Midwest

Minnesota bridge on verge of collapsing following torrential rain, flooding

Published

2 years ago

July 5, 2024

Minnesota bridge on verge of collapsing following torrential rain, flooding

A bridge near a Minnesota dam is on the verge of crumbling into the Blue Earth River following a barrage of heavy rain and flooding.

The County Road 9 bridge, a roughly 40-year-old bridge near the Minnesota city of Mankato, may topple over if the weather doesn’t subside to allow proper structural reinforcements to take place.

Heavy rain and flooding have pummeled the Midwest for days with Blue Earth River’s water levels rising dramatically, testing the structural integrity of the Rapidan Dam.

SECTION OF HOME FALLS INTO RAGING RIVER AFTER MINNESOTA DAM PARTIALLY FAILS, VIDEO SHOWS

The County Road 9 bridge, left, and the Rapidan Dam, right. The bridge is in danger of collapsing, officials say. (Michael Goldberg/AP)

The dam has already suffered a partial failure, which resulted in a house along the Blue Earth River near the dam falling into the river, and the dam store nearby being demolished. The Rapidan Dam is located about 14 miles south of Mankato in Southern Minnesota.

“Unfortunately, we’re at the mercy of Mother Nature at this point,” Ryan Thilges, the public works director for Blue Earth County told reporters Tuesday. He was flanked by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other officials who went to the dam to get an update on flood conditions and recovery efforts.

Thilges said that the bridge’s piers are piled through sediment and sit atop of sandstone bedrock, and not driven into the bedrock. The gushing water has washed some of the sediment away, putting the bridge’s stability at risk.

“All of the lateral stability for the piling was achieved through the sediment that was in place, that had been impounded in the river basin over the life of the dam,” Thilges said.

“So as we’re seeing dramatic levels of river head cutting, as the river’s lowering itself down and washing away tremendous amounts of sediment, we’re losing stability.”

He said the water is flowing too fast to take measurements of the sediment in the river or at the pier. Locals use the bridge to commute across the dam from rural patches of land to nearby towns.

MINNESOTA AMUSEMENT PARK STAYS OPEN WHILE CLOSING POPULAR RIDES AFTER UNPRECEDENTED FLOODING

Floodwater going around the Rapidan Dam on June 27, 2024, near Mankato, Minn. (Mark Vancleave/AP)

“Right now, again, we believe it’s approximately 50 percent exposed. And as the river level continues to decrease and cut the riverbed elevation down, we’re very concerned about the potential for partial or full failure of the bridge,” Thilges said. “With that being said, the bridge has been closed since the dam began to overtop Monday morning and we’ll continue to keep it closed for public safety.”

Officials say they began shoring up the west pier of the County Road 9 bridge last week with loose stones — known as rip rap — as an emergency mitigation strategy to avoid further exposure at the base of the pier. The riprap remains in place and the bridge remains closed as officials continue to monitor it for stability.

Walz said he fears the bridge will collapse and will need to be replaced. He gave locals assurances that it would be built back should the worst case scenario come to pass.

“The one thing I think Minnesotans should be reassured about… we will rebuild. The cost will be shared by all of us,” Walz said. “So, the burden will not fall on these county commissioners.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, left, speaks to Blue Earth County Public Works Director Ryan Thilges (Michael Goldberg/AP)

Last week, the governor’s office announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a federal disaster declaration for 22 counties in Minnesota impacted by flooding. State funding provided by the Minnesota Legislature will also be provided to help communities, Fox 9 reports.

The dam partially failed after heavy rain last week pushed water around the west side of the structure instead of through the gates of the dam.

Construction of the Rapidan Dam was finished in 1910. While it was built to generate electricity, it has been damaged by several rounds of flooding in recent decades. An April 2023 assessment conducted by the National Inventory of Dams found Rapidan to be in poor condition, and officials have been studying the possibility of removing it.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated for accuracy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.

You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.

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Detroit, MI

Rapper Tee Grizzley plans mixed-use apartment project in Brush Park

Published

25 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Rapper Tee Grizzley plans mixed-use apartment project in Brush Park

A new mixed-use, mixed-income apartment building proposed for Detroit’s Brush Park is expected to bring 37 units of housing to the neighborhood, according to the project’s lead developer.

The $12 million project at 205 Watson St., known as Wallace Estates, is owned by Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley, whose legal name is Terry Wallace. The 30,000-square-foot development is expected to go before the Detroit Historic District Commission on Wednesday for review. Because the quarter-acre site sits within a historic district, the commission must approve elements such as windows, brickwork, facade materials and other architectural features.

Wallace Estates is planned to be a five-story building with the residential units across the first four floors. The ground floor is expected to include a lobby, a walk-up apartment, commercial space and tuck-under parking. A partial fifth floor will house indoor and outdoor amenities for residents. The building is designed with a masonry facade and large, offset windows, according to the project application.

“Detroit raised me — I’m a west side kid, and I’m passionate about bringing mixed-income housing to my city,” Wallace said in a statement Thursday. “The 205 Watson project is about building safe, quality housing for everybody; that respects longtime residents and welcomes new neighbors — building opportunity without pushing people out.”

The project was the winning bid of a City of Detroit request for proposals for the site, said Nevan Shokar, principal of Shokar Group and the day-to-day development lead. McIntosh Poris Architects is the designer.

“It’s an infill site that’s bringing high-quality housing, both for affordable and market-rate renters,” Shokar said. “And I think it complements the neighborhood nicely with the brick aesthetic, as well as the brass inlays in the windows.”

Construction could begin this summer and be finished in 18 months, Shokar said, placing completion at late 2027.

Wallace Estates will join a wave of new residential development in Brush Park, a neighborhood that has seen nearly a decade of revitalization. Last summer, Bedrock celebrated the completion of City Modern, a nearly 10-year effort to transform a once-neglected area of the historic district.

Shokar said the building would primarily include studios and one-bedroom units, with a few two-bedroom apartments. About 20% of the units will be designated affordable at 80% of area median income, with the remainder rented at market rates.

“The highest demand that you have within this neighborhood and across the city as a whole, is to produce more studio and one-bedroom units,” Shokar said. “The two-bedroom units sometimes and larger sometimes have a hard time filling up, leasing up within buildings, and that’s why you typically see units generally smaller in size.”

Shokar said estimated rents for the new building could range from $1,800 per month for a 450-square-foot studio to $2,700 per month for an 800-square-foot two-bedroom unit.

Shokar said the team will pursue incentives including a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax abatement and a housing tax increment financing package.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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Milwaukee, WI

Illegal dumping plagues closed Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save

Published

1 hour ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Illegal dumping plagues closed Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save

Illegal dumping plagues closed Pick ‘n Save

Neighbors say since a Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save at 35th and North closed in 2025, the parking lot has been filling up, but not with cars or people. It has been attracting illegal dumpers.

MILWAUKEE – Neighbors say since the Milwaukee Pick ‘n Save at 35th and North closed in 2025, the parking lot has been filling up, but not with cars or people. It has been attracting illegal dumpers.

Trash piling up

What we know:

There are old mattresses and furniture in the parking lot. There are piles of garbage at the entrance of the old grocery store. Behind the building, there are tires, more mattresses and more trash.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

The Pick ‘n Save stores closed in July 2025. Since then, the building has sat empty.

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FOX6 News was contacted by a man who manages senior and family housing in the area. He said in the last couple of months, he has noticed the stile turn into a place for illegal dumping. The man said he was so fed up, he called the office of Milwaukee Alderman Russell Stamper about the problem. The man said the whole site is an eyesore, and something needs to change.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

Change sought

What they’re saying:

“As the snow melts, it’s full of garbage. People are dumping furniture on it, tires,” said Jeffrey Sessions, who manages nearby property. “If you drive around it, it’s garbage everywhere. It’s unsightly for the neighborhood, and it’s probably going to create rats and mice problems.”

FOX6 News reached out to the Department of Neighborhood Services. Officials said the dumping has not been reported. They said the department’s commercial team will now be made aware of the issue.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

“It makes the whole neighborhood look like garbage, like nobody’s taking care of anything around here,” Sessions said. “It’s a detriment, it’s unsightly, and it needs to be addressed.”

Illegal dumpers could face fines

Dig deeper:

If the dumpers are caught on camera, they could face fines.

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The owner of the property may also be ordered to clean it up.

Illegal dumping at former grocery store near 35th and North, Milwaukee

The Source: Information in this post was provided by a person who owns property near the former grocery store, as well as Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis City Council votes to extend eviction notice period

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis City Council votes to extend eviction notice period

March 5, 2026 / 2:10 PM CST
/ CBS Minnesota

The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday voted to temporarily extend the eviction notice period for renters in an effort to help support residents impacted by Operation Metro Surge.

Under the ordinance, which was approved 7-5, landlords would need to wait 60 days — not the typical 30 — before bringing an eviction notice to a renter. If approved by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, the 60-day requirement would stay in effect until Aug. 31.

Supporters of the ordinance said Operation Metro Surge left residents out of work and relying on mutual aid networks to pay rent.

“Preventing eviction is always more cost-effective than trying to re-house someone who has been evicted,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley, who represents Ward 2.

Wonsley, alongside members Elliott Payne, Jamal Osman, Aisha Chughtai, Soren Stevenson, Jason Chavez and Aurin Chowdhury voted in favor of the resolution. Council member Jamison Whiting abstained from voting.

The city estimates Operation Metro Surge led to an additional $15.7 million in monthly need for rental support. Last month, council members approved $1 million in rental assistance for Hennepin County to help families impacted by the surge.