curious minnesota

Did Ford make car windows of sand mined from under its St. Paul plant?

Ford cars built at the St. Paul plant are loaded on to river barges on the Mississippi River in 1925.

Henry Ford chose the St. Paul site carefully. Minnesota was a central location, and the plant was sitting on a mine — not of gold, but of pure, white silica sand.

How are courts in Minnesota coping with the pandemic?

In the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, Chief Judge John Tunheim issued an order in December that continued a suspension of federal trials until Jan.

There were only five state jury trials in December, with COVID-19 protocols in place, but plenty of court hearings are happening, mostly remotely.

Listen: How is Mississippi River water made safe to drink?

We visited Minneapolis' drinking water treatment facility to understand the complex process that makes river water safe to drink.

Listen to the Curious Minnesota podcast

What do you wonder about the people, places and culture of Minnesota? Listen to our community-driven reporting project, which invites listeners to ask questions that our newsroom researches and answers.

When's the last time a Minn. Republican won a majority statewide?

You have to go back a full quarter century for the answer.

Why doesn't Minnesota charge a sales tax on clothing?

Minnesota is one of just a handful of states that does not charge sales tax on clothing — a bit of tax policy that's so well known that it attracts tourists.

Ask a question now: What are you curious about, Minnesota?

Help us answer questions that matter to you.

Why was I-94 built through St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood?

The highway connected Minneapolis and St. Paul, but its construction tore a hole through a thriving, historic Black neighborhood.

Why does Minneapolis keep planting trees under power lines?

After a few years, the trees are pruned into "ridiculous V shapes" to keep them from hitting power lines, a Curious Minnesota reader points out.

Grizzly bears ... Curious Minnesota

Summary here

Listen: Will Minnesota join push toward a national popular vote?

Fifteen states have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, but Minnesota isn't one of them. Host Eric Roper talks to reporter Torey van Oot about why.

Why are car tabs more expensive in Minnesota?

The cost of annual motor vehicle registration varies wildly around the U.S. States use a variety of methods to calculate registration fees, including a vehicle's age, weight, value or a flat rate.

Why is Minnesota the only mainland state with an abundance of wolves?

In October, federal wildlife officials announced they were delisting the wolf, removing endangered species protections.

Will Minnesota join the push to switch to a national popular vote?

Coming off the 2020 presidential election, the conversation around the Electoral College continues to heat up.

Is it legal to panhandle in the median of Minneapolis city streets?

The legality of panhandling on a median is a bit complicated. "Whether it's legal or not depends on how you conduct yourself," says Timothy Richards of the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office.

Why does St. Paul leave alley snowplowing to its residents?

In St. Paul, many residents have to band together to hire plow drivers during the winter.

Listen: Why do so many Twin Cities mall names end in 'dale'?

Malls ending in the suffix "dale" are peppered across the Twin Cities. But why "dale"? Reporter John Ewoldt joins host Eric Roper to discuss the history of the Dales, starting with the landmark mall that started it all — Southdale.

Are motorcycles allowed to be louder than cars in Minnesota?

Loud bikes are a pet peeve of many who say the unbridled mufflers make their bodies shake, hurt their ears and wake them from sleep.

Local

Conservation Corps crew leader Sarah Curran planted trees on the bits of raised land she could find along a Mississippi River floodplain in southeast

Minnesota's forests, land offer chance to cut greenhouse gases

Police watchdog group says Minneapolis uses legal loophole to hide police misconduct

Car skids on ice, goes airborne and nose-dives onto 2 parked vehicles in Mpls.

Fire damages greenhouse at Gertens in Inver Grove Heights

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Sports

Wild goaltender Cam Talbot stopped a shot by the Ducks during the second period Monday.

No late-game magic as Wild gets shut out by Ducks

Scoggins: Pitino's weekend shows joy, sorrow of hoops in a pandemic

Shorthanded Wolves, missing Towns, fall flat in Atlanta

Toby Gardenhire will manage Twins' top affiliate, the St. Paul Saints

Business

Chris Brooks, left, and Paul Campbell, co-founders and general partners of Brown Venture Group met in Golden Thyme Coffee in St. Paul. ] GLEN

Minneapolis-based venture-capital firm for founders of color aims to raise $50 million

Florida company accused of selling fake 3M masks to HCMC hit with injunction

Construction to begin on apartments at former Flyte Tyme Studios site in Edina

Pakistan PM angry over reports TV anchor knew about strike

Opinion

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., may be tempted by the Senate’s opportunity to bar Donald Trump from running for president again. Abov

Why the Senate may convict Trump

A new viral threat, but still time to act

Sack cartoon: Presidential pardons

Readers Write: Inauguration Day, Trump and impeachment, icy roads

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