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A memo in early September from Mayor Jacob Frey said that his department heads and staffers would only be present at City Council meetings for presentations and not to answer regular questions. The City Council was none too fond of that and Council President Elliott Payne met with Frey to work out a solution, but Frey was none too keen on that. Now, the council is exploring whether they can subpoena Frey and members of his staff to compel them to appear at meetings. 

In other Minneapolis government news, the City Council failed to overturn Frey’s veto of their ordinance calling for human monitors in robotaxis like those run by Waymo. The ordinance originally passed on a 7-to-6 vote in September, but the 7-to-5 vote this week did not meet the nine-vote threshold to override the veto. 

Summit Brewing in St. Paul was on the cusp of foreclosure after failing to meet payments to BMO Bank, but a new lender has stepped in to help the 40-year-old craft brewer get back on its feet. 

“Today is a day of gratitude and genuine excitement for all of us at Summit,” Summit President and CEO Brandon Bland said in a statement. “That starts with our employees, who have shown up every day through months of uncertainty. Their professionalism has inspired all of us to keep pushing toward a resolution, and I can’t thank them enough.”

There are 25 confirmed cases of measles in two Minnesota counties: six in Fillmore County in southeastern Minnesota and 19 in Todd County in central Minnesota. In four of the five years between 2019 and 2023, there were zero cases in Minnesota, but that was before Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was the Secretary of Health and Human Services. None of those infected were vaccinated.

Community Voices: Public health can’t survive without trust in official recommendations

There’s honestly nothing better than libraries, right? In New Ulm, they’re expanding their services beyond books (did you know you can get library books right on your e-reader?) to include frozen meals and fresh produce for community members experiencing food insecurity. 

“We’re all about access to information and resources, and we a lot of times are answering questions from patrons where we’re trying to point them in the direction of our local resources to meet their needs,” said New Ulm Public Library Director April Ide. “It’s great for us to be able to offer one [of those resources] right here at the library.”

And finally in your Minnesota news roundup: Rep. Lisa Demuth has judiciously sidestepped questions about her background during her campaign for governor, but the Minnesota Reformer has combed through her past public statements and appearances to limn how her faith has defined her throughout her life. When a bill was passed in Minnesota making it a trans refuge state, Demuth called it “devastating.”

“You know who seeks to harm our children when it comes right down to it? It is Satan. That is his goal: is to harm our children,” Demuth said, then quoting a verse from Luke.

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