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Lakes finally freeze over across Minnesota
The late freeze is postponing some events like the Art Shanty Projects, which is not expected to start now until January 27.
MINNEAPOLIS — The bitter cold is finally here and staying long enough to impact Minnesota waterways.
In fact, most of the lakes just froze over the weekend. That’s forcing organizers of the longtime Art Shanty Projects on Lake Harriet to postpone a whole week.
Climatologists say this is the longest in almost 150 years that its taken lakes in Minnesota to freeze over.
The mild winter is due to a super El Niño, an event that happens every couple decades. But scientists say this year’s event rivals that of 1877, perhaps the strongest ever on record.
“It’s unreal, I mean for all of us,” said Erin Lavelle, the Art Shanty Projects Artistic Director. “We have never even thought about mid-January having open water, but most of the lake was still open water on Saturday.”
Lavelle says Lake Harriet finally froze over Sunday. When she measured its thickness two days later, it was about nine inches thick some 250′ from shore.
“This week, the sub-zero temperatures, we are loving,” said Lavelle. “Ice is building very quickly.”
It’s still about an inch shy, though, of what officials require for events like Lavelle’s, forcing it to open on Jan. 27 instead of the 20. Now in it’s 20th year, artists create whimsical, but temporary, structures that draw thousands of visitors.
“It is the most isolating season for many people and we really do what we do to bring people together,” said Lavelle.
This season, though, is one for the record books. December is rivaling that of 1877 when senior climatologist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Kenneth Blumenfeld says was the warmest super El Niño ever.
“The sorts of people taking daily notes in the late 1800s were pretty meticulous and measured, but they did note that they had never seen anything like this,” said Blumenfeld.
“And then we also know from notes that it was unbelievably warm and there was open water on the Mississippi, both sides of Lake Pepin, and even some northern lakes,” said Blumenfeld. “It was warm, there wasn’t a lot of frost, it was muddy and people had a hard time getting around and moving goods to other locations.”
Blumenfeld is also calling this current cold snap “wimpy” compared to other Minnesota winters, saying that the climate, in general, is warming.
“El Niño just adds on top of that warming and that’s why with a lesser El Niño, we can break old records,” said Blumenfeld.
Lavelle just hopes winter sticks around long enough to celebrate it and bring the community together through art.
Despite pushing back when it opens, the Art Shanty Projects will end as scheduled on Feb. 11, and it still includes food trucks and performances.
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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.
