|
Hello to all my 3rd Ward neighbors,
I want to begin this newsletter sharing on some amazing police work by two officers in the 2nd Precinct who saved the lives of two babies last month. The initial 911 call came in that a 6-month-old child was not breathing. The responding officers arrived and administered CPR until the child was able to be transported by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center. At the hospital, doctors determined the child had suffered an overdose from fentanyl. When doctors called to update the shift sergeant of the situation, the initial responding officers overheard the conversation and immediately realized there was a twin of the overdosed baby still in the apartment.
They rushed back to the apartment, calling for an ambulance as they drove. When they arrived, the other baby was experiencing breathing issues. The officers were able to stabilize the baby using CPR and Narcan. This allowed the second child to be stabilized and transported to the hospital. Thanks to the compassion and quick thinking of officers Fuchs and Perry, both children survived this horrific ordeal.
This week Ward 3 hosted, ELEFA, the organization hired to oversee the implementation of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights Settlement Agreement with the City of Minneapolis. Equal Law Enforcement for All (ELEFA) was approved by the court to assist and monitor the Minneapolis Police Department as they work to fulfill the requirements of the settlement agreement. Mandated improvements in police training, supervision and policies are some of the specific areas they must improve to provide non-discriminatory policing for the City of Minneapolis.
The Ukrainian American Community Center had a full house of attendees where ELEFA provided a robust update on the progress being made to fulfill the settlement requirements and improve policing in the City of Minneapolis. For more information on ELEFA (ELEFA Minneapolis Web Site). The next community update will be held in July and will be hosted by Ward 4.
As always, Henry, Patrick, and I are here to serve you. We can be reached at ward3@minneapolismn.gov. Please report all issues to 311 before contacting us so there is a paper trail and staff are already aware of the issue when we speak with them. You can contact 311 by simply dialing 311, email them at Minneapolis311@minneapolismn.gov or by submitting a 311 Contact Form.
Your neighbor,
Michael
The 57th annual Minneapolis St. Patrick’s Day Parade is returning home to Nicollet Mall after taking an extended sabbatical in Columbia Heights. Events supporting the parade include the crowning of Ms. Blarney 2025, a meat raffle at the Northeast VFW, a pre-parade bar crawl, and a post-parade Blarney Bash. The parade begins at 6 p.m. on March 17 at 6th St. and Nicollet Mall and ends at 12th St. and Nicollet Mall.
City officials in Minneapolis on Tuesday reported a “significant” decrease in some violent crime so far in 2025 compared to the same time in 2024.
In a press release from Mayor Jacob Frey’s office, the city cited, in part, a 47% drop in robberies, a 40% decrease in carjackings, and 32% fewer shooting victims. The statistics follow a downward trend seen in 2024. The difference so far this year is that there have been fewer homicides as well.
Asked if the data signals the city has turned a corner, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said, “I would say the police department has turned a corner, which is a very, very necessary part of trying to keep crime under control.”
“Number one, I think the police officers here are in a much better place than when I got here two and a half years ago.” For the first time since 2019, MPD hired more officers than it lost in 2024, Chief O’Hara reported.
O’Hara, in part, credited a significant drop in juvenile violence since the implementation of MPD’s “Curfew Task Force” last summer. “We’re especially developing trust with, you know, these parents of some of these kids that are most violent and most active,” he said.
Watch the news coverage
Minneapolis property owners can now enter the City Trees Lottery through March 14. Don’t be left out of the shade by missing the chance to purchase up to three low-cost trees at just $30 each.
Lottery information
- Enter the lottery by March 14
- Over 15 varieties of shade and evergreen trees available
- Trees are 3 to 7 feet tall
- Purchase includes:
- One bag of mulch
- Information about planting and caring for your trees
Benefits of trees
Trees offer environmental, economic, and mental health benefits. Planting trees can:
- Save you money on utility bills
- Shade and cool your property
- Connect us to our neighborhood roots
- Collect stormwater runoff
- Provide habitat for wildlife
- Improve our health and well-being
- Increase property values
With the early warmup, some people may want to tidy and rake up their yards. But pollinators nest in the broken stems of plants and overwinter in leaf piles. To protect them, please do not rake any leaves or clean up your yard until temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.
Yard waste collection will begin the week of April 7.
Minneapolis is making history by becoming the first city in North America to own and operate a biochar facility. The City will process wood waste from Xcel Energy’s tree trimming around power lines. The facility will transform the wood waste into biochar, a specialized charcoal that holds onto carbon dioxide. This helps clean the air while also serving as an extremely powerful soil amendment for growing plants and trees.
Read more about the plan for biochar on the City website.
March is Explore Construction Employment month in Minnesota. This industry offers good wages and career advancement. Registered apprenticeship is a common path to a job in construction. The City is a partner in a new resource on apprenticeships, the Apprenticeship Outreach Office. The office is a valuable resource for anyone looking to start their careers and earn while they learn.
Construction companies hire the most apprentices in Minnesota. Apprenticeships are also growing in other industries.
The Minneapolis Apprenticeship Outreach Office is a partnership of the City of Minneapolis, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
Apprenticeship 101 workshops are held monthly at the CareerForce Minneapolis North. If you have questions, please contact Navigator Harrell Mathieu or call 612-494-8755.
Join us in our City’s annual celebration of National Public Health Week honoring our local public health heroes. The City will host a resource fair and Local Public Health Heroes Awards ceremony on April 9. This year’s theme is Building Bridges to Create Healthier Communities. This event is free and open to the public.
Local Public Health Heroes April 9 Resource fair: 11 a.m. Award ceremony: noon Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 100
A free lunch will be served.
Nominate a local public health hero
The work community members do in public health is essential to building healthier communities in our city. To honor those who do this important work, we give Local Public Health Hero Awards to individuals, teams/collaborations and organizations.
Nominate a Local Public Health Hero by 5 p.m. March 19.
|
