Minneapolis City Council members approved a five-month pause on new data center development Thursday.

The moratorium does not apply to smaller data centers located downtown that are less than 350,000 square feet.

The Minneapolis City Council voted to temporarily halt new data center projects while city staff study regulations and examine concerns about environmental impacts, energy use and public safety.

The vote comes as opposition to data center projects has surfaced in communities across Minnesota.

In Elk River, Minnesota, this week, the city’s planning commission recommended against a proposal that would pave the way for a data center, despite the fact advocates said the project could generate an estimated $800,000 in additional revenue.

In Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, a packed city council meeting erupted in boos after officials delayed a final vote on a proposed data center. The vote is now scheduled for Friday.

The issue has drawn strong opinions in Minneapolis.

At a Minneapolis committee meeting last week, a vocal majority spoke out in favor of the pause. Labor groups highlighted the construction jobs data centers can provide, while residents raised concerns about neighborhood impacts and whether the facilities would benefit local communities.

Councilmember Soren Stevenson said residents throughout Minneapolis have been clear in their opposition to additional data center development.

“My constituents and people from across this city are so, so clear that they don’t want data centers at all,” Stevenson said.

Supporters of the moratorium said the temporary pause will give city officials time to study the industry and develop regulations before additional projects move forward.

Council Member Aurin Chowdhury argued that data centers have had disproportionate impacts.

“That industry has shown over and over again negative impacts, especially in communities of color and communities that have been impacted by environmental injustice,” Chowdhury said.

Opponents of the pause warned the move could discourage future investment in Minneapolis and send the wrong message to businesses considering projects in the city.

Councilmember Linea Palmisano said the moratorium could undermine efforts to attract economic development at a time when residents are facing higher property taxes.

“We send a message to the business community that they aren’t important or supported by this council,” Palmisano said. “We send the message that we don’t want their investment.”

The measure now heads to Mayor Jacob Frey, who plans to spend the next several days reviewing the ordinance before deciding whether to sign it, a spokesperson said.

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — An Indiana Gulf War veteran on Thursday said a special American Legion challenge shows there is nothing Americans can’t do as a team.

Ron Patterson served in the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Desert Storm and is now the commander of the Indiana Department of the American Legion. For the past few months, he has been marching toward a total of 250 miles while wearing the infantry backpack he carried in the Army, adding weight each time. He said it’s his contribution to the American Legion’s national USA 250 Challenge.

“The thing I dreaded the most (when I was in the military) was the ruck march,” he said. “There’s a lot of pain when you do a ruck march. It made me think about the pain that our veterans with children in the household, if they’re struggling financially, what kind of pain are they going through? So this ruck, the pain that I feel in my shoulders, kind of reminds me of the service of people before me and the service of the people who are going to come after me.”

Launched last July, the USA 250 Challenge involves activities centered around physical fitness, mental wellness and community service. Donations support the Legion’s Veterans & Children Foundation, which provides one-time financial help to veterans who have children and are facing difficulty meeting basic needs. Patterson said he has already exceeded his personal goal of raising $20,000 for the foundation.

On Thursday afternoon, News 8 accompanied Patterson as he completed the final mile of his ruck march challenge, with an additional 22 pounds of weight added to represent the 22 veterans who die by suicide every day. Patterson’s route took him from the Legion’s Indiana Department headquarters into a neighborhood that was once home to officers’ housing when Fort Benjamin Harrison was still active.

Besides the monetary donations, Patterson said he has recruited new members for the Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion.

“Some of the great things I learned on the USA 250 Challenge, people are interested in what you’re doing,” he said. “When you’re engaging people like that, they’re genuinely interested in what you do and what the American Legion does.”

As America’s semiquincentennial nears and participants complete challenges, he said he wants Americans to understand just how truly exceptional this country is.

“America is a strong, amazing country. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we work together as a team,” he said. “So I feel that this Legion USA 250 really brought the Legion back together to work as a team to accomplish great goals.”

Patterson said the challenge runs through Independence Day, so you still have time to donate or to complete your own USA 250 Challenge.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The man wanted for the 2024 murder of a Northeast Ohio rapper in Cleveland, was arrested Thursday by members of the U.S. Marshals led Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.

The U.S. Marshals said Steven Smith, 27, was taken into custody at a home in the 15900 block of Invermere Ave. in Cleveland.

Smith is accused of fatally shooting Carlos Banks, 28, on Dec. 29. 2024 inside an apartment at 5115 The Rising.

This is in the city’s Slavic Village neighborhood.

Cleveland EMS pronounced Banks dead at the scene.

Also known by stage name KashBankx, the 28-year-old had amassed thousands of social media followers with his rap career.

19 News previously spoke with community journalist Jaylyn King who says he’s interviewed Banks multiple times about his music career.

“Normally Cleveland has a set sound that’s really repetitive,’ said King. “He (Banks) was one that stood out and was very different than other artists”.

“This is big because he touched and influenced so many people,” said King “Even outside of music”.