Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis' new strategy to thwart copper thieves targeting street lights

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2024

Press Room

Minneapolis' new strategy to thwart copper thieves targeting street lights

Thieves dismantle, sell streetlight copper

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have been dealing with streetlights going dark due to thieves stealing copper from them.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Carole Anne Broad walks her dog Chloe along West River Parkway in South Minneapolis at least once a day.

But for the past few months, she’s noticed the streetlights have been out, thanks to copper thieves.

“It’s been very dark and as I walk my dog, I see the wires just hanging out. At night, driving is a little bit like could really use some light on this road,” said Broad.

City officials say Minneapolis spent $250,000 last year to replace copper wires stolen from light posts.

And when city crews replace them, thieves frequently steal the copper wires again.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had that happen when our crews get out there quickly, and we replace the missing copper and then within a few days, the thieves have hit the same area, which I know is really frustrating for the residents as well,” said Allan Klugman, Director of Traffic and Parking services for the City of Minneapolis.

So the city bought 5 miles of aluminum wiring to use in place of the copper wiring in about 125 light poles to deter people from stealing it.

City officials say aluminum is only worth about a quarter of copper’s value on the salvage market and weighs about half as much, meaning it would fetch far less money because scrapyards pay by the pound.

“The aluminum is much less expensive on the resale or salvage market. so who’s ever taken these wires? We want them to know that it’s really not going to be worth their time to address these new ones,” said Klugman.

City officials say if this test run along West River Parkway goes well, they could add aluminum wiring to streetlights in other parts of the city as well.

“I think it’s a great idea. I think lights deter riffraff, maybe. I can certainly tell who’s coming,” said Broad.

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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis Ranked Among U.S. Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

Published

1 hour ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Minneapolis Ranked Among U.S. Cities With The Most People In Financial Distress

MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis is ranked among the American cities with the most people in financial distress nationwide, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub.

The personal finance website, which defines financial distress as having a credit account in forbearance or with deferred payments, looked at the country’s 100 largest cities without data limitations across nine metrics, including average credit score, change in bankruptcy filings year-over-year, and share of people with accounts in distress.

Minneapolis came in 44th on the list, between Stockton, California, at 43rd and Fresno, California, at 45th, according to the ranking.

Nationwide, the cities with the most people in financial distress were Chicago at No. 1, Houston at No. 2 and Las Vegas at No. 3, the ranking said.

“Getting out of the downward spiral of financial distress is no easy feat,” according to WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

“You may get temporary relief from your lenders by not having to make payments, but all the while interest will keep building up, making the debt even harder to pay off. People who find themselves in financial distress should budget carefully, cut non-essential expenses, and pursue strategies like debt consolidation or debt management to get their situation under control.”

Read more from WalletHub.

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Minneapolis, MN

Whitefish council creates proclamation in solidarity with city, citizens of Minneapolis

Published

14 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Whitefish council creates proclamation in solidarity with city, citizens of Minneapolis

WHITEFISH, Mont. — The Whitefish City Council in February presented and signed a proclamation expressing solidarity with the city and citizens of Minneapolis.

The proclamation states that Whitefish mourns the loss of life that occurred in Minneapolis and stands in solidarity with its residents.

It reaffirms the city’s commitment to equal treatment under the law and emphasizes that peaceful protest is a fundamental American right.

The proclamation was supported by five of the six council members.

Mayor John Muhlfeld said the action was meant to reaffirm the city’s values.

“A mayoral proclamation that is supported by five of six City Council members supporting solidarity with the city and citizens of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and reaffirming our supportive, just, equal and welcoming community,” Muhlfeld said. “I think this is somewhat overdue. Our town’s been through a lot over the years, This is more importantly to reaffirm our values as a council with our community because we care deeply about you.”

Over the last year, Whitefish has faced criticism amid rising tensions surrounding the Department of Homeland Security.

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View the full proclamation below.

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Minneapolis, MN

City officials report less speeding at corners with traffic cameras in Minneapolis

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

City officials report less speeding at corners with traffic cameras in Minneapolis

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