Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis accused of backtracking on 24/7 bus lanes for Hennepin Ave.
![Minneapolis accused of backtracking on 24/7 bus lanes for Hennepin Ave.](https://bringmethenews.com/.image/t_share/MTg5NjkwNjgxMzY1NjM2Mjkz/hennepin-avenue-s-.png)
A format plan for the long-awaited reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue South in Minneapolis acquired approval from a metropolis committee on Thursday, however a lot focus stays on whether or not or not the longer term hall’s bus lanes might be devoted to public transit round the clock.
Allan Klungman, an engineer with the town’s public works division, stated the town plans to gather extra knowledge over the subsequent a number of years earlier than deciding on hours-of-operation for the brand new bus lanes.
Relatively than making certain full-time bus lanes start day one, Klungman stated the town will plan to initially proceed with dynamic bus lanes, which permit automobiles to park within the lanes throughout non-peak hours.
The brand new path sparked outcry from Our Streets Minneapolis and different grassroots advocacy teams, who declare the brand new idea marks a last-minute change by Minneapolis Public Works Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher.
Kelliher, a former state consultant, joined the town in March after leaving her function as commissioner of the Minnesota Division of Transportation.
Throughout Thursday’s committee assembly, she stated there’s been no modifications to the format plan introduced to metropolis officers, and the design stays capable of finally accommodate full-time, devoted bus traces.
Nonetheless, Anderson Kelliher faces criticism from native residents and metropolis officers who argue plans for the way the roadway will function have all of the sudden modified because the ultimate unveiling in December.
These advocates say they’re annoyed and concern the plans for full-time bus lanes could be crumbling after years of planning.
“The present plan would delay the implementation of 24/7 bus lanes till an unspecified date sooner or later,” Our Streets Minneapolis, an area nonprofit group, said. “There isn’t a accountability and no cause to consider that it will occur anytime quickly. That is unacceptable.”
Hennepin For Individuals held a rally final week after studying of the plans to delay full-time bus lanes and as an alternative proceed with dynamic bus lanes.
“The behind-the-scenes elimination of full-time bus lanes from the Hennepin plan is motivated by politics – not knowledge, not fairness, not concern for the local weather, not good stewardship of public sources,” the group wrote.
Klungman argues the town should additional research site visitors patterns and consider how the brand new highway is performing earlier than deciding “the perfect reply for everybody.”
Advocates of full-time bus lanes say the group cannot face additional delays — the brand new roadway’s opening is already far off with development scheduled to wrap up in 2025 on the earliest.
Ward 10 Council Member Aisha Chughtai stated gathering a number of further years of ridership knowledge may push the plans off till 2030 or so.
“Our undocumented communities, our kids, our working class residents cannot wait that lengthy,” she stated, describing the full-time bus lanes the “single largest device for fairness” within the reconstruction plan.
The committee’s vote
On Thursday, the town’s Public Works and Infrastructure committee voted unanimously to suggest approval of the format plan to the Minneapolis Metropolis Council.
In a separate movement, the committee voted 3-2 on a advice to direct workers to implement full-time bus lanes as quickly as the brand new roadway opens.
Nevertheless, the workers path faces pushback from the town’s authorized counsel.
In keeping with Jocelyn Bremer of the Metropolis Lawyer’s Workplace, operational selections on metropolis roadways fall below the management of public works officers reasonably than the town council.
“If the town council didn’t approve of that delegation, the town council can be liable for each single cease signal, each single lane flip — each single determination that public works workers makes concerning site visitors operations each day,” Bremer stated throughout Thursday’s assembly.
Kelliher said she would not help the workers path beneficial by the committee, however stated it is the general public works division’s intention “to completely help the E-Line transition to all-day, full-time bus lanes as shortly as attainable.”
The information-driven strategy, she stated, may also allow the town to help companies by means of the institution of latest parking areas.
Years of planning
In 2018, the town started creating plans to reconstruct Hennepin Avenue South between West Lake Road and Douglas Avenue for the primary time since its development 65 years in the past.
The designs shifting in the direction of ultimate approval would scale back car site visitors to 1 lane in both path and add a raised bikeway and separated median to enhance security.
Metro Transit’s future Bus Speedy Transit line, generally known as the E Line, may also run by means of the 1.4-mile hall on it is 14-mile path between Edina and Minneapolis.
The variety of transit riders on Hennepin Avenue South —at present estimated at 6,600 every day — is predicted to greater than double as soon as the E-line is added, in accordance with the town.
With $40 million in state {dollars} invested into the E-Line, the Minneapolis Legislative Delegation is among the many voices calling for devoted bus lanes.
“We urge you to make sure a profitable E Line opening, and retain unique bus lane dedication as a part of the Hennepin redesign challenge,” the delegation wrote in a letter to the council.
Ultimate determination
The format plan and workers path ordering full-time bus lanes are each anticipated to go earlier than the Minneapolis Metropolis Council on Thursday.
After the council vote, a ultimate determination from Mayor Jacob Frey is predicted someday earlier than June 1.
“We have been preventing for greater than 4 years to get a extra accessible, equitable, protected and sustainable road,” stated Katie Jones, co-lead of Hennepin for Individuals, a grassroots neighborhood group.
In an interview with Carry Me The Information on Monday, Jones stated a much wider authorized query now overhangs the way forward for the roadway: “Is the town council precluded from weighing-in on operational points?”
Jones stated she would not suppose so — however whether or not or not the town council can order all-day bus lanes may symbolize a take a look at case because the metropolis handed the “robust mayor” poll modification in November.
“If these selections are made by the Mayor’s Workplace and the departments themselves, there is a lack of transparency,” Jones stated. “It is now grow to be type of a much bigger dialog.”
BMTN Be aware: The broader development of more and more extreme climate and record-breaking extremes seen in Minnesota and throughout the globe might be attributed on to the quickly warming local weather brought on by human exercise. The IPCC has warned that Earth is “firmly on monitor towards an unlivable world,” and says greenhouse gasoline emissions have to be halved by 2030 in an effort to restrict warming to 1.5C, which might stop probably the most catastrophic results on humankind. You may learn extra right here.
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Minneapolis, MN
Country star hit in the face onstage with X-rated item
![Country star hit in the face onstage with X-rated item](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/KA6S2GCTSJAERIUDV5OKQPVP4I.png?auth=4935c88b5952ecfefad613f4b8d95e6e9bbb86e2b6ff886fe74da31f44a87eb7&width=1200&height=675&quality=70&smart=true)
Celebrities often deal with unruly fans at their concerts, so it’s not the first time Wallen has had something thrown at him. Last year, an irritated fan chucked a boot at the country singer as they waited for him to sign an autograph. Instead of signing it, he turned to throw it away from where it came from.
I Had Some Help recently enjoyed five undisrupted weeks at the top of the charts, allowing the Cowgirls singer to take the crown for the most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in the 2020s from Taylor Swift.
Wallen is currently in the North American leg of his One Night at a Time World Tour, performing at stadiums around the globe. He’ll be performing at shows across the US until August 9, before jetting off to Europe for a slew of more shows from August 28.
Many of Wallen’s North American concerts had to be cancelled and rescheduled last year after the singer needed to treat vocal fold trauma, which the National Institute of Health explains is “caused by excessive or improper use of the voice”.
He was able to return to the stage a month later after being given the all-clear by his doctors.
On April 7, Wallen was arrested on three felony counts after he allegedly threw a chair off the bar roof of a six-storey building in Nashville.
A group of police officers were on the ground outside the building when the chair landed about 1 metre away from them. They entered the building and went up to Nashville’s Chiefs Bar, and staff identified Wallen as responsible for throwing the chair.
Later that month, the country singer addressed concerned fans by sharing a statement accepting fault for the incident on X.
“I didn’t feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks. I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility,” Wallen wrote.
“I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe. Regarding my tour, there will be no change.”
Despite his apology, Wallen’s arrest has landed him in hot water with the Nashville Metro Council. In a 30-3 vote last month, Nashville council members rejected an application to install a billboard sign atop Wallen’s under-construction This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen in central Nashville, reported People.
Explaining her decision, Councilwoman at Large Delishia Porterfield pointed to the singer’s controversial past.
“We want to make sure that Nashville was a supportive place for everyone, so I don’t want to see a billboard with the name of a person who’s throwing chairs off balconies and who is saying racial slurs, using the n-word, so I’m voting no,” Porterfield said.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis’ contested housing development plan plows forward
![Minneapolis’ contested housing development plan plows forward](https://img.apmcdn.org/7f6064a4501434b6edf280a96a84bbb82dadcb67/widescreen/7e9556-20240625-a-group-of-people-pose-for-a-photo-2000.jpg)
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other government officials celebrated moving forward with the city’s housing development plan, the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, on Tuesday.
The plan had been in a years-long court battle. Opposing organizations alleged that the city should have conducted an environmental review before approving the plan.
The 2040 plan aims to establish more densely built and affordable housing for Minneapolis’ future development.
“This is a day that has been six years in the making, in that when Minneapolis recognized that we had an affordable housing shortage, we recognize that we like so many other cities throughout the country needed to increase our supply of housing. The 2040 plan helped us get there,” Frey said.
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Legislation in the 2024 session clarified the bill, allowing for stalled housing projects to begin again.
“Our legislative intent was very clear that this was a bill to end this lawsuit and to defend the Minneapolis 2040 plan,” said Rep. Sydney Jordan, DFL-Minneapolis. “We believe in this plan. We took huge steps this year to defend it and we will continue to do so as necessary.”
Jack Perry, the attorney for opposing groups like Smart Growth Minneapolis and Minnesota Citizens for the Protection of Migratory Birds, said their fight is far from over. They filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
“Almost every project is financed and it is pretty hard to finance something when the authority is based upon a 2040 plan that is tied up in litigation,” Perry said. “The mayor says they’re going forward. That’s all fine but the actual developers will have to worry about this litigation. He may not because it’s not his pocketbook that’s being opened up to build things based upon a foundation of a plan that is highly suspect.”
The press conference celebrating the 2040 plan was held at Wakpada Apartments, a new complex that’s a product of the 2040 plan.
One of the apartment’s developers, Sean Sweeney, said the 2040 plan has allowed him to be creative and “do things that benefit the community.”
“I’ve worked in several markets around the country, and I can say without a doubt that being a developer in Minneapolis, especially now with the 2040 plan, is an absolute dream,” Sweeney said.
The plan began in 2018. Since then, Minneapolis has invested over $360 million into affordable rental housing and homeownership programs.
“Minneapolis is being seen around the country as a leader in the affordable housing space, we’re seen as a leader in this push to desegregate cities. And we’re seen as a municipality to copy and to replicate in the work that we’re having right now,” Frey said.
Minneapolis, MN
32-year-old charged with hiding body of Minneapolis woman
![32-year-old charged with hiding body of Minneapolis woman](https://kstp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PoliceLightsCrimeTape11-7-23.jpg)
A 32-year-old Iowa woman was charged on Tuesday with concealing the body of Liara Tsai, 35, of Minneapolis.
Court records show that Margot Lewis made her first appearance in Olmsted County Court Tuesday morning.
According to a criminal complaint, authorities were called to a one-vehicle crash at the intersection of I-90 and Highway 42 in Olmsted County on Saturday.
Based on tire tracks, authorities believe the driver, identified as Lewis, was speeding eastbound on I-90 when she went into the median.
Bystanders told responding deputies there appeared to be a deceased or injured person in the car.
Inside, deputies found a body wrapped in a bed sheet, a blanket, a futon-style mattress and a tarp, court documents state. The person, later identified as Tsai, was obviously deceased and authorities said she didn’t seem to have been killed in the crash. She was cold to the touch and there was dried blood on the blanket.
Investigators later found a large wound on the right side of Tsai’s neck.
Lewis was medically cleared at the hospital and then booked into Olmsted County Jail. She did not respond audibly to law enforcement.
Lewis’ mugshot is not yet available on the Olmsted County Jail roster. This article will be updated when it becomes available.
The Medical Examiner confirmed on Sunday that Tsai was killed before the car crash.
Monday evening, Minneapolis police and members of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension executed a search warrant of Tsai’s home on 16th Street East and found a scene “indicating violence.”
Investigators have not announced any arrests for Tsai’s death.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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