💰 St. Paul and the Wild want $200 million

St. Paul and the Wild Seek $200 Million from Minnesota

The ask is part of a broader $600 million project that the city hopes to take on to renovate the Grand Casino Arena, Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and St. Paul RiverCentre. St. Paul plans to invest $162.5 million, with the Minnesota Wild agreeing to match that. The Wild would also pay for any project overruns. [MPR]

• What needs updating? St. Paul hopes to improve crowd flow in the arena and overhaul the seating, bathrooms, and kitchens. Funds would also be used to address structural issues in the Roy Wilkins Auditorium and to connect the basements of the Auditorium and the RiverCentre. [Star Tribune]
• Tough ask: St. Paul previously asked for money from the state for a more ambitious renovation plan and was turned down. It's not clear yet whether legislators will support this request for a $200 million state investment. [MPR]
• Not just about sports: In an interview with City Cast Twin Cities, St. Paul mayor Kaohly Her emphasized that the three venues are assets owned by the city that generate revenue. She said that properly maintaining these venues could increase the revenue that the city and state get from them. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

$243M at stake: Minnesota is suing the Trump Administration to stop it from withholding $243 million of Medicaid funding to the state. Since the start of the second Trump administration, the Associated Press has tracked 93 lawsuits that have been filed to block executive action over federal funding. So far, 47 of those cases have been successful, 19 allowed the administration's orders to continue, and 27 are still pending. [Associated Press]

Slow down: Since the city of Minneapolis installed five speeding cameras last October, the number of drivers detected going more than 10 mph over the speed limit has fallen by more than 50%. The cameras have issued far more warnings than actual citations. With the success of the program in slowing down drivers, the city could deploy additional speeding cameras as early as May. Is there one in your neighborhood? Has it changed anything for you? Reply to this email and let us know. [Star Tribune]

ICE's Strain on MPD: Minneapolis police say the surge of ICE and other federal agents in the area led to thousands of extra 911 calls, canceled officer time off, and millions of dollars in additional policing costs as the department scrambled to respond to public safety needs. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the costs incurred by MPD add to an already strained city budget, and that the burden to cover the costs "can't just be on cities." [MPR]

Where do you shop? We just put out our list of the Top 5 grocery stores in the Twin Cities. My favorite local supermercado isn't included since we limited the list to places where you can reliably get a full week's haul of groceries, but Northeast remains supreme with the Eastside Food Co-op coming in at No. 1. [City Cast Twin Cities]

Greg's Green Gas: Former Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino is under investigation by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for allegedly using chemical irritants on protesters in Minneapolis. Footage shows Bovino throwing a canister of gas at protesters at Mueller Park on Jan. 21. The case is one of 17 tied to federal immigration enforcement actions, and County Attorney Mary Moriarty is asking residents to submit photos or videos of potential misconduct to a public online portal. [Mother Jones]

Wednesday, March 4

• 👶 Mini Mia | Minneapolis Institute of Art
• 🧶 Knitting Near Nature 🆓 | The Trailhead
• 🌴 FIA | Cedar Cultural Center
• 🧂 ROAD SALT: An Evening of Music to Melt The ICE | Hook and Ladder Theater
• 🖋️ Kirsty Carter & Emma Thomas | Walker Art Center
• 🎞️ Tape Freaks | Trylon Cinema
• 🎤 The Smithereens | Parkway Theater
• 💃 Dancing with the Stars Live! | Armory

Thursday, March 5

• 🧍 National Adams Day | Animales BBQ
• 🌸 Octavia’s Art Collage | Walker Art Center
• ✂️ DIY Zine Teen Night | Silverwood Park
• 🧘 Yess Yoga x Mia 🆓 | Minneapolis Institute of Art
• 😂 Jake Cornell | Parkway Theater
• 🌼 Block Printing Workshop | Bricksworth Beer Co.
• 🪕 Amanda Pascali | Cedar Cultural Center
• ✨ Book Bedazzling | Graze Food Hall

• Executive Director at Firefly Sisterhood | $80k - $90k per year
• Chief Financial Officer at Community Action Partnership | $105k - $145k per year
• Development Manager at Theater Mu | $35k per year (PT)
• Immigration Legal Services Specialist at MN Dept of Human Services | $61k - $89k per year
• Student Services Operations Manager at Walker West Music Academy | $70k per year