PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
To Subscribe Scan Here Inside this Edition... Read about a new play highlighting Black youth on page 5.
Counting down to our 90th Anniversary
July 11 - 17, 2024
Vol. 90
No. 50
Phone: 612-827-4021 www.spokesman-recorder.com
Flooding forces kayaker to suspend river trek By Tony Kiene Staff Writer fter 29 days of active paddling on her historic “Source to Sea” journey, during which time she covered well over 1,000 miles, Devin Brown has been forced to suspend her quest to become the first Black woman to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River, from the Minnesota headwaters at Lake Itasca to Mile Marker Zero in the Gulf of Mexico. Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam at the Taste of Minnesota, July 7
Photos by Chris Juhn
Taste of Minnesota delivers hometown flavor
By Al Brown Assignment Editor
ful Gary Hines. Their harmonious performance of their biggest hits set a high standard he final day of this for the rest of the day. Lead year’s Taste of Minne- singer Jamecia Bennett’s insota undoubtedly went spiring performance of the hit out with a bang. From July 6-7, “Pressure” satisfied every spirithe festival drew a large crowd tual appetite on the grounds. of food and music enthusiasts After the Sounds of Blackto downtown Minneapolis ness, the stage was set for to sample food from over 50 the highly anticipated starfood trucks and hear from an studded lineup. The packed impressive musical lineup. crowd was buzzing, eagerly The second day started with awaiting Jimmy Jam and Terry the three-time Grammy-win- Lewis’s musical genius and the ning ensemble, the Sounds of talents of Morris Day, Ruben Blackness, led by the master- Studdard, Shanice Wilson, Ann
Overall, the final day of the 2024 Taste of Minnesota was a major success. Diverse musical performances celebrated the region’s rich music history, from soulful harmonies to electrifying performances to all the performers coming together at the end to honor Prince. This day of music will be remembered for years to come… and the food wasn’t bad either.
What time is it? Morris Day shows his coolness to the crowd. Nesby, Lisa Keith, and Jelly- “What time is it?” was met with bean Johnson on drums. a resounding response, further Wilson’s rendition of Janet fueling the electric atmosphere. Jackson’s hits, produced by The Minneapolis Sound was Flyte Tyme, was a standout mo- front and center, leaving a lastment. It showcased the magic ing impression on the attendees. and legacy of the Grammy- The presence of iconic musiaward-winning producing team. cians like Jam and Lewis, Sounds When Day and The Time of Blackness, Day, and Johnson took the stage, the event’s added a special hometown flaenergy soared to new heights. vor to the event, making it a Shanice Wilson joined Jam & Lewis to perform Janet Jackson hits. Their question to the crowd, truly unforgettable experience.
This summer, unprecedented flooding has occurred along the Mississippi and many of its tributaries, some of which are at or beyond record water levels. Many locks and dams have been closed in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. With no end to the rain in sight, Al Brown welcomes reader re- these conditions have made it sponses at abrown@spokesman- far too dangerous to continue. recorder.com. Brown took four days off during this journey, three of which she spent celebrating with her son around his graduation. She paddled as many as 60 miles in a single day. Among the sites that she passed in her last week on the river were the cities of Dubuque, Iowa; the Quad Cities (Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline and Rock Island); New Boston, Illinois; Muscatine, Iowa; Burlington, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and her final stop at HanniRuben Studdard connects bal, Missouri, the birthplace of with the Minnesota crowd. ■ See DEVIN BROWN on page 4
Man subdued at Southdale sues police
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By H. Jiahong Pan Contributing Writer t Southdale Mall one autumn day in October 2019, Kyle Moore felt he was being chased as he was shopping. “Two homeless guys are asking me to use my phone, originally. I said no to them multiple times, and they just Mpls Mayor Jacob Frey (c), flanked by other city leaders, unveiled new NARCAN machines. started following me,” Moore Photo by Chris Juhn said in a phone interview. He managed to get far away from the people wanting to use his phone and summoned a police officer. Just over an hour later, he was on the way ease Control and Prevention ever NARCAN vending ma■ See SOUTHDALE on page 4 By Tony Kiene Staff Writer (CDC), more than 90 percent chine outside of Fire Station of all opioid-related overdose 21 at 3209 East 38th Street. NARCAN, the brand name for ince the beginning of deaths involve fentanyl. This crisis also remains one formulation of the medithe 21st century, hundreds of thousands of front and center in Minne- cation known as naloxone, is Americans have died of ac- apolis, where over the past a life-saving antidote designed cidental overdoses caused by five years, despite making up to instantly reverse the efthe synthetic drug fentanyl. approximately only 7.5% of fects of opioid poisoning and Since 2016 alone, when fen- Minnesota’s population, the restore breathing to those to tanyl entered the national city has accounted for at least whom it is administered. “We know that people across lexicon following the death one in five of all opioid-related our country are suffering from of Prince, fentanyl-related deaths in the state. Southdale Mall, site of Kyle Moore’s deaths have nearly quadruTherefore, city leaders have some form of opioid addiction. law enforcement encounter pled. And today, according to initiated a new pilot program We know that this is a drug, Photo by H. Jiahong Pan data from the Centers for Dis- to save lives, placing the first■ See NARCAN on page 4
A response to opioid overdoses: NARCAN vending machines
Devin Brown Photo by Sarah Whiting Photographic
ca l Capsule
The Tradition of Family Unions Past and Present
Originally published Friday, July 28, 1950 H is to r ica l Capsul e
n this week’s MSR 90th Anniversary countdown Historic Time Capsule, we celebrated the longstanding tradition of Fam-
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ily Reunions in the July 28, 1950 edition of the St Paul Recorder highlighting the O’Neal Family and its members.
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MSR Newspaper Archives “To read more about this historic event and others, visit our website www.spokesman-recorder.com”