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🌱 Patch AM: Why is Southwest light rail testing Minneapolis tracks for over a year?

Happening soon: Minnesota MUFON Monthly Meeting - Saturday, December 13 2025 on the Minneapolis Patch calendar

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Morning Minneapolis! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Why is Southwest light rail testing Minneapolis tracks for over a year?
  • What will actually change at Minneapolis homeless encampments under the new rules?
  • How Mariah Samuels’ killing is reshaping Minneapolis domestic violence policing

Also on today's calendar: Minnesota MUFON Monthly Meeting - Saturday, December 13 2025 and 9 more events.

Find out what's happening in Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I once read a book about anti-gravity. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: A little snow in the morning, with a high of 20 and low of -11 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Saturday: Cloudy and bitterly cold, temps: high: -2, low: -16.
  • Sunday: Partly sunny; bitterly cold, with a high of 4 and low of -3 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Why testing for the Green Line Extension will take over a year (minnpost.com) — Testing for the long-delayed Green Line Extension, including segments reaching Target Field in Minneapolis, is already underway and will continue through 2026 before a planned 2027 opening. Crews are methodically checking thousands of components while the complex Kenilworth tunnel under the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes is still being finished, aiming to ensure safety and reliability before full service begins.
   

2. Minneapolis City Council OKs homeless encampment plan requiring bathrooms, fire extinguishers (startribune.com) — Minneapolis City Council has narrowly approved new rules requiring toilets, fire extinguishers, naloxone, trash pickup, and storage options at homeless encampments across the city. The 8-5 vote sets stricter timelines for providing services and clearing camps, and now heads toward a possible veto from Mayor Jacob Frey, raising stakes for encampment residents and nearby neighborhoods.
   

3. Grand jury indicts Minneapolis man accused of killing Mariah Samuels (startribune.com) — A Minneapolis man has been indicted on first-degree murder charges in the September shooting death of his ex-girlfriend, Mariah Samuels, outside her North Side home. The case has intensified scrutiny of how Minneapolis police handle domestic violence, prompting a department-wide review and mandatory retraining after concerns that earlier warnings about her safety were not acted on quickly enough.
   

4. Minneapolis City Council approves plan for George Floyd Square (startribune.com) — Minneapolis leaders have finalized a long-debated plan for George Floyd Square, reopening 38th and Chicago to vehicle traffic while preserving the exact spot where Floyd was killed as protected space. The 9-4 council vote, backed by Mayor Jacob Frey, reverses last year’s push for a pedestrian-only plaza and could significantly change how neighbors, visitors, and traffic move through this symbolic intersection.
   

5. Ex-Oakdale officer found guilty of misconduct, not guilty of harassment for calls to surveillance subject (twincities.com) — A Minneapolis man and former Oakdale police officer was convicted of misconduct for leaving more than 30 phone calls out of his report during a 2022 surveillance incident, though jurors cleared him of harassment. Prosecutors said the undisclosed calls to a man with mental health issues escalated a tense standoff, while the defense argued he was trying to help. Sentencing is set for February.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter Jeffery Straker Debuts Festive Collection A Very Prairie Christmas —Mel Anne Read on Patch
  • Whoever the older gentleman was that helped my husband and I get out of the alley behind Clinton ave with his snow blower at 5am this morning, THANK YOU.
    🩵 He saw us shoveling our car out because we got stuck in the alley and he used his snow blower to clear a path for us to get a running head start to… (Nextdoor Regina)
  • RESOLVED:
    With new owner. UPDATE (2): Home Found No one claimed him and have not found the owner if there was one, but I do have someone coming by tonight to… (Nextdoor Victory)
  • Brink's posted a job opening for Cash Processor-Warehouse in Minneapolis. Apply here.
  • Minnesota Independence College posted a job opening for Activities Assistant in Minneapolis. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Minneapolis here.

Ok Minneapolis! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I couldn’t put it down.
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