BY CHARLEY UNDERWOOD The other day on a forum that I read and contribute to, a former Minneapolis police officer linked a report at https://protectmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/The-Economic-Cost-of-Gun-Violence_FINAL-1.pdf, citing a study that showed that gun violence causes economic harm to cities as well as suffering for victims and those who love them. Statewide,…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The title of this article is meant to gently lead you into a dark place. If I had titled it “Dying During the Holidays” you probably would have skipped it, right? Sorry about that. But now that you’re here, let me explain. If you’re one of…
BY TONY BOUZA America is in the throes of an agonizing debate—police reform—and it has no answers. Yet that’s how the U.S. tackles its problems—and often solves them—through heated fulminations and some final distillations into changes. The biggest problems—today—are racism and income disparity. George Floyd launched the discussion on race…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Restaurant news Have you heard of Goldbelly? I first heard of it last week, when I did a search to find where I could get good latkes without having to make or cook them myself. Of course, I meant to be searching for a local deli…
BY KAY SCHROVEN A year or two from now, can you picture yourself waltzing into the Longfellow neighborhood’s Coliseum Building at 2700 E. Lake St. for a cocktail, to shop for goods and services, secure a job, or view an art exhibit? Taylor Smrikárova, project manager for Redesign, Inc. (aka…
BY STEPHANIE FOX Minnesotans can boast about being number one in a lot of positive categories, but having some of the largest educational disparities among minority and low-income students in the country is no reason to brag. One factor in this disparity is that where white parents have higher incomes…
First, let me thank you for continuing to publish the Southside Pride. For more than 30 years, you have provided a consistent forum for local news, strong advocacy and a place where local businesses can advertise. When I became police chief at the airport in 1985, Tony Bouza was the…
2022 is just around the corner, which means a whole different looking City Council in Minneapolis is about to take over, albeit with a little less power. That does not mean that their voices won’t be heard. With all the new faces and perspectives, now is the perfect time to…
BY ED FELIEN We were feeling so hopeful, so optimistic. We were congratulating ourselves on our great victory over ignorance. We lit a cigar to celebrate. And then it blew up in our faces. We made some terrible mistakes. The banner across the front of the stage in Powderhorn Park…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The case for a spiritual practice for good mental health In recent years, there has been a merging between the body of knowledge of spirituality and spiritual practice and that of mental health and wellness. In a way, they were never separate. After all, the root…
BY STEPHANIE FOX For four years, those traveling on I-35W have seen a mammoth construction project rise above Lake Street. The structure is part of MnDOT’s Crosstown plan to create a 14-mile highway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line connecting Minneapolis, Richfield, Bloomington and Burnsville. On Thursday, Oct. 21, the first…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The difference a pandemic makes In contrast to last year, even though the pandemic is still very much in force, there are quite a lot of in-person events to attend to enjoy the holiday season this year – if you are so inclined, and if you…
BY TONY BOUZA What a facile phrase. Rolls off the tongue so easily we fail to concentrate on its miraculous value. Americans profess it promiscuously, but I’ve found that, when push comes to shove, few really believe in it enough to risk anything meaningful, unless it applies to them. An…
BY ED FELIEN Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor shot and killed Justine Ruszczyk Damond in July of 2017. He was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Damond had called 911 to complain about an incident of domestic abuse happening in her alley. When the squad car passed her in…
BY JOE NATHAN South High School and charter public school students (like at Minnesota Transitions) can earn free college credits while still in high school. It represents a significant growing trend in Minnesota. Just-released research from the Minnesota-based Center for Policy Design shows they’re among the more than 25% of…
