Minneapolis, MN
Readers and writers: Minneapolis gets its first poet laureate
It had to happen. As soon as we take a little time off, literary news breaks, such as poet Heid E. Erdrich being appointed the first Minneapolis poet laureate. She will be honored Monday, Jan. 8, at the Minneapolis City Council meeting where she will read a special poem as her first official act.
An esteemed poet, author and advocate, Erdrich brings an influential body of work and life experience to this role, according to the Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs department and the Loft Literary Center, partners in facilitating the competition. Erdrich is an Ojibwe enrolled at Turtle Mountain and, in addition to her own work, has edited multiple collections amplifying the work of other indigenous writers. She is the winner of two Minnesota Book Awards, as well as fellowships and awards from the Library of Congress, National Poetry Series, Native Arts and Culture Foundation, the Loft, First People’s Fund and others.
Erdrich, sister of Pulitzer Prize-winner Louise Erdrich, has taught and practiced multidisciplinary art for decades as a professor and in the community, visiting dozens of colleges and universities, libraries and cultural institutions as a guest speaker and teacher. She’s done multiple collaborations, curations, and installations around Native American art.
With her special interest in the intersection of poetry, performance, and visual art, Erdrich’s poems have been commissioned for the National Gallery of Art, the Baltimore Museum of Art and elsewhere. She has collaborated on poem films, with choreographers, and on public art projects and has curated dozens of art exhibits focused on Native American artists. She is guest curator for Mead Art Museum of Amherst College and was 2023 chairperson of the National Book Awards poetry panel.
Mayor Jacob Frey said in a release announcing Erdrich’s appointment: “Minneapolis is a city of arts and creativity — and our new poet laureate will help inspire our community through the power of words. I look forward to welcoming Heid E. Erdrich to this role — and seeing her use language to inspire and unite our community.” In the release, Erdrich said: “It is especially gratifying for me as an Anishinaabe woman to acknowledge that indigenous people, particularly the Dakota, were the first poets of this place. In my role as poet laureate I will include Indigenous poets in all I do. Miigwech!”
The public can congratulate Erdrich during a celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Loft in the Open Book building, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Mpls.
Second printing for ‘Where We Come From’
Minneapolis author and teacher Shannon Gibney had a very good 2023. “The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be,” her speculative memoir of being a mixed-Black transracial adoptee, was cited by Kirkus Reviews as one of the best young adult books of 2023.
Gibney also joined with local writers John Coy, Diane Wilson and Sun Yung Shin to write “Where We Come From,” a picture book for upper elementary readers published by Minneapolis-based Lerner Publishing Group. Now in its second printing, the book’s authors explore where they each come from — literally and metaphorically — as well as what unites all of us as humans. A starred review in School Library Journal, called it “Outstanding in all ways.”
Short story collection wins award
Pete Simons, pen name for Pete Simonse of Minneapolis, won the 2023 Best Indie Book Award for best short story collection for his third work of fiction, “Uncooperative Characters.” The award is an international literary competition honoring outstanding achievements by independent authors. Simonse retired as vice president and treasurer of Land O’Lakes in 2015. His previous books are “The Coyote” a humorous modernization of Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” and “White as Snow,” a murder mystery inspired by “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Subtitled “Whimsical Tales and Preposterous Parodies,” Simons’ new book is made up of quirky short stories with plots that include a teapot private eye hired by a spoonlike femme fatale, three spies who play a deadly game of rock-paper-scissors, and a serial killer having a dispute with the story’s narrator. (For more information go to bestindiebookaward.com.)
Archivist honored for essay
Trista Raezer-Strusa has won the Minnesota Historical Society’s annual Solon J. Buck award given for originality, excellence, creative research and writing for articles published the previous year in Minnesota History magazine. Her winning essay is “I Thought I Would Write You a Few Lines: Solomon G. Comstock and Civil War Veteran Pensions,” published in the fall 2022 issue. The author is an archivist at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
November 26, 2025 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente has announced significant investments in advanced restoration technology and enhanced service capabilities to better serve Minneapolis-area property owners facing water, fire, and mold damage. The expansion represents the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering comprehensive restoration solutions using industry-leading equipment and proven methodologies.
The technology enhancement initiative focuses on upgrading the company’s restoration equipment arsenal and implementing advanced techniques designed to restore damaged properties to their pre-loss condition more efficiently. These improvements complement the company’s existing IICRC certifications in water damage restoration, mold remediation, and fire damage restoration, strengthening their position as a comprehensive restoration service provider in the Minneapolis market.
SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente has served the Minneapolis community for over ten years, building expertise in addressing the region’s specific restoration challenges. The company’s approach combines emergency response capabilities with reconstruction services, providing property owners with integrated solutions from initial damage assessment through complete restoration.
The investment in advanced technology addresses the increasing complexity of restoration projects in the Minneapolis area, where properties frequently experience damage from severe weather conditions, frozen pipes, and seasonal flooding. The enhanced capabilities enable the company to handle both residential and commercial restoration projects with greater precision and efficiency.
“We recognize that property damage situations require both immediate response and long-term restoration expertise,” said Scott Clemente, Owner of SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente. “Our investment in advanced technology ensures we can provide Minneapolis property owners with the most effective restoration solutions available.”
The company’s comprehensive approach includes direct communication with insurance adjusters and thorough damage documentation, streamlining the claims process for property owners. This service model has positioned the business as a preferred provider among insurance professionals and property owners throughout the Minneapolis metropolitan area.
SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente maintains 24/7 emergency response capabilities, averaging 60-minute response times for urgent situations. The company’s team of over 65 employees provides coverage across downtown Minneapolis and central Minneapolis neighborhoods, addressing water damage from burst pipes, sewage backups, storm flooding, and equipment failures.
The technology expansion also enhances the company’s mold remediation capabilities, addressing moisture-related issues that commonly affect Minneapolis properties due to the region’s climate conditions. Advanced moisture detection and air quality monitoring equipment enable more precise identification and remediation of mold problems in basements, crawl spaces, and other vulnerable areas.
Fire damage restoration services benefit from upgraded soot removal technology and enhanced deodorization capabilities. The improved equipment allows for more effective smoke odor elimination and water damage mitigation from firefighting efforts, reducing overall restoration timelines for affected properties.
The company’s damage restoration services encompass both mitigation and reconstruction phases, providing property owners with continuity throughout the restoration process. This integrated approach eliminates the need for multiple contractors and ensures consistent quality standards from initial emergency response through final reconstruction.
As a family-operated business, SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente continues to prioritize community relationships and customer service excellence. The technology investment reinforces the company’s commitment to maintaining industry leadership in restoration capabilities while preserving the personalized service approach that has defined their reputation in the Minneapolis market.
The enhanced technology capabilities position SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente to address evolving restoration challenges with greater precision, efficiency, and reliability. These advancements strengthen their ability to respond quickly to complex property damage scenarios and reinforce their role as a trusted restoration partner for Minneapolis-area property owners facing unexpected water, fire, or mold damage situations. By combining certified expertise with cutting-edge tools, the team continues to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes that safeguard properties.
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For more information about SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente, contact the company here:
SERVPRO of Downtown Minneapolis/Team Clemente
Scott Clemente
(651) 564-9277
scott@servpro10278.com
1770 Hennepin Ave B1, Minneapolis, MN 55403
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Minneapolis, MN
Former Minneapolis teacher and coach sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting children
A former Minneapolis teacher and coach was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in connection with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault of victims under 13 years old.
Aaron James Hjermstad, 46, pleaded guilty in September to 12 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving victims under 13 years that took place between 2013 and 2021.
In addition to being sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years, Hjermstad must register as a predatory offender and will be on lifetime conditional release if he is ever paroled.
“My thoughts today are solely with the many victims in this case. What they endured as children is nothing short of horrifying,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. “Mr. Hjermstad is being held accountable, and a sentence of this length removes the possibility of further harm at his hands for decades to come.”
The attorney’s office said Hjermstad had coached many of the children or one of their family members. Hjermstad worked as a physical education and health teacher at The Mastery School and a basketball coach at Hospitality House Youth Development and Harvest Best Academy.
At the time he was charged, he’d already been convicted for similar assaults against 3 other victims, but he fled the state before he was sentenced.
In December 2021 he was caught in Idaho during a traffic stop. Law enforcement officials found thousands of videos showing him assaulting children. Some of the videos were taken at his Brooklyn Center home including footage with the 12 victims which led to the additional charges.
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