Latest on COVID-19 in MN: 17 dead, 27 in ICU; Walz to skip fishing opener events

A wintry storm in April? A strong storm is expected to cut its way across Minnesota tomorrow and Friday, bringing rain, snow and even ice! Eastern Minnesota has a better chance for rain Thursday, then colder temperatures and spreading snow or ice mixing in during the day Friday. The entire state will be noticeably colder by Friday afternoon.

COVID-19 in Minnesota today: 689 cases confirmed; 17 deaths; more than half of total recovered. The median age of Minnesota’s confirmed COVID-19 cases is 47, but the median age of those who’ve needed hospitalization is 64, and it is 84 for those who’ve died of the disease. Read the latest on Minnesota’s COVID-19 situation and response here.

Some Minnesotans take advantage of staying home -- by tackling home improvement projects. A paint store owner in St. Paul says that he’s been seeing unprecedentedly high demand for paint recently amid the COVID-19 outbreak and the state’s stay-at-home order. “I have been in the business 41 years, nothing anywhere near like this … People were lined up, giving themselves some more room,” says Abbott Paint and Carpet owner Kevin Abbott.

This man has been socially distanced for 50 years. And he has some tips for you. Billy Barr lives in Gothic, Colo., and is the only resident of the town. While Barr's been called a hermit, he doesn't consider himself one. He occasionally interacts with skiers who pass through, he talks to his sister on the phone, and he works for a nearby lab. Barr has tips on social distancing, but he's the first to say they may well be entirely useless.