A third Gophers men’s basketball player entered the NCAA transfer portal on Thursday.

Little-used forward Isaiah Ihnen entered the portal, a source confirmed to the Pioneer Press on Thursday. Verbal Commits first reported the news.

Ihnen averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game. He played in 28 games, but saw his time on the court shrink as Big Ten play continued into the spring.

Ihnen, who missed the two previous seasons with knee injuries, was the last holdover player from former coach Richard Pitino’s era.

With four total exits via the portal this week, the Gophers have four vacant scholarships for next season.

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The high school graduation rate dropped for St. Paul Public Schools and schools across the state in 2023, according to data released Thursday by the state’s Department of Education. It’s the third year St. Paul’s rate has dropped and marks a reversal of slight growth last year in Minnesota.

St. Paul saw the number of students graduating in four years drop by 7% in 2023, down to a total rate of 68.4%. That’s down from a six-year high of 78.3% in 2020, something the district blames on the lasting impacts of pandemic-era school closures.

In a release announcing the new numbers, SPPS also noted when summer 2023 graduation rates are included in the total figure, the graduation rate was closer to 73.4% — a 2% drop from 2022. Decreases happened across all socioeconomic backgrounds in St. Paul schools.

Meanwhile, the statewide four-year high school graduation rate also dropped. The rate for 2023 was 83.3%. A total of 58,293 students graduated last year. This year’s decline comes after the rate grew 0.2% last year, bringing high school graduation rates a step closer to pre-pandemic levels.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals also saw their rates increase by 0.8%, bringing their graduation rate to 71.9%

MDE says a factor contributing to the rate decrease is a 0.4% drop in the “unknown rate” a figure that tracks students incorrectly reported or not reported as enrolled elsewhere. Officials said the number shows the importance of tracking every single student during their high school careers.

Both the district and the state education department say they’re working to address declining graduation rates through a variety of initiatives.

On the city level, SPPS is implementing “fair and equitable grading practices” to tackle failing grades and offering options to make up for failing credits including online and hands-on learning programs.

On the state, level, Education Commissioner Willie Jett said his department has started programs including a literacy initiative and has increased student mental health support.

This story will update. 

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Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has announced he is entering the cannabis market as a seller, as the state still figures out retail sales of the drug on the heels of legalizing marijuana for adults last year.

Ventura is launching his own brand of cannabis edibles in partnership with Retro Bakery, which is based in suburban Minneapolis and producing hemp-derived THC edibles under the Jesse Ventura Farms brand, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

“Ventura Farms is my foray into the world of cannabis,” Ventura said in a Wednesday video with rock music playing in the background.

He added, “I’m a huge supporter of the cannabis industry. Cannabis saved my family’s life. And now it’s time for me to return to the cannabis world. And you can join me — Jesse Ventura and Ventura Farms — any time you want. We’re in the game.”

Ventura has said the drug helped his wife get her seizures under control, MPR reported. Retro Bakery said the Ventura-branded edibles will be available for pre-order on April 1, according to MPR.

A former professional wrestler and actor, Ventura shocked the public when he won the race for Minnesota governor as an independent candidate in 1998. He served as governor from 1999 to 2003.

Ventura was one of the first governors in the U.S. to openly support marijuana legalization.

Last year, Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.

This month, the state’s top cannabis regulator said Minnesota probably won’t meet its goal of launching full-scale retail marijuana sales in the first quarter of 2025 because of the time it will take to draft regulations and issue licenses.

Using, possessing and growing marijuana for personal use, within limits, became legal last August. But sales are still a legal gray area.

Currently, only a few tribally owned on-reservation shops are legally allowed to sell recreational marijuana in Minnesota because tribal sovereignty exempts them from state regulation.

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