Star Tribune
New St. Cloud housing promises to be right size for immigrant families
ST. CLOUD — Five years ago, a new nonprofit started here with goals to support residents in four areas: equitable education, workforce development, community health and housing.
Then the pandemic happened.
And as much of the nonprofit CAIRO’s focus shifted to helping families suddenly overwhelmed with navigating school at home, its mission became clearer: Success in all other areas begins with proper housing.
“Everything we were trying to address previously was at the periphery of housing,” said Abdikadir Bashir, executive director of CAIRO (Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization). “Without truly addressing the housing needs of families, we were not able to talk about inequities in education or community health or other aspects like workforce.”
That realization spurred the nonprofit’s biggest project to date: creating a first-of-its-kind workforce housing development in a bustling area on the city’s north side.
The nonprofit recently purchased for $1.2 million a 3.6-acre site at 33rd Avenue N. and N. Third Street that houses a vacant Wells Fargo branch. Nearby are several malls and businesses that cater to residents of East African descent. The plan is to raze the bank building and start construction on a new structure — with community space on the first floor and housing above — in the next year or two.
“This is still in its infancy stage. We just got our keys,” said Sabrin Ali, CAIRO’s workforce development and partnership coordinator.
Project partners include state housing agencies, local banks, and nonprofits including the Initiative Foundation in Little Falls, which recently approved a $500,000 loan for the development.
“What’s really cool for us is it’s a mission-driven project,” said Bob McClintick, communications director at the foundation. “This is part of our philosophy and mission — to reach into underserved communities as we work to create equity and prosperity.”
The lack of affordable housing in the state — especially in greater Minnesota — is well-documented. In a recent report, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency found that about 70% of new rental units built in the last five years are not affordable to low-income renters.
But housing prospects are even more dire for many refugee or immigrant families, who often have larger-than-average and multigenerational households. Bashir said the families CAIRO works with have on average six to eight members, compared to the national average of about three.
“There’s an inadequacy of right-sized units for the large-sized families we work with. There isn’t enough stock,” Bashir said, noting a majority of houses and apartments have only two bedrooms and many of the units with additional bedrooms are small and designed for college students. “Our project will be different. It’s going to be housing designed and dedicated for families — bigger rooms, more spacious, with new construction.”
Don Hickman, vice president for community and workforce development at the Initiative Foundation, said developers have not had to be creative or flexible in designing different spaces because the demand for housing is so acute.
“Whatever they’ve got, somebody is willing to rent it,” he said. “And the costs of building new housing that is within reach of an entry-level or working family is not a moneymaker for developers.”
Bashir said he hopes the project, which will be tailored to working-class families, will serve as a model in the region: “This project will set the tone for other developers because development should always cater to the needs of the renters.”
A former Medtronic consultant received an 18-month prison sentence this week for his role in a scheme linked to the $1.6 billion acquisition of an Israeli medical device company in 2018.
A federal jury in February convicted Doron “Ron” Tavlin, 69, of Minneapolis, of one count of conspiracy to engage in insider trading and 10 additional counts related to securities fraud. That same jury found David Jay Gantman, 58, of Mendota Heights, not guilty of all charges against him. A third defendant — Afshin “Alex” Farahan, 57, of Los Angeles — pleaded guilty in 2022 and has yet to be sentenced.
“His crime was cynical and brazen. It was also reckless,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ebert wrote in a memo calling for a 3-year prison term. “Tavlin’s conduct had the potential to blow up a deal that a team of executives and financial advisers had been diligently negotiating for months.”
Tavlin is now scheduled to self-surrender Jan. 5 to begin his prison term, which will be followed by 320 hours of community service.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Tavlin learned about a secret, pending acquisition by Medtronic of Mazor Robotics, where he worked as vice president of business development, in 2018. Tavlin also previously worked as a consultant to the Ireland-based Medtronic, which also has a headquarters in Fridley.
Tavlin illegally tipped off Farahan, his friend, about news of the imminent acquisition and told him to keep the news secret. Farahan knew the deal would likely result in a boost to Mazor’s stock price and quickly bought more than $1 million of the company’s stock throughout August and September 2018. Medtronic announced plans to acquire Mazor, which specialized in robotics for spinal procedures, in September 2018 and the deal closed three months later.
Prosecutors said Farahan netted more than $245,000, and Gantman made $255,000 in profit by selling the securities quickly after the deal was publicized. Farahan paid Tavlin for the secret information about the pending deal — including a $25,000 kickback about a year later —according to prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank, who sentenced Tavlin Monday, also ordered Tavlin to pay a special assessment fee of $1,100 – or $100 per each count. Frank did not impose a fine.
Star Tribune
Charges detail assault in Minneapolis that led to shooting rampage, killing one in Kandiyohi County
Another friend of the ex-girlfriend arrived to help. He pulled up in a car as the group exited the apartment and Matariyeh immediately pointed a gun at him before pounding on the windshield with the gun. Everyone fled as Matariyeh ran back inside the apartment.
The two men met in a parking lot before attempting to return to the apartment. That’s when they looked up and saw Matariyeh on the balcony. Matariyeh immediately began firing multiple shots at them as they took cover behind parked cars.
It was around this time that Minneapolis police officers arrived and made contact with Matariyeh’s ex-girlfriend. She believed he was still inside the apartment, but officers later learned that he had fled. They reached him on the phone. He told officers he was going to kill innocent people if he couldn’t speak with his ex-girlfriend or see his daughter, who was at daycare at the time. He later told police negotiators that “he wanted to go out by ‘suicide by cop.’”
All the while, Matariyeh was speeding westbound.
Police officers pursued him near Cosmos in Meeker County after being alerted that Matariyeh might have stolen another vehicle at gunpoint in Carver County.
Around 2 p.m. he pulled into the rural driveway of Peter Mayerchak in Lake Lillian. Mayerchak, who was in his yard placing hay over his septic mound, went and greeted Matariyeh, who shot him in the chest.
Mixing progressive dreams with dire warnings, a group of DFL leaders riled up a group of volunteers in St. Paul on Thursday morning, urging them to push on through the day’s freezing rain and fatigue in the remaining days before the election.
Several elected officials including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar told the group of about 150 campaign staffers, volunteers and union members about how meaningful their work is to keeping DFL control of the Legislature, as the electeds start a statewide bus tour to turn out votes.
“We are here to keep our trifecta here in Minnesota,” U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar told volunteers on Thursday. “We’ve got five days, people!”
On the Republican side, House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said earlier this month that the House Republican Campaign Committee had raised a record $2.7 million ahead of the election and she said Republicans have also set records in volunteering and door-knocking as they work to break DFL control.
Minnesota Democrats hold a rally before starting a bus tour around the state to get voters excited, including Rep Ilhan Omar, Sen Amy Klobuchar, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Rep Betty McCollum and Sen Tina Smith on Thursday. (Glen Stubbe/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
“Republicans have the momentum and resources heading into the final stretch to win the majority and restore balance to Minnesota,” Demuth said in a statement. “Minnesotans are ready to move on from the expensive two years of Democrat one-party rule.”
House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she thought voters preferred action to the gridlock of divided government. “They’re looking for people who can get things done,” she said.
These last-minute get-out-the-vote efforts come as Democrats around the country push to keep control of state legislative chambers and try to flip a few statehouses that Republicans hold by just a few seats.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the arm of the national Democratic party that works on statehouse races across the country, has spent $500,000 on Minnesota races this year, including House races and the state Senate contest.
