Recent content from James Walsh
St. Paul mayor vetoes council rejection of housing development on vacant lot
Mayor Melvin Carter said St. Paul needs a range of housing to meet its goals for vitality and affordability.
Millions in public, private aid help rebuilding in St. Paul's riot-damaged Midway
Cash grants to businesses hurt by pandemic, riots give hope to St. Paul neighborhood
Divided St. Paul City Council rejects development on vacant lot
Developer says vote will dampen development efforts.
Petition drive kicks off in St. Paul to put rent control on the November ballot
The proposal is more detailed than similar efforts this year in Minneapolis.
Competition heats up as more Minnesotans hunt for shots
Another 900,000 Minnesotans were added to the pool of state residents vying to secure a shot of virus protection, adding to the scramble for appointments.
Storyteller Stephen J. Lee, MPCA worker, wrote his own obit, a love letter to the future
The Circle Pines man died Feb. 28 at age 69.
Minnesota's front-line workers wait turn for COVID vaccine
Getting a place in line is no guarantee that vaccination is imminent, with thousands risking infection as they wait.
Many Minn. seniors confused, frustrated in pursuit of vaccine
For thousands, many with serious health issues, the search and scramble to line up vaccine contributes to great angst and much frustration.
Minneapolis lifts bar service restrictions as COVID-19 cases fall
The move brings Minneapolis establishments in line with state restrictions.
Rift at longtime St. Paul clinic leads to new home for residency program
Exodus of longtime doctors sparks anger among some, but not all, patients.
Mildred Mae Hill, a teacher and family historian, dies of COVID-19 at 93
For several years, Mildred Mae Hill was a teacher.But her most cherished accomplishment may have been serving as the thread pulling together several generations of…
St. Paul Planning Commission denies housing development near Frogtown
Housing advocates fear the project will hasten gentrification.
Teachers flock to St. Paul for COVID-19 vaccine shots
Thousands of educators expressed excitement and relief as they contemplated a return to the classroom.
June Davis, who started treatment program for women, dies at 76
By the time she'd met her future husband, June Marie Fiksdal had already transformed her early years working in her family's Rochester, Minn., flower shop…
Minnesota settles lawsuit against Monticello cafe that violated COVID-19 restrictions
The Cornerstone Cafe remained open to indoor dining despite a state order prohibiting it.
Minnesota restaurants and bars resume indoor service, with restrictions
Monday was the first day for Gov. Tim Walz's dial-back of his holiday shutdown to stem the COVID surge.
Judge fines Lakeville eatery $3,000 a day for violating order
The Alibi Drinkery opened to indoor dining in violation of state order aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Minnesota's quandary: How to stop COVID-19 scofflaws
As some businesses across Minnesota continue to defy Gov. Tim Walz's orders to remain closed to in-person dining, a question persists: What, if anything, can the state do?
Minnesota officials wait to learn stimulus impact on vaccines, nursing homes
Minn. plans include immunization push
Minn. center plans New Year's Eve bash in defiance of shutdown order
Despite evidence that a big party is planned, the Winnebago event center's owner says it will be "a religious gathering."
Hennepin Healthcare video stream lets parents stay close to fragile newborns
Livestream technology allows families of babies in intensive care to look in on them day or night.
Bitter Minnesota wind chills follow blizzard; 8.7" at MSP
A major winter storm moved across the state, causing a multivehicle pileup on Interstate 94 near Albertville and Monticello. The state opened armories to help those stuck on the road.
Defiance of COVID restrictions on some Minnesota menus
They risk fines, brazenly flout ban on indoor dining.
More restaurants sued for defying Minn. indoor dining ban
Restaurants in Anoka, Monticello and Albert Lea faced enforcement action by the Minnesota AG on Friday, which found them in violation of Gov. Walz's order prohibiting indoor dining.
Why was I-94 built through St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood?
The highway connected Minneapolis and St. Paul, but its construction tore a hole through a thriving, historic Black neighborhood.
Minn. AG sues bars that defied Walz ban on dine-in service
Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville and Neighbors on the Rum in Princeton violated the Walz order on Wednesday.
State will suspend two spots' liquor licenses for defying order
One of them, the Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville, is one of more than 100 businesses that have signed on to openly defy the order Gov. Tim Walz issued a month ago to slow the spread of COVID-19 across Minnesota.
Minnesota business coalition plans to defy Walz shutdown order
Loose-knit group of about 160 businesses committed to reopening early.
Hudson imposes curfew to tamp down late-night rowdiness
City hopes to makes crossing border less appealing to subset of Minnesotans causing trouble after 10 p.m.
Minn. chaplains are adapting to the new COVID-19 calling
Chaplains of all faiths are quietly providing another dimension of support to Minnesota's COVID patients, their families and often medical staff.
Ellison sues gym defying state order to close for four weeks
Attorney General Keith Ellison says the gym remains open despite a state order to close to prevent COVID-19 spread.
38 COVID-19 deaths, 6,423 new infections reported in Minnesota
While daily COVID-19 case numbers have leveled off in recent days, the surge may be far from over — especially with Thanksgiving approaching.
![Tiffany Lounge on Ford Parkway had its share of patrons because bars shut down under Governor Walz’s orders.] With bars closing down Friday at midni](https://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_cc4edcc6-063e-44ef-a2a8-5213b60b03b6.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Twin Cities bars pitch last-call 'specials' before new restrictions
Along with the specials came concerns that such last gasp promotions could attract too many thirsty customers and turn into potential virus superspreader events.
Don Regan, founder of Premier Bank, beloved father, dies at 91
From Depression-era days as a 12-year-old shoveling coal and stoking the church furnace to, decades later, founding bus companies and banks, Donald Regan diligently earned…
Students' video asks their Minnesota county nicely to mask up
High COVID-19 rates in Martin County cut into sports season, classes, so they made a video.
Twin Cities area youth sports coaches add COVID-19 protocols to daily routines
They now forced to do more than manage lineups and the X's and O's to keep players on the field and the virus at bay.
Minnesota's Andy Slavitt: An influential voice on COVID-19
The former Obama health care official takes on coronavirus fight from his Edina home.
Trump's call not to fear COVID hurts those ill and in mourning
Trump's tweet — "Don't be afraid of Covid" — strikes some as reckless and disrespectful, seemingly downplaying the severity of a pandemic that continues to spread.
Minn. health officials hope for no virus spike after Labor Day
After seeing Minnesota's COVID-19 case numbers jump following Memorial Day and July 4th, state officials hope to avoid a repeat after this holiday weekend.
Front-line workers deal with fears, unhappy customers
Five months into the pandemic, front-line workers wage a wearying fight to safely do their jobs without the refuge of working from home. While others around them have grown COVID-fatigued, they work to stay vigilant.
Uptick in Minnesota vaping-related lung injuries linked to dangerous additive
Vitamin E acetate, often used as a thickening agent in cosmetics, is also added to THC to make it appear more substantial.
COVID-19 surge in young adults a challenge for contact tracers
More than 924 COVID-19 cases this summer have been tied to two dozen bars and restaurants. The median age in those cases is between 23 and 24.
New CDC guidance one factor among many for decisions about Minnesota schools
The governor is expected to make an announcement Thursday.
Gerald Snyder, who led Chisholm High band for 30 years, dies at age 81
In 30 years of teaching band and choir at Chisholm High School, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who heard Jerry Snyder raise his voice.…
Ryan Cos. holds virtual groundbreaking for Highland Bridge, new name for Ford site
Developer of 122-acre site announced additional development partners.
Can bars and COVID-19 coexist? Mankato might have the answer
What happens in the city's drinking establishments over the next several weeks could have a real impact on the size and scope of an expected second wave of the coronavirus.
Don Hartzell, longtime principal at North Branch Elementary, dies at 86
Each morning for more than 25 years, a beaming Don Hartzell greeted his students as they poured through the front doors of North Branch Elementary…
Ryan Cos., Xcel Energy plan large solar array for St. Paul's Ford site
6-acre array, nearby plant could generate power for thousands of homes.
Emotions run high at Minneapolis protests
A crowd of several hundred gathered in downtown Minneapolis for two back-to-back protests calling for an end to police brutality and racism.
Shrine to George Floyd could be permanent at 38th and Chicago
Neighbors and community leaders are discussing ways. Possibilities include a traffic roundabout, a peace garden or perhaps a sculpture.
Legal developments bring hope that calm is returning to Twin Cities
The buses have started again, with plans to restart light-rail service Thursday, even as curfews have been extended until Friday morning.
Floyd's family applauds charges against four fired Minneapolis officers
And at the area where Floyd was pinned under an officer's knee, flowers and a mural now memorialize him.
Thousands gather in St. Paul to protest George Floyd's death
Summit Avenue was swarming with thousands of peaceful protesters Monday afternoon as they demanded all four officers involved in the killing of George Floyd be jailed and prosecuted.
Police arrest 150 Sunday night; driver who pushed into crowd is in custody
Hundreds in downtown Minneapolis ignored the curfew and were met with police lines and tear gas. Earlier, officials warned of continued arson attacks, after several caches of flammable materials were found in neighborhoods.
Mike Freeman faces new challenge in case against Derek Chauvin
Freeman attempts to succeed a second time at what has been an exceedingly rare result — convincing a jury to convict an officer of murder.
Minnesota cities testing new plans to expand outdoor dining during coronavirus
Changes come as retail and restaurant customers in Minneapolis must start wearing masks Tuesday night.
Botched virus testing at St. Paul nursing home brings anger, apologies
Problems surfaced almost immediately: Test samples were ruined because they were not stored in coolers, and oral swabs were used instead of nasal ones.
Staying vigilant, Minnesotans stay in to fight COVID-19
In sticking with the routines they've developed, they say they're doing their part to help medical workers, flatten the curve and reduce the spread.
Outbreak hits Pilgrim's Pride poultry plant in Cold Spring
As of Monday, state health workers had confirmed 194 COVID-19 cases among workers at the Pilgrim's Pride poultry processing plant — more than double the 83 cases just four days ago.
COVID-19 outbreak in St. Cloud sparks fears of spreading virus
Increased testing among local processing plant workers has established the central Minnesota community as a COVID-19 hot zone.
Caution will outlast Minnesota's COVID-19 restrictions
For many, the weeks in quarantine have instilled a sense of concern — or fear — that won't be easy to shed.
David Goulette, a gifted church organist with a rich bass voice, dies of COVID-19 at 83
It was David Goulette’s rich bass singing voice that first caught Carol Carver’s ear at a choir audition decades ago. It was his almost-heavenly organ…
St. Paul dental clinic risks the virus to keep low-income people out of the ER
Dentists, hygienists and dental students continue braving the dangers of COVID-19 to volunteer at St. Paul's Hope Dental Clinic.
Spreads of coronavirus exposes racial inequalities in Minn., U.S.
At first glance, the numbers in Minnesota's cases don't appear out of proportion. But officials say the actual numbers of victims in the state's minority communities are likely higher.
At 104, Minnesota woman may be oldest in U.S. to survive COVID-19
Her son is convinced that Vera Mueller's faith pulled her through.
St. Paul's unique urban farm not planting due to COVID-19
Shutdown has Frogtown leaders concerned beyond 2020
Former St. Paul schools chief Patricia Harvey, champion of accountability, dies at 72
By the time Harvey left in 2006, the schools had a flourishing reputation as an urban district on the rise.
COVID-19 scare prompts Minnesota schools to get creative in feeding kids
With the state's schools closed, districts and other organizations are finding ways to deliver meals to children in need.
Virus fears prompt Minnesotans to spread rumors, misinformation
As a woman walked past Grand Avenue's Wedding Shoppe a couple of days ago, she saw something that alarmed her: a large group of people…
Minnesota college seniors grieve the loss of milestone moments to COVID-19
Canceled commencement ceremonies and other events are among the memories lost in the last semester before graduation.
As public places close in Twin Cities, there's nowhere to go but home
In a span of days, state, civic and business leaders have locked down public places on a scale not seen here in more than a century.
Minnesota schools, parents struggle to adjust to school closure
Just as parents scramble to find ways to adjust their lives during the school closures, St. Paul and Minneapolis educators have their own challenge: finding ways to teach nearly 70,000 students from a distance.
Proposed apartments set up clash over gentrification in St. Paul's Frogtown
Proposed apartments seen as moving the area toward gentrification
Minneapolis Public Housing Authority interim director headed to Chicago
Scott moves to the second-largest public housing authority in the country, serving more than 63,000 families with an operating budget of $1 billion.
