BY CLINT COMBS Protesters outraged over the murder of George Floyd torched the Third Police Precinct. Amid the charred remains of the building, city officials want to rebuild the precinct on 3000 Minnehaha Ave into a democracy hall and community center. It’s unanimous that no one wants another police precinct…
BY CAM GORDON Power struggles over how to respond to encampments came to a head in September, following two fatal shootings near southside encampments. “We need to put a stop to these,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, referring to the encampments, following the second shooting death on Sept. 18. Outdoor camping…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE New school year, hot news items Our last Education column was out the first of March 2024 (so remember it was written in February.) Just days after that, many important education news items inundated the local media. So I’m going to cover most of that “in…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE What’s changed? And where can I eat? On 28th Avenue and 42nd Street, as everywhere, it’s fall. Kids back in school, lake beaches closed, air conditioners sent to the shop for their autumn tune-up and pumpkin-spice scents fill the air. Not a lot has changed since…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The future of the University neighborhood We’re going to start our look at Dinkytown by focusing on its neighborhood ecosystem. In 2023, the boards of four of the so-called University neighborhood associations (NAs), Marcy-Holmes (MHNA) which includes Dinkytown, Southeast Como (SECIA), Prospect Park (PPA) and Nicollet…
BY ED FELIEN The City Council voted 10 to 3 on Sept. 20 to provide a $1.5 million dollar grant to Agate Housing. Chavez wrote: “Agate Housing and Services recently announced the closing of its 42-bed shelter program and 95-bed board and lodge program at 510 South 8th St despite…
By John LaForge In April, I reported on false assurances made by Xcel Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding the November 2022 leak from the Monticello nuclear reactor of some 829,000 gallons of cooling water containing a huge concentration of radioactive tritium (technically, 5.2 million picocuries per liter).…
BY DAVE GUTKNECHT The editor invited my comment on the recent advocacy by the UK prime minister and several former defense ministers of missile attacks into Russia, a threat that was avoided thanks to U.S. military voices of sanity. First, give credit to publishers who uphold the First Amendment and…
Big release party coming up for The Rope and their new album, “Nightbird,” at Mortimer’s on October 4. Their Gothic Post-Punk music is a shrill indictment of everything that’s wrong with what’s going on in the Land of the Free: Violence You want violence Well whaddya know Welcome to the hourly…
BY ED FELIEN The Museum of Russian Art has a charming exhibit of watercolors by Alexander Viazmensky in one of its backrooms. It’s all mushrooms. His detail, down to the specks of dirt clinging to the roots, is astonishing. The flyer advertising the show has on its cover (unsurprisingly) a photo of…
BY ED FELIEN About the middle of September, Todd Lipelt got called to serve as a juror in Hennepin County District Court. It was a horrific experience. He was rejected for a trial the first day, but he got picked for one the second day. The case was the State of…
BY STEPHANIE FOX The South Minneapolis neighborhood of East Phillips held its annual Harvest Moon Block Party on Sept. 21, an annual event where local community and civic organizations come together to give residents information on what is happening in their area, from local problems to possible solutions. Some groups…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings, closings and changes Forepaugh’s, the venerable fine dining place in St. Paul, has reopened in its original place, a mansion built by a guy named Forepaugh. Wife and husband duo Mary Slater and Tenzin Dechen have opened a new Lao cafe called Asian Duck…
BY KAY SCHROVEN This is the story of an industrious, Jewish, immigrant family who attains the American Dream, enjoys its many benefits and over time, experiences its fragility. This masterpiece, which won five Tony awards, including best play, was penned by renowned Italian writer Stefano Massini and adapted by Ben…
BY ED FELIEN I confess, I always kind of resented Joe Selvaggio. My best friend for almost twenty years, Tony Bouza, always said that I was his second favorite hero. I would ask him, “Who’s first?” He would always answer, “Joe Selvaggio.” But I had been publishing Southside Pride for…
