Good reads from the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2024 that you might have missed

It's been a year, Minnesota. It's undeniable that 2024 brought big stories and memorable moments, from the governor's prominent role in the the 2024 presidential election, to respective championship and playoff runs by basketball's Lynx and Timberwolves, to the December shooting that rocked Minnesota's largest company.

The Minnesota Star Tribune covered all of that and more. What you might have missed is some of the best of the rest — signature work by our journalists that delved deeply into compelling storylines and relevant issues. That included journalism covering income mobility in Minnesota, how starter homes have nearly disappeared for a generation of buyers, and the enduring problem of homelessness in Minneapolis. We also dove deep on personalities and people who help make the state what it is, like Naz Reid and Suni Lee.

As the year comes to a close, here are some of the stories you may have missed. Cozy up with them at home in the quiet of these holiday weeks.

He was in prison for 19 years for a murder he didn't commit. Suddenly, he was free.

Marvin Haynes was 16 when arrested for murder, 36 when exonerated. High on freedom but inexperienced in the world, he spent his first year out navigating life's hard facts.

These areas have the most, least expensive starter homes in the Twin Cities

Finding an entry-level home for $300,000 or less in the Twin Cities metro area could lead you anywhere from an inner-ring suburb, to an exurb, to back into the city itself.

Income mobility is the American Dream. Most Minnesotans never achieve it.

New data shows income stagnation is widespread in America, and Minnesotans are among those least likely to move out of their current bracket. Those who start at the bottom tend to stay at the bottom, and those who start at the top tend to stay at the top.

Behind Naz Reid's path to breakout stardom: featuring a mentor unlike any other.

Rudy Roundtree moved from New Jersey to Louisiana to Minnesota to help Naz make it in the NBA.

This Minnesota county voted blue for nearly 100 years — until Trump

Why Carlton County, just southwest of Duluth, went for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time since Herbert Hoover in 1928.

Suni Lee wanted balance beam gold

Suni Lee said after the Olympic trials in Minneapolis that she "need[s] a beam gold." We looked at key moments in her routine.

The homelessness crisis in Minneapolis keeps moving — to the same places

In his first mayoral campaign, Mayor Jacob Frey vowed to end homelessness in five years. As he prepares to run for a third term in 2025, it's proven to be one of the most intractable problems of his time in office.

When this Minnesota town was fading, a barn helped give it hope

To the 600 residents of Hendricks, Minn., it's not just a barn. It's the Barn. The Barn is their symbol of community, of purpose. It's their connective tissue. Learn how it gave residents a place to cheer when the town's future was uncertain.

Behind the facemask, a spiritual leader

Meet teenager Jalue Dorjee, who deftly balances life as a fun-loving high school football player and a reincarnated Buddhist lama recognized around the world.

Despite years of denial, Minneapolis police used secretive process for serious misconduct

City officials have repeatedly claimed they only use coaching for the lowest-level policy violations. New court documents show that's not true.

They kept America's slaughterhouses running until their employer went bankrupt, stranding them

The HyLife pork processing plant in Windom laid off hundreds of legal workers from Salvatierra, a Mexican city plagued by crime and poverty. The plant's failure revealed a gap in the U.S. visa system, throwing lives into turmoil.

Top musicians converge on Brainerd for a classical music festival (with a side of water skiing)

How the Lakes Area Music Festival in Baxter, Minn., went from an event with a few music school friends to a regional destination that boasts 256 professional artists and a million dollar budget.

On the court, Chloe's 'secret storm' clears

This 14-year-old athlete uses basketball to fight her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and another rare condition head on.