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.
Minneapolis, MN
Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com
A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.
Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.
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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.
Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.
The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.
PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building
Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.
READ MORE > Minneapolis coverage
In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.
Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.
Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
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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.
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