Home Care In Webster, MN

Four albums into her career, Webster is on the verge of her big commercial break.

Set behind a backdrop of a statue depicting Faye Webster as an ancient God-like figure, the Atlanta-based singer-songwriter and her band took the stage at First Avenue’s main room to an enthusiastic crowd. Despite not having released a studio album in over two years, Webster’s fans showed a level of excitement that was not present at her last show in Minnesota in 2022.

Webster opened with “But Not Kiss,” a single released last summer ahead of what is expected to be another studio album. Webster started the song quietly singing and delicately strumming her guitar onstage. Then the sold-out crowd shouted the opening lyrics while the remaining band members came on stage to build a celestial, piano-dominant soundscape.

“But Not Kiss” is one of Webster’s best songs to date. While much of Webster’s music can feel uniform in its sound throughout her studio albums, “But Not Kiss” stands out so much because it has a dynamic range that translates to a powerful live rendition.

The audience was responsive to the live performance, breaking out into more screams and cheers as the louder parts of the song intermittently came between the verses. From the outset, there was non-stop enthusiasm from the crowd.

While Webster’s last LP is a robust project, one issue with compiling much of it into a concert is it does not feel suited for a venue that is packed to the brim with attendees standing in general admission. For the more relaxed-sounding parts of her set, the songs begged to be listened to in a more laid-back setting like a seated theater. However, when the songs show dynamics — by getting loud for just a little bit — it makes the general admission experience worthwhile.

Webster’s song “Kind Of,” a twangy and atmospheric piece of alternative country, stood out in her Minneapolis performance with the drum-heavy crescendo before the chorus. This characteristic in several of Webster’s songs proves to make the live experience stronger. While it is a secret weapon that Webster uses sparingly, she uses it just a bit too sparingly. The band sounds commanding when they do turn up the volume within the context of a setlist defined by softer, vibey tracks.

Webster showed her sense of humor by abruptly cueing in a song from Pokémon into the show, “Eterna City.” The performance was bright and jazzy, and while the inclusion of it in the setlist might be looked at as humorous by some, Webster and her band did a memorable rendition of it as she played keyboards on the track along with her band.

Closing out the main set was “Cheers,” a song that is similar to the set-opener “But Not Kiss” in the sense that it also shows a striking dynamic range with verses defined by chugging guitar chords and a steady bass drum that crescendoed into the chorus, it was a satisfactory climax to the night.

Webster came out for two more songs for the encore. The first song, performed by Webster and one other member of her band on backup vocals, showed the singer-songwriter getting experimental. For the first time in the show, she used autotune vocals. Through autotune, Webster appropriated hyperpop within the context of her songwriting style, and it worked well. The performance left the audience excited for what other experimentation could also be on her fifth studio album.

The final song of the evening was Webster’s signature song, “Kingston,” from her 2019 studio album “Atlanta Millionaires Club.” The ballad engulfed the audience with atmospheric, sentimental production complimented by a reverb-heavy steel guitar resulting in the greatest crowd reception of the show.

Fans screamed every lyric of “Kingston,” especially in the chorus: “Baby, tell me where you want to go. Baby, tell me what you want to know. Give you everything I have and more.”

Showcasing a total of five new tracks, Webster’s performance at First Avenue was an exciting preview of what is to come from her next album. Along with a remarkably engaged crowd of loving fans, Webster’s talents as a singer-songwriter are undoubtedly set to shape an eclectic, masterful discography.

As swinging punching bags creak on their chains and children shriek with excitement, Ludy Webster waits at the front desk of his boxing gym for his students to arrive.

Nobody comes through the door of Ludy's Boxing Gym in south Minneapolis without a handshake, high-five or hug from the owner.

He receives a chorus of "Hey, Ludy!" greetings in return before the students swarm the gym, some to stretch, some awaiting their coach's first instructions of the day.

Webster, 56, started boxing at age 13 and credits his career in the sport with keeping him out of trouble. In opening his own gym in 2021, he hoped to provide the same outlet for others in his hometown.

"It kept me disciplined, even as I got older," Webster said. "In my late teens, early 20s, I was still boxing. A lot of my buddies would go out, and I would go out, but that would stop me from drinking and doing anything bad because I knew I had a boxing match coming up."

The gym is a nonprofit organization, with Webster raising money to offer kids discounted boxing classes and support a group of young, competitive boxers.

To rent the building and pay for gear in 2021, Webster and another co-founder invested $40,000 of their own savings, with an additional $10,000 donation from U.S.A. Boxing, a nonprofit that supports new gyms.

Though the boxing gym is breaking even, Webster still relies on income from running a plumbing company to make a living. Any extra money after paying the gym's bills goes to buying more boxing gear, water bottles and Gatorade for kids.

"It is starting to get tight on us," Webster said. "I'm barely getting by with rent and all our bills."

The "for-profit side" of the gym — selling memberships and classes for kids and adults — helps to finance Webster's goal of training boxers who travel to represent Minneapolis in national competitions.

Webster said it's tough managing two businesses — one for money and one for passion — pretty much on his own. His duties for the gym alone can range from hosting car washes and fundraisers, arranging free memberships for volunteers and teaching boxing classes, including two kids' sessions, about a dozen adult trainings and a beginners' course every week.

Boxers can also purchase a gym membership or pass for more open practice. The cost starts at $25 for single-day pass for a class or gym access and runs up to $150 a month for unlimited access for a family.

Though Webster admits running a business doesn't come easy or naturally to him, his clientele agree Webster himself is the selling point of the gym.

"He supports the kids a lot," said Miguel Arroyo, whose son goes to Webster's classes twice a week. "The environment was really welcoming. That's why we just continued going."

When the doors first opened, Webster was able to attract 60 clients from social media promotion and distributing flyers. Now, the gym has amassed about 115 clients.

"It just took off," Webster said. He ultimately aims to double the size of the 2,500-square-foot gym to accommodate more clients.

Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Webster's positive reputation led local competitive boxer Damarius Gilbert to join a year ago. As a coach, Webster creates a uniquely warm and comfortable space for growing boxers, Gilbert said.

"I needed to find a new coach," Gilbert said. "I came here, and automatically it was like, 'Welcome to the family.' So it was a great first-time experience."

Being able to box at Ludy's has improved both his physical and mental health, Gilbert said, and having a coach who prioritizes creating personal connections with students has been a game-changer.

"Boxing brought me a better life," Gilbert said. "It changed me into a better man."

Webster said his relationship with his students has expanded in the two years he's owned the gym, especially with a group of teenagers who regularly come by to do homework and hang out with friends.

"You're more than a coach," Webster said. "You're a father figure. A psychiatrist. You're mentally really helping with the kids because they're trying to figure it out in life. They've got a lot more questions than boxing questions."

With the help of two other volunteer coaches at the gym — and occasional assistance from older boxers who frequent the gym — Webster structures an engaging class for kids ages 6 to 14, including intense cardio, running drills, proper stance and punch technique. It's all set to a soundtrack of Disney songs.

Justin Hill, with more than a decade of boxing experience, assists with these classes, maintaining the energy needed to keep up with a dozen spirited students who are all eager to throw a punch at a grown-up. Hill noted Ludy's sense of community is not present in other boxing gyms.

"Everybody just cares about each other," Hill said, smiling down at his daughter Ayla, who bounced around the gym with a rainbow bow in her hair. "My daughter, she loves hanging around with the other kids. When I was a kid and I boxed, it kept me out of trouble."

"I just feel like there's more care and love here."

Town ball controversy in Webster, Minn.

Webster, Minnesota town ball players are crushed after an apparent rules violation in an exhibition game got them eliminated from the playoffs during what might be their best season.

RICE COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A contested rule violation in amateur baseball this summer earned a postseason ban for a championship-contending team south of the metro.

The Webster Sox, in rural Rice County, are having a season to remember. But there will be no playoffs and no opportunity for the club to play for the Minnesota Town Ball title. The players are crushed. They insist the alleged rule violation was just an attempt to have some fun and in no way gave them a competitive advantage.

The Sox are currently on a 10-game winning streak as they wind down their regular season this week. Club management said it is the best season in their 72-year history.

"It's been a lot of fun. It's been tons of fun to play with these guys," said shortstop Peter Grassl. "I mean, I believe that we are a very good team, and we would definitely make a deep run."

But Grassl and the rest of the Sox will not compete for an amateur state crown this summer. And that is for the alleged rule violation earlier this season that the club believes has been taken completely out of context by the league’s governing body, the Minnesota Baseball Association (MBA).

"Had no positive impact on anybody, didn't stand in the league standings, didn't have a negative impact, wasn't any type of competitive advantage, and no malicious intent," explained Sox General Manager Mike Prochaska.

Team management tells FOX 9 that during a game with Owatonna, which both teams treated as an exhibition or scrimmage to get in some practice for league action, Webster’s players convinced their 54-year-old manager, Todd Klehn, to take an at-bat late in the game.

No harm, no foul. Only a little fun, they thought. In fact, he struck out on three pitches.

But it turns out the manager is not a formally registered player with the state. The MBA requires all players who compete for Town Ball teams to fill out a contract and submit it to the state for formal rostering.

So, when word of the at-bat made its way to the MBA, the association took a closer look at the circumstances and determined it was a game between two league teams. Furthermore, Webster had used an illegal player. The punishment was a total ban on playoff baseball in 2023.

"We belong in the postseason," exclaimed Prochaska. "That is in the best interests of baseball. I think banning team players that had no impact on this is not right. That's not in the best sense or interest of baseball."

MBA President Mark Forsman told FOX 9’s Paul Blume that the rules are the rules and that the formal registering of players is critical to ensure a fair play. Adding, that the rules are what makes amateur Town Ball so special.

Upon learning of their punishment, Webster hired an attorney. But their last-ditch appeal was denied by the MBA.

"It does suck," said Grassl. "It is frustrating. It's not great. It's tough for everybody, our players, our fans, everybody in the community. I mean, it is really frustrating for all of us. So, you know, it is what it is. At the end of the day, you just kind of have to live with it and move on and move forward. And that is what we are going to do."

Added Prochaska, "What I would like to do, and I think other teams that have had similar suspensions, how can we as teams, players and our management of teams work together with Minnesota Baseball Association to come up with a tiered penalty program based on severity, similar to like Major League Baseball? And work together instead of one side, one ruling fits all. That would be my counsel and advice. I am a big advocate of you know, working together. You are going to get better results."

Webster wraps up its 2023 season on Sunday with a home game against the St. Benedict Saints.

Ellie Long is one that got away.

The 20-year-old from Falcon Heights headed south for school — way south, to Emory University in Atlanta — and is eyeing a move to New York or Chicago after graduation.

Every year, thousands more college students leave Minnesota than arrive, a Star Tribune analysis of U.S. census data shows. Boosters and business leaders warn that the losses could have major consequences for the state's workforce in the not-so-distant future.

"This is a clear trend we want to reverse," said Peter Frosch, CEO of regional economic development organization Greater MSP. "It matters to Minnesota colleges and universities today who need and want students in their classrooms. And it really matters to a region and state with one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates."

For a decade, State Demographer Susan Brower has been preaching about the departure of young adults. It often surprises Minnesotans who assume people leaving the state are largely retirees bound for warmer climes or workers seeking lower taxes.

"Migration is being driven by decisions that happen very early on in adult life," Brower said. "Think of the late teens in your life, early 20s. They are moving for college, they are moving because they are in love and they are following someone across the country, they're deciding to go skiing in Colorado."

While Minnesota's higher education institutions do pull many young people from other states, the state overall loses roughly 8,000 more 18-to 24-year-olds each year than it gains, the Star Tribune's census analysis found. And often they don't come back.

"It really adds up over time," said Sean O'Neil, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce's director of economic development and research.

College students make up nearly two-thirds of the state's annual net loss in domestic migration. Drawing people from across the U.S. and internationally is increasingly essential to maintain the state's population and economy as the birth rate declines. Within 20 years, Minnesota is expected to have more residents die each year than are born.

Minnesota saw a net loss of about 156,000 young adults to other states between 2006 and 2021, O'Neil said.

"As we think about ways to stabilize and grow our workforce, that really has to be part of the solution and part of the equation," O'Neil said. "It just is where the numbers are."

Long and her twin sister, Abby, are staying with their parents for the summer and enjoy biking around the Twin Cities. But both said Minnesota feels a little too nostalgic, the cities a little too familiar.

Job recruiters who come to Emory are from the nation's biggest cities or the Atlanta area, said Long, who is studying accounting and political science.

"It makes me feel like, at least when I'm young, there are more opportunities in the bigger cities than back home," she said.

Minnesota wasn't always losing young people. In the 1990s, the state saw more arrivals than departures.

But the number of high school graduates headed out of state has been increasing for years, with the pandemic-related downtick in 2020 an exception, said Meredith Fergus, director of research at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

They are largely going to neighboring states. North Dakota State University took in the most Minnesotans, followed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, state data shows.

Schools in some of these less-populous bordering states have also leaned on Minnesota graduates to support their enrollment, she said.

Fergus said state data indicates 21% of students enrolled in out-of-state colleges appear to be commuting to class while continuing to live in Minnesota cities, such as Moorhead.

Leaders with Minnesota's public and private college say the state's reputation for having a high-quality K-12 education system has been a double-edged sword. Recruiters from outside the state have long targeted students here, and the Twin Cities hosts one of the country's largest higher education fairs, said Robert McMaster, the University of Minnesota's dean of undergraduate education.

"All of those factors together mean they like to come pick our pockets," he said, especially as much of the country is poised to see a drop in high school graduates.

Students who leave Minnesota tend to be white, don't qualify for free or reduced meals and have higher-than-average ACT scores, according to the data.

The state exports nearly twice as many first-time college students as it brings in. Only seven states had a worse ratio of students moving out than moving in, according to an analysis of 2018 federal education data.

To counteract this, the state is going on the offense. Over the past decade, the U has boosted financial aid, roughly tripled its regional recruiters to eight people, and increased marketing efforts to draw in more students, McMaster said.

Office of Higher Education officials expect more local students will head to college here with new state programs covering public school tuition and fees for students whose families earn $80,000 or less, and for Minnesota residents who are members of tribal nations.

The state's recent Direct Admissions program — which tells high schools students which Minnesota colleges they could get into, what financial aid is available and waives application fees — also encourages people to look at their home state first, Fergus said.

The end goal isn't to tell young people here not to leave, said Minnesota Private College Council President Paul Cerkvenik, who has three children who went to school out of state and have not returned.

"Who's going to say 'shrink your horizons' to a young person?" he said. "But we can say, 'You should come and see all that Minnesota has to offer, and you should know that you're going to get a really top-quality education here.'"

Fergus also said her big concern isn't whether someone leaves for college — it's whether they return.

"They can go to River Falls or Madison, but I want them coming back to Minnesota to work," she said. "Which means we have to keep the jobs here."

For Kaitlyne Dittberner, the plan was always to return to Minnesota.

The occupational therapy student, who grew up in Otsego, knew the University of North Dakota had a program in her field. She wanted independence while remaining within driving distance. The price of tuition sealed the deal.

"UND was the most affordable option," said Dittberner, 25, who is still a UND student but is doing fieldwork at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Minnesota. She knows many Minnesotans who went to North Dakota because tuition was lower, then returned to their home state. "I love this state. My family is here. I don't know much else, and there is no other state that really draws me away."

There is a silver lining for the post-college age range. About 3,000 more people between 25 to 39 move to Minnesota each year than depart, census figures show. Roughly 40% of those moving here in that age range were either born here or are married to someone who was. That's the ninth-highest rate in the nation.

The population gain in that bracket does not make up for the loss of younger adults, many of whom find jobs, partners or interests that permanently shift their trajectory away from Minnesota.

However, executives at some Minnesota-based companies said pulling locals back to their home state is a useful tactic.

Essentia Health, which serves Duluth and many rural Minnesota communities, is employing increasingly sophisticated tactics for tracking students they might later recruit as employees, said John Higgins, the vice president of talent management.

"We chase back after those folks that are from the area, who either grew up here or went to school here, and chased that big city dream," he said, noting that three to five years after school is an opportune moment to "tap them on the shoulder" and ask whether they would like to return home.

When Schwan's Co. recruits workers from other states, it looks for people with a Minnesota connection, whether they grew up here or went to college in the state, said Scott Peterson, executive vice president and chief human resources officer.

"We tend to have much more success," he said. "Many native Minnesotans are trying to find a way to get back to Minnesota because they love the quality of life."

The state must do more to pitch its companies and quality of life to others across the nation and to encourage young people here to stick around, he said.

"It's a potential long-term threat to our state," Peterson said of college student losses. "We have so many great companies here. But you've got to have talent if you are going to be successful."

Correction: A previous map graphic with this story should have said Minnesota is one of nine states losing more college students than it’s gaining. The graphic and a previous version of this story also misstated the timing of the data. It is from fall 2018.

Jessie Van Berkel writes about Minnesota government and politics at the Star Tribune. She previously covered St. Paul City Hall and local government in the south metro.

[email protected]

MaryJo Webster is the data editor for the Star Tribune. She teams up with reporters to analyze data for stories across a wide range of topics and beats.

[email protected] 612-673-1789

To hear retiring Star Tribune publisher/CEO Mike Klingensmith tell it, his successor could have been designed in a Newspaper Executive Laboratory.

"If you asked an AI to draw up a resume for a Star Tribune publisher job, I don't think they could do any better than Steve Grove," Klingensmith said (weirdly) Tuesday in a statement announcing the hire.

In that case, the immediate baggage Grove brings to the state's highest newspaper job must be a hypothetical AI glitch.

Grove, who's stepping down as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for the Strib position, settled a lawsuit Monday brought by independent journalist Tony Webster. Webster sued Grove and DEED last fall, alleging that the agency failed to produce public records related to DEED Twitter accounts and Grove's personal account.

"I spent substantial time attempting to negotiate with Commissioner Grove’s attorney before filing the lawsuit," Webster tells Racket. "I laid out the facts and law, and they didn’t budge. Had Commissioner Grove expressed any willingness to work out a resolution last year, this needless waste of time and taxpayer money could have been avoided. I hope this settlement serves as a deterrent to other government officials who might delay and improperly deny public records requests."

In the settlement, DEED and Grove agreed to update policies, pay Webster $17,000, supply the previously requested data on blocked accounts, and promise to not withhold future records "for the duration of Commissioner Grove’s appointment and any future re-appointment as Commissioner of DEED."

As laid out in a blog by Webster, DEED has a long history of secrecy that pre-dates Grove. But things apparently haven't improved under his leadership. Last year MinnPost's Peter Callaghan criticized the agency for "finding new ways to evade public disclosure of how state dollars are spent." Yesterday Minnesota Reformer's J. Patrick Coolican took a critical look at how Grove's DEED dragged its feet on public record requests from his outlet.

All of this matters a helluva lot considering Grove will soon lead a newsroom that, ideally, is driven by skepticism of public institutions, corporations, and the elite. (One of the state's most powerful people, Republican billionaire Glen Taylor, happens to own the paper.) "Grove said his mission will be to carry on the Star Tribune's commitment to accountability in government," Stribber Brooks Johnson wrote in a fawning article introducing Grove. To which Webster wrote: "Interesting."

"If Grove’s conduct in Governor Walz’s cabinet is a preview of the 'commitment to accountability in government' he promises to deliver as Star Tribune CEO, I am not optimistic," Webster continues. "Though I nevertheless wish him all success."

When Racket requested a Grove interview Wednesday, the Strib's head PR guy, Steve Yaeger, punted to Gov. Tim Walz's PR team. We've yet to hear back from them. Yaeger declined to provide a comment on the behalf of the paper regarding the Grove/DEED/Webster settlement.

Grove, 45, grew up in Northfield and worked as a reporter at the Boston Globe and ABC News early in his career. He then pivoted to the tech world, working for YouTube and, later, Google News Lab. (The latter company is often cited for helping destroy the flailing journalism industry, though the News Lab is viewed as an olive branch.) Evidence of that Silicon Valley pedigree is all over Grove's quotes Tuesday to the Strib, which include terms like: "disruptive," "accelerate," and "digital-first." In 2019 Grove earned the top job at DEED, and became a vocal DFL cheerleader.

We also wish him success. A strong, feisty, incredulous Star Tribune means a stronger Minnesota.

Update: DEED PR rep Alicia Cordes-Mayo provided the following statement from Grove. "I blocked fewer than 20 user profiles from my personal Twitter account during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the incendiary nature of the tweets and comments posted on those profiles. Since that time, I have unblocked all of those accounts. Additionally, no accounts are blocked from official DEED state government Twitter accounts."

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Yaeger punted to the DEED PR team; it has been updated to reflect that he punted to Gov. Walz's PR team, who we contacted pre-publication and have not heard back from.