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SPPS names interim superintendent, announces transition timeline
The board also announced that current superintendent, Joe Gothard, will leave the district for his new gig.
ST PAUL, Minn — The Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education announced a veteran educator will fill the district’s superintendent seat on an interim basis while the it continues to search for a full-time leader.
Former SPPS interim superintendent John Thein will take over the reigns one again, announced the board.
“With Dr. Thein’s previous experience in Saint Paul Public Schools, we are confident in his ability to lead our district during this transition. His knowledge of and connection to our school communities will be indispensable as we begin our search for the next permanent superintendent,” said Board Chair Halla Henderson in a release.
Thein spent 17 years as superintendent of Roseville Area Schools before his stint with SPPS in 2016-2017.
He will begin his position on May 20 and continue until a permanent hire is made by the board.
“I am grateful and honored to once again be a member of the Saint Paul Public Schools community,” said Dr. Thein, in a statement. “The memories of my previous tenure at SPPS are still fresh, and I am excited to reconnect with the students and staff we serve.
The board also announced that current superintendent, Joe Gothard, will leave the district for his new gig as superintendent with the Madison Metropolitan School District on May 17.
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Officials say Jonathan Fleury was last seen leaving a Moorhead care facility on Sept. 16.
MOORHEAD, Minn. — Moorhead Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a 16-year-old reported as missing.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) posted on X that teenager Jonathan Fleury was last seen leaving a Moorhead care facility on Sept. 16.
Fleury is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds with brown hair. Officials say he was last seen wearing a blue shirt and black pants.
If you have any information on Fleury’s whereabouts, call 911.
Protesters were calling on the University of Minnesota to divest from companies that support Israel.
MINNEAPOLIS — Protests continued at the University of Minnesota Tuesday after 11 people were arrested the night before after barricading themselves inside Morrill Hall, and damaging the building.
Across town, outside the Hennepin County Justice Center, those involved in last night’s protest were waiting out front for the 11 individuals arrested, to be released.
“We don’t want our money to be sent to contribute to a genocide,” said student organizer Juliet Murphy. “Especially for those of us who have family that live in Lebanon, live in Palestine.”
Murphy is a sophomore at the U, and part of Students for a Democratic Society. She says Monday’s occupation was needed for students to get their voices heard. Students have been calling for the university to divest from companies that support Israel. They also want the university to divest academically and stop study abroad programs in Israel.
“We have gone through all of the ‘right channels’ and this seemed like the logical next step since there are so many escalations happening across the world from us right now,” Murphy said.
Around 5 P.M. on Tuesday, while the protest was going on, The University of Minnesota sent out a safety alert saying that buildings surrounding the campus mall were locked until further notice.
Protesters deny that they held any staff inside Morrill Hall against their will Monday, but the University says some employees were unable to exit. University President Rebecca Cunningham said in a statement that this was a “terrifying experience for many of our employees.”
Steve Hunegs, the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relation Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, says he’s grateful for the response of President Cunningham, and feels that Monday’s occupation was about stoking fear into University staff.
“Everybody should be against the behavior that was conducted yesterday on campus,” Hunegs said. “This is not about free speech, this is about intimidation, this is about vandalism.”
At this time, KARE 11 is not naming the 11 people arrested as they have not been charged yet. According to organizers of the occupation, all 11 arrested are either current students or recent graduates at the U.
The teen had been last seen around 5 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Forest St. and 4th Ave. E. in St. Paul’s Dayton Bluff neighborhood.
ST PAUL, Minn. — A missing teenager in St. Paul has been found safe, according to a brief news release from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Ke-Andre Oliver-Butler had been last seen around 5 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Forest St. and 4th Ave. E. in St. Paul’s Dayton Bluff neighborhood. Officials announced he was found in an update Tuesday evening.
“Thank you to all who helped search for him or shared the information,” Minnesota BCA said on social media.
