BY LYDIA HOWELL It is estimated that 25% to 50% of people killed by police were in a mental health crisis. Despite Mayor Frey’s promises, diverting such calls away from police remains disorganized. Since 2005, COPE (Community Outreach for Psychiatric Emergencies) responds 24/7. You can reach them at (612) 596-1223.…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The big story In a deliberately coordinated effort, MFT59 and MFT59-ESP, representing teachers and other professionals in the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) respectively, and SPFE (SPFT 28) representing both sections in St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS), filed “intent to strike” paperwork on Wednesday, Feb. 23. As…
BY MAGDALENA KALUZA Our neighbor, Miss Linda Taylor, is facing the immediate threat of displacement from her Powderhorn home of 18 years. As her neighbors, we are clear: We will not allow her to be intimidated and displaced by a landlord who already owns far more homes than they need!…
BY ELINA KOLSTAD “We’ve gotta keep the schools open. … When we don’t have [open schools], boredom sets in. And boredom is no excuse for carjacking.” These were the words of Mayor Frey in January of this year when he advocated keeping schools open during the recent omicron surge. He…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Now we know what’s going where Augustine’s was A new restaurant under development by a couple with a recognized track record of great restaurants has been announced for the space on Selby Avenue in St. Paul previously occupied by the French bistro Augustine’s. Kalsada, which means…
BY ERIC SKOGLUND I saw the kindness of middle school boys make a grandmother cry. It happened on a hockey rink, at a pickup game at Hiawatha School Park a few hours before the Cincinnati Bengals would win a football game and advance to the Super Bowl. Pickup hockey is…
BY CAM GORDON On Feb. 2, the City Council received a report on police department staffing that recommends steps the mayor and Council could take to improve public safety in Minneapolis. The $170,000 study grew out of a City Council directive from 2019 and its results are reminiscent of the…
BY TONY BOUZA The Greeks were the finest expression of civilization ever. Why? Because they made their citizens better humans. How? By cautioning against hubris (pride) and avoiding hamartia (the critical flaw). The antidote? Merciless introspection. Oedipus was the toughest, smartest, most admirable—yet, came a cropper, wandering blindly in the…
BY ALLISTER ROSE “We have evidence that extremist agitators were hijacking protests to pursue their own separate and violent agendas.” – William Barr, The Wall Street Journal, 7/28/20 The video In the spring of 2020 we saw the images: a tall, white man dressed in black, wearing a gas mask,…
A statement by Robin Wonsley Worlobah, Council Member from Ward 2, on the MPD killing of Amir Locke: I spent the afternoon listening to the grieving family of Amir Locke and local community leaders. I heard justified anger. Most of all, I heard the pain, frustration, and sadness that we…
BY ED FELIEN Just before sunrise on Feb. 2, the MPD SWAT team bursts into a downtown apartment: “Police!” “Search warrant!” “Get on the ground!” Amir Locke is asleep on a couch, under a blanket. They kick the couch. Amir gets up, turns to the officers. He is holding a…
BY JOHN STUART Quaker social justice values are embodied in “Testimonies,” adherence to peace, equality, community and integrity. A year ago, members of the Minneapolis Friends Meeting began to talk about the policing of our city in the light of these Testimonies. Too often, we had seen violence in policing.…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Why keep small and unusual pets? Not everyone can keep a dog or a cat in their living space. For reasons ranging from disabilities to allergies to rules for renters, sometimes if one wants an animal companion, they have to look for other alternatives. I have…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE The outlook for the third summer of COVID In 2020, virtual summer camps were born. But when we published our piece on summer camps in early March 2020, we had no idea what was to come. And neither did the organizations offering summer camps, many of…
BY STEPHANIE FOX Think of the Parkway Theater’s monthly event, “SCREAM it off SCREEN,” as a combination of the Gong Show and a night at The Rocky Horror Picture Show. But more fun. Unlike Rocky Horror, you don’t need be part of the club or know all the lines, and…
