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Brutal cold causing problems for famous snow-sculpting brothers
The pair is trying to make a sculpture for the New Brighton Brave the Brrr celebration, but the process is being delayed due to lack of snow and cold.
NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. — The brutal cold is forcing two of Minnesota’s most famous snow sculptors to get creative.
Austin and Connor Bartz are, once again, making a massive sculpture – this time, for the New Brighton ‘Brave the Brrr‘ event that celebrates winter throughout January.
Mother Nature, though, has had other plans this season.
“We’ll get it done, it’s just going to take longer than we thought,” said Austin.
First, it was too warm and with so little snow, the two could only truck it in from parking lots across the metro and even asked for volunteers.
“We’ve spent more time collecting snow and trying to get it here than we have actually sculpting,” said Austin.
Now, it’s too cold to even make it, forcing them to improvise inside a shed they built by hand at the Brightwood Hills Golf Course.
“We’re taking sleds of snow from outside on the pond, we’re sledding it inside, bringing it around this way and into the snow factory,” explained Austin, who used heaters to warm up the snow so that it’s the right consistency.
“When we get the snow warm and full of moisture, we can work with it outside,” said Austin. “We probably have about five minutes in this weather, so we get it outside, take half sled loads and pack it on as quick as we can.”
The process is a painstaking one, but there’s a heartwarming reason that drives them to do it.
“Most people think we’re a little bit crazy,” said Austin. “When we have our heart to something, we go all out.”
The brothers solicit donations to raise money for countries that don’t have access to clean water. This year, they’re supporting the non-profit World Vision and so far, have raised about $7,000. Last year it was almost 12 times that.
The Bartz Brothers hope to have a sculpture complete by January 19. For up-to-date information, you can visit – https://www.facebook.com/BartzSnowSculptures
“We’re moving in the right direction,” said Austin. “We can’t take a break.
The festival’s other events are going on as planned, for now, but some activities, like skiing at Trollhaugen ski area, are cutting hours short due to the cold.
Highland Hills ski area will close if the wind chill reaches 35 below.
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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.”
“This Valentine’s Day, 2025, will mark the five-year anniversary of the premiere of ‘Love is Blind,” Vanessa said on the Season 7 finale. “And, it is gonna be the launch of Season 8, which takes place in Minneapolis.”
The episode also revealed three of the new cast members, one of whom, “Alex,” told Lachey Minneapolis is “not like a major city, but it’s also not a small town,” which he said is just one of the obstacles in his way of finding the one.
“I just never found the right person that clicked for me,” he said.
Meantime, you can bone up on Seasons 1-7 streaming now on Netflix.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
