An ad in the Star Tribune became a story in the Star Tribune. Paul Walsh writes, “Responding to concerns about prejudice toward Muslims, many Minnesota leaders in politics, higher education, health care and business lent their names to a full-page advertisement in Monday’s Star Tribune calling on citizens to reject such behavior as‘”un-Minnesotan.’ … ‘Though we may be a soft-spoken bunch,’ the ad reads, ‘we know better than to be silent or still in the face of bigotry shown to Muslims. Our Minnesotans.’ ”
Speaking of which… MPR’s Mukhtar Ibrahim writes, “A Dakota County District judge Friday ordered a southern Dakota County township to issue a conditional use permit for an Islamic cemetery. … Judge David Knutson ruled that Castle Rock Township’s rejection of a proposed cemetery for Muslims in August 2014 was ‘arbitrary and capricious.’ … ‘We hoped that a simple request for a proposed Islamic cemetery in Minnesota would not need a court order, however we welcome the court’s decision to grant the conditional use permit,’ Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), said in a statement.”
Nothing to worry about if you’ve done nothing wrong. The Rochester Post Bulletin’s Andrew Setterholm writes about that city’s expanding surveillance program: “The Rochester Police Department is ready to begin integrating private and public surveillance cameras into a citywide network, creating a new resource for officers to investigate crimes. … The city of Rochester in November signed a contract with SecuroNet, a Minneapolis-based company that provides a program for creating a visual representation of where cameras are located in the city.”
A Minneapolis icon will be revived. MPR’s Tim Nelson reports: “The historic Grain Belt beer sign on the Minneapolis riverfront could glow again next year after being dark for decades. … The August Schell Brewing Company completed the purchase of the sign on Nicollet Island. … The New Ulm-based brewery bought the Grain Belt brand 14 years ago but that didn’t include the sign. … Schell’s hopes to have the sign glowing again on the Minneapolis skyline by the summer of 2017.”
In other news…
Gov. Dayton is expected to leave the hospital Monday. He fainted during a campaign event on Sunday. [MPR]
Northern Minnesota is home to at least one endangered species: “‘Pro-union’ Republican Farnsworth enters 6A race” [Minnesota Brown]
Well, this should turn things around: “Best Buy adds fee for TV and computer recycling” [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]
Is this a field trip or a punishment? “Como Park H.S. Students Head to Iowa Caucuses” [WCCO]
LAX-MSP Delta flight grounded by a fistfight — between flight attendants. [Washington Post]
The strib knew just how well received that story on the ad would be: no comments allowed. Probably a good decision.