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Should you obey homemade no parking signs?

You've probably seen them on boulevards, asking drivers not to block the walkway from the sidewalk to the street.

Neighborhoods

If you park on residential city streets, you may have noticed homemade no parking signs placed in the boulevard, asking drivers not to block the paved walkway between the sidewalk and the street.Why it matters: These are not new, but I&#x27;ve noticed them more often and can&#x27;t resist the urge to write about a Nextdoor-type <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="issue" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/08/18/house-shoe-etiquette-minnesota-debate-parties" data-vars-content-id="989ef33f-2af6-497f-83c2-7ecacb3b0a0e" data-vars-headline="Should you obey homemade no parking signs?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/08/18/house-shoe-etiquette-minnesota-debate-parties" target="_self">issue</a> that makes neighbors <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="squabble" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-twin-cities-79ecdf0a-5bb8-4c66-ae25-be1adfd1201e.html?chunk=2&amp;utm_term=emshare" data-vars-content-id="989ef33f-2af6-497f-83c2-7ecacb3b0a0e" data-vars-headline="Should you obey homemade no parking signs?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-twin-cities-79ecdf0a-5bb8-4c66-ae25-be1adfd1201e.html?chunk=2&amp;utm_term=emshare" target="_self">squabble</a>.

Paperback Exchange to reopen 2 years after devastating flood

The 50-year-old bookstore was destroyed in 2025 after a city water main break.

News

A long-running south Minneapolis bookstore destroyed by a city <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="water main break" data-vars-click-url="https://www.southwestvoices.news/stories/paperback-exchange-bookstore-a-loss-for-now,141103" data-vars-content-id="a08f6c77-6664-4e99-b0cd-1ec806f9ed20" data-vars-headline="Paperback Exchange to reopen 2 years after devastating flood" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.southwestvoices.news/stories/paperback-exchange-bookstore-a-loss-for-now,141103" target="_blank">water main break</a> last year has finally found a new home — literally.Driving the news: Paperback Exchange will reopen in a converted single-family house near its original location next spring.<ul><li>The shop, which opened at 50th and Penn in 1975, boasted more than 150,000 titles before a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="burst pipe flooded" data-vars-click-url="https://www.startribune.com/after-dark-chapter-flooded-minneapolis-bookstore-works-to-turn-page/601227409?utm_source=gift" data-vars-content-id="a08f6c77-6664-4e99-b0cd-1ec806f9ed20" data-vars-headline="Paperback Exchange to reopen 2 years after devastating flood" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.startribune.com/after-dark-chapter-flooded-minneapolis-bookstore-works-to-turn-page/601227409?utm_source=gift" target="_blank">burst pipe flooded</a> its building in February 2025.</li></ul>

Council demands mayor's plan to manage police during chief's suit

An investigator found the mayor's relationship with police leadership remains strained.

Some St. Paul City Council members are calling on Mayor Kaohly Her to explain how she&#x27;ll oversee police matters while simultaneously <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="being sued by the city&#x27;s police chief" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/09/23/st-paul-police-chief-sues-mayor" data-vars-content-id="bb9faef2-e6cf-47af-8e78-d311c99bfcab" data-vars-headline="Council demands mayor&#x27;s plan to manage police during chief&#x27;s suit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/09/23/st-paul-police-chief-sues-mayor" target="_self">being sued by the city&#x27;s police chief</a>.Why it matters: An independent investigator&#x27;s report released last week concluded the mayor and chief Axel Henry&#x27;s working relationship broke down months ago — and concluded that the ongoing strain between &quot;two important City leaders&quot; is &quot;not sustainable.&quot;

Midway Diner opens in St. Paul's United Village

The café is the first new establishment to open its doors from the current wave of construction in the long awaited United Village development.

Food and Drink

Kyle here. Midway Diner opened its doors a week ago next door to St. Paul&#x27;s Allianz Field — so I had to stop by ASAP to sample the food.Why it matters: The café is the first establishment to open its doors from a new wave of construction in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the long awaited United Village development" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/02/28/allianz-field-united-village-construction" data-vars-content-id="357e92a8-15f0-4e5c-89be-f846a19de908" data-vars-headline="Midway Diner opens in St. Paul&#x27;s United Village" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/02/28/allianz-field-united-village-construction" target="_self">the long awaited United Village development</a>.

Our social calendars haven't kept up with warmer fall 

Fall has warmed 5.2 degrees in the Twin Cities, but pools, restaurants and concert series haven't kept up.

The party in the Twin Cities is lasting longer into fall, but many businesses and recreational organizations are still turning out the lights early. Why it matters: Winters are long here! We try to pack as much as we can into a few short months, but we might be leaving meat on the bone during what is typically some of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nicest weather of the year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/07/september-minnesota-best-month-survey-june-october" data-vars-content-id="834c5491-270e-4a11-9600-6a3f04150233" data-vars-headline="Our social calendars haven&#x27;t kept up with warmer fall " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/07/september-minnesota-best-month-survey-june-october" target="_self">nicest weather of the year</a>.

Summit founder confident he'll keep the brewery 

Controlling owner Mark Stutrud says debt problems date back to a 2012 expansion.

Business

Mark Stutrud says that despite a lender&#x27;s lawsuit painting a picture of Summit nearing its demise, the 40-year-old St. Paul brewery will weather the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="craft beer reckoning" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/06/09/minnesota-breweries-declines-2025-beer" data-vars-content-id="d41c2704-3b04-4427-8cfb-16368fc3cf2e" data-vars-headline="Summit founder confident he&#x27;ll keep the brewery " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/06/09/minnesota-breweries-declines-2025-beer" target="_self">craft beer reckoning</a>. <ul><li>&quot;I think we&#x27;re close to the floor of this deep trough cycle — one that&#x27;s the deepest I&#x27;ve experienced in 40 years,&quot; the company founder and controlling owner told Axios in an interview a few days after BMO Bank filed to foreclose on the brewery. </li></ul>

Dick's Sporting Goods planning mega store in Maple Grove

The two-level House of Sport concept is heavy on interactive features.

Dick&#x27;s is planning one if its large, experiential House of Sport stores in Maple Grove, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="documents" data-vars-click-url="https://www.maplegrovemn.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/10732?fileID=30921" data-vars-content-id="819a2d37-1ffc-4ef0-b258-2f84992768f1" data-vars-headline="Dick&#x27;s Sporting Goods planning mega store in Maple Grove" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.maplegrovemn.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/10732?fileID=30921" target="_blank">documents</a> submitted to the city. Zoom in: The two-level, 100,000-square-foot store would be part of a larger development near Highway 610 and Maple Grove Parkway. <ul><li>The proposal also calls for a Golf Galaxy store, a Chick-fil-A and a 7 Brew drive-thru coffee shop. </li></ul>

Minneapolis council members propose requiring drivers in driverless cars 

A proposed ordinance revives Minnesota's debate over autonomous vehicles, jobs and public safety.

Transit

Four Minneapolis City Council members are moving to pump the brakes on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Waymo&#x27;s plans to launch driverless robotaxis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/11/20/waymo-minneapolis-cars-rollout-testing" data-vars-content-id="53dcf73b-2896-4b91-bc9c-4faec05fd9d9" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis council members propose requiring drivers in driverless cars " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/11/20/waymo-minneapolis-cars-rollout-testing" target="_self">Waymo&#x27;s plans to launch driverless robotaxis</a> on local roads.Why it matters: A proposed ordinance getting its first public hearing this month is the latest twist in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="political fight" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/18/waymo-autonomous-vehicle-minnesota-labor-debate" data-vars-content-id="53dcf73b-2896-4b91-bc9c-4faec05fd9d9" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis council members propose requiring drivers in driverless cars " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/18/waymo-autonomous-vehicle-minnesota-labor-debate" target="_self">political fight</a> over regulating autonomous vehicles in Minnesota. <ul><li>Competing proposals to regulate or ban the technology statewide stalled at the narrowly divided Legislature last spring.</li></ul>

Mall of America courts Gen Z with viral TikTok brands

Retailers are betting on blind boxes, viral eats and IRL experiences to bring young shoppers through its doors.

Some of the Mall of America&#x27;s buzziest new brands were first &quot;discovered&quot; by shoppers on TikTok For You pages.State of the stores: In the last year, the retail and entertainment megaplex has added &quot;viral&quot; claw machine arcade Duck, blind box seller Miniso and dessert stand Sweet Crunch Tanghulu to its directory.<ul><li>There&#x27;s even Roni&#x27;s, a mac-and-cheese bar that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="boasts nearly a million TikTok followers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tiktok.com/@ronismacbar?lang=en" data-vars-content-id="7e9a390a-16ce-4994-b094-9e950228deed" data-vars-headline="Mall of America courts Gen Z with viral TikTok brands" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ronismacbar?lang=en" target="_blank">boasts nearly a million TikTok followers</a>.</li></ul>

Trump tariffs cost Minnesota $4.8 billion, report estimates

That comes to about $2,000 per household, according to a new economic analysis.

President Trump&#x27;s tariffs have cost Minnesota an estimated $4.8 billion since January 2025, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to a new analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://tariffs.org/minnesota/" data-vars-content-id="4f375428-446a-467a-a7f7-1b7b728b01c5" data-vars-headline="Trump tariffs cost Minnesota $4.8 billion, report estimates" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://tariffs.org/minnesota/" target="_blank">according to a new analysis</a>. Why it matters: The report, Trade Partnership Worldwide for the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, underscores that while Trump&#x27;s tariffs are international, their economic impact is local.

Minnesota State Fair prices mostly held steady in 2026

Here's how prices for Sweet Martha's, Mouth Trap Cheese Curds and other fair staples have changed.

State Fair

Inflation has eased this year — at the Minnesota State Fair, at least.By the numbers: The University of St. Thomas&#x27; &quot;On-A-Stick&quot; fair inflation index was up 3.1% this year, much milder than last year&#x27;s 7.4% jump.<ul><li>This year&#x27;s rise is also much more comparable to the overall inflation rate of 3.4%. Last year, overall inflation hovered around 2.7%.</li></ul>

Outdoor Retailer trade show debuts in Minneapolis

Luring "OR" was a major coup for the state's nearly $14 billion outdoor recreation industry.

The outdoor recreation industry’s biggest annual event lands in Minneapolis on Wednesday.Why it matters: Luring the Outdoor Retailer trade show was a major coup for Minnesota, giving its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nearly $14 billion outdoor recreation industry" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/12/03/minnesota-outdoor-economy-snow-skiing-snowmobiling-rv-fishing-boating" data-vars-content-id="4e4cbb4b-0599-4840-b732-ade7452f6cb3" data-vars-headline="Outdoor Retailer trade show debuts in Minneapolis" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/12/03/minnesota-outdoor-economy-snow-skiing-snowmobiling-rv-fishing-boating" target="_self">nearly $14 billion outdoor recreation industry</a> a chance to mingle with industry titans on their home turf.

UnitedHealth is now the world's fourth-largest company by revenue

The Minnesota health care giant climbed to No. 4 on Fortune's Global 500.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="UnitedHealth Group" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/29/unitedhealth-group-earnings-unh" data-vars-content-id="60072464-3cb5-4e35-8c71-267cbebe062b" data-vars-headline="UnitedHealth is now the world&#x27;s fourth-largest company by revenue" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/29/unitedhealth-group-earnings-unh" target="_self">UnitedHealth Group</a> is now the fourth-largest company in the world, according to the newly released <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fortune Global 500" data-vars-click-url="https://fortune.com/ranking/global500/" data-vars-content-id="60072464-3cb5-4e35-8c71-267cbebe062b" data-vars-headline="UnitedHealth is now the world&#x27;s fourth-largest company by revenue" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://fortune.com/ranking/global500/" target="_blank">Fortune Global 500</a>.Zoom in: Only Amazon, Walmart and China&#x27;s state-owned utility bring in more revenue than UnitedHealth, which jumped three spots on this year&#x27;s ranking.<ul><li>The Eden Prairie-based health care giant leapfrogged three oil companies, including Saudi Aramco, to claim the No. 4 spot.</li></ul>

Business 🏦

Paperback Exchange to reopen 2 years after devastating flood

Our social calendars haven't kept up with warmer fall

Summit founder confident he'll keep the brewery

Dick's Sporting Goods planning mega store in Maple Grove

Minneapolis council members propose requiring drivers in driverless cars