Minneapolis, MN

Do you qualify for free lead pipe replacement in Mpls.?

Published

1 year ago

January 1, 2025

Do you qualify for free lead pipe replacement in Mpls.?

When Minneapolis resident Jamie Laudert took her two sons for a routine checkup nearly two years ago, she was shocked to learn both her 2-year-old, Leo, and 1-year-old, Dario, had tested positive for elevated lead in their blood.

After the positive tests, officials from Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis stepped in to help Laudert find and get rid of the lead in her more than 100-year-old home. That meant replacing their windows, putting new treads on the basement stairs, and scraping, then repainting, chipping paint on their porch.

“We never would have been able to afford all of the things that they gave us, and if we tried to do it ourselves, it would have taken us many years to get this work done,” Laudert said during an October 22 news conference in front of her home, where the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development presented city officials with a $6.7 million check for work to mitigate lead exposure. “So we are so incredibly grateful.”

Thanks to an infusion of state and federal funding, Minneapolis is in the midst of a massive effort to remove lead from residential homes, which includes replacing lead service lines at 40,000 homes in the next decade.

The city has completed an inventory of all water service lines in Minneapolis, and letters went out to homeowners with lead service lines in mid-November. The city plans to replace 400 service lines — free of charge to homeowners — by the end of 2024, and another 1,000 in 2025.

If you live in an older Minneapolis home, here’s how you get it inspected:

How does lead show up in homes?

About 80% of homes in Minneapolis were built before 1978, when the federal government banned the use of lead-based paint.

The presence of lead paint itself is not a hazard, said Alex Vollmer, manager of the city’s Lead and Healthy Homes program, in an interview. But the deterioration of the paint through normal wear and tear, like walking on a floor or opening and closing windows, can create dust, which when ingested by a child can, in turn, cause elevated blood lead levels.

“That’s kind of been the historical standard for identifying lead based paint hazards at properties and in performing more abatement,” Vollmer said.

Minneapolis resident Jamie Laudert, whose kids tested positive for elevated blood lead levels, speaks to reporters during a news conference in front of her home on Oct. 22. Credit: Mohamed Ibrahim | Sahan Journal

Aging water infrastructure has also been a focus for the city, as hundreds of water service lines — the pipes that connect the city’s water main to the meter inside a resident’s property — are made of lead and need to be replaced. The service lines could contaminate a resident’s drinking water and expose them to lead.

Nationally, the cost of replacing an aging service line ranges from $1,200 to $12,300, according to estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency.

What does lead poisoning look like?

Lead poisoning in children and pregnant people can cause damage to the brain and nervous system but doesn’t show immediate outward symptoms, making it nearly impossible to detect without a blood test.

Despite federal regulations, the Legislature passed the Minnesota Lead Poisoning Prevention Act to further prevent and reduce lead exposure to children and pregnant people. The current threshold for elevated blood lead levels is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, which is down from 5 in 2014 and 10 in 2008.

In 2023, there were more than 100 cases of lead poisoning in Hennepin County, said Amy Waller, a public health nurse with the county, during the news conference on Oct. 22.

When children are found to have elevated blood levels, parents are given education on nutrition and assistance monitoring children’s development going forward.

“Lead is very dangerous, but lead poisoning is preventable,” Waller said. “Learn what lead paint looks like. We want to be using these resources before children are lead poisoned.”

How does lead abatement work?

Lead abatement, or the process of removing lead from a home, starts with an inspection including tests of a home’s high-contact painted surfaces, such as windows, porches, floors, doors and stairs.

The process of identifying the source of lead could take a few days, then a consultation determines how long the work will take, and whether families can remain in the home during the process.

As of October, Vollmer’s department has held 19 lead education events in communities around the city. At those events, 265 children were tested for blood lead levels in partnership with the Sustainable Resources Center’s Leadie Eddie mobile testing van.

Since 2022, the Lead and Healthy Homes program has proactively inspected more than 750 homes citywide, and found that more than 600 of them had lead paint hazards. In that same timeframe, the team has spent $3.2 million on contracted services that focused on replacing windows, doors and stair treads.

How can I get my home inspected?

Vollmer said the program uses a number of pathways to engage families. The first is a diagnosis of elevated blood lead levels in a child. The city also has an “open enrollment” option where homeowners can ask for inspections.

The Lead and Healthy Homes program has three grants to fund renovation efforts, all with different eligibility rules based on family income, the age of the home and whether a child lives there, among other factors.

City staff also table at community events and doorknock in priority neighborhoods, or neighborhoods that have more children with elevated blood lead levels, based on state data and data collected by the city.

“We don’t want our children to be used as lead detectors, and we want to make sure that all houses in Minneapolis are safe,” Vollmer said at the news conference. “We believe that affordable housing should not be substandard housing, so we want to provide Minneapolis property owners and residents with tools to make sure that they can keep their family safe.”

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Minneapolis, MN

ICE at US airports: No sign of agents at MSP

Published

4 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

ICE at US airports: No sign of agents at MSP

ICE at airports on Monday: No sign of agents at MSP

There are no signs of ICE agents at MSP Airport on Monday morning. ICE is being sent to some airports to help TSA during the partial government shutdown, which has led to long lines to get through airport security.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – ICE agents are set to assist TSA officers at airports nationwide due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown.

However, it remains unclear whether Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will be among the locations receiving additional personnel.

ICE agents to assist TSA at airports

What we know:

The decision to deploy ICE agents comes as TSA officers have been working without pay for more than a month, leading to widespread staffing challenges. Hundreds of TSA employees have reportedly resigned, while others have called in sick, contributing to long security lines during the busy spring break travel season.

Federal officials say ICE agents will not replace TSA officers but would likely assist with certain tasks, such as monitoring exit lanes or checking passenger identification. The goal is to free up trained TSA officers to focus on more specialized duties like X-ray screening.

The Department of Homeland Security has not released a list of airports that will receive ICE support. In a statement Monday, the agency said in part, “President Trump is using every tool available to help American travelers who are facing hours-long lines at airports across the country.”

Security at MSP Airport

Local perspective:

At the MSP airport, operations appeared to be running smoothly. However, some passengers are skeptical about the effectiveness of using ICE agents. “Yeah, not a fan of that, I don’t think it will make the situation any better,” said a couple.

MSP officials would not confirm or deny if ICE agents would be deployed locally, but emphasized that wait times at MSP have remained relatively low.

“During the partial government shutdown, wait times have consistently remained under 30 minutes at MSP Airport, despite heavy spring break travel. The relatively low wait times are a testament to the commitment of the local TSA team,” a statement read. “We’re grateful for the TSA’s continued service to maintain smooth and secure travel for MSP passengers.”

What we don’t know:

It’s still unclear how many ICE agents will be deployed or which locations will be impacted.

The Source: This story uses statements from DHS and MSP Airport officials.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International AirportTravelTravel News

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Minneapolis, MN

Heartbreak in Minneapolis: Ole Miss Falls to Minnesota 65-63 in Final Seconds – The Rebel Walk

Published

16 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Heartbreak in Minneapolis: Ole Miss Falls to Minnesota 65-63 in Final Seconds – The Rebel Walk

MINNEAPOLIS — Ole Miss women’s basketball had the type of game expected against Minnesota in a NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game — on the opponent’s home court. As anticipated, Sunday’s contest was a low-scoring game with big momentum swings, decisive moments and a large, loud crowd. Sure enough, it came down to last second — the final .8 to be exact — and within mere inches of being an epic moment in Ole Miss’ history. Alas, it’ll go into Minnesota’s history books as a 65-63 victory.

First Half

With both teams being so strong on defense, the expectation that this game would be a defensive battle was indeed correct.

Both sides had a combined 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and each forced the other’s offense into several awkward possessions. Ole Miss had two fewer turnovers but spent most of the half trailing the Gophers.

Having star player Cotie McMahon on the sideline for most of the first quarter with two fouls didn’t help the Rebels’ offensive struggles. In the first half, she played just ten minutes of the 20. Half. That’s it.

After the game, Coach Yo talked about what it meant to have her out for what ended up being almost 20 minutes of the 40-minute game.

“I was in the locker room, just thinking about other star players on teams. I haven’t seen them foul out in a March Madness game. Paige, Caitlin…I just haven’t seen the best players get fouled out. From my point of view, the last call was incorrect We watched it 1500 times. One of the things I do understand is officials are human….I don’t think that is why we lost the game. I just know that Cotie is the leading scorer, the Newcomer of the Year, all the things — and she plays 20 minutes (of the game). It’s disappointing because these fans deserved more than that, the game deserves more than that. I just feel officiating as a whole needs to be looked at. I’m not just talking about this game..”

Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin

Minnesota ended the first quarter on a 15-6 run while McMahon was on the bench.

The Gophers shot 50% from the field in the first two quarters, including 4-for-6 on three-pointers. One of those threes was a halfcourt, buzzer-beater that gave them a five-point lead.

The second quarter was better for the Rebels, but even McMahon’s return to action couldn’t help fully close the gap. Several trips to the charity stripe (10-of-12) helped make the deficit just three points at halftime.

Second Half

McMahon’s foul trouble ended up being very costly.

Ole Miss had its chances in the final four minutes after McMahon fouled out of the game with the Rebels leading 59-54. She was a big reason, when in the game, Ole Miss played more like its usual “dictate and disrupt” style, going fast, forcing turnovers and getting to the foul line.The Gophers were the ones who looked out-of-sync. But once McMahon left, so did a key part of the Rebels’ offense.

Minnesota ended the game on an 11-4 run — yet only regained the lead back with 14.2 seconds remaining in the game.

Ole Miss had its chance and they nearly won the game that would have sent them to the Sweet 16.

Latasha Lattimore’s baseline drive for a layup was well drawn up and executed even better. However, it left 3.2 seconds on the clock which was more than enough time for the Gophers to inbound, dribble a few steps and drain the game-winning bucket.

Even then, Ole Miss wasn’t beaten. With 0.8 seconds on the clock, the Rebels drew up another play that gave Tianna Thompson a good look for a three. The shot, though, bounced off the front of the rim and the season comes to an end with the 65-63 loss.

Give Coach Yo’s Rebels credit. They never quit. When the regular season ended with a four-game losing streak and everyone had written them off, they dominated at the SEC Tournament, easily handling Gonzaga in the first round and come up just inches short of another Sweet 16 trip.

Team 51 didn’t achieve all of its goals, but it should be proud of the season it had and look towards a bright future for this program.

Ole Miss Leaders vs. Minnesota

Points: Sira Thienou, 18
Rebounds: Christeen Iwuala, 6
Assists: Cotie McMahon, 4

Next Up

The NCAA transfer portal opens April 6 for 15 days. With seven seniors on the current roster, look for Coach Yo to be very active — and very successful — yet again. Of course the Rebels do have some very talented players — like sophomores Sira Thienou and Tianna Thompson — who will be anchors for Team 52.

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com

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