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Minneapolis residents say fire at abandoned building shows danger of negligent property owners

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Minneapolis residents say fire at abandoned building shows danger of negligent property owners


The Minneapolis Fireplace Division stated crews battled a blaze Saturday morning at a vacant four-story condo constructing with “squatters” inside.  (FOX 9 / FOX 9)

The president of a Minneapolis neighborhood affiliation the place a boarded-up four-story condo constructing went up in flames on Saturday is urging the town to do extra to deal with what they see because the underlying points behind the hearth.

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The early morning blaze on Saturday within the metropolis’s Wedge neighborhood closely broken the constructing at 2312 Lyndale Ave. S — the hearth unfold to all flooring, inflicting the roof to partially collapse and an exterior wall to fall into an alley, in line with the Minneapolis Fireplace Division. 

MFD stated there have been “a number of squatters contained in the constructing,” and one particular person jumped from the second-floor window and is in secure situation. 

Jason Garcia is the board president of the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Affiliation (LHENA), which covers the world the place the hearth occurred. The affiliation believes Saturday’s hearth stems from a number of underlying points, corresponding to an absentee landlord who has uncared for the property for years, the homelessness disaster within the metropolis, and encampment sweeps throughout frigid climate.

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Metropolis data present the property is owned by C. David George and was condemned on Oct.13. The town additionally condemned one other condo constructing George owns in Loring Park at 200 Oak Grove St. the following day, on Oct. 14. 

Neighbors of each properties say they’d ongoing points with fires and other people breaking in to hunt shelter.

FOX 9’s makes an attempt to succeed in George had been unsuccessful.

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Residents react 

LHENA first grew to become conscious of the constructing after an area citizen journalist Taylor Dahlin started tweeting about issues with fires at George’s deserted condo constructing in Loring Park.

The eye she dropped at the difficulty led to in-depth items targeted on the Loring Park constructing reported on within the Southwest Voices and the Star Tribune. 

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For Garcia, the hearth on Saturday is an indication the town must do extra to deal with the dangers posed by deserted buildings. 

“It is a tragedy that this occurred in our neighborhood. It additionally occurred in Loring Park. And there are different neighborhoods that this landlord owns properties in, and we do not need one thing worse to occur to someone else who has a house subsequent to certainly one of these buildings,” he stated. 

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Mayor Jacob Frey and Ward 10 Council member Aisha Chughtai weren’t out there for remark on the time of publication. Nonetheless, it might seem that having already condemned the constructing and fined George, the town has restricted further authorized choices. The Begin Tribune reported in October that employees would attempt to meet with George to see if he was involved in promoting the buildings. 

Nonetheless, Garcia sees a connection between a current encampment sweep close to Lake Road and Saturday’s hearth — because the sweep and up to date chilly temperatures imply extra unsheltered persons are in search of locations to remain. 

“I do not suppose that it is a coincidence that one thing like this occurs on the coldest night time of the yr and after an encampment of unhoused individuals was eliminated on the opposite finish of Lake Road. I believe that every one of those points work collectively to create a disaster. And when you could have individuals who personal these buildings that are not taking good care of them and due to this fact taking housing off the market, it has additional ramifications,” Garcia stated. 

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Public nuisance

Invoice Holmes is a social employee who lives in Loring Park close to George’s deserted condo constructing at 200 Oak Grove St. He says neighbors complained to the town for over a yr about unsafe and felony exercise taking place on the constructing earlier than the town took motion and finally condemned the property and boarded it up. 

He stated he wasn’t shocked to see one other property George owns catch hearth on Saturday, however he hopes it’s going to change how individuals see the housing disaster.

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“That now we’ll see a sample, that now individuals will get up. That we are able to have a dialog in regards to the inequality that is taking place with the unhoused, about whose property issues,” he advised FOX 9. “Those that are unhoused and in encampments which are getting destroyed or the property of landowners who are usually not maintaining their property or who’re actually creating public hazards, public nuisances,” he stated. 

Garcia stated the hearth additionally highlighted one other problem: who the general public or media see as accountable when there are fires in deserted buildings. 

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“Each on social media and in conventional media, there was a transfer to level at people who find themselves unhoused and dwelling within the worst circumstances and say that they are those accountable versus individuals who have been or have the sources that might be housing individuals,” Garcia stated. “It factors to the disaster that we’re in and who has the facility and sources to assist deal with a few of these issues.” 



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Minneapolis, MN

Fatal shooting in Minneapolis leaves one dead on Thanksgiving

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Fatal shooting in Minneapolis leaves one dead on Thanksgiving


Minneapolis police are investigating a fatal shooting on Thanksgiving

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Minneapolis police are investigating a fatal shooting on Thanksgiving

00:14

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MINNEAPOLIS — A 21-year-old man was fatally shot inside an apartment on Thanksgiving, according to Minneapolis police. 

The shooting happened a little after 6 p.m. on the 700 Block of Emerson Avenue North. Police responded to the scene where the found a man with life-threatening injuries. 

The 21-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital but unfortunately died. 

Police say the man was inside the apartment when the shot struck him. The shooter fled the scene before police arrived. 

“On a day that is supposed to be a celebration, another family has been impacted by a senseless act of violence,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “My thoughts today are with the victim and his family. Our investigators are focused on seeking justice for the victim and are asking anyone who knows what happened or has any information about this incident to contact us immediately.”   

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Minneapolis police are investigating the circumstances that lead up to the shooting. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office will release the name of the victim. 

Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222 TIPS(8477). 



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Readers Write: Gaetz, letters, political division, Election Day, Minneapolis City Council

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Readers Write: Gaetz, letters, political division, Election Day, Minneapolis City Council


What about retail workers, you may ask? Well, Black Friday has rightly been criticized for its imposition on Thanksgiving given its early start for shoppers and especially for employees. With the Friday recast as Election Day, stores would be disinclined to maintain their emphasis on this one shopping day, given the competition for media and public attention. They could instead put the third day of the four-day holiday weekend to good use, perhaps designating it as “Super Sale Saturday.” It’s likely that those fond of the new election results will be in a good spending mood, and those in distress about them will love a distracting day at the mall.

Perhaps most importantly, having the election right after Thanksgiving may also help inspire some American cohesion on the eve of what has become an intensely polarizing event. Our sense of belonging provided by family and friends, and celebrated with a group feast that is unique to American culture in all of its diversity, may emphasize the good will that we should hold toward each other, no matter our perceived differences.

Michael Friedman, Minneapolis

Andy Brehm’s lengthy Nov. 25 reconciliation piece, “Here’s one way we can help heal our divided country,” lacks the substance of the problem that is nine years old: no mention of the felon and alleged sexual predator who has laid out plans to bully the nation. Without this, Brehm, the aspiring peacemaker, remains a part of the national problem. No justice, no peace.

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Steve Watson, Minneapolis



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5 artists to keep an eye on from 2024’s Minneapolis College of Art and Design art sale

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5 artists to keep an eye on from 2024’s Minneapolis College of Art and Design art sale


The 27th annual Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s art sale was like a mix between a thrift store hunt and a stroll through a gallery.

This year, organizers of the art sale made it easier to navigate by grouping artists together rather than sprinkling their work through the four-day show that ended Nov. 24. The event wasn’t just a chance for artists to sell work but also a place to discover new talent. It included works from current MCAD students and alumni, which precluded current professors or employees unless they attend the school. Here’s a list of artists whose works caught my eye and should catch yours as well.

J.M. Culver’s “That, There” is an oil and charcoal painting on canvas. (J.M. Culver)

J.M. Culver

In her paintings, Minneapolis-based artist J.M. Culver explores memory and the human condition. Her painting “That, There,” a 5-by-5-foot oil and charcoal painting on canvas, portrays a room devoid of people, with a bright blue chair placed in the center of hazy-looking furniture. The painting evokes a sense of memory, but fragmented and maybe even false. Culver got her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from MCAD, and did her graduate studies at Syracuse University in New York. Check out her work on the art sale’s website or jmculver.com.

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The price tag for “Kit” by photographer Shun Yong was $2,000 at the 27th annual MCAD Art Sale. (Shun Yong)

Shun Yong’s photograph of a woman dressed in white sitting on a red couch jumped out at me. This large-scale portrait, titled “Kit,” captures a subtle moment in time: she’s knitting something in a domestic setting. The photo left me wanting to know more, but also feeling cautious to ask. Yong graduated with a master’s degree in photography from MCAD in 2018. For more info, visit shunjyong.com or the art sale’s website.

Artist Troy McCall’s painting “Snow Angels” was listed for $1,000 at the 27th annual MCAD Art Sale. (Troy McCall)

In each of artist Troy McCall’s paintings, there is something haunting, eerie or just plain unnerving. “Snow Angels” depicts an idyllic snow-covered sledding hill and a kid carving a snow angel with his body as a girl with a sled walks toward him. But look closer and you’ll see the fear on his face. Why is he scared, though? McCall’s painting lets viewers’ minds wander to various conclusions. The same sinister feeling lurks in paintings of classic American holidays such as Christmas, Halloween and the Fourth of July. McCall graduated with his bachelor’s degree in filmmaking from MCAD in 2008. See more of his work on the art sale’s website or at themccallcompany.com

Niky Motekallem’s illustration titled “A New Bed With Soil Softer than Cotton” was on display at Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s art sale. (Niky Motekallem)

Illustrator and artist Niky Motekallem’s lush, hyper detail-oriented paintings mostly depict flowers, plants and animals in various moments of beautiful decay. In one illustration, a lavender-colored bunny is wrapped in pink and purple flowers; in another, a gathering of butterflies nestles on aqua-and-green-tinted flowers. At the art sale, Motekallem’s paintings were encased in frames as ornate as the works themselves. The Iranian-American received her master’s degree in illustration from MCAD in 2016. More at nikymotekallem.com or Instagram.com/royalghostmarch.

“Rebirth Cycle: Oak (green)”, a hand-carved relief print by Jamie Kubat, was priced at $40 at the MCAD Art Sale. (Jamie Kubat)

I uncovered two prints by Minneapolis-based artist Jamie Kubat hidden away on a shelf on the second-floor of the art sale. The hand-carved relief prints depict a crow holding a mushroom next to a sheep skull, and surrounded by plants. In the haunting print “Ghost,” a horse trots through a world of swirling smoke. Kubat graduated from MCAD in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting. A multidisciplinary artist, Kubat draws on their experiences as an autistic person with a rural upbringing, and displayed works recently at “The Art of Disability Justice Now” at the Mill City Museum. To see more on Kubat, visit the art sale’s website or jamiekubat.com.





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