Ten incoming freshmen this fall at the University of Minnesota will become the first to take part in a program geared toward improving retention and graduation rates for black men on campus. The university has some of the highest gaps in graduation rates between black and white students of any flagship university in the country.

WCCO reports parents of some black students say their children have suffered racial discrimination and prejudice from a teacher at Heights Community School. An attorney for the families said the teacher has called the students "fat, black and stupid" and said things such as "You only have one parent."

Conspiracy theorists: rest easy. Those black helicopters can be explained. U.S. Special Operations Command has been in St. Paul for "routine urban-environment training," portions of which include St. Paul police, a spokesman says. Black Hawks and smaller Hughes 500s might be visible to some residents between 7 p.m. and midnight until Sept. 1. Exact times and locations are not being disclosed.

A 16-year-old St. Paul boy has admitted to striking a fellow student with a metal pipe at Johnson High School last month. Joshua Yang pleaded guilty Friday in Ramsey County Court to second-degree assault for striking an 18-year-old student at the school's cafeteria May 21.

A school bus company contracted by the St. Paul Public Schools left students waiting after buses failed to show up on about 10 routes and caused delays on a dozen others. The first day of school got off to a rough start with reports of three school bus crashes.