.

Burlington is currently hiring for the new store.

Midway woes

Burlington’s new storefront, found at the corner of Pedersen Street and Old Hudson Road, was previously leased by TJ Maxx, “which exited at the end of its lease term in 2023,” Pace said.

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Around the same time, TJ Maxx also exited its St. Paul Midway location after 10 years on University Avenue.

Today, St. Paul is without a TJ Maxx, but shoppers don’t have to travel far because shortly after the Sun Ray location closed, a new storefront opened in Woodbury’s Tamarack Village.

Losing TJ Maxx was the tip of the iceberg for St. Paul’s Midway, which lost a longtime grocer just last month and saw the demolition of its 25-year-old McDonald’s earlier this year.

Cub Foods, which opened in the Midway Marketplace in 1995, closed its doors at the end of August and laid off nearly 100 workers. Weeks before the closing announcement, blame fell on the store’s lack of shopping carts, the closure of self-checkout lanes and a visible rise in shoplifting and petty crime.

Located at University and Hamline avenues, the 324,000-square-feet Midway Marketplace was bought by Kraus-Anderson for $31 million in 2019.

DULUTH, Minn. — At 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, Legacy Cannabis debuted as the state’s first licensed adult-use dispensary, offering cannabis flower and other products.

“It’s historic,” Josh Wilken-Simon, lead consultant for Legacy Cannabis Duluth, said of the opening and its quirky timing, a nod to marijuana slang. “In most other states, the first licensed dispensaries are all your big, multi-state corporations. So for a small, independent, family-owned Minnesota business to be the first state-licensed dispensary in Minnesota is groundbreaking.”

Minnesota legalized adult-use cannabis in 2023. Legacy began the complex application process to become compliant in a highly regulated market about a year ago.

Now that the Lincoln Park business has broken the seal, Wilken-Simon anticipates more small dispensaries will soon follow suit to create a strong craft cannabis market statewide — one not solely driven by massive corporations, he said.

“A lot of us fought for many, many years to try to ensure that Minnesota’s legal cannabis industry would be focused on small, craft businesses with an emphasis on social equity for people who were negatively affected by the ‘war on drugs,’ and time will tell how that plays out,” Josh Wilken-Simon said.

The business first opened as Legacy Glassworks in 2010 and moved to 1906 W. Superior St. last year after a rebrand.

Upon entering the storefront, identification is scanned to ensure all occupants are at least 21 years old. Digital payments are accepted. The facility has a state-of-the-art camera system, employee badge entry and security gates over the windows when closed.

The 1,500-square-foot shop operates as a dispensary, offering more than 100 THC beverages, more than 100 different edibles, cannabis seeds and more.

“We currently offer a ton of locally made glass pipes. We offer the low-potency hemp edibles,” Wilken-Simon said Tuesday morning. “And then starting this afternoon, we’ll have actual cannabis flower and vapes and carts from the White Earth Nation.” Legacy sells 16 strains.

The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management said in a news release that the state’s 37 licensed cannabis businesses — including 23 microbusinesses — have been waiting for the product supply to be established.

“With Tribal-state cannabis compacts now in place with the White Earth Nation and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, state-licensed retail businesses are working in partnership with Tribal Nations to procure safe, tested cannabis products at wholesale in order to stock their shelves,” the news release said. Tribal cannabis dispensaries have been selling their own recreational cannabis for more than two years.

On Monday, the state’s regulatory office issued medical cannabis combination business licenses to Green Goods and RISE, which will offer both medical and adult-use products.

“All eight of Green Goods’ dispensaries (located in Minneapolis, Blaine, Bloomington, Burnsville, Duluth, Moorhead, Rochester, and Woodbury) opened adult-use sales” Tuesday morning, the news release said. “RISE will begin adult-use sales on Wednesday at dispensaries in Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Mankato, New Hope and Willmar, and their three other sites will follow soon.”

Once more products become available, 20-milligram beverages, in addition to 200-milligram cannabis edibles, will be offered at Legacy, Wilken-Simon said.

The shop will shine a spotlight on local growers, producers and extractors, in addition to the local glass artists supplying its pipes. Legacy also sells handcrafted pipes by 93 local glass blowers, work from over 100 nationwide artists, clothing and other merchandise.

All products are securely displayed in locked glass cases.

Secured smell jars with a sample of the product will allow customers to take in the aroma and observe it under the light.

All cannabis products will be stored in a vault until purchased for security. All items are displayed in terms of packaging.

“There’ll be a bunch of different strains offered, different sizes, from just flower to pre-rolls, and then carts and vaporizers,” Wilken-Simon said. “As the days go on, and more tribes sign their compact, more state-licensed folks get plants in the ground, our product selection will just expand.”

Staff are available to educate customers on terpene profiles. Terpenes are natural compounds that affect the strain’s aroma, flavor and effect.

“We pride ourselves on having a very knowledgeable staff and being able to help someone brand new to cannabis, also somebody that’s a well-seasoned vet,” Wilken-Simon said.

Customers are limited to buying 2 ounces of cannabis flower, up to 800 milligrams of edibles and 8 grams of concentrate at a time. Purchases are entered into a database to track.

The state cannabis tax is currently 15%, in addition to the sales tax.

On Sept. 27, Legacy Cannabis will host the Legacy Cup, the largest cannabis festival in the Midwest, at Surly Brewing Festival Field in Minneapolis from noon to 8 p.m.

The Office of Cannabis Management notes that it continues to accept cannabis-event applications, which have been available since Aug. 1. The event license authorizes the holder to plan and host temporary cannabis-related events featuring on-site sale and use of adult-use cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products.

East Ridge High School in Woodbury was placed on a temporary lockdown Wednesday morning due to reports that a student brought a weapon to school.

“Bringing a weapon to school is never allowed and always has consequences,” the school wrote in a message to parents and guardians. “We will follow our standard procedures as outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.”

Mid-morning, the school administration received a report that a student may possibly had a weapon in a backpack. According to the school, a safety protocol was followed and the school was placed on a 10-minute lockdown hold, “to locate the student(s) involved, conduct interviews and review school video footage.”

Parents and guardians were initially notified of the situation at 11:30 a.m., and no students or staff were harmed.

The school then placed an additional hold to further investigate the situation. Woodbury police and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents with firearm detection dogs arrived to investigate the scene and the student involved was removed from the building, according to South Washington County Schools.

“SoWashCo Schools uses the Standard Safety Response Protocol, which is based on five actions for safety,” the school wrote in the message to parents and guardians. “Students and staff are trained on these procedures and practice drills throughout the school year.”

When the initial report was made, the school resource officer responded immediately and confiscated a knife from the student’s backpack, the school stated.

“In order to be as thorough as possible that a weapon was not present in our school today, (…) a canine search was conducted in every space of our school in question, and there was no evidence of firearms being present on our campus,” the school stated in their message to parents and guardians at 1 p.m.

According to East Ridge High School, no threats were made and no one was injured.

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“This incident caused a significant disruption to our school day and we are grateful for the cooperation of our students, staff and families,” the school stated. “We are also thankful for our partnership with the Woodbury Police Department for their immediate action to support our school today with resources to assist in our investigation.”

A message to parents and guardians stated that students may experience anxiety and fear due to the incident and were encouraged to reach out to the school’s support staff or report safety concerns through the school’s Tip Portal.

“Additionally, as family members, never hesitate to reach out to us with any concerns you see or hear in the school or community,” the message stated.

The message also stated that students are often aware of situations before adults and that adults should discuss with them the importance of promptly reporting any safety concerns to a trusted adult at school.

“The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our primary concern. But it takes all of us, working together, to ensure safety in our schools and our community,” East Ridge Principal James Smokrovich stated in a message to parents and guardians.