A messy early March snowstorm is poised to bring 3 to 6 inches of snow and even blizzard conditions to southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

According to the National Weather Service, the height of the storm is expected to be from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning.

Visibilities could drop below a quarter-mile as winds gust as high as 55 mph. The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs could bring down power lines and cause sporadic outages.

Whiteout conditions are possible and could make travel conditions treacherous and potentially life-threatening.

A transition from rain to snow is expected Tuesday night through the overnight. In the Twin Cities, the snowfall is likely to range between 1 and 3 inches.

The NWS posted a winter storm watch for southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, but including only Dakota and Washington counties in the Twin Cities metro area. Blizzard conditions are expected to be confined to Minnesota, west of the Mississippi River.

For road conditions in Minnesota, go to 511mn.org. In Wisconsin, go to 511wi.org.

— Staff report

18-year-old man found slain in car

An 18-year-old Brooklyn Park man was found fatally shot in a vehicle Sunday morning in Ramsey, Anoka County authorities say.

According to the sheriff’s office, Ramsey police were dispatched to the 14600 block of Snowy Owl Street Northwest on an 8:30 a.m. report of a person slumped over in a motor vehicle.

Police found the driver, identified as Diamond Eddie Manly, dead of an apparent gunshot wound.

Manly’s death was ruled a homicide by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.

The investigation is continuing, with no arrests made, and authorities would like to speak with anyone who might have information about the case. Tipsters are encouraged to call the Anoka County non-emergency dispatch number at 763-427-1212.

— Staff report

20-year-old identified in weekend slaying

Authorities have identified a 20-year-old Minneapolis man who was fatally shot last weekend in Columbia Heights.

According to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, Ibrahim Faisal Dabarani was brought to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdaleat 11:40 p.m. Friday. He was suffering from a gunshot wound and pronounced dead.

Authorities said Dabarani was apparently shot near the 4200 block of Central Avenue Northeast in Columbia Heights.

The investigation was continuing, though the sheriff’s office said there was no ongoing threat to the public.

— Staff report

The Offspring booked for Target Center

Pop punk band the Offspring will headline Minneapolis’ Target Center on Aug. 15 on a bill that also includes ’00s hitmakers Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory.

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster. Citi cardholders have access to a presale that runs from 10 a.m. Tuesday through 10 p.m. Thursday.

Guitarist/vocalist Bryan “Dexter” Holland and bassist Gregory “Greg K.” Kriesel formed what would become the Offspring in 1983. Guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman joined the following year and the band released their first single “I’ll Be Waiting” in 1986. They went on to sign to a small label and issue their self-titled debut before inking a deal with emerging punk label Epitaph Records.

The Offspring didn’t take off in a major way until their third album, 1994’s “Smash,” found success in the wake of Nirvana and Green Day bringing punk to the masses. Fueled by the singles “Come Out and Play,” “Self Esteem” and “Gotta Get Away,” “Smash” topped 6 million in sales and stands to this day as Epitaph’s biggest selling album.

With a newfound and large audience, the band jumped ship to Columbia Records for 1997’s “Ixnay on the Hombre.” For the next decade, the Offspring maintained a strong presence on both rock and alternative radio. They only released one album in the ’10s, but continued to tour.

After firing Kriesel in 2018 and longtime drummer Pete Parada in 2021, Holland and Wasserman returned to action with the albums “Let the Bad Times Roll” in 2021 and “Supercharged” last year.

The band co-headlined the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand with 311 in 2018 and played the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival last summer.

Jimmy Eat World landed their breakthrough single with 2001’s “The Middle,” while New Found Glory did the same the following year with “My Friends Over You.”

— Ross Raihala

S.D. man dies after truck falls through ice

A South Dakota man died Sunday morning after his pickup truck fell through the ice on Big Stone Lake on the Minnesota-South Dakota border.

According to the Big Stone County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota, the victim was identified as Rodney Gustafson, 62, of Big Stone City, S.D. He was pronounced dead at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, N.D., where he had been airlifted, according to the sheriff’s office.

A caller reported that a white pickup truck had fallen through the ice near Lagoona Beach on Sunday morning.

Divers from the Big Stone City Fire Department Dive Team located a single individual inside the vehicle in the water. Lifesaving measures were initiated before the man, later identified as Gustafson, was airlifted to the Fargo hospital.

— Forum News Service

Man, 70, charged with killing his wife

A 70-year-old New Richmond, Wis., man is charged with killing his wife, whose body was found Sunday in Polk County.

According to New Richmond police, officers responded to the couple’s home around 1:45 p.m. Sunday for a possible domestic disturbance and welfare check of 68-year-old Mary Laakso.

The 911 caller said Laakso’s husband, Gordon Laakso, made statements that led them to believe he may have harmed her earlier in the day, police said in a Monday statement.

Upon arrival at the home in the 1300 block of Bluff Border Road, officers located Gordon Laakso but could not locate his wife nor reach her by phone.

The investigation later led to a rural area in Polk County, where she was found dead about 4 p.m.

On Monday, a Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office provisional autopsy report indicated the manner of death to be homicide, police said.

St. Croix County Circuit Court records show Laakso is charged with three counts: first-degree intentional homicide, strangulation and suffocation, and hiding a corpse.

Laakso made an initial court appearance on the charges Monday. Judge R. Michael Waterman set his bail at $1 million and he remains at the St. Croix County Jail ahead of a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 17.

Laakso does not have a prior criminal history, Wisconsin court records show.

His attorney, Michael Becker, when reached by phone Monday, declined to comment on the charges.

An online search shows Gordon Laakso worked as a Farmers Insurance agent, based in Superior. Mary Laakso also worked for Farmers Insurance and previously as an office assistant at the Douglas County Courthouse in Superior, according to her Facebook page.

— Nick Ferraro

Nov. election audit finds no errors in state

An audit of the November election won by President Donald Trump in swing-state Wisconsin found that not a single vote was counted incorrectly, altered or missed by tabulating machines.

The audit also found no evidence that any voting machine or software had been hacked or otherwise tampered with. The Wisconsin Elections Commission released audit’s findings last week and is scheduled to discuss them Friday.

Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin by just over 29,000 votes.

In 2020, when Trump lost to Joe Biden by just under 21,000 votes, Trump and his supporters alleged there was widespread fraud in Wisconsin. But two partial recounts, a nonpartisan audit, a conservative law firm’s review and multiple state and federal lawsuits did not support the claims.

Trump and his allies have not made similar accusations about wrongdoing in the 2024 election he won.

— Associated Press