The Minneapolis City Council began the process of ending the city's Police Department as it currently exists. The council voted Friday to amend the meeting's agenda by adding two items: One begins efforts toward getting a charter amendment referendum on the November ballot. The proposal would eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department as a charter department and create a new public safety organization. The other adds a resolution to create the process allowing city staff to take steps toward developing what they call a “transformative new model” for public safety. That process is expected...…The Minneapolis City Council began the process of ending the city's Police Department as it currently exists. The council voted Friday to amend the meeting's agenda by adding two items: One begins efforts toward getting a charter amendment referendum on the November ballot. The proposal would eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department as a charter department and create a new public safety organization. The other adds a resolution to create the process allowing city staff to take steps toward developing what they call a “transformative new model” for public safety. That process is expected...WW…

Distance learning for Minneapolis Public Schools and many other districts across the state launched a week ago, but not every family has been able to even log on.Many immigrant and refugee families are still navigating distance learning while also trying to find the right support needed to succeed online. Some have limited English proficiency, no formal education or internet access, and even lack the understanding of how to work on a computer.This situation overwhelms some immigrant community members in the state, including Mohamed Nor Qeys, 29, who moved to the United States from Somalia...…Distance learning for Minneapolis Public Schools and many other districts across the state launched a week ago, but not every family has been able to even log on.Many immigrant and refugee families are still navigating distance learning while also trying to find the right support needed to succeed online. Some have limited English proficiency, no formal education or internet access, and even lack the understanding of how to work on a computer.This situation overwhelms some immigrant community members in the state, including Mohamed Nor Qeys, 29, who moved to the United States from Somalia...WW…

People who depend on public defenders in Hennepin County now have a different way to receive hearing reminders and to be able to communicate directly with their attorneys through a new partnership with a San Francisco-based company. The technology is designed to help people make their court dates and avoid being jailed, as well as save taxpayers money.The office of the Hennepin County Public Defender is working with a company called Uptrust, which has donated its services for a year. Uptrust’s goal is to simply remind people of court dates so they don’t end up being jailed on bench warrants...…People who depend on public defenders in Hennepin County now have a different way to receive hearing reminders and to be able to communicate directly with their attorneys through a new partnership with a San Francisco-based company. The technology is designed to help people make their court dates and avoid being jailed, as well as save taxpayers money.The office of the Hennepin County Public Defender is working with a company called Uptrust, which has donated its services for a year. Uptrust’s goal is to simply remind people of court dates so they don’t end up being jailed on bench warrants...WW…

Officials say the cause of a fire at a mosque in Minneapolis is accidental in nature.Investigators found the cause of the fire was an electrical malfunction, police spokesperson John Elder said Monday .A neighbor saw the fire overnight Sunday at Tawfiq Islamic Center and called for help. Firefighters were able to keep the fire contained to the entryway with minor damage.The fire battalion chief told  crews found a broken window when they arrived with flames behind it. No one was in the mosque at the time.Correction (May 11, 2020): A previous version of this story misspelled the...…Officials say the cause of a fire at a mosque in Minneapolis is accidental in nature.Investigators found the cause of the fire was an electrical malfunction, police spokesperson John Elder said Monday .A neighbor saw the fire overnight Sunday at Tawfiq Islamic Center and called for help. Firefighters were able to keep the fire contained to the entryway with minor damage.The fire battalion chief told  crews found a broken window when they arrived with flames behind it. No one was in the mosque at the time.Correction (May 11, 2020): A previous version of this story misspelled the...WW…

Minnesota's COVID-19 death toll hit 700 on Saturday, as the state also reported a new high in completed tests.The from COVID-19, with 14 of those people living in long-term care facilities.The state reported results from more than 8,600 tests — nearly 2,000 more tests than the previous daily record in the state and well above the 5,000-test benchmark state officials have said is vital for safely reopening the economy.That increased testing confirmed 740 new cases, bringing the state total to 14,969. About two-thirds of those patients have recovered to the point where they no longer need to...…Minnesota's COVID-19 death toll hit 700 on Saturday, as the state also reported a new high in completed tests.The from COVID-19, with 14 of those people living in long-term care facilities.The state reported results from more than 8,600 tests — nearly 2,000 more tests than the previous daily record in the state and well above the 5,000-test benchmark state officials have said is vital for safely reopening the economy.That increased testing confirmed 740 new cases, bringing the state total to 14,969. About two-thirds of those patients have recovered to the point where they no longer need to...WW…

University of Minnesota experts said Thursday that with $20 million in state funding they could soon begin testing up to 10,000 people per day for the coronavirus and another 10,000 per day for the presence of antibodies that indicate they have recovered from COVID-19.That could provide a huge boost to Minnesota’s efforts to slowly reopen the economy. Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that Minnesota would need a drastic increase in COVID-19 testing in the next three weeks in order to begin safely restarting business sectors.Researchers , along with the legislative funding request.University...…University of Minnesota experts said Thursday that with $20 million in state funding they could soon begin testing up to 10,000 people per day for the coronavirus and another 10,000 per day for the presence of antibodies that indicate they have recovered from COVID-19.That could provide a huge boost to Minnesota’s efforts to slowly reopen the economy. Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that Minnesota would need a drastic increase in COVID-19 testing in the next three weeks in order to begin safely restarting business sectors.Researchers , along with the legislative funding request.University...WW…

The indefinite closure of a major pork processing plant in South Dakota will reverberate to farms across the Midwest — including Minnesota.Smithfield Foods announced Sunday that its plant in Sioux Falls will shut down amid an outbreak of COVID-19. Nearly 300 cases have been confirmed among the plant’s 3,700 employees. The company did not give a targeted date to reopen.For Minnesota, one of the biggest pork-producing states in the country, the plant plays a significant role in hog farms' sales.“It would be pure speculation as to what the price impact for farmers is going to be starting this...…The indefinite closure of a major pork processing plant in South Dakota will reverberate to farms across the Midwest — including Minnesota.Smithfield Foods announced Sunday that its plant in Sioux Falls will shut down amid an outbreak of COVID-19. Nearly 300 cases have been confirmed among the plant’s 3,700 employees. The company did not give a targeted date to reopen.For Minnesota, one of the biggest pork-producing states in the country, the plant plays a significant role in hog farms' sales.“It would be pure speculation as to what the price impact for farmers is going to be starting this...WW…

More than half a million people visit the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park every year, most stepping along the familiar path of stones to cross the river at its humble beginnings in north-central Minnesota.Over decades, those many feet have eroded the shoreline, making the river’s first stretch much wider than it used to be.This fall, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to repair that damage. The project, scheduled to begin in early October, will restore the river channel to its original width and stabilize the streambank.“Due to heavy foot traffic,...…More than half a million people visit the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park every year, most stepping along the familiar path of stones to cross the river at its humble beginnings in north-central Minnesota.Over decades, those many feet have eroded the shoreline, making the river’s first stretch much wider than it used to be.This fall, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to repair that damage. The project, scheduled to begin in early October, will restore the river channel to its original width and stabilize the streambank.“Due to heavy foot traffic,...WW…

The National Weather Service has confirmed at least six tornadoes from Friday's severe storms that swept across Minnesota, with storm surveys still under way.That's as crews continued working Sunday morning to restore power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses in the Twin Cities.There were no reports of injuries from Friday's storms that affected a large swath of Minnesota, bringing not just tornadoes but also damaging straight-line winds, hail and flooding.Survey teams from the Weather Service’s Twin Cities office determined the strongest of Friday's tornadoes was an EF-1 that tracked...…The National Weather Service has confirmed at least six tornadoes from Friday's severe storms that swept across Minnesota, with storm surveys still under way.That's as crews continued working Sunday morning to restore power to more than 2,000 homes and businesses in the Twin Cities.There were no reports of injuries from Friday's storms that affected a large swath of Minnesota, bringing not just tornadoes but also damaging straight-line winds, hail and flooding.Survey teams from the Weather Service’s Twin Cities office determined the strongest of Friday's tornadoes was an EF-1 that tracked...WW…

Minnesota’s economic peril stemming from COVID-19 will be front and center this week with a new budget projection.With two weeks to go before the state Legislature must adjourn its session, lawmakers will receive the report Tuesday from the state finance agency amid widespread belief a deficit is ahead. It is to be done, but the unparalleled circumstances led to it.“We could estimate a couple billion, a billion, a couple billion short next year to maybe worst-case scenario, $8 [billion] or $9 billion short depending on how this goes,” Senate Taxes Committee Chair Roger Chamberlain predicted...…Minnesota’s economic peril stemming from COVID-19 will be front and center this week with a new budget projection.With two weeks to go before the state Legislature must adjourn its session, lawmakers will receive the report Tuesday from the state finance agency amid widespread belief a deficit is ahead. It is to be done, but the unparalleled circumstances led to it.“We could estimate a couple billion, a billion, a couple billion short next year to maybe worst-case scenario, $8 [billion] or $9 billion short depending on how this goes,” Senate Taxes Committee Chair Roger Chamberlain predicted...WW…