Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis businesses, residents displaced following dumpster fire
Minneapolis businesses, residents displaced following dumpster fire
Several Minneapolis businesses are closed and residents are displaced in Uptown after a dumpster fire caused long-lasting damage.
Three businesses off West Lake Street near the fire had to shut their doors because of damage.
One of those businesses, Face Day Spa, is assessing damages and mapping out how to move forward.
“I’m still in shock. It just gets a little bit harder, especially as I see bills continuously coming out, and no money coming in,” Matisse Johnson, Face Day Spa owner, said.
It’s been one week since Johnson was told it’s not safe to have clients inside her spa.
The Black-owned business opened up in Uptown five years ago to provide a safe space for the Black community to experience luxury and relaxation.
“I put my blood, sweat, and tears into creating the space, and most importantly, it’s a safe space for my staff,” Johnson said. “People view this as a luxury and somewhere to come and have that experience in the Black community is huge.”
A place of relaxation turned to the center of stress on July 22.
Around 3:30 a.m. last Monday morning, a security camera caught a man walking up to a dumpster and lighting a fire. The video shows the flames crawl up the building burning everything in its path.
Johnson is now stuck with smoke damage and no electricity.
About 80 appointments per week are canceled and her team is unemployed until further notice.
“It’s hard, it’s really hard. I don’t mean to cry, but this is definitely my baby and I have nothing but this,” Johnson said.
On the top floor of the same building, tenants were sleeping in their apartments when the fire broke out.
“I was just faced with like a hallway full of smoke and fire coming through the back door,” Rose Opstad, building tenant, said. “It’s really overwhelming.”
Everyone got out safely. Now they’re packing up what didn’t turn to ashes.
The property manager tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that repairing some of the units will take at least five months and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Back on the first floor, Johnson has to replace furniture and wallpaper and throw out products battered with smoke damage.
Smoke damage can be an invisible threat. In some cases, it can’t be seen, but it’s often trapped in furniture, walls, and floors.
The damage is forcing her to tear down everything she’s built.
“This is something that I created and that I take pride in and it’s all I have. It’s my only form of income,” Johnson said. “I am going to trust in God and I’m going to work as hard as I’ve worked to get it open.”
A fundraiser has been set up to help the business cover lost wages and rent.
The scene of the crash at 26th Avenue North and Emerson Avenue North in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis woman was sentenced for her role in a deadly crash that killed two women and injured two other people in December 2024.
READ MORE: Minneapolis woman charged in fatal high-speed crash faces additional charges
Woman sentenced in fatal Minneapolis crash
Big picture view:
Prosecutors say Teniki Steward drove a Buick Enclave into a bus shelter and a Ford Explorer after speeding through a red light.
Both of the women in the Ford Explorer died in the crash. They were identified as 53-year-old Ester Jean Fulks and 57-year-old Rose Elaine Reece.
During the crash, the Ford Explorer went off the road, injuring a 17-year-old boy who was waiting for a school bus.
The passenger in Steward’s vehicle also suffered injuries.
Minneapolis police said that Steward was also injured in the crash.
Steward pleaded guilty to multiple murder charges.
What they’re saying:
During the sentencing, the daughter of one of the victims had a statement read on her behalf:
“There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for the moment your entire world is taken from you. Losing my mom has left a pain in my heart that words will never be able to explain.”
What’s next:
Minnesota law requires that Steward serves at least two-thirds of her sentence, a bit under eight-and-a-half years, in prison.
Fatal Emerson and 26th crash
The backstory:
According to the criminal complaint, through surveillance videos from the scene of the crash and witnesses, investigators learned that Steward, driving the Buick Enclave, had been driving at a high rate of speed northbound on Emerson Avenue North.
Before the fatal crash, Steward sped through the intersection of Emerson Avenue North and Broadway Avenue North, running a red light and nearly causing a crash, the charges said.
Steward then continued to speed northbound down Emerson Avenue North, and ran another red light at 26th Avenue North, hitting the Ford Explorer, which was traveling eastbound, according to the complaint.
The Ford Explorer had been at the intersection of Emerson and 26th on a green light.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty shared the following statement:
“This was an egregious act that took Rose and Esther’s lives and injured a child waiting to go to school at a bus stop. Ms. Steward was driving at extremely dangerous speeds on city streets and narrowly avoided multiple collisions before the incident occurred. Third-degree murder charges are appropriate to hold her accountable and protect our community.”
The Source: This story uses information gathered from an Olmsted County court appearance and previous FOX 9 reporting.
A motorcyclist is dead after an early morning crash in Minneapolis Friday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that at 1:20 a.m., a Suzuki Motorcycle going north on I-35W at Johnson Street hit the left side of the median guard rail.
The motorcycle continued north for about another quarter mile before coming to a rest on the right-hand side.
State Patrol said the rider came to rest on the left shoulder. He was later identified as 21-year-old Andrew James Neuberger.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Rochester Spartans boys volleyball team played its second game on consecutive nights. The Spartans beat Minneapolis Camden 3-0.
Rochester’s next game will be Tuesday, April 21, at St. Anthony Village at 7:00 p.m.
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