Recent content from Katie Galioto

St. Paul posts police chief job
Salary ranges from $132,000 and $180,000, far below what Minneapolis is offering.

Minneapolis and St. Paul want bike-shares without borders this summer
The goal, officials say, is to allow users to ride seamlessly between the cities.

Property owners file lawsuit challenging St. Paul's rent control law
They argue that the law violates their constitutional rights.

St. Paul continues push for reparations for Black residents
But it remains unclear how such an effort will be funded or structured.

St. Paul organizers petition for property tax increase to cover preschool costs
The St. Paul All Ready for Kindergarten proposal aims to make preschool free for low-income families.

Park opens on former Ford site in St. Paul, part of 'urban village'
St. Paul officials opened the city's newest park Tuesday, loudly celebrating the addition of green space on what was formerly a 122-acre industrial hub for Ford Motor Co.

St. Paul officials demand answers from city's trash haulers
After thousands of missed pickups, St. Paul officials are considering "every remedy available" to address the service failures.

St. Paul unveils early designs for Mississippi River Learning Center
The city is asking for feedback on three design options.

Ramsey County rejects Arden Hills' plan for TCAAP development
After years of gridlock between the two levels of government, density remains the largest sticking point.

Apartments could be built atop troubled St. Paul parking ramp
St. Paul's Madison Equities is poised to buy the financially struggling Capital City Plaza parking ramp.

St. Paul city attorney settles defamation case against former DFL legislator
Former state Rep. John Lesch apologized for "any embarrassment or discomfort" he caused City Attorney Lyndsey Olson.

Judge: St. Paul can't require vaccine without union talks
The judge also found the city did not act in bad faith in effort to prevent COVID spread.

Todd Axtell retiring today as St. Paul police chief: 'He's going to be missed'
Minnesota native, who spent 33 years in the St. Paul Police Department, is planning to launch a consulting group.

Minn. tornadoes, high winds destroy buildings and cut power
Reports of damage popped up across the state after the storms swept northeast through the state starting Monday afternoon, reaching the Twin Cities metro area about 7:30 p.m. Tornadoes were confirmed in several spots in western Minnesota.

A foggy arrival for Duluth's first cruise ship in nearly a decade
A group of local ambassadors greeted tourists embarking on Viking's Great Lakes tour.

Minnesota zoo animals are getting their COVID shots, too
The two-dose series of the Zoetis vaccine is being distributed to animals deemed most at risk of contracting the virus.
Pedestrian struck and killed by car on Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge
The driver is cooperating with an investigation, which remains open.

St. Paul reveals final plans for $18M in upgrades to three libraries
The Hamline Midway Library, which was constructed in 1930, will undergo a complete rebuild.

Sister Rita Foster, who served the poor and protested violence, dies at 89
Sister Rita Foster was a Catholic nun who practiced tai chi chih daily, always stopped to remove dead leaves from trees and was arrested for…

Minnesota legislators try a Hail Mary on sports betting
With four days left in the legislative session, multiple tax and spending measures remain at a standstill.

Twin Cities leaders say electric vehicle carshare is off to a promising start
Since the February debut of Evie, users have logged more than 9,000 trips.

Family files civil rights lawsuit against St. Paul, officers for fatal shooting of Jaffort Smith
A grand jury previously issued no charges against officers following the killing of Smith in 2016.

After four-year hiatus, the Sparky Show returns to Como Zoo stage
The show was reimagined in a new-and-improved habitat.

Jeremy Ellison named interim St. Paul police chief
Jeremy Ellison, who joined the department in 1999 and now serves as deputy chief, says he will not seek to fill the permanent role. "My main goal is stability," he said.

St. Paul must stop assessing for street repairs, judge rules
Ramsey County district judge says charges to property owners for street maintenance work should be considered taxes, not fees.

New rules, rising police costs force St. Paul festivals to fold
City leaders and police officials say they are trying to balance safety with community fun. They are also trying to not force taxpayers to supplement events.

What you need to know about St. Paul's new rent control policy
As the city's rent stabilization ordinance officially takes effect, here are answers to some common questions.

St. Paul names police chief selection committee
The group will start meeting to vet candidates in late May or early June.

Just one bidder for St. Paul parking ramp sold at sheriff's sale
Parking revenue at Capital City Plaza ramp fell short of amount needed to pay off bonds used to build structure.

Troubled city-built parking ramp in St. Paul heads to sheriff's sale
The property was foreclosed after the Port Authority defaulted on bond payments.

Tell us what you think about St. Paul's rent control policy
In November, St. Paul voters passed the Midwest's first rent control policy, which caps residential rent increases at 3% annually.

Advocates push back against GOP efforts to halt Rondo land bridge funding
The Legislature allocated $6.2 million for predevelopment work on the project last year.

Can saunas decrease risk of cancer? St. Paul firefighters want to find out
The nonprofit St. Paul Fire Foundation raised funds to install an infrared sauna in each of the city's 15 stations.

St. Paul ends its COVID-19 state of emergency
The mayor no longer has the power to issue emergency executive orders, and a handful of city's remaining pandemic provisions are no longer in effect.

St. Paul's rent control vote caused lag in housing sales prices, study says
Economists estimate that if voters had not passed an ordinance, residential property values would be 6-7% higher.

St. Paul proposes process to request exceptions from rent control
The city's voter-approved ordinance is set to take effect May 1.

St. Paul likely to revert Freedom House day shelter to fire station
The shelter's lease and funding are set to expire this spring.

St. Paul approves new City Council ward, precinct boundaries
Changes were relatively minor, but many said the process felt rushed and called for greater diversity on the Charter Commission.

St. Paul to hire 80 new police officers with grant money, COVID aid
$3.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and COVID relief aid will help cover some costs.

St. Paul budgets $635K for rent-control staff
Residents expressed frustrations about the lack of clarity surrounding exemption and complaint processes.

St. Paul launches $4.5M tourism recovery grant program
The city is tapping into its federal pandemic relief.

After COVID-19 cancellations, Twin Cities pubs and parades prepare for St. Patrick's Day revival
Parades in St. Paul and Columbia Heights will be held after a two-year hiatus.

Minneapolis picks search firm to find 'reform-minded' chief; St. Paul also takes steps
St. Paul officials promised to release more details about their search process this week. The state's two largest cities face dual demands to rein in violent crime and take a more creative approach to public safety following George Floyd's murder.

Ramsey County rolls back mask mandate for county buildings
New rule for visitors comes after CDC revises guidelines.

Rondo residents advocate for federal help to build land bridge over I-94
President Joe Biden's infrastructure package included $1 billion for projects to remedy racial inequities stemming from U.S. highway designs.

Minneapolis, St. Paul lift indoor mask mandates — except in city-run buildings
The mayors in both cities said they were encouraged by decreasing COVID-19 case counts.

St. Paul's Carter proposes using federal pandemic aid for new officers, gun safes
In a sweeping address, Mayor Carter announced proposals that would tap into $166 million the city received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

As omicron fades, Mpls., St. Paul maintain mask mandates
Some other governments — at the local, state and national levels — have already rolled back mask mandates as the omicron wave recedes. Minneapolis and St. Paul have not.

St. Paul Council weighs end to Mayor Carter's pandemic powers
Council members said they were given little notice over the mayor's recently rescinded vaccine-or-test mandate for bars and restaurants and found themselves fielding questions and criticism from constituents about a policy they didn't design.

St. Paul City Council calls on mayor to hasten search for new police chief
Police Chief Todd Axtell has said he will not seek reappointment after his current term ends this spring.

St. Paul police chief urges mayor to increase officers' wages
In a letter last week, Chief Todd Axtell wrote that the department is at risk of losing officers to better-paying agencies.

Mayor Melvin Carter discusses decision to end St. Paul's vaccine-or-test requirement
The rule was lifted Thursday.

St. Paul reveals early plans for 1.5-mile river balcony
The proposed promenade is part of a greater plan to connect residents and downtown with the Mississippi River.

Opponents, supporters of rent control in St. Paul seek answers
A spokesman for Mayor Melvin Carter said updates would be available "in the coming days."

St. Paul poised to end vaccine order for restaurants, bars
Mayor Melvin Carter is 'hopeful' that he will be able to lift the city's order by the end of the week. St. Paul's vaccine requirement was set to expire 40 days after it was enacted on Jan. 19.

St. Paul coalition seeks to ask voters to fund early childhood education through property tax hike
The referendum would increase the city's property tax levy to provide free early childhood education to low-income families.

Protest of police killing of Amir Locke draws hundreds to Mpls.
The city is once again mired in a bitter conversation about race, policing and no-knock warrants. The moment — the grieving, the outrage, the questions — exacerbated feelings of dread and exhaustion.

New electric vehicle car-sharing program Evie debuts in Twin Cities
Evie Carshare will eventually bring 171 electric vehicles and 70 charging stations to St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Lee Krueger to step down as St. Paul Port Authority president
As president of the agency, Krueger led significant development projects in the capital city.

Last eligible Minnesota city signs on to $300M opioid settlement
Holdout city Burnsville opted into the settlement one day before the deadline.

State announces Friday deadline for rental assistance applications
Officials say Minnesota is running out of federal funds for the program.

Q&A with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter: Crime, rent control and his biggest challenge
After residents resoundingly elected him to a second term, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter doubles down on plans to tackle issues like public safety, housing and more.

St. Paul zoning changes pave the way for smaller homes, cottage clusters
City leaders are also considering more substantial zoning code changes.

St. Paul prepares for ex-officers' federal trial in George Floyd killing
Former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights. Although security won't reach the level of the Derek Chauvin trial, business owners and residents say preparations are unlike anything they've seen.

Mpls. and St. Paul won't require vaccines for restaurant workers
Following public criticism, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also removed a provision that required some young children to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

St. Paul City Council poised to declare climate emergency
All seven council members indicated they will vote Wednesday to support the measure, which calls on the state and federal governments to help cities develop climate action plans and build more sustainable infrastructure.

Minneapolis, St. Paul to require vaccine proof for bars, eateries
The moves come as an increasing number of large, Democrat-led cities across the country are adopting similar rules.

St. Paul might allow (slightly) stronger drinks at picnic pavilions
Currently, residents must obtain a permit to drink anything stronger than 3.2 beer at city parks.

Fear, frustration, resolve resurface in Minneapolis, St. Paul as COVID again disrupts city life
Mask mandates are back. Businesses are shutting, and people are hunkering down.

Minneapolis, St. Paul reinstate indoor mask mandates
Mayors from both cities were citing a rise in COVID-19 cases from the fast-spreading omicron variant.

St. Paul Mayor Carter opposes City Council's return to in-person meetings
The council will meet in City Hall on Wednesday for the first time in nearly two years.

St. Paul Mayor Carter begins second term, vows reinvention
After a resounding re-election, Carter pledges to "institutionalize" work begun in his first term.

Tension grows between St. Paul mayor, council on rent control
City Council members have repeatedly asked for clarity on the new ordinance and its implementation.

Amid union lawsuits, St. Paul postpones vaccine mandate for all city employees
Temporary restraining order for police and fire unions applies until questions related to state labor laws are settled.

Stolen bronze goose that disappeared from St. Paul park is found
The missing sculpture was located after someone attempted to turn it into a recycling center as scrap metal.