Golden Valley & West Metro

It’s been a relatively quiet news day right here in Golden Valley, but the biggest story affecting our city—along with neighboring Crystal, New Hope, Robbinsdale, and St. Louis Park—is the historically poor air quality. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) notes that the Twin Cities air quality this week is the absolute worst the agency has ever recorded. The hazardous smoke drifting down from northern Minnesota is prompting residents and outdoor workers across the West Metro to take extra health precautions and limit time outside.

Minneapolis

The Minneapolis City Council rejected a pilot program that would have used drones as first responders. Despite support from Mayor Jacob Frey, opponents voted down the program over concerns regarding the drone company's ties to ICE and Israel.

A suspect has been arrested following a fatal shooting in North Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon. Officers responded to the 200 block of 27th Avenue North around 2:30 p.m., where they found a man who was shot and killed following an argument over property.

Minneapolis police are also investigating two separate overnight shootings that took place late Thursday night and early Friday morning in south Minneapolis. In local business news, Pilllar Forum, a popular all-age music venue, officially shut its doors on Thursday.

St. Paul

Ramsey County officials are suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for withholding information related to the arrest of a St. Paul man. County authorities have even opened an investigation into DHS for potential misconduct, including serious allegations like kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment.

Over on the St. Paul Reddit community, a resident is asking for neighborhood insights regarding a potential home purchase near Cook Avenue and Jessie Street in East St. Paul. Another generous local is looking to donate six vials of Lantus insulin to fellow diabetics in the area.

Local Sports

Minnesota United formally introduced Christina Hennington as their new CEO on Thursday at Allianz Field. Hennington joins the Loons after a successful twenty-year career as an executive at Target.

Unfortunately, the Loons' scheduled friendly match against the Liberian Lone Star National Football Team on July 26 has been canceled. According to Minnesota United, the cancellation occurred because some players' visas were denied.

Weather

The entire Twin Cities metro remains under an air quality alert until 11 a.m. Friday due to heavy, harmful wildfire smoke. Conditions are particularly tough on outdoor workers, and the poor air quality has prompted local officials to cancel outdoor events, like Friday's Minnehaha Falls Art Fair activities. St. Paul and Falcon Heights have also issued strict burn bans until further notice.

Minnesota Statewide

Minnesota’s economy added 13,000 jobs in June, according to a new DEED report. The state's unemployment rate remains steady at 4.4%, which is .2% higher than the national average of 4.2%.

Abdikerm Eidleh, a major suspect in the Feeding Our Future fraud scandal who previously fled to Somalia, is now back in Minnesota to face charges. Eidleh is accused of being the second-in-command to the scandal’s alleged ringleader, Aimee Bock.

Northern Minnesota wildfires continue to spread, prompting additional evacuations as the state's "smoky season" begins. Fortunately, neighbors are stepping up to help one another; officials noted that cloud cover, lighter winds, and higher humidity helped slow fire growth on Wednesday, though dense smoke unfortunately limited aircraft support.