The Minneapolis City Council will hold a public hearing over a proposed ordinance that would decriminalize drug paraphernalia on Tuesday morning.

Councilmember Jason Chavez authored the ordinance, writing on social media that “it will ensure our local laws are in compliance with state law while also centering the humanity of our shared community.

Chavez and other supporters on the council describe it as a “step toward treating drug use as a health issue, not a criminal one.”

Andrea Corbin, owner of the Flower Bar on Lyndale Avenue, is concerned that an ordinance like this could have negative impacts on her business and residents across the city. 

“I’m very concerned about it,” Corbin said. “If we want to help the underserved and people that are really struggling mentally, then we need to connect them with services, not give them a playground to do whatever they want to do; that’s not a good solution.”

Corbin is also the president of the Uptown Association, a group representing businesses across the neighborhood. She described Uptown as a neighborhood at a crossroads and wants to see safety and foot traffic increase. Corbin said the Uptown Association has partnered with police, Metro Transit and other grassroots organizers to focus on reviving the area. She worries an ordinance like this could derail their effort.

Supporters like Chavez say the ordinance would align the city with state law. Minnesota legalized drug paraphernalia in 2023. At the time, advocates told WCCO the approach focuses on harm reduction and helping both communities and users stay safer while working toward recovery.

The hearing will start at 9:30 am on Tuesday at Minneapolis City Hall.

A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of Justin “Juice” Marshall in south Minneapolis last summer. 

The teenager agreed to speak to investigators about Marshall’s killing while awaiting trial for separate cases, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said. Prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder, and if his plea deal is accepted, he’ll be sentenced to 261 months.

Marshall was shot around 2:30 a.m. on July 25 in front of the bus stop next to Mortimer’s Bar on Lyndale Avenue South and Franklin Avenue West. 

He was taken to the hospital, where he died. Family said he was killed on his 37th birthday.

Video from the area showed Marshall run up to the passenger side of a light blue Toyota Camry, the criminal complaint says. He briefly talked with the teenage driver and then turned away. The driver then got out of the car and Marshall ran to a nearby bus shelter, where he fell to the ground.

The 19-year-old can be seen holding a gun in his left hand, the charges say. Marshall was shot six times.

The teenager admitted to having a verbal altercation with Marshall and then chasing him down at the bus shelter, according to the complaint. He said he shot Marshall multiple times.

“My thoughts are with Justin’s family as they finally have some answers from today’s guilty plea,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “This came together over the last few days, but Mr. Davis has taken responsibility and will now be serving his time for Justin’s murder. Numerous people were victimized by Mr. Davis during this period in 2025, but none more so than Justin, his family, and the community that loved him and we wanted to ensure they had their own day in court.”

Marshall was known for his DJ’ing and his grocery bagging skills at Kowalski’s Market. He was recognized for those skills at the National Grocers Association Best Bagger Championship. 

The 19-year-old is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7. The attorney’s office says the other cases against him are expected to be resolved with a related plea deal after the sentencing in the Marshall case.

Since 1913, St. Clement Catholic Church has stood the test of time in Minneapolis’ Northeast Arts District. It’s served as a social hub for countless community members and lifelong residents like Ann Marie Cosgrove.

“This is where my grandparents went to church, my parents were married here, my siblings and I were baptized here,” said Cosgrove.

But the church’s future is uncertain. This may very likely be the last Easter celebration, church leaders said, at the more than 110-year-old church.

“I’m trying to not have an emotional reaction to this, but it is emotional, but I’m also praying that a miracle happens,” said Cosgrove.

Aaron Stockton, a trustee for the church, said a piece of equipment as old as the church itself is to blame. Despite patches and fixes over the years, he said the church’s boiler is on its last legs.

“That would be such a devastating loss,” Stockton said. “That boiler is an existential risk. It could have failed at any moment for years and years. This year, it looks more tenuous than it has ever before.”

He said a fix would cost roughly $150,000. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is set to help with fundraising, Stockton said, but their campaign doesn’t kick off until next January — so the money would come too late.

Church leaders and its members are now hoping for a miracle.

“I’m really praying that God heals the boiler,” said Cosgrove.