Latest news with #MinneapolisCityCouncil
CBS News
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Minneapolis officials detail locations of traffic safety cameras ahead of September pilot launch
Minneapolis on Tuesday revealed where it'll be firing up new speed cameras come September. The program is set to combat what officials call the "number one traffic safety concern." In the past three years, city officials said 45 people were killed because of speeding and/or red light running in Minneapolis. "With these traffic safety cameras, we're making clear that speeding and reckless driving won't be tolerated—especially near our schools and areas with lots of foot traffic," Mayor Jacob Frey said. "This pilot program is about saving lives, not writing tickets, and I'm proud to have signed the contract this morning to get this work moving." Cameras will be at the following locations: Drivers going over 10 mph will get warnings for about the first 30 days. Citations will likely be issued by October. After one warning, drivers get a $40 fine for going 10 mph over the speed limit. The fine increases to $80 for speeds 20 mph or more over the limit. Drivers can also take an online traffic safety course in exchange for dismissal. Citations will not appear on a person's driving records and cannot be used to revoke a license, arrest someone or tow a vehicle, city officials say. The Minneapolis City Council approved last week a four-year contract with NovoaGlobal, Inc. for the pilot program, which the mayor officially signed on Tuesday. Minneapolis had red light cameras back in 2005, but the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled two years later that the cameras violated state law. This time around, the city got approval from lawmakers for the pilot program. The state law says money from the citations has to go to operating the program and traffic safety programs. Money cannot be a new source of revenue. Adam Myers is a store manager at Steve's Tire and Auto, located near where the speed camera at 46th and Nicollet is set to be. Reckless driving and speeding is common in the area, he said. "I'm not really fond of getting a ticket in the mail, but I don't speed, so we should be ok there," Myers said. "But I think it's a good idea to help with the safety of the community of this area."
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minneapolis City Council votes for independent audit of federal raid at local restaurant
Minneapolis City Council votes for independent audit of federal raid at local restaurant originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Minneapolis City Council on Thursday voted unanimously in favor of launching an independent audit of the operation conducted by federal law enforcement including Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a Minneapolis restaurant this week. By a 12-0 vote, the council says the Office of City Auditor will now conduct an after-action review of the operation conducted outside Las Cuatro Milpas at Lake Street and Bloomington on Tuesday. Militarized vehicles and heavily armed agents from ICE, the FBI, ATF and DEA descended on the scene, drawing a large crowd of protesters. The review will investigate Minneapolis Police Department's involvement in the raid – one of eight reportedly conducted across the Twin Cities on Tuesday – to determine whether it was in violation of the city's separation ordinance that prohibits MPD from assisting ICE with the enforcement of immigration laws. Authorities involved in the operation, including Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, said that it didn't relate to immigration enforcement, and was instead part of a large-scale criminal investigation into drugs and money laundering. However, ICE agents had already been at the scene for several hours by the time this information was released. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara has said he was only informed of the raid after it had started, while Mayor Jacob Frey says Minneapolis officers were only present for "crowd control" and "keeping the community safe." In a statement on Wednesday, O'Hara said his officers were called at about 11:15 a.m. to "help de-escalate and stabilize a rapidly escalating situation involving confrontations between members of a crowd and federal agents." A video was shared on social media Thursday showing one MPD officer pushing a protester who was recording him, while there were reports from the scene that federal agents used pepper spray during the crowd response. View the to see embedded media. O'Hara criticized the way the federal operation unfolded, saying that even though it wasn't related to immigration enforcement, "the manner in which it was executed was tone deaf to the reality of tensions and fear in our community." "I have communicated my concerns directly to our federal partners," he said, adding that the operation on Tuesday "revealed just how sensitive and intense the issue of immigration enforcement remains in our city." But both O'Hara and Frey have been among those criticizing some of the elected officials who were on the scene on Tuesday, accusing them of spreading misinformation about the nature of the operation, claiming fears that it was an immigration raid at a time of mass deportations by the Trump administration led to escalation at the scene and "only served to inflame tensions." As mentioned earlier, agents wearing ICE badges were visible outside the restaurant when the operation started shortly after 10 a.m., and it wasn't until just after 1 p.m. that a statement was issued by MPD clarifying that the operation wasn't related to immigration. During Thursday's council meeting, Councilor Jason Chavez, who was among those posting to social media from the scene , called on Chief O'Hara to name those he believes were spreading misinformation. Chavez told MPR News that at no point did he post that the operation was an ICE raid, but he state that ICE was at the scene and shared images confirming that fact. "Which elected officials are you talking about in your emails and in your media press releases? And chief, I'm asking you right now, name them," Chavez said. Councilor Aurin Chowdury says that the escalation was the fault of the federal agents on the scene. "I find it extremely disappointing that leaders up here are taking time to blame escalation on alerting community members that ICE was on the ground when the reason for escalation that occurred was a militarized force with assault rifles in our community, she said. "Before anyone posted anything everything was escalating, there werre several armored vehicles, people with zip ties, their faces covered in a heavily immigrant corridor at a time when ICE detentions have occurred in our city." This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
06-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Acid spill at Cold Springs Pilgrim's plant sends 26 to hospital, police say
Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines Minneapolis City Council calls for investigation into federal raid, and more headlines More than two dozen people were hospitalized after an acid spill at a chicken facility in central Minnesota Friday morning, police said. A peracetic acid spill occurred at the Pilgrim's facility on the 800 block of Sauk River Road in Cold Spring around 8:15 a.m., according to the city's police department. The spill was contained and the facility was evacuated. Twenty-six people were taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said peracetic acid is often used as a cleaning agent. In poultry facilities, it is often used "to reduce bacterial contamination and foot spoilage," the FDA said. The acid's concentrated form can cause "irreversible damage to skin and eyes," the FDA said, while the diluted forms can cause eye, nose, throat and respiratory irritation. The Pilgrim's facility recently underwent a $75 million expansion. Cold Spring is about 80 miles northwest of Minneapolis. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minneapolis council members approve audit of ICE involvement at Lake St. investigation
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis City Council members voted Thursday to let the city auditor review city's involvement with ICE during what authorities said was a criminal investigation – not an immigration enforcement raid – along Lake Street at Bloomington Avenue this week. The backstory Word of an ICE raid that spread online on Tuesday sparked a protest at a Mexican restaurant in the area of Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue. Protesters gathered to prevent what they thought were ICE immigration arrests. However, authorities later said the law enforcement response was part of a criminal investigation. A task force, which included ICE agents among other law enforcement agencies, executed several search warrants on Tuesday they said were related to human trafficking, drugs, and money laundering. Images from protesters showed law enforcement, again including Homeland Security and ICE agents among FBI, deputies, and other officers, wearing SWAT gear and utilizing a SWAT vehicle as part of the operation. What we know On Thursday, during the Minneapolis City Council meeting, council members Jason Chavez called out the presence of ICE in the city. "We saw a militarized operation on Lake Street," said Council Member Chavez, who represents the area. "We saw people with large weapons, militarized vehicles that came into our community to instill fear to our immigrant community. We saw people there with ICE badges, and that needs to be said out loud because that is disheartening." "If you've ever had loved ones be deported, if you ever had love ones be impacted by this unjust and cruel immigration system, you know that any federal action like this is hurtful," Chavez added. What they're saying Later, council members moved for an after-action review of the city's role with ICE in the operation. "There are questions that I believe this body needs to ask," said Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, who co-authored the measure with Chavez. "This is one step and one tool that we have to get independent evaluation of what happened that day – an after-action review. It is important that, in this moment, we address the situation where ICE was on the ground in Minneapolis in a heavily-immigrant corridor with a lot of scrutiny and strength because… giving this Trump administration an inch to show up in the City of Minneapolis and violate our values, they will take a mile." Council Member Linea Palmisano said she hoped any review would also include communications by council members who she said created an "increasingly tense scene." "This community trusts you," said Palmisano. "And this community takes your lead. So inflammatory or uncorrected messaging really jeopardizes public safety." The motion passed on an 12-0 vote. The other side On Wednesday, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt called out lawmakers for throwing fuel on the tense situation. Sheriff Witt said some politicians recklessly spread rumors that the operation was an ICE raid without taking time to gather the facts about the situation. "Yesterday's incident was a criminal investigation," she explained. "So putting out the rhetoric that that was a raid, it was not a raid. Putting out the rhetoric that it was an immigration enforcement, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office does not participate in immigration enforcement. Elected officials have a responsibility to the constituents to put out accurate information. They don't have to agree with it, but do not mislead the public, causing more harm to our communities." The sheriff added: "There were ways for them to have accurate information and instead of getting accurate information, being impulsive and putting out things that could potentially incite riots is senseless." Dig deeper During Thursday's meeting, Chavez called out Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara for making similar criticisms of elected leaders. "I emailed the chief asking who he was talking about last night when it comes to elected officials," said Chavez. "Didn't get a straight answer. I emailed them again today to give me clarification. Which elected officials are you talking about in your emails and in your media press releases? And chief, I'm asking you right now, name them. Name which elected officials you're talking about because it's clear that you're afraid to tell the public who you're talking about, because you're lying. ICE was present in our community. There's no denying it." "ICE was present in our community, people with ICE badges were in our community, and to downplay people's trauma is just wrong," he added. "I'll ask the chief, name which elected officials you're talking about. Because when I posted on social media, I said ICE was present, and they were." Chavez said regardless of why they were there, people are right to be scared about ICE agents in military gear on the streets of Minneapolis. "To downplay people's trauma is just wrong," he said. "I want people to be wary about the comments about how immigrants should not be concerned that ICE is present in our community. That our community should not have any reaction because of military tanks, people with weapons in our corridor. That is why people are responding with fear. People are on our corridor who are covering their faces? Covering their badges, without their names, and we have guns in our street and we're supposed to say, 'No worries, don't worry about it, don't be scared.' That is concerning, that is bigotry, that's wrong."
New York Times
04-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
What Is the Future of George Floyd Square?
Note: This newsletter was sent to readers on May 23, 2025. Dear Headway reader, A version of this letter was originally published in Race/Related, a weekly newsletter focused on race, identity and culture. There's no place in America quite like George Floyd Square. More than 300 responses to our story about the site have reinforced this sentiment. Even if you landed in this place without any context, you would know something significant happened at the intersection of 38th Avenue East and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis. From the sculptures of raised fists marking the intersections that border the street to the closed gas station bearing the hand-painted title 'The People's Way,' the corner where a police officer killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck on May 25, 2020 now feels like the physical outpouring of a community's grief, anger and hope. It is currently a place suspended in time. Since its days as a barricaded protest zone filled with residents and activists, members of this community remain divided over what to do with the impromptu memorial that was created here. If there's consensus on any point, it's that change is both inevitable and necessary. But there are conflicting visions over what the city should do with the site, which has been the object of a still-unresolved struggle between Mayor Jacob Frey and the Minneapolis City Council. The Headway team asked Ernesto Londoño, The Times's Minneapolis bureau chief, and Joshua Rashaad McFadden, who photographed the George Floyd protests for The Times in 2020, to show us the square as it currently stands, alongside the perspectives of some of the people with a say in what it becomes. We wanted to document the site as it exists today, knowing that it will eventually change. You can see our story here. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
