Minneapolis, MN
City leaders seek public feedback to fight opioid epidemic
City leaders seek public feedback to fight opioid epidemic
Community and city leaders are asking for the community’s help to fight the opioid crisis.
During a panel and Q&A discussion, leaders highlighted successes but also talked about where there could be improvement.
The pastor at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis spoke about free Narcan and Fentanyl strips being just some of the tools they offer to help treat and prevent drug overdose.
Minneapolis Fire Chief Brian Tyner highlighted programs including Safe Stations, which is set up in Fire Station 14. Tyner says it’s a place where people can sign up for treatment options and get wraparound services to assist with their recoveries.
“It’s bad. It is devastating. It seems like we’re seeing more and more overdoses every year and I don’t want to say there’s no end in sight. I do believe there’s an end in sight, but we definitely have a lot more work to do before I think we see the improvements,” Tyner said.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, from 2019 to 2022, opioid-involved drug overdose deaths jumped 43%.
Deputy Commissioner of Health for the City of Minneapolis, Heidi Ritchie, says right now they’re focused on gathering community feedback to come up with recommendations on how to use the $18 million of opioid settlement fund the city will receive over 18 years.
Ritchie says so far, the city has allocated $350,000 to focus on youth and another $150,000 on underserved communities.
“It’s devastating and the settlement funds that cities are receiving are not near enough to mitigate the pain and devastation and heartbreak that has been caused by this epidemic,” said Ritchie.
To provide feedback on how the opioid settlement fund, click here.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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