Opinion | Southwest Connector

Michelle Krueger and family enjoy hosting exchange students through International Cultural Exchange Services. They’re looking for host families for next year. (Photo submitted)

Hosting exchange students is an enriching experience

This fall, our family will host Marilys, an exchange student from France, as our youngest daughter will be a sophomore at Southwest High School. We are so excited as a few years back, we hosted Lola, … more

6/20/24

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.

Robert Everest: on being a local artist

I met Robert Everest on a beautiful Thursday evening in Linden Hills last month. He’d just finished singing an exquisite bolero for the diners and dog walkers, and then he piqued my … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 6/20/24

Finding Moses Dickson: The untold story of Minnesota and the Underground Railroad

I am sharing exciting news about Karen Sieber, historian, educator, and leader in public humanities this month. She has discovered a missing chapter in Minnesota’s history about our … more

By Dr. Artika Tyner, dr.artikatyner@gmail.com | 6/12/24

Don’t fall for 'The Fall of Minneapolis'

In November 2023, Alpha News released a program by former local news anchor Liz Collin called “The Fall of Minneapolis.” In the hour and 42-minute documentary, interviews with (mostly) … more

By Jill Boogren | 5/30/24 | 1 comment

Metro Transit bus driving on 1st Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. (weston m/Unsplash)

The power of cooperation

Our brain grows every time we make a mistake. Really, it's science . In that case, the world should be filled with geniuses at every turn. So why does it feel like we're surrounded by a … more

By Eric Ortiz | 5/15/24

Donald L. Hammen is a longtime south Minneapolis resident, and serves on the All Elders United for Justice steering committee.

Potential rift and retirement

IS THERE A RIFT BETWEEN THE MINNEAPOLIS REGIONAL RETIREES COUNCIL (AFL-CIO) AND ALL ELDERS UNITED FOR JUSTICE? “Building power through unity: All Elders United for Justice aims to bring … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 5/15/24

Dean Ridings is the CEO of America’s Newspapers. On behalf of its approximately 1,700 newspaper and Solutions Partner companies, America’s Newspapers is committed to explaining, defending and advancing the vital role of newspapers in democracy and civil life. They put an emphasis on educating the public on all the ways newspapers contribute to building a community identity and the success of local businesses. Learn more: newspapers.org.

Congress must follow New York’s lead

The state of New York, led by a powerful coalition of local publishers, has just approved game-changing legislation in the fight to preserve local news outlets and community journalism. By including … more

By Dean Ridings | 5/15/24

MINNESOTA BILL THREATENS SMALL NEWSPAPERS LIKE US

A proposal to create a statewide recycling program financed by paper and packaging producers is included in the House & Senate Environment Omnibus bills (HF 3911/ SF 3887). However, unless there … more

By Dean Ridings | 5/15/24

The problem of rising homelessness

Is homelessness a bad thing? In our community, yes, it is. As a student in Minneapolis, I see homeless people every day on my way to school. I see encampments and officers forcibly … more

5/15/24

Michele Rae, RPh, MA, NBC-HWC is the founder of The Center Within, LLC and author of “Living From the Center Within: Co-Creating Who You Are Becoming.” She provides holistic coaching designed to accelerate and support personal, professional, and organizational transformation.

What values support community health?

When was the last time you reflected on your personal and our community values? Values are principles we care about that guide our behavior. Aligning our personal and community values with our … more

By Michele Rae | 5/15/24

TMC Publications CO is a small, family-run business. Here is owner Tesha M. Christensen with her two kiddos.

Bill will hurt small newspapers like us

A proposal to create a statewide recycling program financed by paper and packaging producers is included in the House & Senate Environment Omnibus bills (HF 3911/ SF 3887). However, unless there … more

5/6/24

Minneapolis students at a community solutions event organized by the Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation

We need to make kids America's top priority

It's hard to get a consensus on anything in the United States these days. But one issue unites the whole country. According to " The State of Kids and Families in America 2024 ," a report from … more

By Eric Ortiz | 4/17/24

Encounters and conversations

So far in 2024, I have been showing up for more meetings and events in-person or via Zoom. In person showing up has been enabled by three factors. 1) The mild winter weather enabling me to be out and … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 4/17/24

Letters - Apr 2024

Thanks for your coverage Thanks to Cam Gordon for his coverage of the March 2 rally on Lyndale Avenue, and the contrasting viewpoints of the two participating groups on the reconstruction … more

4/17/24

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

By Larry LaVercombe | 4/17/24

Mercado Central, the Latino marketplace at the corner of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis.

Mercado Central keeps teaching community ‘How to buy the pond’

Mexico City is 2,106 miles from Minneapolis. But you don't have to travel that far to experience authentic Latino culture. The Mercado Central , or Central Market, is a few minutes from any … more

By Eric Ortiz | 3/26/24

Prior to starting Ambit, Chuck was a Big Four Consulting Manager in the Data & Digital Trust practice advising the Big Tech industry through the dynamic internet regulatory landscape to create safer digital experiences for everyone.

Engaging the next generation of news consumers

Social media and the internet have fundamentally disrupted how news is consumed and how that news is monetized. News consumers are increasingly reading their news on social sites, enabling social … more

By Chuck Peters | 3/20/24

Weighing in on legislation

Dear Reader, you have continued to tell me your Medicare stories via tesha@tmcpub.com . A Southwest Connector reader, Judy M., has written to tell me her Medicare Advantage story and her … more

By Donald L. Hammen | 3/20/24

We’ve set our priorities in Ward 7 office

I am thrilled to be writing in after my first two months in office, a period during which my new team has come together and jumped right into the work, learning the ins and outs of the city … more

By Katie Cashman | 3/20/24

Letters - Mar 2024

We like ucare medicare advantage plan Read your column in the Southwest Connector on Medicare Advantage plans. Would like to point out the following: Medicare … more

3/20/24