Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis landlord opens homeless camps on his parking lots in defiance of city
At the risk of angering the city and his neighbors, Minneapolis developer and landlord Hamoudi Sabri has this week opened a private homeless encampment in the parking lot of a long-vacant building he owns on E. Lake Street. About 20 people have moved in.
Sabri says he plans to open a second encampment in the North Loop, at the same site where he had tried to operate a large encampment four years ago. At the time, overdoses, propane tank fires and heaping garbage led to its mid-winter closure by police.
He’s going to try again, Sabri said, because he’d fed up with the city’s homeless dispersal tactics, which have driven people struggling with mental illness and addiction from one hideaway to another. Homeless people end up breaking into his properties anyway, he said, so he would rather invite them to live in a contained place with portable toilets, garbage pickup and some form of management, where health and housing outreach workers could easily find them.
“I told the police, these guys, they’re exhausted,” Sabri said. “These guys are spilling around. So they need a place to stay, so I’d rather have them be in here, in one place, than have them every place.”
Hamoudi Sabri’s North Loop property currently does not have any tents, but the landlord says he will invite homeless people to live there again, as they had four years ago. (Susan Du)
On Friday morning, police officers attempted to clear the parking lot at 2716 E. Lake St. Most occupants broke down their tents and fled into the surrounding neighborhood.
Then Sabri arrived to intervene. In an interaction he recorded and showed to the Minnesota Star Tribune, he demanded officers leave the campers alone. They eventually left without forcing everyone to pack up.
Minneapolis’ Regulatory Services Director Enrique Velazquez told the landlord on Friday that by ordinance, no tent may be used as a dwelling “anywhere in the city of Minneapolis.”
“It’s a tough situation for sure,” Velazquez said in an interview. “The [city’s] Homeless Response Team has been to that site a few times already. They have provided some referrals with individuals that are interested in moving into shelter. We’ve made the county and their providers aware. But for all intents purposes, it’s not allowed. And even if a property owner does want people to go to a specific site so that they do not target or do damage, if you will, at any other locations, it’s still not something that as a city or as an enterprise, we’re in a position to allow.”
Minneapolis, MN
Robbinsdale police chase ends with driver arrested after hitting fence in Minneapolis
Authorities say a pursuit that started in Robbinsdale early Sunday morning ended with the driver being arrested after crashing into a fence in Minneapolis.
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (FOX 9) – Authorities say a pursuit that started in Robbinsdale early Sunday morning ended with the driver being arrested after crashing into a fence in Minneapolis.
Police chase ends in crash
What we know:
Robbinsdale police spokesperson John Elder said the incident started at around 1:40 a.m. Sunday. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the stop, the driver had been suspected of drinking alcohol.
Police say the driver fled officers, and a pursuit was initiated. It went into Minneapolis, where the driver crashed into a fence near the 1200 block of West River Parkway.
Driver arrested
According to Hennepin County Jail records, a 50-year-old Montrose man was booked into the Hennepin County Jail at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday. He was arrested by Robbinsdale police on probable cause fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.
What we don’t know:
The alleged drunk driver has not yet been charged. The incident remains under investigation.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A weekend air quality alert has been issued for much of Minnesota, with health officials warning that ozone pollution could pose risks for residents.
Air quality alert covers majority of MN
What we know:
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert for western and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, Brainerd, Alexandria, Albert Lea, Marshall, Worthington, Rochester, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Winona, Ortonville, Mankato, East Grand Forks, Moorhead, and the Tribal Nations of Upper Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Leech Lake, and White Earth.
The alert runs from noon Saturday, June 6, through 11 p.m. Sunday, June 7. Ozone levels are expected to reach the orange AQI category, which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
High ozone levels are expected during Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with conditions improving after sunset and again Sunday morning before rising in the afternoon.
Health officials recommend moving outdoor activities outside the afternoon hours to reduce exposure.
Why you should care:
Unhealthy ozone levels can aggravate lung diseases like asthma, emphysema, and COPD. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, throat soreness, wheezing, coughing, or unusual fatigue.
People at higher risk include those with asthma or other breathing conditions, children, teenagers, people doing heavy outdoor activity, and some healthy individuals who are more sensitive to ozone.
Precautions and pollution reduction tips
What you can do:
Everyone should take precautions when air quality is unhealthy. Limit or postpone physical activity, avoid busy roads and wood fires, and keep relief inhalers handy if you have breathing conditions.
To help reduce ozone pollution, officials suggest reducing vehicle trips, filling up gas tanks at dawn or dusk, using public transportation or carpooling, postponing use of gas-powered lawn equipment, and avoiding backyard fires.
Ozone is produced on hot, sunny days when volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight. The current weather forecast of mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures, and low humidity is creating ideal conditions for higher ozone levels across the region.
The Source: Information from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
As an estimated 10,000+ Prince fans make a trip to downtown to honor his life, legacy, and music, Minneapolis city leaders are hopeful it can also serve as the first step to the city’s economic recovery.
Six months after the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, Meet Minneapolis estimates the eight-week-long federal immigration effort disrupted more than 70 million in wages in the hospitality industry – impacting the more than 4,600 people employed at hotels, restaurants, shops and more.
“Today is about turning the page,” said Melvin Tennant, CEO and President of Meet Minneapolis. “(It’s about) letting people know firsthand with their own eyes that things are really wonderful in downtown Minneapolis.”
Tennant says the hurt of Metro Surge came as Minneapolis had just begun to rebound from COVID-19. Hotel occupancy in 2024-2026 had just crossed 55% citywide.
This summer marks the return of many large scale events, including the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship, Special Olympics USA Games, WWE SummerSlam, and multiple outdoor World Cup related events.
“It’s absolutely vital for us to recover,” Tennant said.
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