Recent content from Jon Tevlin
Tevlin: 'Against all odds, I survived a career in journalism'
After 20 years at the Star Tribune and almost nine years as a columnist, Jon Tevlin writes his last column.
Tevlin: Grateful Frogtown couple fight their way back from fire and illness
The fire that wiped out the Kidders' possessions also brought new opportunities, including a chance to look at life a little more closely.
Tevlin: Sexual harassment purge turns 'Giant of Senate' Al Franken into a ghost
The Giant of the Senate, as Franken jokingly referred to himself in his latest book, is now the Ghost of the Senate.
Tevlin: Minnesota bus crash survivor was broken but never defeated
Sawyer Stevens' $100,000 scholarship won during the Big Ten title game doesn't compare to the story of his rise from the bus crash near Cottonwood, Minn., in 2008.
Tevlin: Things get ugly in town after three cats go missing in Cohasset, Minn.
When local authorities initially dismissed the issue of the missing pets, a group of neighbors turned into part-time sleuths -- and it led to a felony case.
Vandals trash small American Indian school in Minneapolis
Chairs and tables were overturned, doors were broken open. Vandals had spray-painted gang graffiti on the walls, on a washer and dryer used to clean the clothes of students who may be homeless, and on the art projects of the 45 students who see Center School as a second home, maybe even a first home.
Tevlin: Habitat for Humanity's Orin Scandrett lives with energy, excitement at 87
"There is no question it was the greatest experience of my life," the group's founding director says of a recent trip to Cambodia.
Tevlin: Luverne vets' last toast to fallen comrades is bittersweet
The two are all that remain of a blood-brothers group of World War II veterans who gathered at the former Glen's Bakery and Deli for years.
Tevlin: Barb Johnson's long Minneapolis City Council run comes to an end
For 20 years, 11 as council president, Johnson has been one of the more powerful people in the city.
Tevlin: Strip clubs love football, especially the Super Bowl
Just as the Minneapolis City Council is meeting Wednesday to come up with a strategy to disrupt sex-trafficking statewide in advance of the big game, the exotic dance industry is ramping up for a bigger surge in business.
Tevlin: St. Paul's police union shamelessly attacks a mayoral candidate
The attack on Melvin Carter is a dangerous, and perhaps unprecedented, abuse of the power of the police federation for political means.
Tevlin: Untruths fan flames of fear in St. Cloud
"It's extremely embarrassing to be in the news for this," said Natalie Ringsmuth, director of #UniteCloud, a nonprofit that seeks to ease racial, religious and cultural tensions in St. Cloud.
Tevlin: In making a play for Amazon, would we be selling our souls?
Across the Twin Cities, from Arden Hills to Shakopee, city planners are huddling with developers and Mad Men to put together the biggest "welcome basket'' the state has ever seen.
Tevlin: Minn. pharmacist who faced addiction demons now helps teens
Some might see him as an atypical example of America's opioid crisis, but Sean Higgins will tell you his story is very common.
Tevlin: U ethics expert says Trump White House is a nightmare
Law Prof. Richard Painter, who was George W. Bush's White House ethics chief, considers himself a loyal Republican.
Tevlin: Vet's phone call was inspired by strong feelings toward the VA
If you work at the VA and met Mike Krueger, you should know that he appreciates you more than you can imagine.
Tevlin: From serving in Iraq to working on Ph.D, U scholar is 'like a kid in a candy store'
Jason Jones is the first in his family to go to college, and he said the U's TRIO McNair Scholars program has been instrumental in getting an advanced degree.
![The Electric Fetus, where Prince once shopped, was among the stops along the tour. ] JIM GEHRZ ï james.gehrz@startribune.com / Waconia, MN / May 28,](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CEDLXKEYDO2GHETCHO7RCWNC74.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Tevlin: Get ready for some more traffic chaos, Minneapolis
When Franklin Avenue shuts down near I-35W to rebuild a bridge, MnDOT's detour for the nearly 15,000 cars that use Franklin Avenue each day will go to 26th and 28th streets, facing restrictions.
![The defunct monorail track passes above the Hanifl Family Wild Woods Play Area as seen Thursday afternoon. ] AARON LAVINSKY ï aaron.lavinsky@star](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/U4LXUGPCSH7JL47FNRGGGH5BGE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Tevlin: When it comes to discussing politics, it's a zoo out there
What does it say about the political temperament of America when an argument over politics gets a senior citizen volunteer fired from the Minnesota Zoo?
Tevlin: Legendary defense attorney Ron Meshbesher struggling with Alzheimer's
"If our story can help bring awareness that even brilliant people like my husband can be afflicted with this disease, it will be worth it," Kim Meshbesher said.
Tevlin: North Loop entrepreneur Peter Kirihara kept his imagination unchained
He was honored for his pioneering vision and his determination to transform the once ghostly Warehouse District into a legitimate destination spot, now known as the trendy North Loop.
Tevlin: A crisis in Minneapolis just can't compete with L.A.
Hodges better hope the race doesn't come down to the main blunder on her fundraising trip: the menu.
Tevlin: Reopening State Fair diner is family's rite of August
Lee and Bev Bahr have turned management of the Lunch Box over to the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, but on Tuesday were still there before first light.
Tevlin: North Side's Tooties is almost back from brink
The basement fire started by a burglar has closed the neighborhood joint for 40 days and counting.
Tevlin: Two kids were able to play with toy guns and not get killed
This is now the world in which we live.
Tevlin: Being the good guy won't be enough for Arradondo as potential chief
Praise for Arradondo at last week's hearing was one of the few genuinely hopeful moments in the recent history of relations between police and the public, but it's a tenuous one.
Tevlin: A night of fun in Richfield ended in gunfire and tears for a young man slain
The shooting death of Jonathan O'Shaughnessy has left his family reeling and asking for anyone who knows what happened to step forward.
Tevlin: Dean Phillips taking his campaign for Congress to the people
Phillips knows it's an uphill battle against Rep. Erik Paulsen, but he's been there before.
Tevlin: A proud Eagle Scout from Minnesota turns in his badge after Trump's speech
"It didn't matter what the speaker said, I identified it as an enormous failure of leadership by the adults who were there," said John Rowell of Moorhead.
Tevlin: Minneapolis shop owner's mother fearless in standing up to armed robber
It happened at the ColorWheel Gallery, a combination hair salon and gallery in south Minneapolis where local artists sell their wares and neighbors often gather for folk music.
Tevlin: Police chief's absence spelled the end
Janee Harteau certainly doesn't own all the crises that have tarnished the police force the past few years, but political expediency made her departure inevitable.
![Detail of the larger memorial on the sidewalk on W. 51st. St. in the Fulton neighborhood Monday night. ] JEFF WHEELER ï jeff.wheeler@startribune.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/REXZC5EINDFTO62F2HJH6XJTNQ.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Tevlin: Where Justine Damond died, cameras roll too late
We are international news, again, for all the wrong reasons.
Small-town doctor in Minnesota gives voice to Islam
Two weeks after a major profile in the Washington Post brought huge attention, Ayaz Virji is still working through his emotions.
Tevlin: Who will rise from huddled mass of Minneapolis mayor candidates?
Ray Dehn scored a victory over an incumbent mayor in Saturday's DFL convention, but that certainly doesn't make him a lock.
Tevlin: For this July 4th, waving a flag and making a vow
The run-up to celebrate all that's good in this country comes with plenty of reasons to fear that things we once celebrated are now targets.
![Hiawatha Golf Course could close if it is forced by the Minnesota DNR to reduce the amount of water it pumps off the grounds. ] Shari L. Gross ï](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5NYUVZJVKHN7VVZ4HKUA64UU4M.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Tevlin: For these friends, Hiawatha's not just a golf course
The Minneapolis golf course, much of it under sea level and with fairways undulated like a spongy bog following the rain, is under threat.
Tevlin: South Minneapolis biz owners conflicted over $15 wage issue
A number of South Side small business owners find themselves emotionally and politically conflicted between their progressive values and the city's push for a mandatory minimum wage of $15 an hour.
Tevlin: When it mattered most, Yanez wasn't a good cop
In the end, it seemed like all parties could agree on something: Jeronimo Yanez should not be a cop.
Tevlin: Garrulous Mpls. restaurateur too sick to work keeps on laughing
Despite low energy and the need for an oxygen tank, Joe Minjares has kept his creativity and his sense of humor.
Tevlin: Yanez jurors find themselves in an imperfect world
Jurors will face the unenviable task of sorting through a myriad of sometimes contradictory recollections and infinitesimal details to affix blame and perhaps find justice.
Tevlin: Health care debate is 'legacy' of the times
Rep. Keith Ellison, a Fifth District Democrat, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in the Third District, about the proposed changes to health care.
Tevlin: One teenager's poignant struggle to 'get it out'
An eighth-grade English assignment is a heartbreaking view of life coming apart for a 14-year-old girl, and a stark reminder that violent acts have many victims.
Tevlin: At Minneapolis' Ramsey Middle School, students study, then change history
Thanks to their yearlong campaign, the Minneapolis school board will vote June 13 on whether to keep Ramsey or rename it Justice Alan Page Middle School.
Tevlin: Years later, Tom Petters scam still haunts halls of the Capitol
A measure buried in a state budget bill would limit the funds that cheated investors could recover from charities and religious organizations.
Tevlin: Fraud at Minneapolis agency hurt 'the poorest of the poor'
Authorities say former Community Action of Minneapolis CEO William Davis stole more than $800,000 from CAM's coffers and spent it on luxuries, trips and five girlfriends.
Tevlin: After reversing fortunes, Minn. prep football team faces uncertain future
The coach who rebuilt the Staples-Motley Cardinals after a five-year losing streak did not have his contract renewed. After the school board vote, the superintendent and five other football coaches said they were resigning.
Tevlin: Dear Reps. Paulsen, Emmer and Lewis, spare us the crowing over your 'health' bill
With America in a health care crisis, the solution shouldn't be winning the lottery.
Tevlin: Mayor Hodges has had a mind-boggling month
April is the cruelest month. You don't have to trust T.S. Eliot on that, just look to Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. To be fair, March didn't end so swell either.
Tevlin: With a bike lane scuffle, spring begins in earnest in Minneapolis
A group of Lyn-Lake business owners is angry with the city's plan to add protected bike lanes to two popular east-west corridors.
Tevlin: Twin Cities cabbie and best friend take a final ride together
Their special, albeit unusual friendship began six months ago with a call for a ride to the grocery.
Tevlin: Vietnam veteran Don Elverd still looking after the troops
"I didn't volunteer for this," Elverd said of his work with addicted vets. "I was drafted."
Tevlin: Raucous caucuses in Mpls. are telling us ... something
The Trump dystopia is clearly motivating people to do something, and at the local level that means running for office, even against your own party.
Popular small-town baker had recipe for trouble
A homegrown cafe that helped resuscitate Main Street in Dodge Center is now shuttered after the owner was convicted of burglary.
Tevlin: Creating a new Peavey Plaza for all to treasure
Fixing one of the jewels of downtown Minneapolis promised the inevitable collision of two issues — preservation and accessibility.
Tevlin: For Kenyon's police chief, humanity comes first
Funny, self-deprecatory and guileless, Lee Sjolander may be the male Marge Gunderson, the cop from the movie "Fargo," only in the internet age.
Tevlin: First gathering is Minneapolis mayoral forum 'lite'
The event was fittingly labeled a forum, not a debate, because it was largely a pillow fight between besties. This race seems like it will be less over direction than voice.
![Steam still rose from the Madelia fire two days later. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Friday, February 5, 2016 Gov. Dayton visited Madelia tw](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/A6LZT45H6EHIQ26GR72NEKCQPM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
