SPPS delays vote on reducing English Learner positions to align with loss of 542 students

On Oct. 20, 2026, the Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Board of Education voted unanimously to postpone the vote to reduce English Learner teaching positions to align with the district’s decline in …

BCA announces coordinated law enforcement plan to address gang violence

More than 40 law enforcement agencies have agreed to a framework and identified resources for responding to recent gang and group violence in Minnesota. All committed to sharing responsibility and …

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham headlines mobile billboard events highlighting financial burden of ICE on southern Minnesota taxpayers

As federal officials invest in mass deportations and help billionaires rake in more profits, and more Minnesotans struggle to balance everyday essentials, the Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie …

Oct 2026 Monitor

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LBA/SCCA Business Directory articles

Anna Tsantir was an artist with a day job, navigating less-than-ideal working conditions when she and her co-founder decided to start a business on the principles of believing in people and the planet. Two Bettys Green Cleaning Co. (3101 Minnehaha Ave.) was born as a space where independent artists could work with dignity, valuing their clients while being valued themselves.

COMMUNITY FIXTURES

MEET Anna Tsantir was an artist with a day job, navigating less-than-ideal working conditions when she and her co-founder decided to start a business on the principles of believing in people and …

Moonstone owner Brenna Wernersbach (right) with employee Sophia Bull, who has been part of Moonstone from the start.

NEW TO THE AREA

MEET Brenna Wernersbach has worked for many small, independently owned businesses, and when the opportunity arose to transition from pop-up markets and consignment sales to running her own …

The Seward Civic and Commerce Association board

GET TO KNOW THE SCCA

Founded in 1964 by local business owners looking to build community and collective power, the Seward Civic and Commerce Association is a nonprofit membership organization. It’s purpose is to …

The LBA board as of April 2025 included Denis Woulfe of TMC Publications, Andrew Kraft of The Bungalow Club, Michael Cain of Kennedy and Cain, Anna Tsantir of Two Bettys Green Cleaning, Jamie Schwesnedl of Moon Palace Books, Fancy Lanier-Duncan of The Legacy Building, Eddie Banks of Banks Electric, Lori Reese of Wonderwoman Construction and Emmanuel Duncan of The Legacy Building.

GET TO KNOW THE LBA

For more than 25 years, the Longfellow Business Association (LBA) has worked to ensure a vibrant business climate by monitoring issues that impact area businesses. We do this through providing …

A LONGFELLOW/SEWARD PARTNERSHIP

Since the 1990s, the Longfellow Business Directory has been an important part of the Longfellow community. It was started to help foster better communication within the business community, and it is …

View the LBA Directory

Arts

Midway resident Brian Miller to be honored Oct. 30. (Photo submitted)

Irish Arts Minnesota to honor renowned musician, educator, and historian Brian Miller

Irish Arts Minnesota (IAM) will honor acclaimed Irish musician, educator, mentor, and historian Brian Miller during a special celebration at the Celtic Junction Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. …

New book highlights SPPS mentor, Twins worker

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Mont in September, Planting People Growing Justice Press announced the release of “Miguel Ramos: The Power of Dreams,” a new children’s book …

‘A Woman’s Place is in the House’

The political views and actions of the first Minnesota women to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1922 were told in a recent Minnesota Fringe play. “A Woman’s Place is in the …

“Ruunta,” a story about Somali’s living in Minneapolis, debuted at MSPIFF in April.

Meet three Somali film directors

The number of young Somali film directors participating in this year’s Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) reflects the growth of the Somali film community in the Twin Cities. …

Jen Ohm takes a selfie with Jeremy Messersmith and her husband alongside friends at their 2024 backyard concert. During the first show, she said, “I just sat there with my mouth agape the whole time. Like, ‘I can't believe it. Jeremy's in my backyard.’ (Photo submitted)

Messersmith needs a crowd

Longfellow resident Jeremy Messersmith sang the chorus of his new song “Boomers” to a crowd at the Union Depot for the Train Days Music Fest. “Just relax, sip your wine, stay alive, and wait …

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Opinion

Here’s an update on what you wished for two years ago

My December 2024 article for the Monitor focused on the recent Union Park District Council Annual Meeting, where I asked attendees what they hoped for the Midway neighborhood in the future. As we …

Why the Deaf community must be recognized as a culture

My name is Ellie Kidder, founder of Deaf Cultural Arts & Wellness, or DCAW. DCAW strengthens Deaf culture through art, storytelling, community relationships, historical preservation, and Deaf-led …

Woke: Discussing what it means and how it is used

For people to agree on what a word or phrase means before they discuss a topic seems like common sense and a necessary step in clear communication. However, as Ira Gershwin wrote for the character …

Leonard Woolsey, president, Southern Newspapers, and past chair of America’s Newspapers

The First Amendment belongs to all of us

Last week I posted the following words on a social media site — and you’d have thought I’d poked an angry dog with a hot stick. First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an …

We cannot allow fear to dictate who votes this fall

Election season is in full swing, and Ramsey County is ready. Our elections team is working to ensure every eligible voter can cast their ballot safely, securely, and accessibly. More than 113,000 …

More Letters & Columns

25 awards for TMC Publications from MNA in 2026

During the January 2026 Minnesota Newspaper Association Convention, TMC Publication CO accepted 25 awards during the Better Newspaper Contest Awards banquet. Accepting them in person were (left to …

Voices Against Violence

Teen calls Minnesota family court, special master system: ‘Intrafamilial Childhood Torture’

Her experience in family court has put Marie* in the hospital twice for mental health treatment. But the special master, a judge that her parents were ordered to pay for, didn’t stop pushing for …

Two teens are homeless right now following special master, family court decisions

Two teenagers are currently homeless after special master Jennifer Joseph ordered them away from their mom’s house and told them to live with the dad they fear. Seventeen-year-old Ethan* and …

Adapted from the Domestic Abuse Invervention Programs Duluth Model Power & Control Wheel and the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life (NCALL), a project of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV).

Teens say family court shouldn’t force them to have relationship with dad

Ethan* and Mason* have told professional after professional that they don’t want to see their dad. And now, because they won’t go, the 16-year-old and 13-year-old might be put in an …

The rulings of forced contact from those involved in family court go against standard psychological advice, according to clinical forensic psychologist Dr. Catherine Barrett of Los Angeles, Calif., who has spoken nationally about reunification therapy and camps. She points to a confirmation bias in family court that believes women coach children to make up allegations of abuse, and then acts on that belief that children are lying about abuse. “We need to listen to kids,” said Dr. Barrett. “Kids don’t make this stuff up.” According to a study by Dr. Joan Meiers and George Washington University Law School that was funded by the National Institute of Justice, in family court allegations of abuse are not believed 75 percent of the time. “The confirmation bias is that victims are lying,” said Dr. Barrett.
“This is the generation of voice and technology,” she observed. “These kids aren’t being coached.”

An ‘oppressive’ experience: 57 hearings, 80 court orders and 12 parenting time schedules

What do you do when 11 judges and referees, 20 therapists, 12 mediators, two parenting consultants (with 37 directives), one custody evaluator, and one guardian ad litem haven’t been able to …

Police officer Paul Elmstrand, officer Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth

Violence Free Minnesota issues statement on Burnsville Police and EMT domestic violence homicides

Violence Free Minnesota issued the following statement on Tuesday, Feb. 20 to call attention to the full circumstances around Shannon Cortez Gooden's murder of two police officers and an EMT in …

More Voices Against Violence

Home & Garden

The most expensive pipe you own is the one you’ve never seen

Most St. Paul homeowners can tell you where their water heater is. Almost none can tell you where their sewer lateral runs, and it’s the single most expensive piece of plumbing they own. Here’s …

Trading gray for green: How cities can welcome nature back

Five tiny eyes stared up at me as I peered into the cup. The bee, more specifically, a rusty patched bumble bee, was beginning to stir as she warmed up. I had been out collecting various insects …

Shelter with a Cause: Meet St. Paul Airbnb hosts on mission to end homelessness

When Roger and Vicki Henry started renting out the third floor of their Victorian home in 2018, business picked up quickly. Their first two bookings in 2018 went smoothly and a third was already in …

Denton Bruening is an agronomist with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

How to safely apply backyard chemicals to protect Minnesota waters

Every spring, Minnesotans step outside to perform the same ritual: rake the lawn, plan the garden, and grab a bag of fertilizer to help the yard wake up from winter. What most people don’t realize …

The Midway Spirit Community Garden is at 1341-1383 W Taylor Ave. (Photo submitted)

Growth beyond the garden

Midway Green Spirit Community Garden (1341-1383 W Taylor Ave) has been around for 24 years. There are about 50 current gardeners, some who’ve been there since the beginning, holding memories of …

More Home & Garden

Longfellow

Lake Street-Marshall Avenue Bridge fiber installation

Fiber installation work on the Lake-Marshall Bridge is expected to last until early July followed by a week or two of testing. The bus-only lane on the bridge, as well as the …

Rose Whipple (Isanti Dakota/Ho-Chunk) and Nina Berglund in Rome

‘The Doctrine’ highlights St. Paul youth trip to the Vatican

Filmmaker Gwendolen Cates is presenting her latest documentary “The Doctrine,” featuring a St. Paul program at the Riverview Theater, 3800 42nd Ave. S. in Minneapolis at 7 p.m. on June 17. The …

Ty Sassaman, pictured on the Mississippi River as it flows through Bohemian Flats, said, “In the end, I’m just a guy with a paddle trying to do some good for the kids that I work with.”

Paddle for a purpose: The Mississippi 1,000

Longfellow resident and longtime teacher Ty Sassaman has big plans this summer. On June 19, 2026, he’ll launch his tandem canoe just below the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State …

Kevin Kling & Larry Long, Minneapolis, April 23, 2011. (C) Tony Nelson........

Moving through life with intention

Longfellow resident Larry Long started writing songs and singing them when he was 20, and 54 years later he has not stopped. As he has traveled the country and shared his voice, he has practiced the …

More Longfellow news

Nokomis

WOMEN LIFTING UP WOMEN

"Every stroke, every step and every mile is a testament to your courage," said YWCA Minneapolis President and CEO Shelley Carthen Watson at the start of the 17th YWCA Triathlon on Sunday, Aug. 9, …

Amos Ferrier served in Afghanistan and led the Warriors Return group at Every Third Saturday in South Minneapolis. (Photo courtesy of the Facebook post by Every Third Saturday)

Rick's Coffee Bar internship director killed during vehicle robbery

While working at Rick's Coffee Bar (5402 43rd Ave S) on May 15, Every Third Saturday (ETS) Internship Director Amos Ferrier attempted to stop the theft of his truck and was injured by a fleeing car. …

More Nokomis news

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AFTERMATH OF A SHOOTING

Annunciation Light Alliance releases statement on Senate vote on gun violence prevention legislation

The Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive package of gun violence prevention measures aimed at reducing firearm injuries and deaths and strengthening the safety of communities across the state on May 4, 2026.

A school safety panel hosted by Minneapolis Community education included second from left: Hamline University professor James Densley, Annunciation Catholic Church parent Kristen Neville, Hennepin County Behavioral Health Director Leah Kaiser, Hennepin County Sheriff Dewanna Witt, and Stand with Parkland President Tony Montalto

Annunciation, Parkland parents on school safety

Six months after two students were killed and 30 injured by a mass shooter, a community discussion around school shooting prevention focused on paying close attention to children. “Listen to our …

A Seller’s Strongest Negotiating Position in Fairfield County, CT Starts Before the First Showing

The Fairfield County, Connecticut housing market heading into fall 2026 doesn’t fit neatly into a single headline. Some homes are drawing multiple offers above asking. Others, in the same county …

Self-Employed and Can’t Get a Mortgage? The Loan Type May Be the Problem

Many self-employed borrowers who are told they do not qualify for a mortgage are not actually unqualified. They are applying through a loan type that measures income in a way that works against them. …

Massachusetts Appraisal Rules Change in November. Buyers Who Wait to Prepare Will Lose Deals.

Most Massachusetts homebuyers will not think about new appraisal rules until those rules delay their closing. By then, according to Colleen Barry of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, the …

Mortgage-Dependent Buyers Are Being Squeezed Out of the Florida Keys

There is a growing divide in the Florida Keys housing market, and it runs along a single fault line: whether a buyer needs a mortgage. Cash buyers – many of them retirees and business owners from …

Housing Is the Largest Asset Most Americans Own. It’s Also the Only One They Don’t Diversify.

Stock portfolios get diversified. Bond holdings get diversified. Even alternative investments get spread across categories and geographies. But the single largest asset on most American household …