A compassionate report on what sound like pretty appalling working conditions in Minneapolis’ strip clubs. City Pages’ Susan Du reports: “… Minneapolis inspectors uncovered soiled pillows and comforters, a decommissioned hot tub holding six inches of standing water, and troves of trash. A used condom rolled up in a clump of hair and chewed gum, the manager attempted to explain, may have been dropped by a customer who wore extra protection under his clothes in case he became over-stimulated. … The findings led inspectors to make a sweep of every glittering adult business in town. Bearing blacklights, they harvested samples of semen stains from 11 out of 17 businesses. … But rather than crack down, they sought to understand what was happening with the city’s flesh merchants. That wouldn’t be easy.”

Everything’s fine. The Duluth News Tribune’s John Myers reports: “James Larson says he drives past a lake near his home in Aurora and, if the rainfall has been right, sees a flourishing stand of wild rice. … ‘Every year it gets thicker and thicker and thicker,’ said Larson, a union employee at United Taconite. … Larson’s comments joined a chorus of Iron Range residents, business and civic leaders who asked state Administrative Law Judge LauraSue Schlatter to reject the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s proposed rule to limit sulfate and sulfides in waters where wild rice grows.”

Can your employer make you get a shot? The Duluth News Tribune’s John Lundy reports: “A union that represents some employees is asking a federal court to block Essentia Health from requiring its workers to get flu shots until a labor grievance is resolved. … The union represents about 2,000 employees across the Essentia system, Cummins said. … According to a motion for an expedited preliminary injunction filed on Tuesday, Essentia informed the union in early September that the flu vaccination would be mandatory for all employees this year. Health system officials met with union representatives on Sept. 11 and informed them vaccination would be a ‘condition of employment’ except for those who could obtain religious or medical exemptions, the motion contends.”

At that location, it might fetch a pretty good price. The Southwest Journal’s Dylan Thomas writes: “After laying off all staff members in September, Intermedia Arts now plans to move ahead with the sale of its landmark building on the 2800 block of Lyndale Avenue. … The sale is the only way to meet ‘significant outstanding obligations,’ the nonprofit arts organization’s co-president, Omar Akbar, wrote in an Oct. 24 email announcing the plan. Akbar added that the organization was able to fulfill its ‘top priority’ during the financial crisis and recently issued final paychecks to the salaried and hourly workers who were laid off Sept. 29.”

In other news…

Just looking for some doe: “Deer crashes through mall door in St. Michael” [KARE]

File under Minnesota Smug: “Wanna dodge natural disaster? Twin Cities area ranks among safest” [Star Tribune]

Doesn’t stop drivers from complaining, though: “Survey: Twin Cities commutes among shortest, least stressful” [Star Tribune]

Relatedly: “Hwy. 55 segment in Minneapolis to close for 2 weeks for light-rail work” [Star Tribune]

All is not lost: “New cocktail bar and lounge will take over the former Nye’s site in Minneapolis” [Star Tribune]

Those were the days:

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