MINNEAPOLIS — This Thanksgiving, wild turkeys are serving up trouble for Minneapolis mail carriers.
TURKEY TAKEOVER – According to postal workers, turkeys are terrorizing parts of Northeast Minneapolis. Jason Rantala TV…
Posted by WCCO & CBS News Minnesota on Wednesday, November 27, 2024
“We just came home one day, and there was one sitting on our front stoop,” said Ben Katz.
For Ben and Maggie Katz, seeing turkeys outside their door was quite the novelty, especially considering they moved to Minneapolis from their relatively turkey-less former home of New York City.
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“They haven’t really bothered us, but we think it’s kind of funny that they’re in the neighborhood,” said Ben Katz.
However, these turkeys are no joke for others.
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“I just never in my life thought I would get a letter about some turkey problems,” said Maggie Katz.
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The turkeys are such an issue in one northeast Minneapolis neighborhood they have prompted a letter to United States Postal Service customers. According to the letter, wild turkeys are aggressively pursuing USPS drivers. The letter advises customers to chase them off and to avoid feeding the animals.
“They’re turkeys, right? So it’s not like bad attacks are happening, but they are a nuisance,” said Joseph Tiemann, vice president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 9.
Tiemann suggests customers either stop feeding the birds, or feed them away from where letter carriers are delivering mail.
“Usually it’s a dog,” said Tiemann. “Sometimes turkeys, sometimes cats, you know there’s all kinds of hazards out there on the street for us as letter carriers.”
Despite the regular visits from turkeys, the Katzes said they are not giving handouts to their feathered friends.
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“I like our mail carrier a lot, so if she’s stressed, I don’t want her to be stressed, but also I don’t know what to do,” said Maggie Katz.
The Katzes said it is about recognizing that turkeys are a part of life and that living alongside them is key.
“We all got to live together, right? We all got to coexist. Turkeys live here too,” said Maggie Katz.
“But we also got to get our mail,” said Ben Katz.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said you can avoid feeding turkeys by keeping your bird feeders clean. Turkeys are also attracted to shiny objects, the DNR said, so try to cover them along with windows they are attracted to. You can always chase off turkeys with loud noises or a broom, the DNR said.
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Jason Rantala
Jason Rantala joined WCCO as a reporter in June 2023. He’s a Minnesota native and is thrilled to be telling the stories of those in his hometown.
A Minneapolis man is behind bars after stabbing a woman early Saturday morning.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, officers responded to a stabbing around 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of W 24th St. and Pillsbury Avenue. Officers found an adult woman with a non-life-threatening injury consistent with an edged blade.
Authorities said a man known to the woman stabbed her after a verbal argument escalated.
Police arrested a 49-year-old man and is currently at the Hennepin County Jail, pending a second-degree domestic assault charge.
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Police said no one else was hurt. The case remains under investigation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
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Other organizations that can help include:
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.
The lineup has been announced for the 2026 edition of Snow & Flurry, set for October 10th and 11th at Underground Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. Judge, Merauder, and Arkangel will headline the two-day event also featuring 25+ more acts in total.
Weekend passes are available now, with single-day tickets and daily lineups to be announced later.
Passes are available here.
Line up in order of flyer:
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Judge Merauder Arkangel The Killer Nehemiah Another Enemy Awaiting Eschiel Basic Needs Blistered Spirit Blood Stained Concrete Cudgel Direct Order Dose Enemy Of Man Enervate Ethic Eyes Of Sorrow Fleshless Body Lead Spirit Madman Meantime Neolithic Passion Self Interest Shits Creek Sin Sufrir Skewed What Counts Withdrawal Wrath Of Sanity Velocity
After spending months helping immigrant families weather the economic fallout of federal immigration enforcement operations in the Twin Cities, Smitten Kitten is asking the community for help sustaining itself.
The adult retail store in Minneapolis’ Lyn-Lake neighborhood issued a public plea for community financial support.
The strain comes after months of directing staff and volunteer time, resources and fundraising efforts toward mutual aid work that supported immigrants during Operation Metro Surge.
The store became one of the most visible community aid hubs after the federal operation began. Following the killing of Renee Good, Smitten Kitten began collecting groceries, diapers, toilet paper and other essentials.
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“Nothing is going to change unless we’re going to do something,” said Anne Lehman, Smitten Kitten social media manager and mutual aid advisor.
The store also helped direct efforts toward rent relief for immigrants facing heightened uncertainty and economic hardship.
“People had been hiding out since October. They’re going to need things like diapers, toilet paper and water.” Lehman said. “We ended up opening our store as a donation drop-off stop.”
Community support quickly exceeded expectations.
“It felt like every fifteen minutes someone was pulling up in an SUV that just came from Costco,” Lehman said. “As soon as we got it, it would be gone because of how great the need was.”
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Lehman said that the attention also created safety concerns for staff and visitors.
“We had to move where our stuff was because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had caught on to what we were doing and tried to intimidate us,” said Lehman.
In response, the store decided to move its operations elsewhere and began to focus on raising money for necessities. According to Lehman, the establishment raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various needs.
The operation, in part, ended by mid-February, and federal presence in Minnesota diminished. As things began to wind down, so did cash flow at Smitten Kitten.
“There were a lot of weeks where we were cutting it close on payroll,” said Lehman.
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In a social media post, Lehman asked the community to come help support the store by asking for donations, asking people to shop at their store or online.
“We are asking for help, but also all of these things that we’re pouring all of our energy into is not going away,” said Lehman. “If we want to continue doing mutual aid, we have to have a solid foundation of our business as well.”
