Kevin Reich appointed Chair of the MPHA’s Board of Commissioners
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority’s (MPHA) Board of Commissioners has appointed a new Chair — and he’s a former First Ward council member.
In an online statement, the MPHA described Kevin Reich as “a long-time civic leader with decades of experience in economic development, public infrastructure investment, and sustainable land use and environmental practices.” He currently serves as Executive Director of the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO), “where he oversees daily operations and leads initiatives aimed at promoting stewardship of the watershed through capital projects, education, and outreach.”
As Chair of the MPHA, Reich is succeeding Tom Hoch, who was appointed to the position in May 2022 and has served in interim capacity since January 1 of this year.
Enrollment open at citywide day camps
Registration for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Neighborhood Day Camps has opened. Camps are aimed at 5-16 year-olds, and they are free or low-cost. Activites include, but are not limited to, archery, kayaking, theater arts, “S.T.E.A.M. (Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Squad,” cycling and more. For more information, visit the Minneapolis Parks website: https://www.minneapolisparks.org.
Boulevards along Johnson Street will be restored with various native plants and grasses. Once plantings are established, the boulevards will be returned to property owners. (City of Minneapolis)
Johnston Street green infrastructure work underway
The boulevards along Johnson Street NE between 18th Avenue and Lowry Avenue will be closed until approximately July 11. Per the City of Minneapolis, “A contractor will restore the boulevards with various native plants and grasses.” Once the plantings are well established, the boulevards will be returned to property owners. During the work, Johnson Street will remain open to traffic, but the sidewalk and bike trail will be closed on the side of the street where work is occurring.
The site of the Upper Harbor Terminal project will have many new amenities, including the street and lighting created last year. (Northeaster file, Mark Peterson)
New developments at Upper Harbor site
Construction at the Upper Harbor redevelopment site is underway. The new regional park, per the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, will cover “about a mile of riverfront,” include bike and pedestrian trails, feature a new parkway road and boast a naturalized shoreline. (Naturalized shorelines feature native plants, and they tend to improve water quality while reducing needed maintenance.)
The park is expected to be open by the end of 2025. When completed, it will add 20 acres of publicly accessible riverfront parkland on the North side of Minneapolis. It is also slated to include a small business commercial space, a “health and wellness hub,” and a community performing arts center.
“Minneapolis is unified by the mighty Mississippi River — but a heartfelt riverfront doesn’t mean much if it’s not easily accessible to all our residents,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at a recent city gathering. “What was once a barge shipping terminal is now becoming a beautiful recreational space for residents to enjoy — and this is just the beginning. Thank you to all our local and state partners who helped make this park a reality.”
Man arrested in connection to Boom Island Park shooting
On June 26, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced that Zyere Porter was arrested in connection with the June 1 shooting at Boom Island Park. At that shooting, one person — Stageina Katraya Shapryia Whiting, of Brooklyn Center — was killed, and five other people were shot. Despite the arrest, the investigation remains active.
“I am grateful for the thorough and dedicated investigative work that led to the arrest of this individual,” O’Hara said. “As the investigation proceeds, I hope this arrest brings some level of justice and comfort to the victims and their loved ones.”
Congratulations, students
Minneapolis’ Theodore Trench was named to the University of Iowa’s Dean’s List.
Minneapolis’ Erika Dierke, a University of Mississippi student, was named to the school’s Spring 2025 Honor Roll list.
Molly Veregge, of Minneapolis, was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.
Riley McGinnity, of Columbia Heights, was appointed to the University of North Dakota Spring 2025 President’s Roll of Honor. Jerome A. Snyder and Leandro R. Zgraggen, of Minneapolis, recently graduated from the same school.
Several Minneapolis students were recently named to UW-Madison’s Dean’s List as well: Lauren Daher, Dominic Dunn, Ariana Evans, McKenna Halverson, Milo Keyes and Marcus Wang.
Minneapolis’ Tucker Stene was named to the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Dean’s List. Stene and Columbia Heights’ Margaret Osterbauer recently graduated from the same university.
Columbia Heights’ Beatrice Carter and Brandon Aguilar Fernandez, as well as Minneapolis’ Asiah Bankhead, Christopher Davis, Abigail Johnson, Gideon Lubbers, Ava Ludford, Amethyst Maddison, Ilm’aime Ntambwe, Eli Pierce and Brian Westacott were named to the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Dean’s List.
Thomas Klaesges and Hunter Noe, two Minneapolis students at UW-Stout, were recently included on the school’s Dean’s List.
Deka Mohamed, of Columbia Heights; Natalie Cortes-Trejo, Brayden Evenson, Angelia Mustapha and Sara Pettis, of Minneapolis; and Gemechis Benti, Diego Duran Bojorque, Joanscott Hunter and Danae Kerber, of Saint Anthony, were named to the University of Mankato Dean’s List.
Minneapolis’ Emmalise Margot DeBlieck, Ben J. Matre, Hans Friedrich Otte, Saint Anthony’s Sophie Grace Schmidt and Gabe Shenoy were named to the Dean’s List at Iowa State University. Matre, Otte and Schmidt were named to the Spring 2025 President’s List.