Quick Hits

• West Metro Tax Relief: A major redevelopment project in Plymouth has substantially raised the site's assessed value, a shift the mayor says could help ease the burden of future property tax growth for local homeowners.
• Public Safety Shakeup & Violent Crime: Minneapolis Office of Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette will step down at the end of the year. Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Brooklyn Center man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly using a Taser on a woman and attempting to sexually assault her during a break-in at her south Minneapolis home.
• St. Paul Sweeps & Trail Closure: Despite last-minute activist protests, St. Paul is moving forward with a Wednesday morning sweep of the city's largest homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park. Separately, a section of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail is closed indefinitely due to the risk of falling debris.
• Statewide Health Alerts: The Minnesota Department of Health is tracking a Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeños that has sickened 110 people. On the regulatory front, new laws are cracking down on Medicaid fraud sentencing and strengthening firearm surrender enforcement for domestic violence offenders.

Golden Valley & West Metro

While Golden Valley itself is relatively quiet on the news front today, neighboring communities are seeing impactful developments. In Plymouth, city officials are spotlighting a major redevelopment that has significantly raised the site’s assessed value. Plymouth’s mayor notes that this expanded tax base could help slow the rate of future property tax increases for local homeowners.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis Office of Community Safety Commissioner Toddrick Barnette has agreed to step down at the end of the year. According to the city, Barnette will remain in his role while a search for his replacement is conducted.

In violent crime news, a 19-year-old man from Brooklyn Center, Cordero Orlando Ratcliff Jr., is facing several felony charges after a disturbing home invasion in south Minneapolis. According to the criminal charges, a woman was sitting on her couch watching television when Ratcliff allegedly entered her living room naked from the waist down, attacked her with a Taser, and attempted to rape her.

Later on Tuesday, a separate incident left two men injured—one seriously—following a south Minneapolis shooting. Police initially responded to a "suspicious vehicle" call just before 3 p.m. before discovering the victims.

In a bizarre and tragic story, an 18-year-old suffered life-threatening but miraculously survivable injuries after falling 20 stories inside the decommissioned Checkerboard Grain Elevator in Minneapolis. Police report the teen was trespassing to make a social media video, an incident that has revived deep concerns among law enforcement about the dangerous "urban exploring" trend.

On a lighter note, Minneapolis-born eyewear brand Eyebobs was recently featured, proving that your reading glasses might say more about you than you think. The city is also buzzing after a highly successful WWE SummerSlam weekend, which brought major crowds and a significant bump in business to local bars. Officials are now hopeful the Twin Cities can host more global events, noting that Minnesota is currently a finalist to host the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup. Additionally, Olympic gold medalist John Harrington will headline the one-night-only Beyond the Gold Gala, bringing members of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team together.

St. Paul

The city of St. Paul is preparing to clear its largest and long-standing homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park on Wednesday morning. Despite a last-minute plea from activists and a planned 5 a.m. community breakfast and protest, city employees and outreach workers are set to arrive at 8 a.m. to sweep the site. The St. Paul City Council president stated she supports closing the encampment, but only on the condition that every resident is offered an indoor placement.

In infrastructure news, a portion of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail is closed until further notice. The closure affects the segment passing through the historic Seventh Street Improvement Arches under East 7th Street due to a severe risk of falling debris.

In the courts, Markus Antwon Jennings, 24, has been sentenced to nearly 35 years in prison. Jennings pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree murder for his role in the 2024 killing of a man at the Dale Street Station. Meanwhile, St. Paul police are actively investigating the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Cion Jordan, who died after being shot in the stomach on July 30. His mother is now publicly begging for answers, noting that "everyone loved him."

Local Sports

The Minnesota Twins made a strategic move ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for prospects. Unfortunately, the trade didn't immediately translate to a win on the field. The Twins fell 8-2 to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night, undone by Bobby Witt Jr., who had three hits and two RBIs in his return to the lineup after missing two weeks with a back injury.

Across the river, the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team is set to renew its historic rivalry against Canada. The two teams will face off at Allianz Field in October, adding another major event to the local sports calendar.

Weather

While specific meteorological conditions are quiet across the metro today, fall flavors are already making an early appearance. Dairy Queen is ushering in the new season by launching its Caramel Apple Cheesecake Blizzard and a 99-cent Double Flip deal this month. Twin Cities residents can also look forward to even more autumn-themed treats landing at DQ on August 31.

Minnesota Statewide

The Minnesota Department of Health is currently investigating a Salmonella Javiana outbreak linked to jalapeños that has sickened 110 people across the state. Several of these cases have been directly tied to Chipotle restaurant locations.

In a push for accountability, new sentencing guidelines will now put more Minnesota fraudsters in prison. Following urging from Ellison, the state now classifies $1 million in Medicaid fraud as a presumptive prison sentence. This crackdown comes as a recent report highlights that Minnesota has won $90 million in judgments against Medicaid fraudsters, but only a fraction of those funds have actually been paid back due to aging county technology systems.

In business and politics, Mike Lindell has announced he is stepping down as CEO of MyPillow to focus entirely on his campaign for Minnesota governor.

Finally, in public safety and natural resources, a newly launched statewide system aims to strengthen the enforcement of firearm surrenders, ensuring domestic violence offenders are properly disarmed. Meanwhile, up north, the Minnesota DNR is asking Duluth-area residents to begin conserving water as drought conditions persist, which impacts the Lake Superior water supply the region relies on.