News for everyone, delivered to everyone
Top stories
Minneapolis Public School bell schedules prevent students from taking CTE classes
Who gets career training in high school?
They wanted to save the boulevard trees along six blocks of 29th Ave. and they came together to do just that. Then they celebrated together at Arbeiter Brewing. (Photo by submitted)
Motivated by a common goal
“Now is not the time to turn our back on workers, who soon will face an attack from the highest level of government,” said Ward 11 Council Member Emily Koski before she voted to override Frey’s veto. “I stand in solidarity with all those fighting for fair wages, fair working conditions and a better future for themselves and their families.”
City Labor Standards Board derailed
Haven
Beloved mounted patrol horse, Haven, dies
Minneapolis Police are saddened to announce the passing of Haven, a cherished member of the Mounted Patrol Unit. Haven passed away on Jan. 11, 2025, following complications from surgery. On Jan. …
Sean Sherman of NATIFS (at left) said, “The location and building were exactly what we were looking for in the middle of the American Indian Cultural Corridor. We feel that it has everything we need to create more food, access to schools and hospitals, and more access to tribal healthcare. The building will be the heart of our operation and the home base for everything we do.”
Sean Sherman buys 2601 Franklin Ave for new NATIFS Indigenous BBQ restaurant and commissary
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) , the nonprofit founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Sherman, has acquired the Seward Co-op Creamery building in Minneapolis. The …
City invests nearly $18.5 million into affordable housing projects
The city of Minneapolis has committed nearly $17 million in direct investment, along with $1.5 million in 10-year federal tax credits, to 11 affordable rental housing projects in Minneapolis. The …
MPRB 2025 budget focuses on caring for park assets
At their December 10 meeting, the Board of Commissioners adopted a 2025-2026 Budget for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) that focuses caring for park amenities and infrastructure, …
Ramps at Hwy 55/Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street now open
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) crews have completed installing the new signal system and reopened the ramps to and from Hwy 55/Hiawatha Ave. and Lake St. Crews will continue work …
Dr. Abdiasis Inshar hows a treatment room where patients receive chiropractic care at Premier Health Chiropractors. (Photo by Khalid Mohamed)
First Somali-American chiropractor aims to help people be well
Dr. Abdiasis Inshar, a 26-year-old chiropractor working at the Premier Health Chiropractors of South Minneapolis clinic (1813 East Lake St.), believes he is the first Somali-American chiropractor in …

More news

Dec 2024 Connector

View this issue

Browse other issues

Mindful Creativity
Director Patrick Coyle and cinematographer Greg Stiever consult over a scene in “Unholy Communion,” a murder mystery adaption by a novel by the same name written by Thomas Rumreich. (Photo submitted)
Adaption pushes local filmmaker in new ways
Twin Cities filmmaker Patrick Coyle has just completed his fourth film “Unholy Communion,” based on the book by the same title written by Scandia author Thomas Rumreich. The film about a …
Trace created the large painting on the side of the Seven Points mall parking garage. He opened a gallery space, Speshel Project, inside the mall. (Photos by Trace and Brian Gabrial)
Challenging the art status quo
When I met Trace at Speshel Project, L.L.C., his gallery at Seven Points mall, it was the day before Thanksgiving and on the eve of a straight, 30-hour drive to Miami Beach where he planned to show …
WACSO: Picnic.
Picnic. The newest food spot in Linden Hills buzzes on a Thursday night. (Illustration by WACSO)
Aaron Blaser, owner of the Curioso Coffee Bar in Seven Points mall, said he has a “guarded optimism” about Uptown’s future. He believes in its potential “to be a real point of interest,” and thinks that having street construction wrap up will make a big difference.
Uptown: Reimagined
With significant street construction coming to an end along Hennepin Avenue from 31st to 28th Streets, Uptown is ready for a renaissance – French for rebirth. “I think we’re on the …
Lucinda Holshue plays Fiona – a part that was written for her. Holshue worked for 20 years as the resident vocal coach at the Guthrie and is still a professor at the U of M. (Photo submitted by Brad Hildebrandt)
Fulton house set for resident’s first film
Neighbors of Brad Hildebrandt must have wondered what was going on this summer at his house in the Fulton area. Bright lights, cameras, people coming and going, and the smell of lasagna wafting …

More arts

COLUMNISTS
Anna Bonavita is a former physicist with a passion for culture, cuisine and environment. Born in a small village in Bulgaria but swept up in the waves of globalization, she claims several countries as the source of her cultural identity. Her travel nonprofit, Esperienza, provides small-scale, immersive experiences. She is also the founder of the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Italian Film Festival, and The Communal Table.
Join me at Gigi’s, our own ‘Cheers’
Recently I spent two nights at Gigi’s, the café at the corner of 36th street and Bryant. In a way, nothing much happened. Yet these were some of the best moments I have had in …
A common sense approach to ending gun violence
Guns kill more children in the United States than anything else. It's a shocking statistic. But it's true. In 2023, firearms killed 4,456 children and teens ages 1 to 19 (out of 46,728 gun …
Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.
Scared and hurting but hopeful locally
As I start writing, it is as if my words are having to push through feelings of fear and a sense of something being lost. It feels like I am wanting to cry. I'm grieving as I write. It's Nov. 14. I'm …
Cam Gordon is the co-chair of the Green Party of Minnesota. He regular writes for the Southwest Connector and Longfellow Nokomis Messenger, covering government.
Why people vote third party
This year, like most, the campaigning and voting in partisan offices like president, congress, and state legislature, was dominated by the two largest parties – the Democratic Farmer Labor and …
Why local newspapers hold trust while national media slips
The recent decision by The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times to skip endorsing a presidential candidate has put the issue of media trust in the spotlight – and it underscores just how …

More columns

Click here to learn more

Rebuild Repair Recycle
Longfellow resident Mary Haugh got a second run at life and decided to give vintage homes a second life, too. After surviving an aggressive form of cancer in the prime of her professional marketing …
The Minnesota Toy Library (MTL) is a toy lending program for families with children ages birth to five years. Members can check-out up to five toys at a time, and take them home for 2-4 weeks. And …
It’s one thing to cull outgrown or unused clothes from your closet, but what do you do with a piano that’s outlived its usefulness in your home? Pianocycle is a Public Benefit Corporation …

More Rebuild Repair Recycle

Facebook
Home & Garden
Woodworker Bill Dossett (left) and Joe Hayes look over a set of windows being restored. According to Dossett, the dust collection system in the new building is an upgrade that has made a big difference for staff. Plus there's a room just for planing.
Hayes Window expands into new location, offers storm windows
Lost your storm windows over the years? Have windows you can’t open anymore because they were painted shut? Does the glass rattle in the wind? These problems don’t mean that you need to …
Ericsson resident Jessica Wyn Miller (right), an entomologist, leads a Bug Club adventure into the world of bugs near her Minnehaha Creek-side home. She has found that her work as an artist intersects with insects.“I got excited for aquatic insects when I found out they reflect the health of a water," she recalled.
She hated bugs – so she decided to become an entomologist
Jessica Miller still shrieks sometimes when a spider jumps on her, but the south Minneapolis environmental entomologist has found that makes her more approachable when she’s teaching classes on …
Jon Trappe
Talking lawn care with U of M
People are getting back into our yards and gardens, with pent-up demand following a long winter. University of Minnesota Extension Educator Jon Trappe has tips for yards that accomplish multiple …
A rain barrel collects roof runoff so you can save the rainwater for later use. Reroute downspouts away from pavement and onto grass, a rain barrel or a rain garden. (Photo courtesy of the University of Minnesota Extension)
A watershed moment
What is a watershed? What is our local watershed called? Where does it begin and end?  What is the largest watershed in the U.S.? According to board chair of the League of …
Larry LaVercombe is a writer, filmmaker, and activist, born in Detroit and arrived in Minneapolis in 1975. He lived in a treehouse in San Diego before getting an MFA from the USC Film School. He writes most days, and as Team Larry he has been selling residential real estate in Minneapolis for 26 years.
How real estate agent commissions will now affect us
You’ve heard, I’m sure, about the court ruling and the decision by the National Association of Realtors: Buyer’s agents will no longer receive a “standardized” 2.7% …

More Home & Garden

Living 50+
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is partnering with MN Senior LinkAge to host a free class to help people learn about Medicare. “Medicare Annual Update” on Wednesday, Oct. …
I recently attended my first Minneapolis Advisory Committee on Aging meeting. I am convinced that in the city of Minneapolis elders/seniors don’t exist. There is such a thing as the …
Nancy Eustis was named Volunteer of the Year at the Kenwood Senior Living, 825 Summit Ave. She has lived at The Kenwood since 1997. Eustis has volunteered throughout the community in many ways. …

Read more Living 50+

AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER

20 AWARDS FOR TMC PUBLICATIONS IN 2023

TMC Publication's three newspapers earned a total of 20 awards at this year's Better Newspaper Contest. Congrats to the winners! NEWS1) First Place, Sports Story - Eric Erickson, “Unforgettable …
Voices Against Violence
Dr. Catherine Barrett
‘Oppressive’ experience:’ 57 hearings, 80 court orders, 12 parenting time schedules
What do you do when 11 judges and referees, 20 therapists, 12 mediators, two parenting consultants (with 37 directives), one custody evaluator, and one guardian ad litem haven’t been able to …
Police officer Paul Elmstrand, officer Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth
Violence Free Minnesota issues statement on Burnsville Police and EMT domestic violence homicides
Violence Free Minnesota issued the following statement on Tuesday, Feb. 20 to call attention to the full circumstances around Shannon Cortez Gooden's murder of two police officers and an EMT in …
Christmas Eve luminary supports Domestic Abuse Project
For 25 years, the warm glow of hundreds of luminaries have lit Dupont/King’s Highway on Christmas Eve. The annual event not only brings neighbors together, but it has raised over $50,000 for …
Dani's daughter sent her teddy bear with her mom on Oct. 2, 2023. “I couldn’t stop thinking about how my daughter would take the news that her mom wasn’t coming home for a month,” said Dani.
Domestic abuse victim jailed
During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a Minnesota judge ordered a victim to jail for not forcing her daughter to see her father. Dani* was ordered to serve 30 days in jail on Oct. 2, 2023 or …
Thi Synavone works as the executive director at Standpoint. (Photo submitted)
FROM THEIR STANDPOINT
Thi Synavone came to the U.S. in 1979 as a Laotian refugee. After living in many states, her family settled in Minnesota in 1988. Synavone said that growing up, domestic and sexual violence was never …

More Voices Against Violence

Neighborhood organizations
Vasiliki Papanikolopoulos
New board members
LHiNC is thrilled to welcome eight new board members: Ben Cooper, Mikaela Casey, RoAnn Cramer (not pictured), Suzanna Mallard, Jennifer Larson-Kelso, Andy Rhode, Amy Watters and Mike Williamson. …
Neighborhood News - Dec 2024
CARITAS VOCAL ENSEMBLE SHOWS Caritas Vocal Ensemble, a Twin Cities a cappella chamber choir, kicks off its season of Musical Stories with a winter program ‘Twas the Night... The concert …
Vasiliki Papanikolopoulos
Reindeer Days Dec. 7
Join local businesses for a day of family-friendly holiday fun, with crafts, food, storytime, and more at the 43rd and Upton intersection. Reindeer Day will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 …
23 new Police Officers
Neighborhood News - Oct 2024
More meadow, less lawn The redesigned Bryn Mawr Meadows Park seeks to strike a sustainable balance between nature and recreation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony with refreshments and a park tour will be …
Neighborhood news - Sep 2024
20th ANNUAL AUTUMN BREW REVIEW Minnesota’s longest-running craft beer festival, Autumn Brew Review, will take place this year on Oct.12, 2024, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. This premier craft brew …

More from Neighborhood organizations

Opinion
Parents flood school board meeting to demand solutions to overcrowded classrooms
On Tuesday evening, Dec. 10, 2024, parents, caregivers, and teachers packed the Davis Center board room and the overflow space to voice concern over ballooning class sizes and shrinking numbers of …
Happy 3rd birthday
I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work. I haven't lived in Minneapolis for long, and your newspaper has really helped me get an idea of what's going on locally. Thank you! Kalina …
Second- and third-grade students at Centro Guadalupano’s 2024 summer camp. (Rebecca Welty/Centro Guadalupano)
Where immigrant and refugee families find peace
I received a nice, unexpected email a few weeks ago. The subject was “Quick anecdote.” I just wanted to share that one of our new after school students, who came to us after …
Journalists under fire here in America
Photojournalist Linda Tirado, 42, is dying. When she arrived in Minneapolis to cover the civil conflict after the murder of George Floyd, she had impact-resistant goggles, a respirator, and a large …
Cindy Hollister has worked in the billing department at TMC Publications since 2021.
A different way to vote
Since the age of 18, I have voted in every single general election. Since my mid-30s, I have voted in every single mid-term election. And once Minnesota switched from caucus to primary elections, I …

More Letters & Columns

HENNEPIN AVENUE
Amazing Thailand has struggled without street parking for customers in front of their building at 3024 Hennepin Ave. S., especially as they’ve shifted business to takeout, says general manager Korawan (Yin) Muangmode, second from left, shown with her brother and family, owners Dee and Kulsatreet Noree with Yindee and Sandee (age 4), and head chef Khamsouk Pathilath (left). (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Hennepin Ave design: Helpful or hurtful?
If the proposed reconstruction plan for Hennepin Ave. passes, Kristin Traynor says The Corner Balloon Shoppe will be moving from 2455 Hennepin Ave. “I have an extremely diverse group of …
Hennepin for People has drawn people together at various events to inform and educate on the project. (Photo submitted)
Hennepin for People supports city’s proposed plan for Hennepin Ave. South
As woman of color, Wedge resident Chandra Lalla says she knows how “our streets don’t serve everyone well.“For generations, city streets were built solely with car travel in mind, …
Corner of Lagoon and Hennepin, looking south, in 1938. (Minnesota Historical Society)
True progress on Hennepin requires a business plan
Small businesses are the lifeblood of any community. They provide distinctive character to a neighborhood and are the engine that drives a local economy. Without local businesses, there is no local …
COMPETITION FOR SPACE ALONG S. HENNEPIN
By Tesha M. Christensen In a one-way presentation on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, city staff acknowledged that there are competing desires for E. Hennepin Ave., and they can’t all be addressed …
BUSINESSES SUBMIT LETTER TO CITY
In all, 115 Uptown businesses collectively asked the city to conduct “a more thorough analysis, update studies and ultimately begin to incorporate the views, suggestions, and proposals of the Hennepin Avenue business community into a new plan for Hennepin Avenue that is truly inclusive for all.”
George Floyd Memorial Square
The Pedestrian Plaza concept for reconstructing 38th and Chicago creates a cul-de-sac on the 3700 block of Chicago Ave. to provide access for businesses there. It would be pedestrian only in the segment between Unity Foods and the Peoples’ Way.

Pedestrian Mall plan for George Floyd Square moves forward

By Jill Boogren On Dec. 5, 2024, the Minneapolis City Council voted to develop a pedestrian plaza at George Floyd Square. It was one of three concepts shared by the Public Works Department, who …

More articles

Web Extras - Contact us to sponsor this content
Looking for Boulder 2.0? These cities fit the bill for many remote workers.
MakeMyMove details cities that combine affordability, quality of life, and incentives to attract remote workers eager to relocate.
The 11 fastest growing small business categories of 2025
NEXT shares its list for the fastest growing small businesses of 2025 and shares findings about rising self-employment opportunities from each category.
Once properly diagnosed, thyroid disease can be treated in many ways.
Understanding Thyroid Health
(NAPSI)—An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. 1 During January, recognized as Thyroid Awareness Month, YARAL Pharma is raising awareness of thyroid disease, …
How to be the MVP of Game Day hosting
(BPT) - Gathering with friends and family to cheer on your home team makes for an unforgettable watch party. To take your "home-gating" up a notch, focus on what everyone loves — plenty of …
Take care of your vision to invest in your overall health
(BPT) - A new year is a great opportunity to develop better habits and improve your health and wellness. Perhaps that involves revamping your workout routine or investing in a skincare regimen. As …
Southwest Connector
© Copyright 2025 Southwest Connector
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions