More than 800 comments poured in after video surfaced of St. Paul resident Chris Lollie being tasered by police for not revealing his name while he waited to pick up his children from daycare. Lollie is black and the three officers in the incident are white. Discussions on the article ranged in perspectives, but got heated as people discussed police brutality, experiences of racism, and the video-in-question. Most comments fell into two camps: questioning the legitimacy of the video or the legitimacy of the officer’s actions. Continue Reading
September may usher in the end of the summer season, but the outdoor festivities roll on this weekend with a flurry of fun events to enjoy. Butterflies, peace poems, music, cultural festivals, night markets — you name it, this weekend has it! Scroll down to see what’s on tap.Let us know how you will spend the weekend by sending your photos and comments to tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net or tag them with #tcdpic or the name of the event, and we’ll add them to the Storify over the weekend. If you know of an event fit for TC Weekend, use our calendar to upload the event or use the email address above.Concrete and Grass Music Festival, Sept 4 – 6Located at the historic Mears Park in Lowertown St Paul, this popular music festival, now in its 8th year, offers free outdoor music featuring a range of genres, including: jazz, opera, chamber music, rock, dance, roots and world music. The festival is made possible through a unique partnership between the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Minnesota Opera, the Ordway, the Schubert Club and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Continue Reading
This past Saturday I participated in a tour of Green Line “Green Infrastructure” as part of Public Art Saint Paul’s City Art Collaboratory Program. We are a group of multidisciplinary artists and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professionals who embark on monthly field trips together, exploring the living systems of the City of Saint Paul. One of our cohort is Matt Kumka, a landscape architect at Barr Engineering. He and his coworker, green engineer Nathan Campeau, guided us on this three-stop tour looking primarily at the stormwater management features. Continue Reading
The Selby Ave JazzFest remains one of St. Paul’s funnest summer events. Historically a family friendly happening, it’s a chance to get outdoors while the weather’s still warm and enjoy a nice time in the community. There’s always a bunch of top shelf Twin Cities talent on-hand. This year, the lineup includes: long-time staple on the bill Dick and Jane’s Big Brass Band, Walker West Music Academy’s Urban Legends of Jazz, Brio Brass, highly touted rising star, sax man Danny Kusz and the Jazz Heritage Showcase, a Selby Ave JazzFest tradition. Continue Reading
MN Music On-A-Stick on Saturday, Aug. 30was a celebration of the great variety and quality of local music we have in Minnesota. Hosted by The Current, one of the most astute observations came from Mark Wheat when he noted that all but one of these bands (Bob Mould) has emerged since The Current went on air in 2005. The Current has been a force to promote local bands–from Americana to Hip Hop and we saw it all on stage.Cactus Blossoms started the show. The crowd was still drifting in but there were dedicated music fans sitting and waiting under the stage for the show to start. Continue Reading
With the students going back to school and the change of seasons fastly approaching, we thought we’d place a spotlight on thrift shops going into the long holiday weekend.Thrift store shopping is all the rage these days. Whether it’s due to the economic turndown, the recycling movement, or other factors, more Americans are turning to thrift stores to search for hidden treasures and bargain prices.If you’ve been putting off your back-to-school shopping, or want to tighten up your fall wardrobe or seasonal décor, you can find many great deals at thrift shops Labor Day and throughout the week. Below we’ve highlighted a few of the many thrift shops to visit and enjoy the rush of digging for those deep discounts! Use the comment section to sound off on your favorite thrift stores, share your shopping tips, and talk all things bargain hunting!Arc’s Value Village Thrift Store and Donation Center1650 White Bear Ave N, Saint Paul | 651-788-8300Hours| Mon-Fri: 9 am- 9 pm; Sat – Sun: 9 am – 7 pmLabor Day Hours | 9 am – 7 pmArc’s Value Village is having a storewide Labor Day Sale, September 1, offering 50% off on everything except orange and white tagged items. Reward members can get an early taste of the sale Sunday, August 31. If you’re not already a member, you can join the day of.Arc prides itself in offering a wide selection of well-organized merchandise, including clothing, jewelry, accessories, housewares, home décor, toys, antiques, collectibles and more. As a non-profit organization, the store donates to assist adults and children with disabilities in the community, and if you donate between September 1 and October 15 you can earn a 30% off coupon to shop. Continue Reading
The man in a recently released cellphone video who was tasered and arrested by St. Paul police officers after refusing to give up his name has stepped forward on Wednesday, Aug. 27 after posting the video online. St. Paul police dropped charges on July 31. Continue Reading
Where has the time gone? The kids are going back to school, football preseason is off and running, and Labor Day weekend is here, marking the traditional end of summer. According to AAA, an estimated 35 million people will hit the road this holiday weekend. If you’re planning to stay in town, we found a few events to mix in between the BBQs, picnics, and other Labor Day weekend fun. See what’s on tap below.Let us know how you will spend the holiday weekend by sending your photos and comments to tcweekend@tcdailyplanet.net or tag them with #tcdpic or the name of the event, and we’ll add them to the Storify over the weekend. Continue Reading
UPDATE: Christopher Lollie, the man identified in the video claims charges against him were dropped. Read more here.A video showing the arrest of a black St. Paul man for allegedly sitting in a public space and refusing to give up his name surfaced yesterday, Aug. 26 — only weeks after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Missouri re-sparked the national debate on race and police profiling.The video, shot by the man’s cellphone, shows his interaction with officers as he attempts to pick up his children from New Horizon Academy in downtown St. Paul. Continue Reading
