St. Paul Chief Paints Grim Picture of ‘Incredibly Overworked’ Police Department

Todd Axtell

St. Paul police officers “are being pushed to the brink” as they grapple with high turnover and record crime rates, the chief of police told a St. Paul City Council committee Wednesday.

Police Chief Todd Axtell’s budget presentation was met with harsh criticism from some council members who were “astounded” by his request for a $3.1 million increase over what the mayor has proposed for the department’s 2022 budget.

Council Member Mitra Jalali scolded the chief for “doing 30 minutes of a speech instead of an actual department presentation.”

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Minnesota’s Twin Cities Mayors Don’t Want to Let Churches Reopen, Archbishop Hits Back

The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul, both Democrats, said in a recent statement that they want churches in their cities to continue to “hold services remotely.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter issued a join statement Saturday after Gov. Tim Walz announced he would allow churches to resume in-person worship.

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Minnesota’s Capital Cancels Independence Day Fireworks Because It’s Too Expensive

Melvin Carter

by Anders Hagstrom   The Democratic mayor of Minnesota’s capital cancelled the city’s annual 4th of July fireworks show Wednesday, claiming it required too many tax payer dollars. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter made the announcement on Facebook and clarified that while there would be no fireworks, there would still be a parade, Kare11 reported. Carter’s budget concerns come after years of disappointment in the city’s fireworks show that seems to shrink annually, causing many Minnesotans to attend competing shows nearby. “As I’ve considered the budgetary priorities we manage across our city in the first year of my administration, I’ve decided I can’t in good conscience support spending tax dollars on a fireworks display in St. Paul this year,” he wrote. “Over the past three years, the city partnered with CHS Field to hold fireworks on the 4th, but given the venue’s location and capacity, this was always intended as a short-term solution,” Mayoral spokeswoman Liz Xiong told the Pioneer Press. “As we considered all these factors this year, including the costs for fireworks, insurance and city department costs including fire, police and public works, the mayor could not in good conscience support spending upwards of $100,000 from the city’s budget.” Carter has spent most…

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