u/IAmAlpharius23

Minnesotans from more than 25 countries completed their oath to become U.S. citizens during a ceremony in June.

Every year for the last two decades, Hennepin County has helped fund a handful of projects through their Transit Oriented Communities grants, spurring development that makes it easier for people to live and work car-free.

It’s not huge sums of money we’re talking about – a couple million dollars each year. But it adds up. Since the program started in 2003, Hennepin County has put nearly $53 million into more than 180 projects. Those projects, according to county figures, have created or maintained more than 18,000 units of housing and more than 3,600 jobs.

A new report from the Minnesota Reformer finds at least 66 cases in which the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office attempted to shield body camera footage from the public by designating its officers as undercover, even for everyday cases like traffic stops.

Here are some tips for attending:

Don’t drive unless you have to. Metro Transit is your friend for this.

There will be kittens up for adoption from the Bitty Kitty Brigade, so be prepared to possibly be a new cat parent if a feline steals your heart.

There is a slight chance for rain in the early evening on Wednesday, so you may want to pack an umbrella. Either way, sunscreen, shades and water is a must.

Respect the cats. We are in their space and getting the honor to visit them. Many cats can be skittish when meeting new people or with crowds, so be prepared to show your love from a distance if they’re feeling overwhelmed.

All the game events are free and open to the public. The Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony both require tickets, but the Closing Ceremony is free.

Along with food, music and art, the coming week’s celebrations of Black freedom will feature education and resources.

"What started as a workaround to paying sales tax has evolved into a business that verges on performance art: a restaurant that might offer a solution to a broken industry-wide business model as well as a critique of that model."

The 53rd year of the Grand Old Day celebration drew 200,000 people to St. Paul, according to organizers.

They said the focus was bringing economic support back to the Grand Avenue business district.

The festival included food, fitness and a wide variety of activities.

“So 100% of the proceeds from Grand Old Day go to support our business operations,” Elizabeth Emerson George said.

George said recent investment has helped the Grand Avenue area recover, including a $40 million mixed-use development project on Victoria Street.

She also said Grand Old Day has helped put the area back on track.

“It’s better than ever, we have more members of the business association than we’ve ever had before which is exciting, we’ve been in the news quite a bit lately, we have several vintage shops opening along the avenue and of course we have a significant development on Grand and Victoria, so we’re back baby,” George said.

A corpse flower bloom is rare, as it only occurs every several years. Horace bloomed first in 2024, drawing hours-long lines of people curious to see the 52-inch plant with a rotted stench. 

Como staff said Friday the corpse flower could begin opening in days. Check the website for updates.