A week of interviewing three finalists for the Saint Paul Public Schools superintendent's job came to a lively end Thursday night as about 30 high school students stood outside the district headquarters holding signs and yelling out that they did not want the school board to hire North Branch superintendent Deborah Henton. It was Henton's turn to meet with the press, the public and the Board of Education Thursday. MORE »

The first MC heard on Brother Ali's third full-length, Us, is not the Rhymesayers heavyweight but rather one of his icons, Chuck D. Chuck intones an introduction for Ali, listing off divisions that plague humanity and offering Ali as "a soldier/ in the war for love," one who carries "a message of true hope/ and true peace" that might overcome these divisions.  MORE »

Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 teacher Diane Cleveland filed a lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) in Ramsey County District Court Monday, alleging that earlier this summer it wrongly disclosed that she had been accused of harassing a student over his perceived sexual orientation.  MORE »

Tatiana Eletski and her son Misha were ecstatic at the opening of the new Trader Joe's in Minnetonka on November 6.  Each of them had arms full of groceries, and Eletski informed me that her husband would be shopping at the store later that day to pick up some cheeses that he likes.  Eletski said she loves Trader Joe because it reminds her of shopping in Europe, where they come from.  "We can get the foods we are used to eating, like swordfish, and certain kinds of chocolate," Eletski said.  She said she also loves the people that worked at the store.  "They take care of you.  They open your egg cartons and make sure that none are broken."  MORE »

What's Happening This Week

Thursday, November 19

On the radar: Before the holiday Nutcracker daze sets in, treat yourself to a long cool drink of inventive contemporary dance at the Ritz, where Zenon Dance Company's 27th fall season opens tonight.

Under the radar: Quietly, two of the Twin Cities' best and most inventive playmakers are rolling out new productions today. At Bedlam, Jeune Lune co-founder Barbara Berlovitz is premiering Stories as Told in a Bed, a show about the experiences of her Lithuanian immigrant grandfather. (Among the ensemble of performers is our writer Sheila Regan.) Meanwhile, at the Children's Theatre, Jon Ferguson and a cast of young actors are performing Gregory Gregorson and the Magic Pinto Bean, a show that "contains extreme flatulence, troll dating, intimidating Boy Scouts, temporary paralysis, L.P. records, naked album covers, a mom of the wig-wearing kind, and talk of decorative ducks."

Friday, November 20

On the radar: "Hearing 1,000-plus people shouting 'sexy ass me' when Brother Ali performs crowd favorite 'Forest Whitiker' is still one of my favorite hip-hop moments," writes Justin Schell. If you can squeeze your sexy ass into Ali's sold-out homecoming show tonight at First Ave, you won't regret it.

Under the radar: Tonight at the Nash Gallery, spoken-word artist IBé will perform to celebrate the opening of Talking Suitcases, an exhibit of suitcases filled with handmade objects that tell the personal stories of a diverse group of Minnesotans.MORE »

Pedestrians, bicyclists and wheelchair users are no match for motor vehicles in traffic crashes, and not just because cars and trucks are so much bigger, heavier and faster.  It's also because, by design, too many of our roadways unfairly stack the deck against non-motorized travelers. MORE »

Playing at Plymouth Playhouse for the holiday season is Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas. This production is the third in the series inspired by the book Growing Up Lutheran written by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson, both 100% Norwegian-Lutheran themselves.  MORE »

Choreographer-director Kathleen Marshall's revival of Grease brings back the magic of Rydell High; however, it fell short of my expectations. The music is contagious, the choreography is energetic, and the supporting performers have great comic timing. The lead characters, though, fall flat. Still, from start to finish there's a fun atmosphere at the Orpheum.MORE »

A Sioux Falls, So. Dak., jury returned to the courtroom late Thursday afternoon and found former Agriprocessors manager Sholom M.MORE »

A recent stabbing on the bike trail in Minneapolis near Hiawatha Avenue initially alarmed people, but the complicated circumstances surrounding the incident have raised a lot more issues about safety and self-defense. KFAI's News Director Ahndi Fridell reports.