Star Tribune
St. Paul planning commission to discuss a potential citywide ban of new fast food drive-thrus
Twin Cities franchisees and business advocacy groups have already voiced their concerns about the potential drive-thru restrictions to the planning commission.
Over 80% of Taco Bell transactions in St. Paul are done via drive-thru windows, according to Zach Zelickson, vice president of Marvin Development, which develops Taco Bell restaurants for Border Foods. A ban on new drive-thrus could limit what can be done with existing restaurants and make customers travel to locations outside the city, he said. In 2022, Border Foods opened a futuristic Taco Bell Defy location with four drive-thru lanes in Brooklyn Park.
“We believe that drive-thrus play a vital role in serving the needs of our communities across Minnesota,” Angie Whitcomb, CEO of Hospitality Minnesota, which represents the state’s hospitality businesses, said in a statement. Drive-thrus provide convenience for busy customers and contribute to the safety of fast food workers, particularly duing late-night hours, she said.
Drive-thrus have been synonymous with America’s fast-food culture since the concept became mainstream in the 1970s. During the pandemic, drive-thrus became even more important, allowing consumers to grab food while COVID-19 restrictions shut down many restaurant dining rooms.
Besides traditional fast food operations, other fast casual restaurants such as Chipotle have begun to add drive-thru lanes.
According to a study released last month by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, drive-thrus are critical for many businesses. Average monthly visits to studied stores with drive-thrus were down a little more than 4% in December 2022 (post-pandemic) compared to December 2019 (pre-pandemic). However, traffic at stores without drive-thrus declined about 48%.
Star Tribune
Minnesota Class 6A high school football state championship favorite still uncertain three weeks into season
The current No. 1-ranked team in Class 5A is Elk River, which is averaging 48 points per game.
Owatonna has been stingy, though, giving up just a touchdown in each of its three victories. In Section 8, high-powered Moorhead, led by stellar sophomore quarterback Jett Feeney, and Alexandria Area, an athletic squad allowing just four points per game, are headed for a showdown on Oct. 11, the next-to-last game of the regular season.
Star Tribune
Man misidentified by police, charges dropped related to attack against Minneapolis homeless shelter
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office has dropped criminal charges against a man who Minneapolis police mistakenly identified as an accomplice in a recent attack on a homeless shelter.
The swift reversal on Tuesday saw the dismissal in Hennepin County District Court of two counts of second-degree assault, illegal weapons possession, threats of violence and second-degree riot in connection the Sept. 5 attack on St. Anne’s Place at 2634 Russell Av. N.
“We have recently learned from our law enforcement partners at (the Minneapolis Police Department) that [man] was misidentified as the suspect in the St. Anne’s Place attack who pistol-whipped two people and fired a gun,” a statement from the County Attorney’s Office read. Police “shared this information with us right away as part of their ongoing investigation, and upon learning this information, we immediately began the process of filing a written dismissal.”
The statement said the man, who was arrested Friday, would be released from jail “as soon as possible.” As of mid-afternoon Tuesday, the man was still in custody, according the jail’s online inmate roster.
The Star Tribune has asked for Minneapolis police for an explanation about how the misidentification occurred.
There is so far one person charged stemming from the attack. Eureka D. Riser, 33, of Minneapolis, was arrested Thursday and is charged with second-degree riot with a dangerous weapon and first-degree damage to property.
Riser, also known as Eureka Willis, is alleged to have been among at least three people who went to St. Anne’s Place and threatened residents, smashing doors with a baseball bat. According to police, an argument between shelter residents and neighbors led to the violence, resulting in at least one assault and gunfire damage to a vehicle.
The St. Paul Winter Carnival’s King Boreas Grande Day Parade is moving from downtown St. Paul to Grand Avenue.
A partnership between the mid-winter fete’s producer, the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, and the Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA) is behind the move of the signature daytime parade in 2025, Winter Carnival officials said Tuesday.
“The Winter Carnival has always been about celebrating St. Paul,” said Lisa Jacobson, president and CEO of the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation. “By relocating the Grande Day Parade to Grand Avenue, we reach more people in the community who want to be involved in the ‘Coolest Celebration on Earth.’”
Previously held in downtown St. Paul, the parade featuring floats, marching bands and hundreds of units will make its way down Grand Avenue from Dale Street to Lexington Avenue at 2 p.m. Jan. 25.
“We are so excited to be partnering with the St. Paul Winter Carnival and bringing the beloved Grande Day Parade to Grand Avenue,” said Chris Jensen, president of GABA, which also puts on summer’s Grand Old Day event. “We can’t wait for January 25th to get here as we know the businesses on Grand Ave and the entire community will enjoy celebrating the treasured tradition of Winter Carnival’s Grande Day Parade.”
Todd Russell, who will soon open a new dining establishment on Grand Avenue called Russell’s, hopes the parade will help revitalize the historic street that has seen several high-profile closures, including Pottery Barn, Tavern on Grand and Salut Bar Americain, in the past year. But other businesses have opened on the street during the same time.
“We hope it will inspire people to rediscover Grand Avenue and fall back in love with all it has to offer,” Russell said.
Black women have higher risk of dying from all types of breast cancer, new study finds
Francis Scott Key Bridge victim’s wife wants legal action against Dali ship company
Black women have higher risk of death from all types of breast cancer, study finds
Black women have higher risk of dying from all types of breast cancer, new study finds
Francis Scott Key Bridge victim’s wife wants legal action against Dali ship company