Samie Solina

2 weeks ago | kare11.com | Samie Solina

MINNEAPOLIS — Community members gathered recently for a training session led by Ryan Perez, organizing director for Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action (COPAL), in partnership with the Immigrant Defense Network — a coalition supporting immigrant families.  He emphasized that the training focused on lawful actions, not civil disobedience. “We can all make individual choices about civil disobedience, but what we’re talking about today is completely legal,” Perez said.

2 weeks ago | kare11.com | Samie Solina

MINNEAPOLIS — As the U.S. Senate prepares to take up the sweeping "One Big Beautiful Bill," Minnesota officials and healthcare leaders are warning of severe consequences for the state’s Medicaid program and vulnerable residents if the legislation becomes law. The bill, which passed the House in May and faces a July 4 deadline in the Senate, aims to enact historic reductions in federal spending, with Medicaid targeted for deep cuts.

2 weeks ago | kare11.com | Samie Solina

MINNEAPOLIS — The annual “Sharpening” celebration drew crowds Saturday afternoon to the Lake of the Isles home of John and Amy Higgins, where a 20-foot pencil sculpture stands as a neighborhood landmark. The tradition began after a windstorm years ago toppled the top of a 100-plus-year-old oak tree in the Higgins’ yard. Rather than remove the remains, the couple commissioned Curtis Ingvoldstad of Big Woods Sculpture to transform the trunk into a massive wooden pencil.

2 weeks ago | 13wmaz.com | Samie Solina

MINNEAPOLIS — At Everett’s Food and Meats, the aroma of fresh sausage and smoked brats fills the air, and the man behind it all is still hard at work—at 96 years old. Jack Pflepsen, owner of the beloved south Minneapolis butcher shop, can still be found lifting 25-pound prime ribs and greeting customers by name, just as he has since he bought the business in 1956. “This is how we do the sausage, wieners and brats,” Pfeilpsen said, demonstrating his well-practiced technique.

3 weeks ago | kare11.com | Samie Solina

MINNEAPOLIS — Vinny Morton, lead fishing instructor for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), has been patiently repairing a handful of fishing rods for the past few weeks. It's an act that’s become second nature after teaching the sport’s lessons to local youth. He's giving back to the same programs that helped him fall in love with fishing. Morton spent Friday afternoon preparing for “Take a Kid Fishing Day weekend” June 6-8.