MINNEAPOLIS — To fix what city leaders call a dangerous intersection, officials in Little Canada have proposed the reconfiguration of a frontage road near I-35E, although some residents and business owners are pushing back against the plan.

The proposal, which would total more than $10 million from various funding sources, is in the early stages. However, according to a preliminary design presented to the city council last month, a stretch of Country Drive near the highway would be moved about a block west, with a new roundabout implemented to redirect traffic northbound.

City Administrator Chris Heineman said the intersection near I-35E, Country Drive and Little Canada Road is an “area of conflict.” Citing a high rate of crashes, including two recent ones involving bikes, he said drivers are often confused by the double stoplight and sharp turn from the I-35E off-ramp onto the frontage road. 

“This has been a difficult intersection for many, many years,” Heineman said. “There are both vehicle and traffic issues at this intersection, that have been really increasing over the years.”

The plan would still need city council approval, and if the project is given the green light, construction wouldn’t start until 2026.

However, opposition against the proposal has formed from some businesses and residents in the area, because of the proposed roundabout that would straddle properties including a condominium complex and a longtime bar. 

The bar, known as Gordies Place, has been operating in Little Canada since 1936. Calling the establishment a “generational bar,” Gordies general manager Kim Battisto said the proposed roundabout would have a major impact on the business, since it would cut through the back of the property where they hold bags competitions. 

According to Battisto, Gordies has the largest bags league in the Twin Cities.

“The City of Little Canada, they think that’s okay, that we’d still be able to operate, but we would not,” Battisto said. “These outdoor games are our lifeblood for the summer. That’s what gets us through the summer months.”

Meanwhile, at the Fleur Royale Condominiums, Board of Directors member Bruce Bester said the project would severely impact the quality of life on a “24-7” basis, due to noise and light from the roundabout near their condos.

He acknowledged that the nearby intersection needs to be fixed to improve safety, but said it shouldn’t come at the cost of the condo residents. He proposed a different solution to create a dead-end on the existing Country Road, which he said would save the city money.

“Fleur Royale, Gordies, and the city – we all want to act as partners and get this thing fixed,” Bester said.

Chris Heineman, the city administrator, said he’s sensitive to concerns from residents and business owners. He said the city, county and state explored other options for the interchange near I-35E, but that none of those other plans were seen as feasible by all parties. 

He said the city is negotiating with property owners about the early design plans.

“It is still a very preliminary proposal,” Heineman said, “so yes, we are still vetting other options.”

RED WING, Minn. — There are many beautiful sights along the Mississippi River, everything from the water to the landscape around it, and soon, there will be another addition.

A manmade island is currently under construction on the Mississippi River near Red Wing, Minnesota, and Bay City, Wisconsin. Those behind the project said the island will take on a few key roles.

“Lake Pepin is filling in, so, it’s continuing to come in, sediment is filling it in, we’re losing places to even put that material,” Rylee Hince, executive director of the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance, said. “The corps doesn’t know what to do with that material from the channel, this is one opportunity for a beneficial use project.”

Hince says this project will benefit the species that occupy the space and rely on it for shelter, acting as a way to boost the ecosystem. There’s also an added benefit for the residents living near the lake.

“The campground has, I think, about 300 people that are there every year, and most of them are coming with their boats because they want to get out on the water,” Hince said. “I’ve talked to people who I’ve ran into randomly in the Twin Cities, who say, ‘Yeah, I used to come to Bay City and now I can’t get my boat out, so I don’t go there anymore.'”

Hince says dredged sand off the bottom of the channel is where the island’s materials are coming from, helping lower the floor from near Bay City and giving boats an easier out.

This project is a collaboration between multiple agencies and includes federal dollars as well.

“We’re talking big dollars to do a lot of good habitat work, and we’re fortunate enough to do it here,” Brenda Kelly, the Mississippi River wildlife biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said. 

In total, this project will cost nearly $50 million, with much coming from federal funding. The island is set to finish in 2027.

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minneapolis Police Department sergeant is facing several charges after he allegedly stalked and harassed one of his fellow MPD sergeants. 

According to the charging documents, the victim learned she was being tracked by an AirTag through a notification on her daughter’s phone on March 18. 

The pair searched the car for the tracking device and eventually found it in a vehicle’s wheel well, according to the document. 

The AirTag was linked to a phone number the woman recognized as Gordon Leanoard Blackey’s phone, according to prosecutors.

When the woman allegedly confronted Blackey, he said he placed the tracker on her car because he “cared about her,” according to the charging documents. She chose not to pursue further action against Blackey at that time.

Court documents said the woman had previously been in a “brief romantic relationship” with Blackey, about one year before the AirTag was discovered.

On April 30, Blackey allegedly asked the woman out for a drink, which she declined. Later that evening when the woman was out with her friends at a Blaine restaurant, she told investigators she unexpectedly noticed Blackley inside the restaurant.

The incident in Blaine reminded the woman of previous instances when Blackey appeared at events unannounced or appeared to have intimate knowledge about the details of her life, said the charges. 

On May 7, the woman reported the incidents to her police department and contacted the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office to request an investigation and possible criminal charges against Blackey. 

The investigation showed that beyond purchasing the AirTag, Blackey had multiple photos on his iPhone showing another individual’s private information.

Prosecutors said the images on Blackey’s phone were later confirmed to include information about the victim, her father and one of her coworkers. Those pictures were obtained using a state database accessible to police officers, according to the charging document. 

Blackey admitted to tracking the victim’s vehicle on multiple occasions and using his police access to obtain private information about the victim’s father and coworker without a law enforcement purpose. 

“I am, of course, very concerned about the charges, but I’ll refrain from commenting further to maintain the integrity of the criminal legal process,” said MPD Chief Brian O’Hara in a statement.

Blackey was charged Wednesday with one count each of harassment and unauthorized use of a tracking device; and two counts of unauthorized acquisition of non-public data.

The police department confirmed Blackey is still a current employee with the city, but they did not clarify in what capacity.