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Community gathers to honor life and legacy of Tou Ger Xiong
Saturday’s memorial service was attended by hundreds of members of the Hmong community, as well as politicians, including MN Governor Tim Walz.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — It took no more than a quick look around Legacy Funeral Home in Saint Paul on Saturday to see how many people Tou Ger Xiong impacted.
Xiong, a Hmong activist and comedian, was killed in Colombia last year. Officials there say three people have been arrested in connection with his murder. All three denied the charges at a hearing.
For those who knew Xiong, Saturday was bittersweet.
“It’s also a final farewell to my brother,” Eh Xiong, brother of Tou Ger, said. “So, from that standpoint, it’s sad.”
“It’s sad, the family is sad, but we are glad that he can finally put a closure to his life here, and move more beyond this point,” he added.
Saturday’s memorial service was attended by hundreds of members of the Hmong community, as well as politicians, including Governor Walz, Senator Tina Smith, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and members of the Minnesota Senate and House. Other politicians, including Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congresswoman Betty McCollum, had representatives speak on their behalf.
“To Minnesotans, Tou Ger was a treasure,” Governor Walz said. “Tou Ger embodied what we’d like to think we are. The best of what we are.”
Dozens of others spoke as well, including other family members.
“We hope to carry on your work in social justice and bridging communities,” Dr. Pangjua Xiong, sister-in-law of Tou Ger, said. “We hope to make you proud.”
Easy to see at Saturday’s memorial was the impact Xiong had – especially on those who were searching for their sense of self as Hmong.
“Everywhere he goes, he leaves a little thing that people will never forget about him. It’s contagious, the way he does things,” Wang-yu Vu said. “When we were little, we were scared to be who we really are.”
“With him paving the bridge… don’t be scared of who you are,” he continued. “Don’t be afraid. You are who you are.”
As is tradition in Hmong culture, the memorial service will span three days. Xiong’s committal service is set for Monday, Jan. 29.
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The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a plan to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on Thursday.
The resolution comes after decades of protests against the massive North Loop trash incinerator that burns roughly 365,000 tons of garbage a year.
“Today is a big step towards protecting the health of our communities and addressing longstanding environmental injustices that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said councilmember Robin Wonsley, in a statement.
The resolution calls for the incinerator to be permanently closed by Dec 31, 2027 and for the entire facility to be shut down by Dec 31, 2033.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
In October 2023, the Hennepin County Board signed off on a plan to close the HERC between 2028 and 2040, depending on how quickly the county can transition into a zero-waste system.
Of the garbage burned at the HERC, 75% comes from the city of Minneapolis. The other 25% comes from a dozen other cities in the area. The HERC produces enough energy to power more than 25,000 homes and half the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.
At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 10, Jenni Lansing with the City of Minneapolis Health Department provided analysis on the air pollution impacts of HERC. She said the health department supports working towards a zero-waste future and the ultimate closure of HERC, but said closing it now is not the solution.
“Overall emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by on-road and non-road, mobile and nonpoint sources, and these sources drive the cancer and non-cancer risks to health in Minneapolis,” Lansing said.
Hennepin County defines zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The snow is really coming down in some places with Maple Lake getting 3.5″ so far.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The wettest Halloween storm ever — is making mischief before little trick-or-treaters hit their neighborhood’s slushy streets.
Officials are reporting several power outages and car spin-outs.
There have been over 14,000 power outages, according to Xcel Energy.
The Minnesota State Patrol has responded to 169 crashes and 94 vehicles off the road, as of 2. pm. Thursday.
Meteorologist Beny Dery said an additional 1 to 2″ of snow is possible before things taper off this evening.
So far some of the totals around town are: 3.5″ Maple Lake, 3.0″ Buffalo, 2.5″ Dassel, 2.4″ Windom, 2.0″ St. Bonifacious, 1.5″ Maple Plain and 1.5″ in Bethel.
The snow is expected to let up from west to east and should wrap up for the metro between 5 to 6 p.m.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
