Star Tribune buys City Pages

Another media consolidation in the face of the daunting juggernaut that is MinnPost. A report from Evan Ramstad in the Star Tribune announced that publication’s purchase of Twin Cities alt-weekly City Pages: “Terms were not disclosed, though Star Tribune Media said the purchase will be financed via its operating cash flow. City Pages will continue to run independently of Star Tribune Media’s other publication, the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper and website, the firms said.” Notably for City Pages employees, “As a result of the deal, City Pages news employees will come under the representation of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, which also covers journalists at the Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press.”

Though not all City Pages employees will make it through the deal — blogger Ben Johnson announced he had been laid off on Twitter:

I’ve been laid off as part of the City Pages-Star Tribune deal. Sad to part with such a creative, talented staff.

— Ben Johnson (@johnsonbend) May 6, 2015

Wouldn’t publishing both City Pages and vita.mn be redundant? Why, yes: 

Star Tribune buys City Pages; Vita.mn (hey, that’s us!) to cease publication http://t.co/kS8Shygwn6

— Vita.mn (@vita_mn) May 6, 2015

Not the kind of oil boom they had in mind. CBS News reports, “An oil train derailed and caught fire early Wednesday in a rural area of central North Dakota, prompting the evacuation of a nearby town where about three dozen people live. … No injuries were reported in the accident, which happened near Heimdal, about 115 miles northeast of Bismarck. The residents who left were staying with family and friends, Wells County Emergency Manager Tammy Roehrich said.”

All things considered, probably not a good thing for a police officer to say. In the Star Tribune, Mary Lynn Smith and Libor Jany report, “A Minneapolis police officer has been relieved of duty while his department investigates a profanity-laced video in which he apparently threatens to break the legs of a suspect if he attempts to escape. … The March incident was recorded on a camera phone by one of the young men being arrested in south Minneapolis. In the video, the unidentified officer can be heard telling the suspect: ‘Plain and simple, if you [expletive] with me, I’m gonna break your legs before you get a chance to run.’ ”

Further in Minneapolis police news, new police union head Lt. Bob Kroll doesn’t see a problem with the city’s “lurking” ordinance, in spite of the fact that “critics say the laws are used disproportionately to cite and arrest blacks and other minorities,” reports Tim Nelson for MPR. “As for targeting, Kroll said officers are often responding to complaints and 911 calls. They’re not picking out suspects themselves. … ‘I don’t see any targeting,’ he said. ‘And to make those kinds of arrests, officers have to articulate their means for doing so. They definitely have to articulate the crime being committed or what they think is about to be committed. So, it’s not a matter of randomly pulling people over and charging them for this.’ ” 

Can Prince bring peace to Baltimore? Time’s Nolan Feeney reports that the Minnesota musician is heading to Charm City where “ he will play a ‘Rally 4 Peace’ concert on Mother’s Day this Sunday at the Royal Farms Arena. …  Prince … is expected to perform ‘Baltimore,’ a new, unreleased song he wrote about the ‘the unrest in Baltimore and the socio/political issues around the country in the wake of a slew of killings of young black men,’ according to his spokesperson.” 

In other news…

That’s Governor Buffer Bully to you. “ ‘Buffer bully’? Dayton embraces title” [AP via Mankato Free Press]

“Voters In Edina, Shakopee Approve Million Dollar Changes To School Districts” [WCCO]

Recall effort afoot against Willmar City Council Member Ron Christianson. “He believes he’s above the law,” said Organizer Beverly Dougherty. [City Pages]

Bud Grant goes for a repeat: “Bud Grant announces return of garage sale” [KARE]

An osprey dropped a stick on a power line, causing a power outage in Brainerd, which may not be that big of news — but! You have to check out the sweet illustration the Brainerd Dispatch worked up to go with the story.

Big expansion under way at the Hormel Institute in Austin. [Rochester Post Bulletin]

Kudos to these two middle-schoolers: “Farmington students help cop with river rescue” [KARE]