Star Tribune
Fentanyl drives surging crime in St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood
Larry McPherson sees himself in the faces of unsheltered people wandering St. Paul’s Midway neighborhood.
McPherson survived homelessness for seven years in Chicago before he found God and a home in Minnesota more than 17 years ago. As a member of 21 Days of Peace, an organization of violence interrupters across St. Paul, McPherson has defused fights and built trust among vulnerable people for years. But as McPherson and others respond to a growing number of crime hotspots, he worries that conditions in the Midway neighborhood will worsen without help from neighbors and officials.
“This is real. People are hungry. This [has been an issue], but now it’s escalated because of this drug called fentanyl. That’s the driving force,” McPherson said.
“Come next spring, next summer, it’s going to be a nightmare out here if they don’t make drastic changes in these next four to five months.”
Neighbors and officials have reported surging crime around the Midway neighborhood for months, taking to social media and community forums to report discarded needles, burglaries, and other crimes seldom seen in recent years. Authorities believe much of the blame lies with Kimball Court apartments, a housing complex which aims to get people off the streets and into housing without requiring sobriety. Investigators believe the complex has become a hub for drug trafficking, troubling residents and nearby businesses who have lost customers.
Though many crime metrics fell across the neighborhood, according to St. Paul Police Department data, robberies and drug violations surged.
St. Paul penned a contract with 21 Day of Peace last month, paying six people a total of about $10,000 to engage residents in the Midway neighborhood, Rondo, and the city’s East side. The contract expires at the end of the year. Members of the organization have patrolled Midway and the area around Kimball Court since then, connecting homeless people to city resources. Those members greeted people walking by the apartment complex Tuesday.
Members of the organization asked some people if they wanted help finding resources. They told a few to move and respect neighbors’ property. Most were asked how they were doing and whether they wanted help with anything, a role McPherson believes is bridging the gap between residents and police.
Minnesota K-pop fans are delighting over a detail in singer/songwriter Jin’s new music video.
In the music video for “Running Wild,” which debuted Nov. 14, the South Korean star and member of boy group sensation BTS appears to be wearing a University of Minnesota sweatshirt. The fashion choice was first noticed by fans in a promotional video last month.
The maroon shirt is emblazoned with a gold M, which looks very much in the style of the University of Minnesota’s logo. It’s visible around the video’s 1:30-minute mark.
“International army, you might not know that, but that is a Minnesota collegiate sweater,” TikTok user moonchild_of_bangtan posted in a video.
The Minnesota Star Tribune contacted the University of Minnesota to find out if the shirt is official merch. We’ll update this story if we hear back.
Amid high winds and cold temperatures, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office rescued hunters in two separate incidents on the water Saturday.
Around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the sheriff’s office responded to a report of two duck hunters, ages 33 and 13, with early signs of hypothermia stranded on the Middle Fork Crow River in New London Township, according to a news release. Wind was gusting at about 30 mph and their boat had filled with water. The two left their boat and swam to an island to call for help.
The two were located and brought back to the boat access, where they were medically cleared, the release said. Their boat was towed to shore.
Around 1:10 p.m., the sheriff’s office responded to a report of a hunter stranded on a Big Kandiyohi Lake island. The 32-year-old man’s boat had sunk after it filled with water during 30 mph wind gusts. The man was rescued and returned to the boat access.
The sheriff’s office was assisted by several agencies in the water rescues. The office urges hunters to be cautious on the water when wind speeds are high and unpredictable.
Star Tribune
Gabbard’s sympathetic views toward Russia cause alarm as Trump’s pick to lead intelligence services
Gabbard’s stance on Russia and Syria is likely to come up during her Senate confirmation.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said that while he has questions about her comments and believes Gabbard should receive the traditional background check during her confirmation process, he doesn’t second-guess her loyalties.
”I certainly would want to ask her about that,” Cornyn said of Gabbard’s Russia comments. ”But I have no doubt that she’s a patriot. I mean, she served in the United States military and was deployed much of the time.”
America’s allies are watching the nomination process closely, worried about how Trump’s incoming administration could affect intelligence cooperation and sharing.
Trump’s election raises ”very difficult issues” for America’s closest allies and members of the Five Eyes group, an intelligence-sharing coalition of the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, according to Thomas Juneau, a former strategic analyst with Canada’s Department of National Defence.
”Will the U.S. be more selective in what it shares, to pressure allies? If yes, this will create mistrust between the U.S. and its closest partners,” Juneau said. ”In the long term, this would negatively affect the Five Eyes, which is an extremely close partnership premised on an extraordinarily high level of trust.”
Dr. Deborah Birx says she is “excited” for data discussions in RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings
GOP Rep. French Hill says it’s up to House Ethics Committee to decide on releasing Gaetz report
Calvin Klein model charged with murder in stabbing death in New York City
Dr. Deborah Birx says she is “excited” for data discussions in RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearings
GOP Rep. French Hill says it’s up to House Ethics Committee to decide on releasing Gaetz report