BY ED FELIEN What’s happening at George Floyd Square? Well, actually, not much. George Floyd was murdered on Chicago Avenue at 38th Street almost five years ago. Since then, the city has sponsored many, many meetings (with free food) and taken surveys to determine how to commemorate the murder of George…
BY CAM GORDON Is the city’s once widely acclaimed violence prevention work falling apart? In February, concerns of mismanagement prompted city council members to propose temporarily moving some violence prevention programs out of the city’s Neighborhood Safety Department to the county. After meeting strong opposition, that idea was tabled, but…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE State and nationwide education news We may as well lead off by addressing the huge elephant in the room: the unfolding story of Trump 2.0, and particularly the administration’s bumbling efforts to eliminate the Department of Education. There is a lot of linkage, and overlap, between…
BY STEPHANIE FOX School’s out for summer and many kids will soon be headed off to summer camp. Camp is fun, but a study by the American Camp Association says that it’s much more than that. The summer camp experience, experts say, can help kids learn new ways to grow…
BY ED FELIEN At first, City Council Members Payne, Wonsley and Chavez moved to transfer some of the programs in the Neighborhood Safety Department to the county. There had been widespread public criticism of what seemed like mismanagement of funds. There was a whistleblower lawsuit last November that said a staff…
BY JOHNNY HAZARD In progressive U.S. circles, there is a lot of talk about new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s way of dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump and his repackaging of U.S. interventionism. Let’s look at some of that history and how it affects current Mexican reactions and responses, and…
BY STEPHANIE FOX It was cold and snowing outside on the first day of February, but inside City Church, it was warm (and sometimes spicy, in a Minnesota way) at the Kenny Neighborhood’s second annual Winter Chili Cook-off. Mike Ferrin, the Kenny Neighborhood Association Co-Coordinator, said that the seven contestants…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE (Re) Openings and closings ie Italian Eatery (4724 Cedar Ave., S.) is back, and it has “by Travail” appended to its name. The incredibly popular Italian fancy casual place was greatly mourned when the owner-couple, Eric and Vanessa Carrara, closed it. But restaurant group Travail…
BY ED FELIEN In order to understand the full implications of Trump appointing Bob Kroll as U.S. Marshall, we need to review Hitler’s relationship with Ernst Rohm. Trump’s first wife, Ivana, said “The Donald” had a copy of Hitler’s speeches on his bedside table. He once asked his Chief of…
BY CAM GORDON This month, the city council, mayor and two large utility companies are poised to sign agreements that will give CenterPoint and Xcel exclusive rights to be the city’s natural gas and electricity providers for 10 more years, with options to extend it another 10. When the gas…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Art, theater, circus, puppets, music Adventures in Cardboard (AIC) leads off our camp offerings in the arts category, although it could go in games or adventure as well. AIC was founded in 2012 in Powderhorn Park and has gathered a fanatic following, as evidenced by its…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Why are pet products booming? It’s partly generational, partly the pandemic aftereffects, and partly just vibes. Which means, in this case, when things go viral, it’s the thing to do, so it goes even more viral. In the U.S., about 66 percent of households include…
BY ED FELIEN Park Board arrogance on Lake Hiawatha plan The Park Board had a public hearing in January to ask for public comments on their plan for Lake Hiawatha. On their project page they said: “Groundwater Pumping Permit “Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a Water Appropriations Permit…
BY STEPHANIE FOX If you hadn’t noticed, grocery prices have risen lately. Since 2021, costs have risen 25 percent, a little more or less depending on the type of food product. Estimates are that in the U.S., 30 to 40 percent of food is wasted. Part of the problem is…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings The Cabana Club has opened in St. Anthony Main as of Jan. 3; this was covered by Racket’s Em Cassel on Jan. 9. Catzen Coffee, a cat cafe and coffee lab, has opened on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. In early January, Travail…
