Star Tribune
Minnesotans pour outdoors for first 80-degree day
Minnesotans got an early taste of summer Tuesday, as temperatures hit the 80s for the first time following a long, gloomy winter that was the third-snowiest on record.
At Minneapolis’ Gold Medal Park, 28-year-old climbing coach Xavier Abdullahi was basking in the sunlight while lounging on an inflatable sofa, joined by fellow climber Simon Hibbeler. Abdullahi, a Minneapolis native, said he was joyous about the sudden departure from winter, after going through a snowstorm a week and a half ago.
“Simon saw last week how down I was, and that now being outside just puts a smile on my face,” said Abdullahi, lying in the downtown park along the Mississippi River. “It feels like the longest winter I’ve experienced.”
Tuesday saw the first 80-degree weather in the Twin Cities since Oct. 11, according to the National Weather Service. The rest of the week is expected to stay warm in the metro area, with highs in the low 80s Wednesday and Thursday, and around 77 on Friday, forecasts show.
Hundreds of others also took advantage of the weather, lying on blankets at grassy parks along the river, taking walks with their dogs and clambering along the rocks near the riverbank.
Hibbeler, a nationally ranked climber, moved to Minneapolis six weeks ago from Portland, Ore. He said he has no issue with long winters, noting he’s a self-described gym rat who doesn’t mind being stuck inside.
“I don’t dislike Midwest winters. I like the seasons to feel like the seasons,” Hibbeler said. “If it’s Christmas and there’s no snow, I’m like, ‘This is lame.’ “
The change of weather comes as a relief to many dog owners. Darcy Cascaes of Minneapolis, who was walking over the Stone Arch Bridge on Tuesday with her dog Jaz, said it’s a challenge to get her pet outside during the cold months for a walk.
“She loves to be outside when it’s hot, but is not a fan of the snow, so it’s challenging,” Cascaes said of Jaz, a Jack Russell and rat terrier mix.
The weather made for good conditions for one couple’s marriage proposal halfway across the bridge, as dozens ran or bicycled past.
Temperatures are expected to cool down Friday night and over the weekend, with highs around 50 on Saturday and the upper 40s on Sunday in the Twin Cities metro, said Weather Service meteorologist Bill Borghoff.
While there is a chance for a small amount of snow over the weekend, he said it’s unlikely there will be more snow in April after that.
“After we get beyond this weekend, it’s tough to see much more snow unless we get a big-time pattern change,” Borghoff said.
The weather was beneficial in St. Paul for road crews ramping up their efforts to patch potholes, according St. Paul Public Works spokeswoman Lisa Hiebert.
But 18-year-old Nathan Amare said there are pros and cons to summer, such as the “oppressive” temperatures that get amplified in concrete-covered areas of the city.
“It can make it unbearable, like you almost can’t breathe when it’s too hot,” he said.
Amare was positive, though, about the calming effect he thinks the warm weather has on people.
“You ever see salamanders or lizards chilling out in the sun? It feels far more calming being outside,” he said.
Video (01:35): The latest outlook for the Twin Cities and region.
“You’ve got to be able to say, ‘Here’s how much we want to spend, and here’s what we want the impact to be,’” Carter said.
During the council meeting, Johnson, the Ward 7 council member, alluded to those statements, saying people have used such language to try to discredit women in leadership, especially young women. This is the first budget from St. Paul’s new all-women council.
Staff writer James Walsh contributed to this report.
After months of maintenance problems and safety concerns in downtown St. Paul’s Lowry Apartments, city officials condemned the building, forcing dozens of tenants to abruptly relocate to hotels this week.
On Monday afternoon, city staff responded to a plumbing leak in the 11-story building at 345 Wabasha St. N. Officials reported significant damage and signs of vandalism, including copper wire theft that left electrical systems exposed. The leak also raised concerns about mold.
To make repairs, the building’s water must be shut off — a move that would leave tenants without boiler heat and fire sprinklers, Deputy Mayor Jaime Tincher said in a Tuesday email to state Rep. Maria Isa Pérez-Vega and City Council Member Rebecca Noecker, who represent the area.
After determining heat and water could not be restored quickly, Tincher wrote: “There was no other option than to conclude the building was not safe for residents to stay.”
Property manager Halverson and Blaiser Group (HBG) agreed to provide alternative housing for tenants for up to 30 days, Tincher said. City staff worked with Ramsey County’s Housing Stability team and Metro Transit to help 71 residents pack and move.
Before then, the building belonged to downtown St. Paul’s largest property owner, Madison Equities. After the January death of the company’s founder and longtime principal, Jim Crockarell, the dire state of the group’s real estate portfolio became apparent.
The Lowry Apartments, the sole property with a high concentration of low-income housing, quickly became the most troubled. Residents reported frequent break-ins, pest infestations, inoperable elevators and more, to no avail.
Star Tribune
Metro Transit allocated $12 million to boost security, cleanliness on Twin Cities light rail and buses
They will be soon. With more money to spend, Metro Transit plans to bring on 40 more this year. With their ranks growing, TRIP agents, clad in blue, have recently started covering the Metro C and D rapid transit lines between Brooklyn Center and downtown Minneapolis.
The big investment in public safety initiatives comes as Metro Transit is seeing an uptick in ridership that plunged dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been slow to recover. This year ridership has been a bright spot, the agency said.
Through October, the agency has provided 40.1 million rides, up 7% compared with the first 10 months of 2023. In September, the agency saw its highest monthly ridership in four years, averaging nearly 157,000 rides on weekdays, agency data shows.
At the same time, crime is down 8.4% during the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same time period last year, according to Metro Transit Interim Police Chief Joe Dotseth. However, problems still persist.
On Nov. 29, Sharif Darryl Walker-El, Jr., 33, was fatally shot on a Green Line train in St. Paul. Just a week earlier, a woman was shot in the leg while on the train and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Earlier this year, a robbery attempt on the Green Line in St. Paul left a passenger shot and wounded.
“Our officers are spending time on the system and sending a clear message to everyone: Crime will not be tolerated on transit,” Dotseth said. “And we will work to ensure those commit those crimes are held accountable.”
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings