6/28/2024 -- St. Paul State of Emergency

Weather

Local Emergency Declared in St. Paul for Flooding Risks 🌧

The Summary: City Council members declared a state of local emergency in St. Paul during a meeting on Wednesday. This declaration allows city leaders to apply for relief aid when it becomes available.

Rising Flood Risks: Significant storms are expected to cause the Minnesota River to crest at 20.8 feet by Saturday evening, potentially marking the seventh highest flood on record, surpassing the 17-foot levels seen in 2019.

Preparations and Road Closures: In response to the anticipated flooding, St. Paul has taken several precautionary measures. Several busy roads in downtown have been closed to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians. The closures include:

Historical Context: The last significant flooding event in 2019 saw water levels exceeding 17 feet, prompting the construction of a temporary flood wall in downtown St. Paul to manage the risks.

Business

❯ Kim’s Increases Anti-Union Efforts: Internal messages from managers at Kim's restaurant in Minneapolis show continued efforts to discourage unionization, arguing that workers' needs can be met without a union. The unionization vote is scheduled for Thursday.

❯ E-Bike Rebates Re-open: Minnesota's e-bike rebate program, which previously crashed due to high demand, will reopen its online application at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 2.

❯ Advanced Security at MOA: The Mall of America is implementing advanced facial recognition technology to enhance its security measures, focusing on identifying persons of interest such as trespassers, threats, and missing individuals.

Politics

❯ Comissioner Candidate Arrested: Marisa Christina Simonetti, a recent candidate for District 6 Hennepin County Commissioner, was arrested on Friday in Edina for fifth-degree assault and domestic assault. Simonetti, who lost the special election in May to Heather Edelson, remains in custody with no details released about the incident leading to her arrest.

❯ Trump Expands In MN: The Trump campaign is expanding its ground game in Minnesota with their team set to open eight new field offices. The last time Minnesota voted Republican in a Presidential election was 1972.

❯ Royce White, running for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, has repeatedly failed to vote in recent elections, including the 2022 primary in which he was a candidate.

What Else We’re Reading…

Twin Cities Named Best Cities for Bikers 🚴‍♀️

After Minneapolis was named the happiest city in the country as well as the top destination for recent college grads, our city took home yet another award: best town for bikers. According to People For Bikes, Minneapolis is the top ranked city for bikers and St. Paul is the #4 best city in the U.S.

Sports

Timberwolves Draft Aggressively 🏀

The Summary: The Wolves traded up to the number 8 spot in the NBA draft to land Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham.

Improved Backcourt: Dillingham will provide needed offensive firepower and athleticism in the backcourt alongside Anthony Edwards.

Defensive Strength: Further down the board, the Wolves added a pro-ready wing in Terrence Shannon Jr. at No. 27.

Finch is Back: Just before the NBA draft, the Wolves signed head coach Chris Finch to a four year extension.

Other Sports News

🏆 The Minnesota Lynx won the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup by defeating the New York Liberty 94-89.

⚾ The Minnesota Twins beat the Diamondbacks 13-6 on Thursday evening, but it didn’t come without stress — Carlos Correa left the game early after being hit by a pitch.

Quick hits

Headlines From Around The Twin Cities ✔

❯ Five people have been charged with attempting to bribe Feeding Our Future juror (MN Reformer)

❯ Young Joni was named among the best pizza restaurants in the U.S. by the New York Times (NYT)

❯ Ridership on Metro Transit's buses and trains is up 11% this year compared to last year at this time (Star Tribune)

❯ Minneapolis to pay $365,000 for police shooting man in the head with rubber bullet during George Floyd protests (Star Tribune)

Minnesota GOP Senate candidate Royce White didn't vote for his own 2022 campaign (Axios)

Quick hits

Headlines From Greater Minnesota ✔

❯ CNN Travel listed Duluth as #10 on their list of America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2024. (CNN)

❯ The Superior National Forest issued an emergency closure order for areas impacted by recent storms (Northern News)

❯ Nearly half of Minnesota under "unprecedented" flooding, and some rivers are at or above record levels (WCCO)

The Final Word: Moment of Zen

Enjoy this moment of zen brought to you by a sunset from Lake Harriet — I took this photo just a few nights ago while I was out walking my dog. These are the nights we brave the winters for!

-Patrick