Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis smokers to pay some of the highest cigarette prices in US with a $15 per-pack minimum
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Smokers in Minneapolis will pay some of the highest cigarette prices in the country after the City Council voted unanimously Thursday to impose a minimum retail price of $15 per pack to promote public health.
The ordinance not only sets a floor price. It prevents smokers and retailers from getting around it by prohibiting price discounts and coupons, which several tobacco companies circulate online to lure customers and reinforce brand loyalty. The minimum price also applies to four-packs of cigars. Distribution of free samples is prohibited.
Consumer prices are expected to run even higher after taxes are figured in. While retailers will get to keep the extra money paid by smokers, the higher prices are expected to snuff out at least some of their sales. E-cigarettes, which have grown in popularity, were left out because their prices vary too widely.
The minimum price will be effective as soon as Mayor Jacob Frey signs the measure, which he’s expected to do within the next few days.
Evalyn Carbrey, a senior public health specialist with the city, said at a committee hearing last week that staff research indicates that Minneapolis’ minimum will be the highest in the country. Staff determined that cigarettes typically had been selling in Minneapolis for $11 to $13.50 a pack. The change puts Minneapolis ahead of New York City, which set its minimum at $13 in 2018.
“I’m excited that this council is taking this public health crisis seriously because that’s what it is,” said the author of the ordinance, Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw.
Council President Andrea Jenkins said the price of cigarettes was one reason why she quit smoking eight years ago, and that she hopes the new minimum will encourage more people to stop or never start.
“If you travel around the country, New York City — you can’t buy your pack of cigarettes for under $18. Chicago, $17. Some places, Los Angeles, I think they’re up to 20 bucks,” Jenkins said.
Penalties will range from a $500 fine for a first violation to license suspensions and revocations for repeat offenders.
“If it helps even one person stop using tobacco, one person use less tobacco, or one person stopped from starting tobacco use, that’s worth it to me,” Council Member Linea Palmisano said. “I know it’s easy for me to sit up here and say that, as a nonsmoker, but it’s the truth. The only way we’re going to break our dependence on tobacco is if we make some really hard changes.”
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MINNEAPOLIS (WJON News) — A popular Broadway show will be hitting a Minnesota stage this fall. Mamma Mia! will jump-start the Broadway on Hennepin series at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis from September 15th to the 20th.
Mamma Mia! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages.
The 25th Anniversary production of Mamma Mia! made its return to Broadway last year for a limited run at the Winter Garden Theatre, where it got its start. The show also had a record-setting 14-year run on Broadway and toured from 2000 to 2017 with four different touring companies.
Mamma Mia! has grossed over $7 billion at the box office.
It inspired the blockbuster smash starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Amanda Seyfried as well. The 2018 follow-up, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the most successful live musical movie sequel of all time.
Mamma Mia! is written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd with choreography by Anthony Van Laast. Tickets for the show go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.
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A child was seriously injured after a car hit them in an alley in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.
Minneapolis police say a child was playing in an alley near 29th Avenue North and Lyndale Avenue North around 11:30 a.m. when a car hit them. The child was brought to the hospital with potentially-life-threatening injuries, police added.
The child’s age was not released by law enforcement.
The driver of the car stayed at the scene and is cooperating with law enforcement, Minneapolis police said.
There have been no arrests at this time.
A Minneapolis man is behind bars after stabbing a woman early Saturday morning.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, officers responded to a stabbing around 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of W 24th St. and Pillsbury Avenue. Officers found an adult woman with a non-life-threatening injury consistent with an edged blade.
Authorities said a man known to the woman stabbed her after a verbal argument escalated.
Police arrested a 49-year-old man and is currently at the Hennepin County Jail, pending a second-degree domestic assault charge.
Police said no one else was hurt. The case remains under investigation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
Other organizations that can help include:
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.
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