New York Times takes deep look at Minneapolis’ north side

The New York Times fixes an eye on North Minneapolis. John Eligon writes, “A city long known for its robust economy, affordability, liberal politics and chic restaurants finds itself confronting an open secret as discomfiting as the bone-chilling winters. By several measures, its black population, which has grown to 19 percent of its 400,000 residents, has been left behind. The unemployment rate for black residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul region is about four times the overall rate, which at 3.1 percent is among the lowest among major metropolitan areas.” 

Superintendent Valeria Silva begins to put together a plan to address violence and discipline in St. Paul schools. The Pioneer Press’ Josh Verges writes, “Silva said Monday in a letter to St. Paul Public Schools staff that she has reassigned some district administrators to spend a portion of their days working in troubled schools until support systems are strengthened. Some of the district’s instructional coaches will do the same. … She’s also encouraging teachers to use the time in their day scheduled for staff collaboration to meet with students to address academic and behavioral concerns. And she’s asked all staff to monitor hallways during passing time and before and after school.”

Also in the Pioneer Press, Mara H. Gottfried and Bob Shaw write short profiles of all 37 victims of homicide in Ramsey, Dakota and Washington counties in 2015: “They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. … They ranged from 5 weeks to 84 years old. Some were lifelong Twin Cities’ residents and others were refugees who had settled in Minnesota. … All 37 people are counted in the 2015 east metro homicide statistics, but their lives were much more than a number. … ‘It’s obvious that there are huge impacts to the surviving family members,’ said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. ‘But these (cases) … can have huge impacts on the community.’ ”

Interesting to see the Wisconsin Department of Transportation on this list, given the current governor’s past attitude toward rail projects. From MPR’s Elizabeth Baier: “A group of private and public funders in Minnesota and Wisconsin have committed $660,000 to further high-speed rail service between the Twin Cities and Chicago. … The funders include the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, the La Crosse, Wis., Area Planning Committee, and the Minnesota High Speed Rail Commission.”

In other news…

Some people really don’t like Uber: “Two women were injured by gunfire early Sunday morning after multiple shots were fired at the Uber vehicle they were riding in on I-394W, according to Minneapolis police.” [Southwest Journal]

To be clear, Yoplait is full of fungicide, not insecticide: “General Mills sues to take down Chobani yogurt ads over Yoplait preservative” [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]

The Minnesota Zoo will soon have a new director. The search committee’s choice, to be presented to the board: “[Minnesotan!] John Frawley, the president and CEO of Bay.org, a San Francisco Bay nonprofit group” [Star Tribune]

The Warehouse District location of Black Sheep Pizza is going to double in size. [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]

That’s quite a detour: “Major bridge closed in Canada; detour may send traffic through Duluth” [Duluth News Tribune]

Musician David Bowie died Sunday; award-winning novelist and Macalester prof Marlon James posted a touching remembrance on Facebook.

Need to relive Sunday’s crushing loss by the Vikings? Here you go: “Blair Walsh Lived A Kicker’s Nightmare” [Deadspin]

Keillor says goodbye. [CNN]