Things To Do

Worth It podcast: This Minnesota lake is full of bird poop

Plus, buy-now-pay-later options are growing in popularity, but at what cost?

By Nicole Norfleet and

Casey Darnell

The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 18, 2025 at 11:00AM
(From left) Audience producer Casey Darnell, night editor and "Worth It" host Nicole Norfleet, music critic Chris Riemenschneider, reporter Eva Herscowitz and reporter Bill Lukitsch. (Matt Gillmer)

(Listen here on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music)

On this week’s episode

  • Going to the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival this weekend? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know.
    • People are using buy-now-pay-later options like Klarna and Afterpay to afford items like groceries — but at what cost?
      • Mendota Heights neighbors are battling a bird colony polluting their lake with poo. But a solution to this crappy situation is proving difficult.

        This week’s guests

        This week’s episode was co-hosted by Casey Darnell. Our guests are music critic Chris Riemenschneider, business reporter Bill Lukitsch and south metro reporter Eva Herscowitz.

        Hosted by Nicole Norfleet, “Worth It” is a collaboration between the Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. The production team includes Melissa Townsend, Kryssy Pease, Tiffany Bui, Zoë Jackson, Casey Darnell.

        about the writers

        about the writers

        Nicole Norfleet

        Night Editor

        Nicole is one of the team leaders of the Today desk and typically works as the night editor. Previously, she worked as a business reporter covering beats like the retail industry and commercial real estate. In 2022, she and Jeffrey Meitrodt were named Pulitzer Prize investigative reporting finalists for their "Unsettled" series.

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        Casey Darnell

        Audience Engagement Editor

        Casey Darnell is an audience engagement producer and a social media specialist.

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