Cedar - Riverside/West Bank : Buzz

Minneapolis-St. Paul was recently named one of the top 10 innovative cities in the U.S. by CNN Money.

"From technology and infrastructure, to job creation and sustainability," the article stated, the cities included are "leading the pack when it comes to creatively solving urban issues."

About MSP, the article stated, "June saw the opening of a new light rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Experts from around the country praised it as an example of transportation infrastructure done right -- it integrated the needs of the affected communities and used the new line to drive economic development."

The Twin Cities were also selected as "early adopters of programs to help immigrants start businesses, artists buy real estate, and enlist local execs in solving community problems. The Cities also get high marks for their public health efforts, including smoking cessation programs, cancer screening and efforts to create walkable communities."
 

Draft Magazine recently published its annual list of  "America's 100 Best Beer Bars 2014." Republic, at 7 Corners on the West Bank in Minneapolis, and The Happy Gnome, on Selby in Saint Paul, made the list.

Draft divides its list into four sections by geography: West, Midwest, South, and Northeast. "After six years of making this annual list," the article states, "we had to rethink the definition of a top-notch beer bar. New ones are opening every second, and 'good beer bar' no longer equals a zillion taps; there’s just more to it now. We needed to walk out of these places saying, 'Now there’s a bar that really, really cares about your experience with beer.'"

Elsewhere on the Draft website, an article titled "Beertown, U.S.A.: Minneapolis/St. Paul" calls out a wide selection of micro-breweries,  bars and eateries worth visiting.

Source: Draft Magazine

Recently, the Town Hall Brewery in Minneapolis received several awards at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo., which is “the biggest event of its kind in the world,” according to City Pages.

The festival included 466 brewers with 2,375 varieties of beer, it reports.

Beers from all over are judged according to 83 style categories, the story explains, adding that “The judging is rigorous, the competition is stiff, and the prestige bestowed upon the winners is great,”

Town Hall Brewery’s Hope and King Scotch Ale picked up a gold medal in the Scottish-Style Ale category, while a couple of specialty beers, Eye of the Storm and LSD, got silver medals in the Specialty Honey Beer and Herb and Spice Beer categories, according to City Pages.

As a part of a larger project on American Muslims, the Washington Post has a feature story and slide show that shed light on the efforts of local Somali youth activist Abdirizak Bihi.

Bihi, who singlehandedly runs the Somali Education and Special Advocacy Center in Minneapolis, has been a valuable resource for authorities investigating the radicalization of American Muslims.

But much of his work in "Little Mogadishu," an area of Minneapolis where many Somalis live and gather, has to do with setting up more youth programming.

Photos in a slide show document his work to build up youth soccer and basketball programs, including getting an AstroTurf field built, fundraising for Somali Week athletic games, improving access to a local gym, and starting a girls' basketball league.

The only way he can be successful in protecting his community, he says, is "to do everything to build up every part of these kids' lives."