Recent content from Dave Orrick
Former MnDOT official approved as Minneapolis public works director
Timothy Sexton replaces Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who became city operations officer.
Minneapolis approves $15 minimum for cigarette packs, highest in U.S.
The city's tobacco crackdown allows existing limited "sampling" inside cigar lounge.
Minneapolis will bid to host Sundance Film Festival
Sundance organizers have said they're open to moving away from Utah in 2027. Minneapolis wants to try to nab the star-studded festival.
American reportedly killed in Ukraine ran for Minnesota U.S. Senate seat in 1990
Russell Bentley was a marijuana legalization activist when he challenged Rudy Boschwitz in the race won by Paul Wellstone.
Cigarettes at $15 per pack? Minneapolis might do it.
The anti-smoking move would set the highest minimum price for smokes in the country and ban discounts.
Wimpy winter saves Mpls. and St. Paul a (small) pile of snow spending
The money saved is small, but crews were able to get ahead on pothole patching, tree trimming and street sweeping.
Minneapolis rolls out new emergency-alert text and app system
The change follows the city's completion of federal emergency training exercise and changes following post-Floyd unrest.
Here's how Uber, Lyft are trying to get their way in Minnesota
The multibillion-dollar rideshare companies have mobilized go-to allies to make their case to policymakers, but their lobbying spending is relatively modest.
Some Uber and Lyft drivers say they'll start their own rideshare co-op
Based on a New York venture, the driver-owned rideshare campaign announced Friday is among a parade of ideas to fill the void if Uber and Lyft leave.
7 Minneapolis Uber/Lyft questions. 7 answers.
'Is this really happening?' and other questions about the rideshare companies' vows to leave Minneapolis.
Majority of Mpls. council now open to tweaking Uber/Lyft ordinance. Maybe.
Minneapolis City Council leaders said they could bring changes April 25 — days before the rideshare companies have vowed to leave.
Minneapolis City Council might reconsider Uber/Lyft vote
Council Member Andrea Jenkins says she wants to try to figure out how to keep the rideshare companies from leaving.
Frey nominates MnDOT official to lead Minneapolis public works
Timothy Sexton, an assistant commissioner, would need to be confirmed by the City Council.
How many taxi cabs are left in Minneapolis?
Uber's entry a decade ago caused an astonishing collapse of the local taxi industry.
Missing 3-year-old boy found safe in northern Minnesota; 36-year-old woman arrested
An Amber Alert for the pair was canceled about 90 minutes after it was issued.
Rep. Ilhan Omar supports Biden, despite criticism of his support for Israel
In a KSTP-TV interview, Omar said she's an "ally" of Democrats who voted uncommitted, but she still supports Biden.
Oak Park Heights inmate sentenced to 15 years for partially blinding female prison guard
Dominique Antoine Jefferson pleaded guilty to punching a correctional sergeant, who lost vision in one eye.
Uber, Lyft say they'll leave May 1 after Mpls. City Council overrides Frey veto
Uber said it will leave the entire metro, including the airport. Lyft said it would cease operations in Minneapolis May 1, when the ordinance takes effect.
Will Uber and Lyft really leave Minneapolis? Maybe. Here's how it could play out.
The Minneapolis City Council will vote Thursday afternoon whether to override Mayor Jacob Frey's veto of an ordinance that increases driver pay.
Minnesota Uber and Lyft drivers often earn less than minimum wage, state study says
The state-commissioned study offers data for policymakers in Minneapolis and statewide hoping to boost pay for rideshare drivers.
Frey vetoes plan to raise pay for Uber and Lyft drivers, calls for swift override vote
Minneapolis City Council approved the plan Thursday. Uber and Lyft say the increase would force them to leave town May 1.
Veto-proof Mpls. City Council approves rideshare driver pay hike; Frey vows veto
Uber and Lyft say they will leave Minneapolis -- and possibly all of Minnesota -- May 1 if the pay hike takes effect.
Fearing Uber and Lyft will leave Mpls., Frey pleads for City Council to soften rideshare pay raise
The Minneapolis City Council is set to vote Thursday on a pay raise for drivers; Uber and Lyft have vowed to cease operations April 1 if it takes effect.
Uber and Lyft up pressure campaign as Minneapolis City Council moves ahead with driver pay raise
Lyft told drivers and riders they would cease service April 1, while Uber took out an ad urging against the proposed ordinance.
Minneapolis' Lake Street Kmart is gone. Here's what could come next.
A city website offers renderings, and a public open house will be held to offer visions for reconnecting Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis charter amendment public hearing set for Monday
Voters could decide as soon as November whether they want citizens to be able to directly create or repeal ordinances.
Uber, Lyft resume threats to leave Minneapolis over new driver wage plan
Uber and Lyft are again threatening to leave as the Minneapolis City Council takes up a driver wage plan similar to one Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed last year.
Defenders of fired Minneapolis civil rights director speak out
Alberder Gillespie again declined to comment, but several current and former officials praised her integrity.
Minneapolis council tackles backlog of police workers' comp claims
Monday's council committee approval of 11 claims totaling $1.3 million follows skepticism from some council members of PTSD claims for cops with misconduct allegations.
Should Minneapolis let voters change city laws?
A public hearing is planned for March to discuss the idea, which could go to voters in November.
Minneapolis' first Black expo was its last. A year later, what's happened since?
The city's new racial equity director has no plans to bring back the event, which remains subject to probes into former director Tyeastia Green's conduct.
With Kia and Hyundai thefts still soaring, Minneapolis calls for recall
Thefts of the vulnerable vehicles nearly doubled in Minneapolis in 2023, while they fell somewhat in St. Paul.
Minneapolis civil rights director fired
Civil Rights Director Alberder Gillespie was terminated Friday after superiors said she 'poses an immediate threat' to police reform.
Minneapolis business owner tries to ban Frey over mayor's Israel-Hamas veto
Basim Sabri told Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey he's banned from entering Sabri's Karmel Mall; Frey says it's antisemitic.
Minneapolis to pay out $800,000 and apologize for arresting Freedom Fighters during unrest
Mayor Jacob Frey will apologize in person to eight members of the citizen-security group arrested by police during unrest after Winston Smith's killing in 2021.
Minneapolis City Council overrides Frey's Israel-Hamas veto
Resolution called for a cease-fire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military support for Israel.
Worried about parking your e-bike? More secure 'bike shelters' are coming to Minneapolis
A pilot program will offer covered, locked areas to better protect bikes from theft and vandalism.
New carbon tax and 4 other ideas from the Minneapolis City Council's new majority
From climate initiatives to homeless encampment policies, council members have begun to roll out a slate of progressive ideas for the year.
Minneapolis picks independent evaluator for policing reforms
The city has entered a court-enforceable settlement agreement with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and continues to negotiate a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Frey vetoes Minneapolis City Council's Israel-Hamas resolution
A veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council approved the symbolic resolution last week, so an override of Mayor Jacob Frey's veto is possible.
![The Minnehaha Ave. building that could become the home to the Third Police Precinct. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com The Minneapolis C](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/2VNXF5IKGEHEEF7YPZ32UXCVDE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
New Minneapolis Third Precinct police station could open in early 2025, commissioner says
The timeline released Wednesday for the police station and "community safety center" is the most detailed since the City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey agreed on a site.
Divided Mpls. City Council rebuffs Frey appeal, approves Israel-Hamas resolution
Mayor Jacob Frey, who is Jewish, called the resolution's wording "lopsided" against Jewish history.
Veto-proof majority of Minneapolis City Council supports contentious Israel-Hamas resolution
The resolution, which will likely get final approval Thursday, calls for a ceasefire, but also an end to U.S. military funding for Israel.
Minneapolis' 10 biggest developments permitted in 2023, mapped
City leaders Monday said the $1.5 billion total value for residential and commercial construction permits last year shows the city remains desirable.
'Climate and infrastructure' replaces 'public works' — and other takeaways from new Minneapolis City Council
Early votes on the council leadership and committee structure could be a preview of how the council's new progressive majority might affect future discussions.
Meet Elliott Payne, the new Minneapolis City Council president
A self-described "nerdy engineer" and the first Black man to hold the post, Payne's election reflects a leftward shift of the council.
FBI investigates Minneapolis DFL endorsement process
Two people interviewed by the FBI said bureau personnel asked about irregularities in last year's City Council races.
Lyft sets $5 minimum charge per ride in Twin Cities metro
The change, which Uber implemented last year, is unlikely to end pressure from drivers and some elected officials to pay drivers more.
Newly sworn Minneapolis City Council takes on Israel-Hamas war
Newly elected Council President Elliott Payne was forced to gavel down audience members as council members spoke of the divisive bloodshed.
Minnesota PWHL fans wanted — and got — history-making game
13,316 fans set a professional women's hockey attendance record at Minnesota's home-opener at the Xcel Energy Center.
Lisa Goodman leaves the Minneapolis City Council after record-setting run in office
Goodman has served longer than any council member in the city's history, and left a substantial imprint on her downtown ward and beyond.
Lisa Goodman led 25 years of Minneapolis development. Now she's leaving
Goodman has served longer than any council member in the city's history, and left a substantial imprint on her downtown ward and beyond.
Jacob Frey's new mustache: 'The feedback has been, uhh, vast majority negative'
Past facial-hair flirtations have been vetoed by his wife, but not this time.
Minneapolis City Hall is getting renovated and the mayor and City Council are moving out for a while
Most public meetings will be held in the old Public Service Center — but don't trust Google to get you there.
As a schoolgirl in 1955, she designed the Minneapolis flag. She sees no reason to change it now.
Louise Sundin isn't persuaded by a local media outlet's bid to change the hard-to-find banner.
Minneapolis will require safety training for high-rise window washers — for the first time
The union representing window washers has pushed for regulation for years.
Are Minneapolis City Council members overpaid? And is Mayor Frey underpaid?
The city's 13 council members are paid $109,846, more than their peers, while Mayor Jacob Frey's $140,814 is less than mayors in similar cities.
Margaret Anderson Kelliher named to Minneapolis' top staffing job
Mayor Jacob Frey nominated the former Minnesota House speaker for city operations officer, one of the most powerful nonelected positions at City Hall.
Minneapolis plans to clear homeless encampment next week, but majority of City Council members want a delay
Some say Camp Nenookaasi is safe, but some native groups in the surrounding Phillips area say it needs to go.
Minneapolis City Council OKs $1.8 billion budget for 2024
Council members and Mayor Jacob Frey coalesced around a plan that prioritizes public safety — both traditional policing and alternatives — as well as responses to climate change.
Minneapolis eyes turning burned-out Third Precinct into elections office
A staff report shared Tuesday with council members also ponders community space, but no plans have been finalized.
Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey unify around $1.8B budget
Public safety — both police and alternatives — are at the core of priorities in the plan, which Frey said he's 'optimistic' about signing.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, City Council haggle as 2024 spending plan takes shape
The council is working its way through the city's spending plan for next year, with dozens of proposals including some likely to spawn conflict with Frey.
Minneapolis wants to take the 'lounge' out of its last cigar lounge
The move to ban all indoor public smoking is part of a wider anti-tobacco effort that would outlaw cigarette coupons and discounts.
![A man bikes through the roundabout in front of Unity Foods Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, Minn. ]](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/BDIZMOTFINHEV4INY3OAYKVWUU.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Cup Foods owners, other Floyd Square businesses sue Mpls.
Concrete barriers and lawlessness cut their income and crushed their property values, lawsuit alleges.
Andrew Johnson reflects on lows, highs of decade on Minneapolis City Council
The former systems analyst stepped down Nov. 21 as Aurin Chowdhury was sworn in to represent Ward 12.
Minneapolis City Council rejects police incentives package
The 8-5 vote was a defeat for Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara, and it will bring the city and the police union back to the bargaining table.
Minneapolis Council Member Andrew Johnson will step down Nov. 21; Aurin Chowdhury will take over
Johnson's early departure and replacement by an election winner is allowed under the city charter.
Minneapolis set to settle with North Side basketball legend Khalid El-Amin over crash with fire truck
Payout of $15,000 stems from a 2020 collision involving a fire engine that allegedly steered its back end into traffic.
Frey names Margaret Anderson Kelliher as his pick for Minneapolis city operations officer
Interim City Operations Officer Heather Johnston abruptly withdrew from consideration for the major cabinet post.
Council throws cold water on incentive plan to replenish Mpls. police ranks
The council's budget committee voted 7-5 to not even consider a $15 million agreement between the police union and Mayor Jacob Frey's administration.
Mayor Jacob Frey appoints new Minneapolis head of planning, housing and economic development
Erik Hansen has spent 20 years in city government planning.
Minneapolis considers $1 million contract with consultant for its beyond-policing plan
A team from NYU Law School would be paid up to $1 million over two years to drill down on vision.
