Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis reading program aims to sharpen skills, strengthen community
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education sent letters to state leaders that said schools could lose federal funding if they failed to follow the Trump administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws. That includes DEI programs that “advantage one’s race over another.” If schools do not follow this order, the Trump administration says they could lose federal funding.
A Minneapolis organization is working to support Black students and fill gaps it sees in the education system, regardless of whether schools turn away from DEI initiatives. Terrica Pledger is the leader of the Sankofa Reading Program with the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent, also known as NdCad. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about her work.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Minneapolis police are asking for the public’s help in locating a 38-year-old woman who went missing from the Loring Park neighborhood.
LaRohnda Danielle Latimer was last seen near her home on the 1300 block of Willow Street, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
Minneapolis Police Department
She is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 175 pounds with brown eyes and long black hair. She has a butterfly tattoo on her chest, a tattoo that says “Leo” on her back and a tribal sleeve tattoo on her right arm, authorities say.
Police added that Latimer previously lived in Bloomington and St. Paul.
Anyone who sees Latimer or knows her whereabouts is asked to call 911. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online through Crime Stoppers of Minnesota.
The full length of Minneapolis’ Stone Arch Bridge is set to reopen to the public Aug. 9 following more than a year of repairs.
The bridge, a popular pedestrian link across the Mississippi River between downtown Minneapolis and the St. Anthony Main area, has been closed in halved sections since spring 2024 for an upgrade.
It’s Aug. 9 reopening comes more than two months ahead of schedule, according to Kevin Walker, a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation.
“The workers have done a fantastic job,” he said.
The bridge will reopen with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Father Hennepin Bluff Park Bandstand. Food trucks, live entertainment and activities for kids will also be on hand, Walker said.
The northern half of the bridge closed in April 2024 to begin the $38.5 million project to improve its structural condition, according to the Department of Transportation. That half reopened, and the southern half then closed, the following December.
The James J. Hill Stone Arch Bridge was built between 1881 and 1883 to carry the Minneapolis Union Railroad over the Mississippi River. Railroad use of the bridge ended in 1982, after which it was converted for pedestrians.
Built of limestone, the bridge is a designated National Historic Engineering Landmark.
A 20-year-old accused member of the “Highs” gang in Minneapolis is facing charges in connection with a third homicide.
Marquan Deshaun Tucker faces two counts of aiding and abetting second-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting outside a nightclub in Minneapolis in 2023. 26-year-old Patrick Henderson was killed in the shooting.
Minneapolis police ask for help solving homicide outside unlicensed nightclub
Tucker also faces charges in connection with a shooting in Brooklyn Park that killed 23-year-old Ramone Rashawn Blue in December.
Man charged in connection with Brooklyn Park homicide
Court documents filed on Monday state that Tucker was also adjudicated for his role in a murder that occurred at the Mall of America in December 2022. Tucker had been charged with third-degree riot for blocking the victim from leaving the department store. Court documents state this murder was also gang-affiliated.
According to a criminal complaint, officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation of 14 rounds fired near the entrance of an after-hours nightclub. There, they found Henderson with 10 gunshot wounds. He later died at the hospital.
Investigators learned that Henderson was a “Lows” gang member.
In January of this year, investigators interviewed a witness who said that Tucker admitted to shooting the victim. A second witness told investigators the same thing in March.
Court documents state Tucker was messaging people on Facebook about attending the party that occurred prior to the murder. His phone was also in the area at the time of the shooting and he left quickly afterward.
According to court documents, Tucker also messaged a woman who was at the party and asked, “He past?????” and the woman replied, “Yup…It’s yellow tape.”
Tucker also screen-recorded a Facebook video of Henderson lying on the ground. The video had captions celebrating Henderson’s death.
Both Henderson and Blue were believed to be members of the “Lows” and investigators believe they were killed for the benefit of the “Highs” gang.
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