👮 Why all the Fair cops?

Cops Zero in on Gang Violence at the Fair

At The Great Minnesota Get-Together, things can get testy. Sahan Journal’s Mohamed Ibrahim has a great write-up on how the Ramsey County Sheriff and nonprofit Youth Legacy are stepping up their presence to ward off violence. Ibrahim also interviewed young Somali people about how safe they feel at the fair, and perceptions that Sheriff Bob Fletcher unfairly targeted Somali youth when calling out increased gang activity. [Sahan Journal]

• Rewind: Following a weekend of Minneapolis shootings in July, Fletcher posted a livestream where he said violence was “exponentially increasing” among Somali gangs. It’s been a flurry of activity since then; Fletcher hosted a meeting with Somali community members, and sent letters to 233 youth with “potential gang connections” days before the fair. Then, the Attorney General and Ramsey County Attorney filed lawsuits against 10 alleged gang members, seven of whom agreed to stay away from the fair. [Star Tribune / Sahan Journal / KARE 11 / CBS Minnesota]
• Speaking of… Fletcher’s involvement reminds me that a State Fair assistant police chief filed a whistleblower lawsuit against Fletcher and the State Agricultural Society (which manages the fair) in May. Michael Coffey alleges he was retaliated against by Fletcher and other officials for reporting that the Ramsey sheriff deployed chemical munitions on bystanders at last year’s fair. Fletcher denied doing so. I’m curious where this case will lead. [MPR News]
• Takeaways: Public opinion on whether Fletcher should have publicly focused on Somali gangs is mixed; the community is already experiencing hateful rhetoric spurred on by the president. Is it more effective to quietly address youth violence within the community, or broadcast your message so it becomes bigger media fodder? Seems like Fletcher took the latter path. [MPR News]

Beer musical chairs: St. Paul's Lake Monster Brewing has closed its doors, citing "a difficult period of evolution and adaptation" for the Minnesota craft beer scene. Their brewery in Vandalia Tower won't stay vacant for long though, as Barrel Theory Beer Company will be moving in. That means that Barrel Theory will be leaving behind its smaller brewery and taproom in Lowertown though – who's going to fill that space? [Pioneer Press]

Another newspaper closed: Camden Community News served residents of North Minneapolis for just over 50 years before sending out its last issue on Sunday. The operation had been almost entirely volunteer-run, but was still losing about $10,000 per year in recent years. The closure of Camden Community News joins a growing national trend of newspaper closures, as 136 local papers closed in 2025 alone. [MPR News]

Fewer international students: International student enrollment at Minnesota's colleges and universities has fallen for the second consecutive year as the Trump administration has enacted policies to restrict the issuance of student visas. NAFSA: Association of International Educators projected international student enrollment in the 2026-2027 school year to decline by almost 18% nationwide compared to the previous year. [MPR News]

Hold it: Plans for public restrooms in downtown Minneapolis are on hold. After the City Council set aside $700,000 for the bathrooms, the city is having trouble finding someone to buy them from. We have a lot of requirements for our public toilets – including self-cleaning, cold weather-proofing, and an ability to not rely on the city's public utility – and apparently our desire to purchase five to eight units doesn't create a large enough "target market" for top-notch vendors to want to sell to us. [MinnPost]

Northside's $45M park: Renovations at North Commons Park are about halfway complete, and the $45 million project represents the "most significant investment in a Minneapolis neighborhood park." When completed, the park will feature a three-court fieldhouse with a walking and running track, a waterpark and lap pool, and community spaces. Park Board officials said they are hoping Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's budget proposal will not adversely affect the North Commons project, and that everything is on track for the park to fully open in 2027. [Spokesman-Recorder]

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