Gary Schiff

Lawsuit Day often comes before Halloween and Election Day (ask Norm Coleman). Sure enough, Thursday saw a federal judge give President Obama a treat, confirming his U.S. citizenship in throwing out a “birther” suit. In Minnesota, six citizens filed suit (pdf) against Gov. Pawlenty and a trio of commissioners over unallotment cuts. And in Minneapolis, a [...]

Quick: What rhymes with Bicking? In South Minneapolis’ city council race, Ward Nine challenger Dave Bicking is rolling out an unconventional campaign tool: the Green Party–endorsed candidate now has a song written about him. And to answer that question, “kicking” is the rhyming word — and it’s followed immediately by the word “ass.”

Voters in Minneapolis’ Ward Nine would be justified in feeling a sense of déjà vu as they scan lawn signs this fall — or when they are handed their ballots on Election Day, Nov. 3. This year’s contest for city council features a rematch between incumbent DFLer Gary Schiff and his Green Party challenger from 2005, Dave Bicking. A third candidate, Todd Eberhardy of the Independence Party, adds a fresh face to the race.

On Saturday, thousands of people across the country — in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington and New York — marched in protest of California’s Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that overrode a state Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex couples to marry. Here in Minnesota, rallies were held in Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Paul. Around 1,000 people gathered near the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis (curiously, the Star Tribune’s story estimates the crowd size at 700, while its subhead put the count at 500). Speakers included OutFront Minnesota’s Kelly Lewis; Jeremy Hanson, an aide to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and Minneapolis City Council Member Gary Schiff, among others. Photographer Tony Webster was there and gave us permission to publish a slideshow of the rally.

Minneapolis recently entered into a “sister city” agreement with Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos, a small Mexican state that is the homeland to nearly 30,000 immigrants who have resettled in the area. That pre-existing relationship, which is unusual for sister cities, was cemented in a signing ceremony in Minneapolis on Sept. 13.

UPDATED Mayor R.T. Rybak announced this afternoon that Minneapolis would conduct a series of reviews into the Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) actions in Minneapolis during the Republican National Convention, including a standard “after-action report” that will look into related security measures and the development of new policies for dealing with the media. A city council member who has urged a blue-ribbon, multi-jurisdictional review said the mayor’s statement was “good” but appeared to fall short of “a public, independent, transparent process.”

Researchers, physicians and community leaders met at the University of Minnesota earlier this week to discuss issues of public health and health care access in Minnesota’s LGBT community. The event, held in conjunction with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Health Awareness Week, underscored a number of troubling disparities.

“In 2004, the Minnesota Health Access Survey indicated that [...]

The developer proposing a wood-burning power plant in south Minneapolis is asking for more time on its option to buy the property from the city, the Star Tribune reports today. Kandyohi Development Partners wants to build the Midtown Eco-Energy facility on the site of a city-owned garbage transfer station at 2850 20th Ave. S.

The project [...]

Why in the world does it cost $280 to get your car out of the impound lot after it’s been towed for a parking violation? It’s a question Minneapolis city council members started probing yesterday afternoon, albeit without much success.

Council Member Gary Schiff has proposed an ordinance amendment (pdf) that would cap towing companies’ fees [...]