The number of opioid overdose deaths in Minnesota has risen sharply since 2018.
In Minnesota, American Indians and Blacks are
experiencing the opioid epidemic more critically and with deadlier consequences.
According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the number of opioid-involved deaths reached 924 in 2021, up from 343 in 2018, increasing by 44
When John Jefferson was tapped to lead the Minneapolis Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR), he saw the role as an opportunity to continue his commitment to justice in a new form. Much like the mayor’s other law enforcement appointments—
global attention fixated on Minneapolis as the world awaits to see how the city approaches public safety following the civil unrest that was sparked by Floyd’s killing. He shared his hopes of gaining the community’s trust in this role and ensured that he would take an active role in addressing police conduct.
“When I saw this position, I thought that maybe I could use my talent and my years of
percent from 2020 to 2021.
American Indians are seven times more likely to die from a drug overdose than Whites, while Blacks are twice as likely to die from a drug overdose.
On February 24, the Minnesota Department of Human Services announced it is
awarding $5.7 million in grants to 12 organizations—including Neighborhood Health Source, Pillsbury United, Hennepin Health, RS Eden, and Wayside Recovery—to expand the services available for people suffering from opioid addiction. Nearly all of the funding
is going to groups primarily serving Native, Black, and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic.
The grants will support culturally specific practices, including primary prevention and overdose prevention, workforce development and training, and expansion and enhancement of care. In addition, the funding includes $1 million for services focused on the East African population.
Over-the-counter naloxone
In mid-February, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended that naloxone, an anti-opioid overdose drug, be made available over the counter. The panel voted 19-0 to make the treatment, which is currently available by prescription and at certain access points in Minnesota, more accessible.
The FDA is expected to make a final decision about the treatment by late March. If approved, naloxone could be available for purchase
at convenience stores and supermarkets.
Over-the-counter access to naloxone would be a step toward advancing the fight against the opioid crisis, said Allie Carey, director of programs with the Steve Rummler HOPE Network. But she said it isn’t a magic bullet. Naloxone reverses the deadly respiratory depression associated with opioid overdoses. It comes in a nasal spray and an injection form, and is highly effective even when administered by people who are not medical professionals.
“It won’t be a universal solution,” said Carey. “An over-thecounter medication doesn’t necessarily take away some of the barriers that people might still face.”
Founded in 2011, the St. Paul-based Steve Rummler HOPE Network educates the public about the opioid crisis, provides training on naloxone administration, and distributes the life-saving drug via Naloxone Access Points across the state.
By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer
Last month, the Saint Paul City Council launched the application process for the Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission. Part of a racial reckoning movement among U.S. cities, towns and institutions, St. Paul is creating a commission that will explore reparations to local Black people and communities for slavery and other institutional racism.
When the commission is finally formed later this year, the 11-member group will serve as an advisory body to the St. Paul mayor and the city council “on matters related to damage caused by public and private systemic racism in the City of Saint Paul which resulted in racial disparities in generational wealth, homeownership, health care, education, employment and
pay…,” according to a statement released on February 13. It is the result of the city council’s Ordinance 22-52 January vote establishing the commission.
The reparations debate has a longstanding history, begin-
an enslaved African American and Black person [or] a descendant of those living in the United States including during American slavery until the Jim Crow era.”
Last March, Evanston, Illinois became the first U.S. city
In St. Paul, a limited-term Reparations Legislative Advisory Committee met from July 2021 through June 2022. Last spring, virtual sessions were co-hosted by East Side Freedom Library (April 7 and April 29), as well as two in-person sessions held at Dayton’s Bluff Recreation Center (April 14), and at Rondo Library (April 21).
ning with the 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 by Union General William T. Sherman, which promised 40 acres and a mule to the formerly enslaved Black people. A 2019 NAACP resolution on reparations asked for a national apology and land grants “to every descendant of
to establish reparations for Black residents after its city council passed a resolution in 2019 to set aside $10 million of the city’s cannabis tax revenues over 10 years to support housing and economic development programs for its Black residents.
A committee report recommended that St. Paul use federal funds from the City’s American Rescue Plan, sales tax revenue, land sale proceeds, and philanthropic contributions for reparations. The St. Paul City Council later passed Ordinance 22-52 to establish the reparations commission.
According to community activist Trahern Crews, the top two reparations recommendations are direct cash payments and educational opportunities. He told the
■ See REPARATIONS on page 5
a commissioner for community safety and the new MPD chief—he is new to Minneapolis. In addition, he has taken on the role during a time in which the City is set to introduce a new system of police oversight.
Last December, the Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance that would expand the Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO) to 15 members, 13 of whom would be appointed by the city council, along with two mayoral appointees. Of those 15, there will be three review panels that will review complaints filed against officers in Minneapolis. The change is set to take effect in mid-April.
In taking this role, Jefferson is aware that there is
experience, not only from law enforcement but as a Black man in law enforcement, also as a Black man being raised in the late 1960s during the civil rights era,” he said.
“As I was conducting the interview for this job, one of the things they did bring up is this review board, and the way it sits right now it’s a little bit unbalanced.” While he would like to see some education for the civilian members of the commission ahead of their review process, Jefferson stated that he believes that this new model will give the community a chance to take back some power.
Law enforcement career
After stepping away from a ■
page 5
By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer
A Hennepin County judge issued an injunction on Friday, Feb. 24, preventing the demolition of the Roof Depot on East 28th
and
activists are concerned that the project, which involves demolishing the abandoned warehouse and expanding a facility that will see an increase in dieselfueled vehicle traffic, will harm the community.
The project, which has been planned for the site since 2015, remains a Superfund site. Neighbors and activists
On Feb. 7, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) evicted a tent encampment from a strip of land off Lake and Hiawatha. It was just one of the many sweeps of encampments conducted by both the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County this year.
The county estimated the number of unhoused people who lived on the strip of MnDOT-owned land at
the Hiawatha encampment at 37. And while no arrests were made during the sweep, which lasted most of the day, it does not tell the whole story of the hundreds of unhoused people living in and around Minneapolis.
Joe [name changed], who was one of the original people to set up his tent at the Hiawatha location with his sister and cousin two-and-a-half months prior, said he believed the encampment was being evicted because of some
vehicles being stolen in the neighborhood, but that the people who stole the vehicles did not live in the camp. He says the camp’s population tripled after the encampment in Cedar-Riverside was evicted in January. Joe said there had not been any overdoses or violence at the camp, even with the newcomers.
The original residents of the encampment were able to keep the area fairly clean, Joe said, but that garbage became unmanageable once the camp
Extra security is in place at a Minnesota school after one student was fatally stabbed by another. The staff, including social workers, are tasked with providing emotional support, and not just at the site of the attack.
Last month’s deadly incident occurred at St. Paul’s Harding Senior High School,
president of the School Social Work Association of America, said support staff will take charge to help students cope. She said that includes monitoring the “ripple effects” at other locations.
“We may notice that, ‘Hey, this student has a sibling at another school,’”said RiversCannon. “Or even further, we may look at their enrollment pattern and notice that, ‘Hey, this child or these siblings at-
with suggested resources for social workers to lean on.
Rivers-Cannon suggested that this more coordinated response—either to violence on campus or pandemic-fueled stress—is very timely, as a lot of students are still readjusting after periods of distance learning.
“Coming from being enclosed, it is more of a demand, more of a call to action,” said Rivers-Cannon.
began to grow. Neither the City of Minneapolis nor the MnDOT placed a dumpster or portable restroom at the site.
Jennie Taylor, another of the camp’s original residents, said the lack of a portable restroom at the camp had been a major problem. Taylor, who has difficulty walking, said she had to go a block away to Target every time she needed to use a restroom, since the Raising Cane’s restaurant that neighbored the camp required a purchase of a full meal for restroom access, which she could not afford.
Both Joe and Taylor felt MnDOT’s 24-hour notice to vacate was insufficient. Joe said he only keeps the bare minimum possessions required to survive, as everything else is lost every time he has to move. Taylor said making the decision of what possessions to bring or leave behind was a very difficult choice.
“People lose so much stuff, it’s crazy,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to keep good shoes, warm shoes; it’s hard to keep warm coats and warm clothes. To have to lose it or leave it because you have to compromise. Do I lose my tent and my blankets, or my bag of clothes?”
shelter beds for single adults were utilized. Many unhoused people who were unwilling or unable to reach a shelter continued to live in their tents during the storm.
One formerly unhoused person, DeAnthony Barnes, known locally as ‘King,’ said losing pos-
Taylor also said the snow increased the burden of the logistics of moving, which was already a difficult task due to her mobility challenges.
On Feb. 23, as a major winter storm approached, 555 of Hennepin County’s 620
Obituary
sessions in sweeps never bothered him as much as seeing people lose necessities.
“It’s all tangible stuff that is temporary anyway,” Barnes said. “It’s watching the people go through it. People are losing
■ See Homeless on page 9
Sunrise: October 9, 1927 - Sunset: February 21, 2023
Mary will be remembered for her humor, especially memorable quotes like, “Okeydokey a nickel and a tokie,” or “I might have been born at night, but not last night!”
Her home was always filled with music. She sang with her children in her Hattiesburg home. You could often hear her singing hymns while cooking in her Minneapolis kitchen. She loved playing her many gospel albums and leading a praise and worship song during church service.
followed by more violence at the funeral reception for the victim, where three students who attended were shot. Although high-profile mass shootings at schools have gripped the nation in recent years, some campuses have had to overcome more isolated forms of violence.
Terrilyn Rivers-Cannon,board
tended another school also.’”
When connecting those dots, she said they realize there could still be deep connections with students at the other schools, prompting the need to see how they’re responding.
In light of the increased demand for mental-health support in U.S. schools, the national group is providing toolkits
Obituary
MNC
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than one-third of high school students reported they experienced “poor mental health” during the pandemic.
Mike Moen writes for the Minnesota News Connection; the story was updated.
Sunrise: February 27, 1947 — Sunset: February 2, 2023
Adrienne Ellen Olillia Mason was born on February 27, 1947. She passed away on February 2, 2023. She is preceded in death by parents Kenneth Mason, Sr. and Grace Mason, and husband Steven Jackson. She is survived by her brother Kenneth Mason, Jr., nephew Patrick Rhone, his wife (Bethany) and daughter Beatrix, and Tisch Jones (mother of Patrick).
A Celebration of Life was held on Monday, February 27, 2023, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 1636 W. Van Buren Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55104.
Mary Earl Evans was born October 9, 1927, to Mamie Day (Watkins), and Lindsey Day in Dixon’s Mill, Alabama. She was a gifted storyteller. One of the many stories she shared with her children was the journey she made as a child with her mother and siblings from her paternal grandparents’ farm and birth home of Dixon’s Mill to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Her spiritual life was very important to her. She began her Christian journey as a member of the Starlight Baptist Church in Hattiesburg. As a young woman in Hattiesburg, she met her husband, Albert James Evans, Sr. They married in 1947. She then joined True Light Baptist Church where he was a member.
Mary and Albert had nine children, but she still made time to be active in her church. She was a Vacation Bible School teacher and led the children’s choir. She lost Albert to an aneurysm in 1965 and continued to raise her children as a single mother, but with strong community and family support.
Mary saw the limited opportunities the segregated city of Hattiesburg offered. In the summer of 1971, she made the decision to move her family across the country to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she felt her children would have a brighter future.
She was a great caregiver. She supported her children by caring for all 15 grandchildren like a second mother, leaving cherished memories and an indelible imprint on each of their lives. In caring for her community over her lifetime, she was the president of the school’s PTA, a childcare provider, and a nursing assistant.
Her work as a young woman in the church would eventually lead to her being an evangelist. If you were fortunate, you had the opportunity to hear her preach the gospel while evangelizing in churches where she was a member across Minneapolis or in churches she visited throughout the Twin Cities.
Over the 50 years, she spent in Minneapolis, she was a member of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ, Faith Center, and at the time of her passing, she was a member of Church of New Life with Pastors Sam and Shirley Nero.
The Lord called Mary home on the morning of February 21, 2023, at the age of 95. She was proceeded in death by her mother and father, her siblings, Theresa Stamps, Lillie Mae Myers, Daisy Henderson, Hattie McLaughlin, James Day, Dennis Day, Johnnie M. Day (her twin), Charles Day, Tiny Bee Day and her sons, Kenneth Evans and Joseph Ray Evans.
Left to cherish her memory are her seven children, Elder Albert James Evans, Jr., (Doris) Buffalo, NY; Brenda Lynn Evans, Hattiesburg, MS; Jerry Leon Evans; Mamie Catherine Stokes (Michael); David Earl Evans; Pamela Joy Henderson; Vickie Diane Evans-Nash (Ewell), all of Minneapolis; 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; her goddaughter, Apostle Bertha Lanier, and countless church members, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Homegoing service for Evangelist Mary E. Evans will be held on Tuesday, March 7, at Church of New Life Christian Ministries, 8600 Bloomington Ave. South, Bloomington, MN, 55425. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m., with the service to follow at 11 a.m. Internment will be at Ft. Snelling Cemetery.
People lose so much stuff, it’s crazy. … Do I lose my tent and my blankets, or my bag of clothes?By Dr. Dionne Hart Guest Contributor
Last month, Tyre Nichols died during a traffic stop. Five police officers have been criminally charged in relation to his death, and one additional law enforcement officer and two emergency responders were terminated. Published reports describe Tyre Nichols as a free-spirited photographer, father and son who was “just trying to go home.”
Tyre should have made it home, but instead his name is added to a list of Black men, women and children who have died during an encounter with police or in police custody. Policing has been recognized by multiple medical organizations as a public health threat because, like biological factors, social constructs and connections affect the health, function, and quality of life of individuals.
Each time a person, often Black and male, loses their life
while in custody, the Black community makes a collective outcry. We call for change, yet change has escaped our grasp—the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 remains stagnant.
In the United States, about 1,000 people die at the hands of law enforcement annually. African Americans are three times more likely to die than a White person during a police encounter. According to the National Academy of Science, one in 1,000 African American men or boys will be killed by police in their lifetime.
22% were accidents, and the remaining could not be determined. Black civilians were about 4.5 times as likely as their White counterparts to be involved in a fatal encounter.
The family of Tyre Nichols filed an urgent appeal to the United Nations. An urgent appeal is used to seek intervention to prevent the loss of life due to “imminent or on-going damage of a grave nature.”
The family statement says, “Today, we filed an Urgent Appeal before the United Nations asking it to condemn the tragic killing of Tyre Nichols, to demand transparency from the police department, and to demand that Officer Preston Hemphill and all officers that participated in the incident are criminally charged.”
A Minnesota Department of Health report found that between 2016-2021 there were 177 fatalities that occurred during law enforcement services calls. Of these, 45% were due to interpersonal use of force, 31% were suicide,
The letter has specific demands including mandating the use of body cameras for all law enforcement, the immediate release of video footage and audio recordings following incidents involving police killings, and ending the provision of military equipment to and military training of police. They are demanding change to eliminate the misuse of police, over-policing, and to remove law enforcement officers who violate public trust.
The majority of law enforcement are dedicated to public safety and upholding their office. The National Medical Association is calling for increased
research into excessive policing that contributes to unnecessary injury, morbidity, and premature death; a change to the standard death certificate to include death in custody when a death occurs during a police encounter, while in custody or incarcerated; and an end to the use of the term “excited delirium,” a catch-all for deaths occurring in the context of restraint that is disproportionately used to explain the sudden deaths of Black men during
police encounters.
When speaking about his photography, Tyre is quoted as saying, “My vision is to bring viewers deep into what I am seeing through my eye and out through my lens. People have a story to tell, why not capture it.”
Black people have a story to tell. Only we can tell our story.
I am calling for all mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers to contact at least three local, state or federal officials to tell our story to advocate for mean-
The status quo in healthcare has left far too many Minnesotans behind – particularly people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, those living in rural areas, and the economically disadvantaged. We are taking action across our health system to do better and be better for our patients, for our employees, and for the communities we serve.
Bringing clinical services into neighborhoods to expand access
Advancing our anchor mission initiatives – local hiring, local purchasing, local investing, and leading and serving locally
Addressing social risk factors through food access and housing programs and community education and outreach
ingful police reform in order to end this public health threat.
Dr. Dionne Hart is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine practicing in Illinois and Minnesota. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Mayo Clinic. In 2014, Dr. Hart was named Minnesota Psychiatrist of the Year. In 2017, Dr. Hart received the National Alliance on Mental Illness Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.
Dr. Hart holds local, state, and national positions in organized medicine. Dr. Hart was the inaugural chair of the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Minority Affairs Section. She is an American Psychiatric Association delegate to the AMA House of Delegates, a member of the Minnesota Medical Association Board of Trustees, president of the Minnesota Association of African American Physicians, chairperson of National Medical Association’s Region IV, and the AMA liaison to the National Commission on Correctional Health Care Board of Representatives.
In 2020, Minnesota Physician journal named her one of the 100 most influential healthcare leaders in Minnesota. Recently, Dr. Hart was recognized by the Minnesota African American Heritage Calendar Committee as an honoree for the Class of 2023 and recipient of a Certificate of Recognition by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
To learn more:
There’s still much work to do, but we remain committed to creating a healthier, more equitable future for all.
Tyre should have made it home, but instead his name is added to a list of Black men, women and children who have died during an encounter with police or in police custody.Tyre Nichols holding his son MGN
Taxes are due in April, and while preparing a return can be stressful, working ahead of time can eliminate much of that anxiety.
Don’t let the deadline sneak up on you this year. Instead, optimize what you get back in taxes by following these five steps to file your return.
Step 1: Collect Your Information
First, you need to collect all your forms and receipts. The documents you’ll need depend on your circumstances. Many people have W-2s and 1099s, but you may also need statements for tuition, mortgage interest, qualified health insurance coverage, and student loan interest. Consult the IRS list of forms to see which ones apply to you.
Employers must send your W-2s and 1099s by Feb. 1.
Some will send them to you electronically, while others will deliver them by mail, so keep an eye out.
You’ll also need to gather receipts for qualifying deductions if you itemize deductions.
This step is critical if you’re
audited, as your receipts prove you correctly calculated your deductions. Common deductions are charitable donations, home mortgage interest, and unreimbursed medical and dental expenses.
You’ll also want to collect documents for any eligible tax credits. These tax credits
are more beneficial than deductions because they reduce the amount you owe the IRS rather than just reducing your taxable income. Tax credits are available for expenses incurred from adoption, education, disabled dependent care, etc. Review this list of available tax credits and deductions from the IRS.
Step 2: Choose a Deduction
Method
You’ll need to choose what method you use for deductions. For many people, the standard deduction is the best choice, but depending on your charitable donations, medical expenses, and so on, it may be better to itemize. The choice boils down to which method lowers your taxable income the most.
“Each year, you get to choose between itemizing or taking the standard deduction,” according to Investopedia.
“You should always research that choice since the allowable deductions and their amounts
sometimes change from year to year.”
Step 3: Estimate What You Owe Next, you will want to estimate how much you owe or
■ See Taxes on page 9
Launch Minnesota, a Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) led initiative dedicated to growing Minnesota’s new business ventures and startups, is partnering with coworking spaces and economic development agencies. This new opportunity will bring together startups, small businesses and community experts.
“We are proud to have representation in every region of the state,” said Launch Minnesota Executive Director Neela Mollgaard. “These events will increase access to Minnesota’s many educational, nonprofit,
government and other innovation resources, and make it easier for entrepreneurs and business owners to connect to talent across Minnesota to help their business start and scale.”
The statewide collaborative effort seeks to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. It includes:
• Innovation grants for scalable innovative businesses for:
- Business operations: up to $35K
- Housing and childcare expenses: Up to $7.5K
- Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase 2 matching grants: Up to $50K
• Education grants will create regional networks across
the state that bring together various sectors to provide the needed education, resources and support to startups.
• Angel Tax Credits which provides a 25 percent tax credit to investors. The Minnesota Legislature has allocated $10M in 2019 and 2021.
Launch Minnesota gatherings started on Feb. 8, and will continue to meet on the second Wednesday of each month, to spotlight the range of business resources available in the communities. There will be experts in each location, including business coaches, Launch Minnesota regional leaders, sup-
port organizations, and consultants from Small Business Development Centers.
In addition to in-person gatherings, the events will also be offered virtually on the Minnesota Exchange. All sessions are free, with no registration required.
For information on upcoming gatherngs, visit LaunchMinnesota.org. If you are interested in hosting a future event or have questions, contact launchminnesota@state.mn.us. Find more information at mn.gov/deed.
Source: Information provided by DEED.
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Naloxone can cost between $45 and $150 per dose depending on whether it’s Narcan or the generic version, Carey explained. Some people seeking to obtain naloxone to be able to treat loved ones may still be unable to access it, even if it’s made available over the counter.
Racial barriers to treatment
Race may also play a part in the gap in access to naloxone in a life-or-death moment, said Carey. When mistrust brews between emergency responders and communities of color, people might hesitate to call 911 in a crisis moment involving an overdose, delay-
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ing or preventing someone from receiving the treatment they need.
“African American or Black residents in our state face three times the risk of fatal overdose deaths that White Minnesotans do,” Carey said. That’s despite the fact that research shows “the actual use of these types of substances is really pretty level across demographic groups.”
Accessing naloxone via emergency responders could be complicated by the nature of the emergency response system. “The only way to seek emergency medical assistance is to engage the same system that deploys law enforcement,” Carey said. “We don’t have a designated system for just engaging medical services… and it makes total sense that communities of color would not feel safe engaging that
becoming reality.
system consistently.”
Other factors that could contribute to the disparity include restricted access to health care and a lack of access to representative mental health care.
Evans, who works with the Minnesota Department of Health, said that stigma stems from a “lack of education.”
At a naloxone access point, “Someone might see someone else there and they don’t want [them] to know that their fam-
might believe the treatment itself poses a danger. “A lot of people still don’t know what [naloxone] is,” said Christopher Burks, an outreach coordinator with the Twin Cities Recovery Project. “It is harmless.”
Burks and Evans both emphasized the need for more public education about substance abuse and treatment, particularly for youth. Drug overdose rates among adolescents rose exponentially during the pandemic, according to research from the University of California Los Angeles published last year.
Another barrier to more widespread use of naloxone is the negative stigma associated with the treatment, said overdose prevention administrator Willie Pearl Evans.
“Reparations aren’t charity,” stated Crews.
ily member or their loved one has a problem with substance use,” Evans said. “But they want to be prepared to save this family member.”
Misinformation about naloxone means some people
done when they took our property.
MSR that when he was elected chairperson of the Green Party reparations working group a few years ago, “I started working on it. I wanted to start at the local level,” he recalled. “We want to get community input.”
COVID-19 stopped the work for a time, and the deadly virus “showed us why reparations were so important,” because of the health disparities among Blacks both locally and nationwide, observed Crews.
He quickly warns, however, that just because the city council set up a reparations commission doesn’t mean that the issue is close to
Continued from page 1
law enforcement career that lasted 35 years, Jefferson’s retirement was short-lived when he was named the director of OPCR in Minneapolis.
His law enforcement career began in 1985 as a state trooper with the Indiana State Police force, where he spent more than 12 years patrolling the area around Gary, Indiana. In the latter part of his time as a state trooper, Jefferson was assigned to be a part of a task force created by the thenUnited States Attorney General, Janet Reno, to address the crack cocaine epidemic.
The task force was made up of local law enforcement and federal agencies to coordinate resources in the war on drugs.
Jefferson credits this time dur-
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St. Paul’s Black residents and businesses were displaced from the Rondo neighborhood in the 1950s to build Interstate 94. Debbie Montgomery and her family lived in Rondo, and the longtime St. Paulite vividly remembers the upheaval.
“I’ll just use my family as an example,” she told the MSR. “We had a four-bedroom home, and in 1956 they gave my parents $10,000 for their house” said Montgomery, after City officials used eminent domain to move families out to make way for the highway.
“They took our property,” she said. “Black folks are taking care of their homes because that was something that they had worked hard to get. Understand the injustice that was
ing the mid-to-late 1990s for his transition to becoming a federal agent. “I crossed over to the dark side, so they say in law enforcement,” he joked.
In 1998, Jefferson joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation and found himself situated in Miami, Florida, where he took part in investigations against South American drug cartels. He worked to infiltrate their system and disrupt their organizations all throughout the Bahamas.
This was Jefferson’s day-today for a few years, up until the terror attacks of 9/11 caused the bureau’s mandate to shift from the war on drugs to the war on terror.
In subsequent years, Jefferson traveled to the Middle East and worked alongside special forces units to dismantle the Taliban and Al Qaeda. He conducted counterterrorism missions for several years up until 2008, when he went through another career transition.
say pollution extant in the neighborhood, particularly from vehicle traffic and an asphalt plant, has resulted in deaths of residents both young and old.
“We’re tired of being the sacrificial zone,” said Little Earth resident Cassie Holmes at a press conference on Wednesday denouncing the project. “We are tired of burying our children because of this.”
Council President Andrea Jenkins, who does not represent the East Phillips neighborhood, said in a phone call with the MSR on Wednesday that this project will benefit the community because it will provide a job training center and three-and-ahalf acres of land for the community to develop as they wish.
“I think this project will not only
“If you go down to the Minnesota Historical Society, there is a map of the city of St. Paul and [written] over the Rondo neighborhood is ‘slum area’,” she continued. “Right now, on either side of the old Rondo neighborhood, data has shown that we have the highest incidence of lung cancer, asthma, breathing problems from the gas from the cars that go through since the freeway [I-94] was built. She supports reparations but
Following the election of President Barack Obama, Jefferson served on the protection detail for Attorney General Eric Holder, the first Black man to head the Department of Justice. He returned to Miami in 2013, when he became the coordinator of the Office of Professional Responsibility under the FBI’s Inspection Division. In this role, Jefferson would investigate the misconduct of all FBI employees, special agents included. He held the role for nine years before retiring from the FBI in 2021.
“I’ve always been a person who stood for equality and justice, and I think with the FBI one of our models is respect, fairness, integrity, and
clean up the soil, but it will also provide living-wage job-training opportunities—driving heavy equipment, garbage, snow plows, training people to be maintenance workers on water [mains], fixing the sewers, public works jobs that we need to run our city,” said Jenkins.
Activists at the Wednesday press conference reiterated their desire for self-determination, saying the jobs being offered by the City are not what the community desires. “The City has never really responded, never been interested in the community’s vision,” said Robert Lilligren, CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute and a 36-year Phillips resident.
To stave off demolition, activists attempted to occupy the Roof Depot site in a ceremony on Tuesday morning, calling the occupation “Camp
“We’ve been trying to get into the school systems for the last couple of years…to make kids aware of what they’re taking, of the counterfeit pills they’re taking, so they can prevent it,” Burks said.
Within the state’s health department, Evans is work-
questions if it really can be done beneficially. “I have not seen a lot that the government has done for Black people,” noted Montgomery. “I know it’s hard to understand that what happened to African Americans is an injustice.”
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has proposed an Inheritance Fund program that would allow some former Rondo residents and their descendants to apply for up to $100,000 in forgivable loans for a down payment or housing rehabilitation in St. Paul. Montgomery said she heard about Carter’s plan but expressed concerns about it, as well as the entire reparations issue.
“I am 77 years old,” she said. “My question, based on what I understand, is that you have to be in that house for 15 years,” she said, in order to qualify
a rigorous loyalty to the United States Constitution,” he stated. Jefferson said that his years as a local enforcement agent and his time with the FBI could serve as an asset in the role.
The City’s police oversight efforts have come under criticism following the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officers. A report from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights found that Derek Chauvin had received more than 20 complaints since 2001.
The report also stated that 63 percent of use-of-force incidents were against Black people, who make up only 19 percent of the city’s popula-
Nenoocaasi,” which means hummingbird in Ojibwe. They successfully occupied the site for 12 hours, until
ing to increase investment in Minnesota’s vulnerable communities to build more resilient families and reduce risk factors for substance use, as well as implement harm reduction strategies that emphasize treating and preventing substance abuse over criminalizing it.
Learn more about the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council and Minnesota’s fight against opioid addiction at gov/ dhs/opioids. If you or someone you know is suffering from opioid use disorder, help is available. Visit knowthedangers. com/treatment-and-recovery to learn about treatment options, or knowthedangers. com/naloxone-finder to find naloxone near you.
Niara Savage welcomes reader responses to nsavage@ spokesman-recorder.com.
for the Inheritance Fund housing program. “I was fortunate enough to have a City job and I have a pension, and from what I understand, with my income, I’m not qualified.”
The St. Paul City Council is now taking online applications for the Recovery Act Community Reparations Commission through March 24. The council is expected to announce the appointments sometime in May, and the commission will begin its work in June.
Both Crews and Montgomery believe that the reparations issue is far from being decided in both St. Paul and nationwide. “I feel it’s not all put together yet,” Montgomery concluded. Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses at challman@spokesmanrecorder.com.
tion. These findings point to a larger issue plaguing the department, one which Jefferson believes can be rooted out by a culture change.
“Being a director, I’m looking at those things,” Jefferson said. “Sometimes you can catch it early. You can catch it early actually in the background checks. Once you see a situation and there’s a constant behavior, we have to be able to intervene to keep that person from [engaging with the public], or to keep the situation from evolving into something else that’s worse.”
The City’s website states that the OPCR’s mission is to “promote adherence to the highest standard of police conduct and foster mutual respect” between the police department and the community it serves. The current model for the review board calls for a minimum of seven members to be appointed by the city council and the mayor. Sworn officers are also a part of
least one protester, Rachel Thunder, saying she was injured by a police officer as she was being detained.
On Thursday, City Councilmember Jason Chavez, who represents the East Phillips neighborhood, successfully introduced a measure to reconsider the demolition contract. However, the measure failed in a 6-6 vote and led to confrontations between activists and opposing city council members shortly thereafter.
Minneapolis police officers cleared protesters, reportedly in a militarized fashion.
Eight of the occupiers were cited and released without paperwork at a nearby homeless shelter, with at
The movement is gaining support at the state level. State Senator Omar Fateh (62, DFL) introduced a bill to funnel $20 million to the East Phillips Urban Institute to develop their urban farm. Fateh also plans to introduce a bill prohibiting polluting
the current model and serve on panels with residents, but must rank as a lieutenant or higher.
The City of Minneapolis has put out a call for individuals to apply for positions on the commission. Residents may apply within their wards if they have an interest in joining. Minneapolis residents have until March 20th to sign up for the commission on the city’s website.
Jefferson said he is encouraged by the proposed changes and that the current model, as it stood, was not enough to empower the community. “I want to be able to go out to the community. I want them to have confidence in me, first of all.
“I want them to know that I’m here for a purpose, not here just to sit in the seat. I came here for a purpose, and I came here for a change.”
Abdi Mohamed welcomes reader comments at amohamed@spokesmanrecorder.com.
industries to remain in East Phillips. Representing the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors, a consortium of 25 organizations that serve the Twin Cities Native American community, Marisa Cummings, president and CEO of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, read a statement at Wednesday’s press conference opposing the Roof Depot demolition and hoping for the City to work with the community to develop a collective vision for the site.
“The membership of MUID believes there is a better communityled, green initiative to be pursued that will better mitigate the negative social determinants of health caused by environmental racism,” said Cummings in a statement. “We consider governmental acts of environmental injustice a violation of international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on Genocide.”
H. Jiahong Pan welcomes reader comments at hpan@spokesmanrecorder.com
“African American or Black residents in our state face three times the risk of fatal overdose deaths that White Minnesotans do.”
“I know it’s hard to understand that what happened to African Americans is an injustice.”
“I came here for a purpose, and I came here for a change.”Roof Depot protester Rachel Thunder at City Hall on Feb. 23 Photos by H. Jiahong Pan
“He’s not a gangster!” a drunken Angel exclaims to her best friend and roommate Guy. “He’s a businessman and he didn’t dump me. He got married!”
In Pearl Cleage’s “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” Angel, a multitalented stage performer, and Guy, a costume-maker who dreams of one day living in Paris and creating gorgeous gowns for Josephine Baker, make an unlikely and eccentric pair.
Set in the waning days of the Harlem Renaissance, the two live together in a small apartment in New York City–far from the Alabama sky. Directed by Nicole A. Watson, “Blues for an Alabama Sky” is currently playing at the Guthrie, closing on March 12.
Across the way from Angel
and Guy is Delia, a gentle-yetfierce character, who works to provide safe and accessible birth control options for the women in her community–with the help of Sam, who sees Delia’s work as wholly intrinsic to his role as a doctor.
Their bond serves as a wonderful “will they, won’t they” subplot throughout the first act, which is apparent as both performers share natural, onstage chemistry.
Outside, the world is changing. No more are the days of
a bustling, Black cultural revival that marked much of the Harlem Renaissance era. The pain of the Great Depression hit Black artists especially hard, and where the arts had been a viable means of selfexpression and determination, in “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” most of the artists are just barely hanging on.
Guy’s dreams of making costumes and dresses for Josephine Baker feel almost like a life vest, that thing that he holds onto to save the only
thing that ever brought him joy.
Angel finds herself alone after a breakup with an abusive boyfriend only to find herself now involved with a new man,
Leland, a possessive yet grieving suitor visiting Harlem from Alabama, who doesn’t see her, but rather sees the reflection of his late wife.
From the moment the curtain is drawn, and she takes the stage, Kimbery Marable absolutely steals the show in her portrayal of Angel. Even without a microphone, Marable is able to utilize the acoustics of the room to almost turn volume into scenery–when Angel wails, she wails. When Angel is silent, you could hear a pin drop.
Stephen Conrad Moore delivers a masterclass in his performance of the gentle doctor Sam Thomas. His character possesses the complexities that make this play unique and his portrayal of Sam–somewhat ironically–serves as a welcome respite from the heavy themes of the play.
The most impressive performance comes from Kevis Hill-
ocks, in his character, Guy. His ability to hit each and every emotional note is alone worth seeing the production.
In “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” the playwright paints a portrait of humanity that will seem familiar, despite not having lived during the Harlem Renaissance, or knowing Leland, Guy, Sam, Angel or Delia. Cleage, who is a novelist, poet, and political activist, doesn’t rely on many bells or whistles to make this production come to life—the richness of the relationships is enough to leave the audience feeling satisfied.
“Blues for an Alabama Sky” is currently running until March 12 at the Wurtele Thrust Stage in the Guthrie Theater, 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis. Visit www.guthrietheater.org for show times.
Farah Habad welcomes reader comments to farhabad@gmail.com.
The playwright paints a portrait of humanity that will seem familiar.By Ben Jealous
People around East Palestine, Ohio, have been warned not to run their vacuum cleaners.
That was the reality two weeks after a train derailment in the village of about 4,700 people near the border with Pennsylvania that damaged public health and the environment in ways that still aren’t fully known.
Pennsylvania’s health department has told residents that data from its air quality monitoring “do not indicate a potential for long-term health effects,” but if people choose to vacuum after their evacuation they should do so in “small amounts at a time and take frequent breaks by walking outdoors.” As confusing as those messages may be, Ohioans have gotten even less information from that state’s government.
Five of the derailed cars contained nearly one million pounds of vinyl chloride, a toxic flammable liquid; other cars carried butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and isobutylene. The spills from the wreck have left a long chemical plume moving down the Ohio River at about a mile an hour.
The result has been at least
3,500 fish killed. The train’s owner Norfolk Southern said it is removing contaminated soil at the crash site, which can leach toxic chemicals into the water and air, after the Environmental Protection Agency
Recently we read through Governor Walz’ One Minnesota budget plan and his aim “to make Minnesota the best state in the country for kids to grow up.” There are many bullet points that would certainly help support students and families in Minnesota.
As far as the four education bullets, we are NOT convinced this will be achieved by making our current school systems better.
Our school systems are still mired in 20th century practices, caught in webs of past traditions. The governor’s challenge provides the perfect time for timely changes to occur in schools. We don’t need schools to get incrementally better; we need to change the entire purpose of our education systems!
(EPA) raised questions.
The immediate need is to respond to make sure that harm to people, wildlife, and waters now and in the future are limited to the extent we are able. As a starting point, residents need clear, understandable answers about risks they face and support to which they are entitled.
While federal authorities generally defer to state officials in disasters, the simmering mistrust caused by the strange odors residents say they smell, the soreness of their throats, and the aching
uming exposing them further to these chemicals.”
Moving forward, we need to do more to protect people and places from hazardous materials that move in more than two million freight cars each year. To be fair, reports show that freight rail spills happen less often than spills from trucks or planes.
But we know those trains don’t run through posh suburbs. They run through places like East Palestine, a working-class White village where median household income is about two-thirds the Ohio average. They are places that historically get overlooked.
In Minnesota, all students are expected to meet the same high standards before they leave high school. Those standards, developed about 20 years ago, are geared to prepare a student to go on to a four-year liberal arts postsecondary education.
Yet, we know less than a third of students complete a degree. Forty percent of college graduates are working in jobs that do not require that degree. That design is from a different era, and that era has passed. Our world and lives are changing rapidly, yet our schools and the laws which govern them are fixed.
the best educational system for all students has to be one facet of living the vision that Governor Walz always talks about. Specifically, we list four major policy changes that will directly alter the landscape of public education in Minnesota.
1. PSEO for all
The PSEO legislation initiated in 1985 has been the biggest legislative change made in the past 50 years in Minnesota education. It has grown throughout that time and is almost universally popular. However, this benefit is conferred to only the best students who are ready to take college classes early.
This alone would inspire some of the entrepreneurial approaches needed to create each student’s unique learning path.
3. Innovation Zones
There has been recent legislation to support schools in creating Innovation Zones. We need to explore why only a handful of these have been pursued or approved. We push the legislature to expand the Innovation Zones legislation to include more than a handful of applications and expand the statutes that can be waived. We need MDE to champion innovation and change WAY beyond what is occurring today.
A few weeks ago, Minnesota Business Partnership Executive Director Charlie Weaver made an excellent suggestion for the legislature to create an innovation fund for redesign. We suggest that this fund also be open to education.
in their heads seems to cry out for a different response.
The EPA and Transportation Department must ensure that Norfolk Southern meets its obligation to make things right. The Sierra Club’s Ohio director Ericka Copeland captured it—“East Palestine and the surrounding communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania deserve full transparency from the EPA, Norfolk Southern, and state leadership…Residents deserve to be able to safely return to their homes and access drinking water without the risk of everyday activities like vacu-
The best news is we already know what to do. While the cause of the Ohio derailment hasn’t been determined officially, reports indicate a wheel bearing in the car that caused the accident overheated; there are sensors for that we can require. Similarly, we can replace braking technology that dates back more than a century with newer brakes that even Norfolk Southern said cuts stopping distances by 60 percent.
Anyone who saw videos of the burning cars after the crash or the huge cloud of smoke when vinyl chloride was burned off to prevent an explosion may be shocked to learn that the wrecked train wasn’t designated a “highhazard flammable train,” which would trigger additional safety steps and more notice to state and local officials. This is an easy step to take.
These remedies have been proposed before. The railroad industry calls them too costly. But that claim must be weighed against nearly $200 billion in stock buybacks and dividends for the nation’s biggest rail companies since 2010 as they also cut their workforces.
What if we truly personalized our schooling around the needs and aspirations of each student? It is a given that all students need to be competent in certain basic skills. The basic skills standards of 20 years ago were more appropriate.
However, requiring every student to have the same educational outcomes is ludicrous and outdated. It has never been rooted in reality; rather it comes with a wink-wink.
Our suggestions that we are pushing for the legislature to take on are deep. This historic opportunity to create
The two years of free college tuition should be available to ALL students whether they access our colleges at 16 or 26 years of age. This would ensure access to the program for all students whenever they are ready to use it. Ironically, this may also spur more students to gain the training they need to right-fit themselves for our growing workforce needs. Finally, this leads to more enrollment in the struggling MNSCU system.
2. Personalized learning plans
Another enormous change to schools over the last 50 years has been the inception of special education. Each learner has their own individualized education plan, or IEP. As part of this IEP, teams of teachers, parents and specialists agree on the educational decisions that provide the most appropriate education for that child.
We propose that all learners have something similar, such as a Personalized Learning Plan.
Our school boards and educational leaders are losing confidence in the traditional fixed system we currently have. Most meaningful attempts at change or innovation do not survive. School reform is spotty and innovation is scarce.
The permission schools have to employ those strategies is too narrow. We have been forging ahead without significant leadership or urgency from our state. The governor’s vision gives new hope.
We also endorse Commissioner Willie Jett as the right person to lead. We hope the Minnesota Legislature will join in passing meaningful changes to the governance of our schools.
Patrick Walsh, superintendent, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Schools
Mark Schmidt, executive director, Resource Training & Solutions
Robert J. Wedl, former commissioner of education in the administration of Governor Arne Carlson
Denny Carlson, former superintendent, Anoka-Hennepin Schools
In the early afternoon on Saturday, February 18, community members held signs emblazoned with “Care not Cops” and “Libraries Belong to the People” in front of the East Lake Library.
submissions@spokesman-recorder.com
submissions@spokesman-recorder.com
We can start by restoring brake system and other safety rules rescinded during the Trump administration. Once we push for all these commonsense measures to protect ourselves and our neighborhoods, we should start asking another question—what was going to happen to all those toxic chemicals once they reached the railyard where they were headed?
Ben Jealous is the incoming executive director of the Sierra Club, the oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the country. He is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” published in January.
The group was made up of members of the Library Patrons Union, a collective focused on organizing for more accessible, equitable, and just public libraries in Hennepin County. One sign, “Sitting Down is not a Crime,” referenced an incident where police were called to the library when a patron who was sitting on the floor did not move onto a bench at the request of staff. Less than 45 minutes later, the patron was arrested.
Other patrons who spoke to union members outside of the library were shocked to hear about the arrest. Many recalled times they sat on the floor of the library with their children or observed other patrons doing so.
As sitting on the floor appears not to be against the rules outlined library’s Patron Conduct Policy, the union believes the escalation was unnecessary, and that this incident fits into the larger pattern of over-policing within the County Library System.
The Library Patrons Union
was formed before the arrest and is made up of patrons, educators, parents, and former library employees. The group has plans to keep the library system accountable to the needs of patrons by re-imagining services and spaces, surveying patrons of all identities, and fostering community between library goers.
One union member and unaffiliated patron discussed that they are in the library mostly to pick up holds but believe considering how all patrons use the library is vital to its function.
The policy, which allows staff to ban patrons from entering the library from a day to a year, appears to disproportionately affect BIPOC patrons.
One patron who observed the incident believes the actions of library staff and hired security were “discriminatory, based on the fact that she was Black and appeared unhoused.” She continued, “Today was in response to that . . . to share that we’re paying attention and not okay with that treatment of fellow library patrons. The library should approach people with care and respect first and foremost.”
As other patrons walked in and out of the library, members of the Library Patrons Union talked with them about the recently formed advocacy group, and its views on the recent arrest.
Another union member was “excited and inspired” by the conversations they had with patrons of “different ages and opinions.” These conversations revealed “patron priorities we didn’t think about,” and broached some of the shortcomings of policy and social services within the system.
Additionally, this union member heard that patrons wanted “different kinds of people feeling safe at the library and noticed similar incidents happening and just not knowing what to do”.
The use of the library’s trespass policy is also a concern for the union. The policy, which allows staff to ban patrons from entering the library from a day to a year, appears to disproportionately affect BIPOC patrons.
For now, union members will continue to connect to patrons across the system. They will do what library administration has seemingly neglected to do—ask patrons what they need at their local library.
Evann Zukerman Library Patrons UnionOur world and lives are changing rapidly, yet our schools and the laws which govern them are fixed.
We know those trains don’t run through posh suburbs. … They are places that historically get overlooked.
It shouldn’t take a fiery crash and toxic spill to improve railroad safety
What: “A Black Women’s Symposium: Death of George Floyd, Policing and Leadership” will feature a panel of Black women who will discuss the death of George Floyd, policing of Black men, and how both influence the will of Black women.
discussion will be led by renowned sociologist Dr. LaFrances Rodgers-Rose, a former professor at Princeton University and the author of the book “The Black Woman.”
When: Sat., May 20, 10 am – 2 pm
Where: University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Ave., N., Minneapolis
Details: The event is free, but registration is required at bit.ly/BlackWomanSymposium
If you are looking to do your taxes on your own this year, Prepare + Prosper (P+P) is offering free DIY (Do-It-Yourself) tax prep services.
Tax prep can be a great option for people who are comfortable working with a stepby-step online program. It also helps customers who are over the P+P income guidelines or who are unable to get an appointment. This year, the service is available to people with an income of $73,000 or less.
Prepare + Prosper’s DIY tax prep service will provide access to:
• Free, web-based tax filing software so stakeholders can prepare and electronically file their federal and state income taxes as well as the Minnesota property tax refund.
• A DIY Tax Prep Guide to help people navigate tax situations and the tax software.
• Optional weekly, live online training attended by P+P tax-certified volunteers to support people with getting started on their returns and help answer tax questions. (Recorded training is also available for those who are unable to attend live sessions.)
• Tax help support via phone and email to answer questions for people who would like to discuss with a P+P tax-certified volunteer to get over the finish line and successfully file.
Learn more at prepareandprosper.org/do-it-yourself-tax-prep
Citizens Alliance Bank seeks applicants for the following positions:
Human Resource Supervisor - Clara City
VP Loan Officer - Murdock, Clara City
Credit Control Supervisor - All Locations
Customer Service Representative - Clara City
Credit Analyst - Clara City, Howard Lake
Loan Administrator Clerk - Clara City
Correspondent Banker - All Locations
Seasonal Banking Assistant - All Locations
Operations Lead - Clara City
Loan Portfolio Officer - Clara City Compliance Manager - Clara City
Part-time Teller - Howard Lake, Watertown
To view our job postings or Apply Online please visit: citizensalliancebank.com/careers
Citizens Alliance Bank is an EEO Employer
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Continued from page 2
their shelter, their clothing, their heat. This is how they live, how they survive. And I see the city come in here and gather up all their full propanes, pack up their heaters, and take them away. Where are they at?”
In a Feb. 8 press release, Mayor Frey promised to address homelessness in Minneapolis by investing in low-income public housing. Frey also wanted to expand and renovate homeless shelters. The press release made no mention of a moratorium on evic-
tions, a demand that activists have been strongly pushing for.
Evictions primarily conducted by the City have workers advertise a storage service run by the Downtown Improvement District. The eviction notice given by the MnDOT for the Feb. 7 eviction stated that all remaining possessions would be “considered abandoned and disposed of.”
Barnes, who now lives in the Avivo Village shelter in the North Loop neighborhood, still spends time in encampments to help out the people he knew from the time he spent unhoused. He also films the evictions for a
documentary that features his and other unhoused peoples’ stories in Minneapolis, called “home - less.”
Randy Flowers, a case worker with Hennepin County’s Streets to Housing program, said encampment sweeps can sometimes cause case workers to lose track of unhoused clients. He noted that his team still had not found some people with active housing referrals whom they had lost contact with and that housing partners give case workers a limited amount of time to find clients.
“When this happens, now we have to shift the dynamics of the outreach we do. We go into finding mode,” Flowers
said. “We can’t do assessments because we’re spending our time looking for people.”
Flowers, who spent eight years homeless, started doing outreach work in 2019. He joined Streets to Housing last summer when he saw what he described as “a shift in gears” of resources towards helping the homeless by the state and county.
Flowers said he believes all homelessness in Hennepin County will be “by choice” within five years, a deadline that he believes the county will be able to provide housing for anyone who wants it.
“In three to five years I think that the state and the
City of Minneapolis will be the model that others look at,” Flowers said. “I believe this state here and the county will be the [example for] ending homelessness.”
In the meantime, Joe said he
and his relatives plan to move up Hiawatha and set up camp again somewhere nearby.
can file your taxes without worry.
of any changes to tax law or tax brackets. For example, the tax brackets for 2023 are significantly different from past years because of inflation. For many people, these changes—wider tax brackets and increased exemptions and credits—will mean a lower tax bill. Adjust your withholdings now to avoid a significant tax return for the money you earn in 2023.
Step 4: Consider Hiring a Tax Expert
expect to receive in a refund so there are no unpleasant surprises. You can do this with an online tax estimator. When you have a clear picture of your tax liability, you can take charge of your finances as you plan for future years.
It is also wise to stay abreast
tion serving as the tiebreaker.
Using a certified public accountant is helpful but only sometimes necessary. It depends on how complicated your taxes are and y`our personal preference. However, if you are self-employed or an employer, have several sources of income, or own rental properties, consider hiring a CPA to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
After all, getting into hot water with the IRS is stressful. CPAs prepare tax documents, file returns, and strategize how to minimize your tax liability for the following year. In addition, they can represent you if the IRS has questions about your return or if the organization audits you.
Step 5: File Your Taxes Electronically Use tax software to file elec-
tronically or take your paperwork to a CPA. To avoid delays, e-file and sign up for direct deposit.
The IRS provides Free File as one way to file electronically, or you can choose from the many companies that offer e-filing services.
While there is no one-sizefits-all way to file taxes, following these steps will help you to prepare an accurate return, so you
MSR + JPMorgan Chase have partnered to bring you the Finance FYI series. JPMorgan Chase is committed to helping close the racial wealth gap and driving economic inclusion for Black, Hispanic and Latino communities. Join us every Monday for tips, advice, and vital information to improve your financial literacy.
with two fellow Big Ten teams (Maryland and Nebraska), Ole Miss and Vanderbilt and Hawaii in a nine-game round-robin tournament format.
“I think it gives people an opportunity to really get a look at college baseball on the national scene,” noted Anderson, despite competing with the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament several blocks away in downtown Minneapolis. “We don’t have a lot of Division I programs in the state of Minnesota.”
Each Big Ten school will play the Big West (Hawaii), and SEC (Vanderbilt and Ole Miss), once during this weekend’s event, resulting in a three-game schedule for each team. The winner of the tournament will be the team with the best overall record at the end of the three days, with head-to-head competi-
At the conclusion of the final game between Minnesota and Vanderbilt on March 5, a brief awards ceremony will be held at home plate, where the championship trophy, the alltournament team and tourney MVP will be presented.
an ambitious schedule here… We’re looking forward to it.
“This year is exciting, especially after coming out of the last few years in the pandemic and loss of games and practices and player development time,” said Anderson.
“I think for the fans and people who love the game,” added Anderson, it’s a chance “to come and get an opportunity to see the game and the college baseball brand on a platform from a national perspective.”
After the tournament, Minnesota will also host games at the Vikings’ digs against Gonzaga and Houston. Anderson said after two years of dealing with COVID and limited scheduling as a result, he has been able to put together a good schedule for his team this year.
“We play 27 games in February and in March, and then 29 in April and May,” said the Gopher coach. “We’re going to have
“I think it’s just gonna be fun to look at the schedule and see a normal schedule and have an opportunity to let our kids be a part of that.”
The tournament schedule is as follows: 11:05 am
– Vanderbilt/Nebraska; 3:05 pm – Ole Miss/Maryland;
7:05 pm – Hawaii/Minnesota on Friday. On Saturday, 11:05 am – Maryland/Vanderbilt;
3:05 pm – Nebraska/Hawaii;
7:05 pm – Ole Miss/Minnesota. And on Sunday, 9:35 am
– Hawaii/Maryland; 1:35 pm
– Nebraska/Ole Miss; 6:05 pm
– Vanderbilt/Minnesota.
Continued from page 4 call 612.827.4021 Find us at @sisterspokesman
Continued from page 12 M
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Continued from page 12
“I think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised when they come to Minneapolis,” explained Big Ten Vice President of Women’s Basketball Megan Kahn. “We’re going to put out a really good product and impress our fans…to see really, really good basketball.”
Meet Minneapolis, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, is run by Executive Director Melvin Tennant. He has been the only Black representative on the various local contingents that seek out and bid on major sporting events for the city in recent years. Tennant rarely gets credit for this and regularly assumes a low profile, allowing others to take the spotlight.
All photos by Charles Hallman
“I’m very proud of the organization we have,” said Tennant. “We have a great team and increasingly diverse team, really looking at ways that we can promote the fact that we are a welcoming community for all sorts of events.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking conservation officer candidates. Conservation officers are fully licensed peace officers who work to protect Minnesota’s natural resources and the people who use them. Previous law enforcement experience is not necessary, but you do need at least a two-year degree, a self-starter attitude, and a desire to serve. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2023. For more information, see mndnr.gov/enforcement/ careers/index.html
Equal Opportunity Employer
“Reflecting back on the events that [Meet] Minneapolis…has been involved in”—including the Super Bowl, two Final Fours, the women’s volleyball championships, and the WNBA All-Star Game, among other large-scale sporting events— Tennant said, “I look at the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as the beginning of an era to really hold any major event. And each time that we host a major event, we convince future event organizers that we are prepared and that we can do these events successfully.
“It’s been a great run,” concluded Tennant.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
Dental Lab Technician Lakeshore Dental, PLLC, Mpls, MN seeks Dental Lab Technician. Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements. Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers. Apply parting agents or other solutions to molds. Inspect medical or dental assistive devices. Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production. Cast molds of patient anatomies to create medical or dental devices. Prepare materials for processing. Construct and repair customized assistive medical or dental devices. Perform other tasks as required by the dentist. High school/ GED required. Resume to Moalidds@gmail.com
Salesforce Administrator NorthMarq Capital LLC, Bloomington, MN Req. Bachelor’s in Comp. Sci., Information Sys., Information Tech., Electrical Engr., or a related field, & min. 2 yrs. Exp. as salesforce.com administrator. Must possess min. 2 yrs. exp. with: Salesforce products & their functionalities; Salesforce configuration capabilities & AppExchange; Creating Salesforce profiles, allocating roles, & managing access; & Importing data and generating reports. Salesforce.com Administrator (ADM201) certification & Platform App Builder certification required. Apply at: https://www.northmarq.com/careers/openpositions/. Requisition #1042 No agencies or phone calls.
the SPEDCO, as mortgagee, then assigned to The United States of America, acting through the Small Business Administration, assignee, and filed in the office of the County Recorder in Hennepin County Minnesota, as follows:
Dated Date Filed Document No. March 18, 2019 March 27, 2019 T05602441
It is the intention of the above-named Petitioner to move the court for an order authorizing the Hennepin Court Administrator to accept and deposit in an interest bearing account payments from the Petitioner to the court pursuant to Minn. Stat. §117.042.
is
3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO
Complaint. In your
you must state
you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiffs should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.
4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 21 days, you will lose this case.You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiffs everything asked for in the Complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the Complaint,
From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder
PHONE: 612-827-4021
FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS
THE STATE OF MINNESOTA TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DEFENDANT:
STATE OF MINNESOTA DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Court File No.:27-FA-22-2114
Shaton Rena Young Plaintiff / Petinitioner, vs. SUMMONS FOR THIRD
Lenesha S. Fowlkes, PARTY CUSTODY
Respondent Parent A Minn. Stat. ch. 257C
Malcolm Hilliard, Respondent Parent B
TO THE ABOVE-NAMED Respondents:
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The Petitioner has filed a lawsuit against you to ask for custody of the following
minor children:
Malachii Hilliard, BORN January 24, 2020
Malcolm Fowlkes, BORN December 15, 2020
A copy of the Petition for Third Party Custody is served on you with this Summons
This Summons is an official document that affects your rights, even ifit does not have a court file number listed. Read this Summons and the attached Petition can fully. If you do not understand it, contact an attorney for legal advice.
The Petitioner has filed a Jawsuit agamst you asking the Court to give Petitioner custody of the minor children.
You must serve upon Petitioner and file wrth the Court a wntten Answer to the Petition, and you must pay the
1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiff’s Complaint against you is attached to this summons. Do not throw these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this summons.
PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM
2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 20 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: 2700 Snelling Ave N, Suite 460, Roseville, MN 55113.
SUMMONS FLAT RATE: $100 X 3 WEEK RUN
TOTAL: $300 PREPAID
3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.
4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 20 days, you will lose this case. You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiff everything asked for in the complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for the relief requested in the complaint.
Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com
The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed invoices unless you specifically request a hard copy.
5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case.
6. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.
Dated: October 31, 2022 By: /s/ Bradley D. Hauswirth Aaron W. Ferguson (#0387763)
Bradley D. Hauswirth (#0219836) Benjamin M. Kline (#0399962) Attorneys for Plaintiff 2700 Snelling Ave. N., Suite 460 Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 493-0426 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder March 2, 9, 16, 2023
notice. You may obtain a copy of the Ex Parte Order for Protection and the form to request a hearing from the court administrator's
From Classified Department/MN Spokesman-Recorder
STATE OF MINNESOTA DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF HENNEPIN FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT Case Type: Personal Injury Court File No.: TBD Shiniqua Elting, Plaintiff, vs. SUMMONS Shawn Kelahan, Defendant.
TO: DEFENDANT SHAWN KELAHAN
1. YOU ARE BEING SUED. The Plaintiff has started a lawsuit against you. The Plaintiff’s Complaint against you is attached to this summons. Do not throw these papers away. They are official papers that affect your rights. You must respond to this lawsuit even though it may not yet be filed with the Court and there may be no court file number on this summons.
PHONE: 612-827-4021 FOR BILLING INQUIRIES & TEARSHEETS
2. YOU MUST REPLY WITHIN 21 DAYS TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS. You must give or mail to the person who signed this summons a written response called an Answer within 21 days of the date on which you received this Summons. You must send a copy of your Answer to the person who signed this summons located at: 2700 Snelling Ave N, Suite 460, Roseville, MN 55113.
PLEASE CONTACT ACCOUNTING DEPT @ BILLING@SPOKESMAN-RECORDER.COM
3. YOU MUST RESPOND TO EACH CLAIM. The Answer is your written response to the Plaintiff’s Complaint. In your Answer you must state whether you agree or disagree with each paragraph of the Complaint. If you believe the Plaintiff should not be given everything asked for in the Complaint, you must say so in your Answer.
SUMMONS PREPAID FLAT RATE: $100 X 3 WEEK RUN TOTAL: $300
4. YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CASE IF YOU DO NOT SEND A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT TO THE PERSON WHO SIGNED THIS SUMMONS. If you do not Answer within 20 days, you will lose this case. You will not get to tell your side of the story, and the Court may decide against you and award the Plaintiff everything asked for in the complaint. If you do not want to contest the claims stated in the complaint, you do not need to respond. A default judgment can then be entered against you for the relief requested in the complaint.
Please proof, respond with email confirmation to ads@spokesman-recorder.com
5. LEGAL ASSISTANCE. You may wish to get legal help from a lawyer. If you do not have a lawyer, the Court Administrator may have information about places where you can get legal assistance. Even if you cannot get legal help, you must still provide a written Answer to protect your rights or you may lose the case.
The MSR handles billing digitally. This means you will get e-tears and e-mailed
unless you specifically request a hard copy.
6. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION. The parties may agree to or be ordered to participate in an alternative dispute resolution process under Rule 114 of the Minnesota General Rules of Practice. You must still send your written response to the Complaint even if you expect to use alternative means of resolving this dispute.
Dated:
innesota this weekend will host eight other college baseball teams at the Vikings stadium in the Cambria College Classic March 3 through 5.
Teams like the Gophers are often at a disadvantage at this time of year as the college season usually begins in February. They can’t play outside due to the winter weather, the main reason why they go out west to start their season.
“Our programs are at a different level than say a Mississippi or an SEC [school],” admitted Minnesota Coach John
Anderson. That’s why the old Metrodome when it was up
“This year is exciting, especially after coming out of the last few years in the pandemic.”
and running, and the new “dome,” allows the Gophers and other northern teams to play home games in March and April, in order to keep up with their Western and Southern counterparts. The third annual Classic this year features Minnesota, along
■ See SOE on page 9
arch Madness is here in downtown Minneapolis. The Big Ten women’s tournament is here for the first time beginning March 1, through the championship game on Sunday, March 5, that will decide the conference automatic NCAA qualifier.
Act I: The players
Former local prep stars Ronnie Porter (Como Park, Wisconsin freshman), Adalia McKenzie (Park Center, Illinois soph), Kendall Coley (St. Louis Park, Nebraska soph), Amaya Battle (Hopkins, Minnesota freshman), Angelina Hammond (Hopkins, Minnesota graduate student), and Niamya Holloway (Eden
Prairie, Minnesota freshman) are among the 78 sistahs who will play this week in the annual tourney.
happy to be here, “Just being able to play in front of my hometown and just having that support.”
Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Big Ten’s two youngest squads this season, will play on the tourney’s first day. “We got to be able to execute our game plans” both defensively and offensively, stated Moseley, one of two Black Big Ten HCs.
Wisconsin and Minnesota are the Big Ten’s two youngest squads. The Badgers earned a first round bye for the first time since the Big Ten tournament began. They will play Purdue on Thursday, 5:30 pm. The Gophers will play Penn State in the first game òf the tournament, 1 pm on Wednesday.
McKenzie is one of five returnees from the 2021-22 Illinois squad that helped the team tie the league’s all time one-year improvement from one victory a year ago to 10 league wins this season. A starter averaging 14 points a game this season, the 5’10” guard said on playing on the Lynx’s home court, “I’m excited that it is here. It’s always good having family coming to your games.”
The 5’4” Porter has done her job whenever called upon this season, said Wisconsin Coach Marisa Moseley. “She’s continuing to just chip away, and whenever her number’s called she’s ready,” noted the second year Badgers coach. Said Porter of why she’s
Several events scheduled to take place during the tournament include Lea B. Olsen, the dean of local Black sports broadcasters, appearing on a Critical Conversations panel on Friday, 3:30 p.m. at the City Center.
“This is a speaker series comprised of engaging conversa-
tions on topics that are trendy and relevant to the community and will be held in downtown Minneapolis during tournament week,” said Kaylah Hughes, the conference director of events and operations.
Olsen and former Gopher and high school coach Kiara Buford will be among the clinicians at the Practice with a Purpose Youth Clinic on Thursday morning, 9-10:30 a.m. at the downtown arena.
“I’m super, super excited,” said Olsen.
Act III: The behind-the-scenes organizers Minnesota Sports and Events (MNSE), a nonprofit group, hosted the 2022 Women’s Final Four and will be in charge of this year’s Big Ten women’s tournament as well, as both league tourneys (men’s and women’s) will be here next year.
he junior foursome of Olivia Wren, Jaida Walker, Jayla Bennett and Cady Davis led host Minneapolis Roosevelt to a 64-49 girls’ basketball victory over St. Paul Como Park in the Twin Cities championship last Saturday afternoon.
Wren led all scorers with 20 points, Walker had 17, Bennett added 12, and Davis chipped in 11 for the Teddies, giving the Minneapolis City Confer-
ence champs their first Twin Cities title since 2010, when current head coach Tyesha Wright was the point guard.
Sharpshooter Shania Nichols VanNett had a game high 25 points for the Cougars, who were victorious in the previous seven Twin Cities contests.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.
or as long as she can remember, Suriya McGuire has been a hoopster. I first met her at her college signing day at Minneapolis Roosevelt, as a senior Teddies basketball player planning to attend the University of Miami.
She was a high school star, ranked in the top ten in the nation (No. 7 overall), and fifth-best point guard in the nation. McGuire also made the Nike Nationals All-Tournament team as a member of the local North Tartan AAU team. Her college numbers weren’t eye-popping, but they were consistent.The 5-11 Minneapolis native played in 127 games, started 68 of them (2011-15), and finished tied for tenth on the Hurricanes’ career games played list. She hoped the WNBA door would open for her, but instead McGuire forged a successful pro career overseas, globetrotting to such countries as Romania, the Czech Republic, Finland and Angola.
But according to her, McGuire decided to take a hiatus
wanted to take a break from it.”
from basketball in 2018, and went into modeling. McGuire’s modeling includes runway work, fashion shows, and photo shoots for clothing lines.
“I wanted to flourish in my creative side,” explained McGuire, “because I’m a very creative person. I feel like basketball is something that I’ve done my whole life thus far. So, I
“I love it because it reminds me of pick-up,” said McGuire of AU’s format. Four 11-player teams drafted each week by the four captains, with no limits on the number of players at a specific position. Points are individually awarded during the game for made baskets, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and fouls drawn, among other game stats.
Points accumulated by statistics, quarter and/or game wins, and MVP selections create an individual leaderboard, which determines captains for each week and the individual champion at the end of the season in March.
She loved modeling and still does, but it was time to go back to playing basketball, something that she also loves—again.
Last year, the guard joined Athletes Unlimited (AU), a player-centric league, in its inaugural season. This year is her second.
The AU’s five-week season started last week and will end on March 23, with all games played in Dallas on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
“It’s not all about scoring points,” noted McGuire. “It is definitely a great opportunity for the athletes in general. I’m just happy that we have an-
other platform to be seen.”
She said she has no regrets over leaving hoops for a time.
“I wanted more out of life,” said McGuire.
On modeling, “I would say it was challenging for me to do the commercial stuff. It was just out of my comfort zone. Of course, I’ve been in media [as a college player].
I’ve done all types of camera work, photo shoots.
“It’s not something that I’ve never done before. But it was just [that] I was doing it in a different way… It took knowing how to work with the camera.”
McGuire will be on her second team of the season this week—she played on Team (Natasha) Cloud with current WNBAers Cloud, Essence Carson and Jordin Canada.
“I feel like I could play for the rest of my life because that’s just how I feel [until] God puts me down. In my mind, I can keep going [forever],” she said.
AU’s weekly updates can be found on the MSR website.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@ spokesman-recorder.com.
“I feel like I could play for the rest of my life.”Suriya McGuire Photos courtesy of of Athletes Unlimited Suriya McGuire (36) on the court Ronnie Porter Lea B. Olsen Adelia McKenzie
“I think fans are going to be pleasantly surprised when they come to Minneapolis.”■ See VIEW on page 9
