Minneapolis, MN
Travel not advised in parts of southern Minnesota, another 6 to 10 inches of snow likely in Twin Cities
Travel not advised in parts of southern Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Transportation says there are whiteout conditions on Minnesota roads, and travel is not advised in parts of southern Minnesota.
The advisories include areas such as New Prague, Northfield, Granite Falls and Gaylord on south. The warning includes parts of Interstate 35 and Interstate 90.
“Blowing snow and strong winds are creating blizzard conditions and are making travel difficult,” MnDOT said.
Most of the roads in the Twin Cities area are also completely covered in snow, MnDOT says.
Twin Cities could see another 6 to 10 inches of snow
The trajectory of the March storm has shifted slightly south, and while the Twin Cities could see an additional 6 to 10 inches of snow Sunday, the heaviest snowfall amounts could be slightly to the south.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport said it had gotten 7.3 inches of snow as 7 a.m. Sunday, with the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen reporting 7.6 inches. Areas in Savage and Elko New Market saw more than 10 inches of snow.
There’s more still to come, and strong wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph are creating visibility issues. In Eden Prairie, the visibility is down to 3/4 of a mile.
21 crashes, 70 cars off the road overnight, State Patrol says
In the hours between midnight and 6:30 a.m., the Minnesota State Patrol says there were 21 property damage crashes on Minnesota roads.
There were also five spinouts and 70 cars off the road, along with six jackknifed semis.
One of the crashes resulted in an injury.
Watch NEXT Weather Alert coverage all morning
WCCO’s NEXT Weather team is on top of snowstorm updates. Watch continuing coverage all morning in the live player above and on YouTube.
Minnesota National Guard on standby for snowstorm rescue operations
The Minnesota National Guard are on standby in various spots in southern Minnesota, prepared for activation should rescue operations become necessary during this weekend’s storm.
Colonel John McCrae, director of operations for the Minnesota National Guard, said that members are in position at armory locations in Albert Lea, Fairmont, Owatonna and Redwood Falls.
Gov. Tim Walz has signed an executive order authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations for a winter storm expected late Saturday into Sunday.
“We have armories all around the state, and that allows us to be able to respond pretty quickly in times like this,” McCrae said.
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Several Twin Cities businesses closed Sunday due to storm
Several Twin Cities businesses will be closed Sunday due to snowstorm:
- All Minnesota Historical Society sites in the metro
- Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
- All Bachman’s locations
- Minnesota Children’s Museum
Large crash causes major delays on I-35 in southern Minnesota
One person was hurt in a multi-vehicle crash that happened just before 8 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 35 near Elko New Market, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.
“Preliminary investigation indicates a primary crash occurred, most likely with a vehicle and the guardrail, resulting in the vehicle becoming disabled in the middle of the road,” the state patrol says. “This caused a secondary crash involving multiple vehicles.”
The victim’s injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Hundreds of Sunday flights canceled at MSP Airport
As of 9:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 600 flights scheduled to arrive and depart Sunday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
Twin Cities mayors discuss storm preps
During a press conference on Saturday, both Mayors Kaohly Her and Jacob Frey announced snow emergencies. The emergencies will go into effect at 9 p.m. on Sunday, but residents of both cities are encouraged to move their cars on Saturday.
Minneapolis has opened up a parking lot at the Salvation Army and the parking lot at the farmers market. Parking at these locations will be free for residents until Wednesday at 8 p.m. Starting Sunday, Parking Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis will also be open and residents will only need to pay $1.
St. Paul will open up the block 19 ramp in downtown St. Paul, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, for free parking for St. Paul residents. The city will also open some St. Paul park lots as they become available and recommend residents check the city’s website. St. Paul officials also said that due to the snow, there will be no garbage pickup Monday.
The latest snow emergencies
GET THE LATEST ON SNOW EMERGENCIES
The city of St. Louis Park is issuing a snow emergency starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. The city says the snow emergency may stay in effect longer due to the large amounts of snow expected.
During a press conference on Saturday, both Mayors Kaohly Her and Jacob Frey announced snow emergencies. The emergencies will go into effect at 9 p.m. on Sunday, but residents of both cities are encouraged to move their cars on Saturday.
Minneapolis has opened up a parking lot at the Salvation Army and the parking lot at the farmers market. Parking at these locations will be free for residents until Wednesday at 8 p.m. Starting Sunday, Parking Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis will also be open and residents will only need to pay $1.
St. Paul will open up the block 19 ramp in downtown St. Paul, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, for free parking for St. Paul residents. The city will also open some St. Paul park lots as they become available and recommend residents check the city’s website. St. Paul officials also said that due to the snow, there will be no garbage pickup Monday.
Gov. Walz authorizes Minnesota National Guard
Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard on Friday, ahead of the storm.
“Despite recent Spring weather, Minnesotans know that a March snowstorm is never out of the question,” said Walz. “As we brace for this potentially dangerous round of winter weather, I am grateful to our National Guard for stepping in to keep Minnesotans safe.”
As of Saturday, the national have four armories in the south and metro area of the state — Owatonna, Redwood Falls, Fairmont and Albert Lea.
“We have armories all around the state all around the state, and that allows us to be able to respond pretty quickly in times like this,” said Colonel John McCrae, Director of Operations for the Minnesota National Guard. “So those are the four armories that, based on the local need. I would note that those four armories, we have vehicles that are called SUSVs and that is a tracked vehicle that is able to operate in snow and ice conditions.”
“We’re your friends and neighbors,” said McCrae. “We want Minnesotans to be safe. You know, we care about the community, and we want Minnesotans to be safe, and we want to be a part of that effort to keep you safe, so we’re happy to help.”
Here’s what to put in your emergency car kit
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety recommends checking road conditions and having an emergency car kit if you have to travel.
Below is a list of items to include in your car’s emergency kit this winter:
Credit: Minnesota Department of Public Safety
- Jumper Cables
- Ice Scraper + Brush
- Portable Shovel
- Flashlight (with backup batteries)
- First-Aid Kit
- Cell Phone Charger and Adapter
- Pencil & Paper
- Extra Gloves, Jacket, Hat, Socks, Boots
- Water
- Snacks – granola bars, protein bars
- Hand & Toe Warmers
- Large Plastic Garbage Bag
- Whistle
- Small Candles with Matches
- Swiss Army Knife or other Basic Tools
- Bag of Sand or Non-Clumping Kitty Litter
- Sleeping Bag or Blankets
- Red Bandanna or Cloth
- Road flares or Reflective Warning Triangles
- Towing cables or chain
A stretch of Interstate 94 in Minneapolis has reopened after a fatal crash closed it for hours Wednesday morning.
The Minnesota State Patrol said the crash occurred on westbound I-94 near Interstate 35W around 2:30 a.m. The patrol said the crash was fatal, but did not say how many people or vehicles were involved.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation said the road was cleared just before 6:15 a.m., and a WCCO crew at the scene saw traffic moving through.
This story will be updated.
Minneapolis, MN
North Minneapolis Heritage Park tenants swelter as $500K grant sits locked for furnaces
Apartment complex A/C problem
Scorching heat is making life miserable for some at Heritage Park apartments in north Minneapolis. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni explains the situation.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Tenants at a north Minneapolis apartment complex are struggling to stay cool as broken air conditioning and other problems remain unresolved during another day of high temperatures.
Tenants at Heritage Park turn to fans as heat rises
What we know:
Several tenants at Heritage Park are relying on fans to keep cool, but temperatures inside the apartments are still reaching the 80s.
“How I’m trying to keep cool is with this fan. I have another fan in that room,” Eddie Robinson, a tenant, told FOX 9 on Monday. “It’s an oven.”
Beyond the lack of air conditioning, tenants are facing other challenges inside and outside the building.
Some apartments have mold and dirty floors, while the exterior shows broken staircases and boarded-up windows.
Repairs and funding struggles at Heritage Park
The backstory:
The court-appointed receiver, Minnetonka-based Certus Financial, said it is waiting for a $5.1 million grant to help with repairs. There is $500,000 in city grant money available, but it can only be used for furnaces, which does not help tenants during the summer heat.
The property receives $85,000 each month from the federal government to help maintain the 200 public housing apartments.
Despite this, the complex is still losing $250,000 every month, according to the firm’s manager, Will Haase.
The property has 440 units, with nearly half set aside for public housing. More than half of the units are vacant, worsening the property’s financial situation.
Haase said his firm is working on patching 30 roofs to address leaks and has already replaced 168 furnaces. While there are still a couple of hundred open work orders, that number is down from more than 2,000 when the receivership began six months ago.
When asked if razing the complex could be an option, he said that is “never not in play.”
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis City Council abandons tax hike near George Floyd Square, revises development plan
After community pushback, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously decided to cover about $630,000 in costs that property owners were originally required to pay to support the development of People’s Way, a former gas station turned memorial in George Floyd Square. Council members also voted down a contract with Minnesota Agape Movement, which submitted a plan for the development and was selected by Mayor Jacob Frey in May.
Edwin Reed had to close his business in George Floyd Square due to drops in revenue in July of last year. Reed said he was surprised to hear about the special assessment handed out.
Reed said the fact that the cost was to be offloaded to locals upset him. He believes the project should not be the people’s responsibility, but the city’s.
“We didn’t start it, they did,” Reed said. “To make us pay for it is just another slap in the face to me, my business was decimated up there.”
Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley lives near George Floyd Square. She said the city council’s original decision was unfair, and she’s glad the council took steps to reconsider.
“I think it’s great that the city reevaluated the assessments that would have been placed on residents and businesses,” Conley said. “When we set a levy that collects property taxes, it’s to do things like take care of the roads that we drive on.”
Self-proclaimed “Tourist Interrupter” of George Floyd Square and Minneapolis resident Marquise Bowie said the neighborhood has gone without city investment for far too long.
Bowie is a founder of the Agape Movement, a 40-year-old grassroots community safety organization based in South Minneapolis. Since Floyd’s death, he and others in the organization have tried to support the community in any way they can, a commitment that Bowie said he hasn’t seen from city officials.
“It’s been six years. Nobody’s really investing in our neighborhood without any fires. We’ve seen fires burn down buildings to the gravel that are built back up,” Bowie said. “We don’t have nothing permanent that lets people know anymore about George Floyd or about the community at large.”
Following the city’s purchase of Peoples’ Way in 2023, the Minneapolis City Council received submissions from four teams that pitched their development ideas for the People’s Way. The Agape Movement was chosen by Frey earlier this year, but the city council voted against the decision, opting to reconsider other applicants.
South Minneapolis resident Dee Thomas said restrooms are a need at George Floyd Square.
“They want people to come through here and do tours here, but there’s no place to use the bathroom,” Thomas said. “Where can the people that are here in the community day by day, watching over the square and keeping the people safe, get to use the restroom and wash our hands?”
South Minneapolis resident Roxy Drake sat alongside Thomas on a metal chair at People’s Way. She said she wants to see a recreational center built. Community members may soon have the development they’ve been hoping for, but struggles to agree on a developer bring further uncertainty to the project.
Conley said, given the survey distributed to community members, Rise and Remember was the more favored option.
“What you saw the city council do was deny the mayor’s recommendation and move forward with the recommendation of the people who were surveyed and who said Rise and Remember best represents what we want to see at the site,” Conley said. “I think the council was really honoring the voices of residents.”
While it may appear that for one developer to win the bid, another one must lose, Conley said there is plenty to go around with the 38th Street THRIVE Plan, a plan created by community members and the city of Minneapolis to drive engagement on 38th Street between Nicollet Avenue and Bloomington.
“We should be listening to the residents, and I think we need to really fund the 38th Street THRIVE Plan so that other development can happen,” Conley said. “One of them could be what Agape has presented. Why not both?”
The timeline for construction of the square remains the same, with the project set to be done in late 2027, though development action remains unclear. However, Minneapolis City Council members Soren Stevenson and Jason Chavez have made continuing efforts with the project, frequently meeting with Frey about what is best for People’s Way.
Though Stevenson declined an interview with the Minnesota Daily, a member of his team said the next steps are still undecided and will be publicly announced when ready.
Bowie said he wants the council to move forward with Agape Movement’s plans for the square.
“We’ve been here, we were open to working with whoever to try to build a better community,” Bowie said. “We don’t want to stay in activism mode forever and kick the can down the road. We want to start building.”
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