Minneapolis, MN

Hundreds take to Minneapolis streets in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza

Published

1 month ago

October 7, 2024

Hundreds take to Minneapolis streets in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza

MINNEAPOLIS — Hundreds of demonstrators hit the streets of downtown Minneapolis on Sunday to rally against Israel’s war in Gaza, a day before Israel marks one year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

“I thought last year would be a trend, people would stop caring, and that’s not true,” said Maysoon Wazwaz with American Muslims for Palestine.

Meredith Aby with the Anti-War Committee says she’s concerned about the U.S. sending weapons to Israel in a conflict that’s now left tens of thousands dead in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.

“I do know that the places that I’ve visited in Gaza have been destroyed,” Aby said.

WCCO

In August, the State Department announced the U.S. approval of $20 billion in weapons, fighter jets and missiles for Israel over the next several years.

“We really feel like Israel would not be able to get away with this genocide if the United States, in particular the Biden administration, wasn’t sending all these weapons,” Aby said.

Here at home, Aby says people in Minneapolis are worried about their family members in the Middle East, in a conflict that’s now expanded to Lebanon.

“They’re very concerned about whether or not their grandmother, their brother, their sister, their aunt, their uncle are going to be even living tomorrow,” Aby said.

Aby says they won’t rest until the U.S. completely divests from Israel.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced on Saturday that extra patrols will be deployed at the city’s synagogues ahead of the Jewish holy days and the commemoration of the Oct. 7 attacks in the aftermath of terroristic threats made against Temple Israel.

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis townhome fire leaves 5 displaced

Published

7 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Minneapolis townhome fire leaves 5 displaced

article

The townhomes that caught fire Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A fire at a Minneapolis townhome left five people displaced Saturday afternoon.

What we know

According to the Minneapolis Fire Department (MFD), just after 4 p.m., fire crews responded to residential townhomes in the 300 block of 17th Avenue Northeast on reports of smoke and fire on the roof of the building.

Once at the scene, fire crews found the fire on the roof and evacuated a construction crew from the roof. They then worked to extinguish the fire.

Firefighters learned the fire had extended from the roof into the attic of two of the residential units in the building, and all the residents of the townhome on fire and all adjacent townhomes were evacuated.

A second alarm was called on the fire for extra help and equipment to combat the fire, officials said. At one point, firefighters had to open the interior ceiling of both units on fire to extinguish it.

No injuries were reported, and one cat was rescued unharmed, authorities said. Four residential units were deemed uninhabitable, and five people were displaced.

The Red Cross was called in to assist those who were displaced.

What we don’t know

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Minneapolis, MN

Medcalf: Minneapolis man who spent years in prison after wrongful conviction deserves full compensation

Published

14 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Medcalf: Minneapolis man who spent years in prison after wrongful conviction deserves full compensation

While the headlines about the lawsuit discussed the crux of Haynes’ claim, it’s also important to understand the totality of his request from the actual lawsuit, which calls his wrongful conviction “an egregious miscarriage of justice. “

“Claimant Marvin Haynes spent nearly two decades wrongfully incarcerated for a murder and assault he did not commit. He was wrongfully arrested as a teenager of only sixteen years old, later thrust into life-threatening conditions in adult prison, and robbed of the formative years of his youth and young adulthood,” the lawsuit states. “Mr. Haynes was finally exonerated and released at the age of thirty-six. During his wrongful incarceration, Mr. Haynes lost the opportunity to graduate high school alongside his peers, to see his maternal grandparents — with whom he had a close relationship — before they passed away, and to spend valuable years with his mother before a stroke rendered her unable to speak or care for herself. During the years when most teenagers find their independence and define their sense of self, Mr. Haynes was forced to spend his days worrying about his safety and fighting to prove his innocence. And while Mr. Haynes worked hard to achieve his high school diploma during his wrongful incarceration, any thought of further education had to be pushed aside in favor of tireless efforts to gain his freedom.”

There are “wounds,” mentioned in the lawsuit, in Haynes’ family that changed him and those around him. Only Haynes and those close to him will ever understand that dynamic. But the $2 million he’s earned won’t remove those scars.

It is also, unfortunately, no guarantee that he will get what he’s requested.

For those in Haynes’ position, the battle for compensation is often fruitless. In a study of 1,800 exonerees, only 42% were compensated, according to Most Policy Initiative, a Missouri-based think tank.

Haynes has every right to live his life with an embittered demeanor. He could be angry. And I think, if I were in his shoes, I would be. But I also don’t know what it’s like to be Marvin Haynes. I do, however, wonder how he acquired the grace that’s allowed him to begin the journey to reclaim his life.

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Minneapolis, MN

One click to help Minneapolis STEM school win Esports classroom

Published

22 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

One click to help Minneapolis STEM school win Esports classroom

Mpls teacher a finalist for classroom makeover

Minneapolis teacher a finalist for classroom makeover competition, as Hall STEM Academy is hoping to win a Wisconsin company’s contest to earn $40,000 in new furniture.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Esports craze could soon reach a budget-constrained Minneapolis elementary school, with the help of a click of your finger.

“So this is where the magic happens,” said Hall STEM Academy physical education teacher Rachel Stewart.

Magic in sports

Hula-hoops and tennis rackets are magicians’ tools in Stewart’s gym class.

Dig deeper into her class closet, and you’ll find pickleball equipment — the first sign that this isn’t the same P.E. class from a generation ago.

“My goal for our kids is to expose them to the things that they normally wouldn’t be exposed to,” Stewart said.

Most students, 92%, at Hall come from low-income families, but they have cross-country skis ready for winter, and bikes to ride all year.

Pedaling towards success

Stewart is getting elementary school students ready to push for brighter futures.

“She’s always been about the kids, always been about how do we provide amazing opportunities for our students,” said Jesse Ross, a community partner to the school.

Her next innovation could move P.E. to a computer lab, but only if she wins a Wisconsin furniture company’s giveaway.

If you take the school’s old, unused computer lab, and you add $40,000 worth of new furniture, what you get is a state-of-the-art Esports classroom.

Why Esports?

Esports is a billion-dollar-a-year industry with a high barrier to entry because it often requires fairly expensive equipment.

“That’s the benefit of the Esports classroom because it evens the playing ground, and it gives all kids a chance to be leaders and to be successful,” Stewart said.

And not just in gaming.

Stewart is hoping to connect the P.E. class with some of the STEM lessons, so kids can see the connection between coding and game design.

Creative finances

But with Minneapolis public school budgets shrinking this year, the school had to get creative to find funding.

“If we have challenges, and we have barriers, whether it’s financial or otherwise, we still believe in the purpose of providing the best education for our students,” said Hall STEM Academy principal Sherrill Lindsey. “And so we are constantly trying to find other resources.”

Stewart’s design was picked as one of 12 finalists out of more than 500 from teachers across the country.