Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis School Board approves major budget cuts
The Minneapolis Public School Board approved its 2024-25 budget Tuesday night without discussion.
MPS faced a $110 million gap due to the end of federal COVID-19 emergency funding and a decrease in revenue due to declining enrollment; increasing costs also contributed to the gap, according to the district.
The approved budget includes the assumption that 4.75% of positions will be unfilled, according to the resolution. It also bridges the gap by using assigned fund balance dollars, cuts to schools and department reductions.
The budget was presented at a Committee of the Whole meeting two weeks ago. According to the presentation, it includes funding cuts to schools — most significantly to magnet schools, Roosevelt High School and Camden High School, with each seeing a reduction of more than 10%.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, parents spoke in opposition to the loss of a fourth grade teacher at Lake Nokomis Community School – Keewaydin. They said it would lead to classes with more than 40 students.
“I’m not threatening, I’m not demanding, but we need another teacher. And for all the cuts that are about to happen, having enough teachers should be table stakes,” said Greg Thompson, a parent of an MPS student. “I know, to some extent, choices are limited, but please don’t put us in a position to choose between our community and our kids. I’ll choose my kids, and that, one way or another, is not in a classroom of 40.”
Heather McNiel, whose child is in fourth grade at the school, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS she was shocked to learn of the loss of the teacher within the past two weeks.
“We don’t believe in this kind of class size, and so what we’re very afraid of is parents who have the capacity will be moving their kids out, and we’ll lose even more funding and we’re creating a kind of death spiral in our schools,” she said. “This is kind of an untenable situation.”
The district did not confirm the reduction of a fourth grade teacher but said in a statement, “Minneapolis Public Schools is excited to see preliminary data showing higher student placements at several of our schools including Lake Nokomis Community School – Keewaydin. We have been working for many years to attract and retain as many students as we can. In the coming weeks and throughout the summer, we will closely review school and district enrollment data and work with school leaders to ensure our students have what they need to be successful. That may include additional staff and budget adjustments if necessary.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS requested the number of teacher positions being eliminated district-wide but has not yet received that information from the district.
The budget also includes reductions to central office departments, including a 50.9% cut to communications and marketing, a 42.8% cut to engagement and external relations and a 65.8% cut to strategic initiatives.
Minneapolis, MN
Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say
Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.
Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.
READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building
Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery
The set-up:
Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.
A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.
The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”
The robbery:
The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.
They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.
When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.
The shooting:
The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.
The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.
The victim was then found dead.
The aftermath:
Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.
Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.
The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.
Local reactions to the strike
What we know:
The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.
Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.
The other side:
Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.
Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.
Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall
Why you should care:
A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.
Minneapolis, MN
Ex-MN Twins Pitcher Sentenced For Shooting His In-Laws
AUBURN, CA — Former Major League Baseball pitcher Dan Serafini was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his father-in-law and attempting to murder his mother-in-law in a 2021 ambush-style shooting at a Lake Tahoe-area home.
A Placer County jury previously found Serafini, 51, guilty of fatally shooting 70-year-old Gary Spohr and seriously wounding Spohr’s wife, 68-year-old Wendy Wood, on June 5, 2021, at their home on the lake’s west shore. Wood survived the attack but died a year later.
In a statement obtained by The Associated Press, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said that Spohr and Wood were loving grandparents and detailed how Serafini’s crimes had affected the couple’s family members and friends.
“The impact of this attack has extended far beyond the immediate victims, deeply affecting family members and the broader community, and highlighting the lasting harm caused by deliberate violence,” Gire said.
On the day of the shooting, Serafini’s wife, the victims’ daughter, had taken the children to the lake to visit their grandparents.
Prosecutors said the deadly ambush stemmed from a dispute over a $1.3 million investment in a ranch renovation project. The victims had reportedly contributed the money.
In one text message shown in court, Serafini wrote, “I’m gonna kill them one day,” referencing a dispute over $21,000, prosecutors said.
He also sent other threatening messages, including “I will be coming after you” and “Take me to court,” according to ABC10.
Jurors also found Serafini guilty of several “special circumstance” sentencing enhancements, including lying in wait, use of a firearm, and that the attack was willful, deliberate and premeditated. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary.
Prosecutors had also charged Serafini with child endangerment, saying he put his infant and toddler sons at risk by having a gun in the home. Jurors found him not guilty on that count.
The case also involved a second defendant, 33-year-old Samantha Scott, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory in February, according to the New York Post.
A left-hander, Serafini was a 1992 first-round pick for the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies, pitching for six MLB teams over seven seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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