Why did Minneapolis close Nicollet Avenue for a Kmart?

Minnesota's top workplaces 💪 [Minnesota's top workplaces 💪] View this email as a [web page]( [Star Tribune]( [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA [Essential Minnesota logo] ESSENTIAL MINNESOTA Good morning, Minnesota. It is officially summer! Don't you wish it looked like it out there? 🌧️ On to the news. [Zoë Jackson] By Zoë Jackson TODAY’S TOP STORIES - [The afterlife of Amara Strande, who died at 20 working to protect others from PFAS 'forever chemicals']( - [Flooding forces northeastern Minnesota town to 'a standstill']( - [What's next for GOP Rep. Pete Stauber's mining initiatives?]( - [The wildest sights, sounds, smells to expect from Grandma's Marathon Sunday]( - [These rocks rock! Kindhearted Minnesotans are painting stones to spread cheer](   Is your employer one of Minnesota's Top Workplaces? Craig Lassig/AP Images Each year the Star Tribune surveys employees to rank the top workplaces in the Twin Cities and Minnesota. In fact, the survey is in its 15th year. What are this year's top workplaces? Some of our findings may surprise you. [See them all here](. The survey also reveals what Minnesotans value most at work right now. We used those findings for several stories on topics like the increasing [importance of company culture](, combating [bad management at work]( and the ever-lasting [love of flexibility](. The biz team let me, our resident Gen Z reporter, tackle what these crazy [kids taking over workplaces](care about. Spoiler alert — what we want isn't all that different from any other employee. [Read all of our 2024 Top Workplaces coverage here.](     GOING OUT - [The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week]( - [Uptown Art Fair will go on this summer in a new location]( - [Don't miss these artworks in Walker Art Center's reinstallation of its permanent collection]( We tried America’s tallest waterslide in the Wisconsin Dells, and it was wild Reporter Simon Peter Groebner put on a GoPro and braved the country's tallest waterslide in the name of journalism. The 145-foot tower was crazy intense, he said. Honestly, I'd have a heart attack so, everyone, say thanks to Simon! [Read about the waterslide's creation and Simon's adventure here.]( Simon Peter Groebner/Star Tribune MORE FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE - [With more rain coming, we're watching these 3 Minnesota rivers for flooding]( - [Minnesota's Smackin' sunflower seeds are a hit in the dugout and beyond]( - [These Minnesotans are getting rid of their lawns. But why?]( [Share this newsletter with friends]( Do you enjoy Essential Minnesota? Encourage your friends and family to [sign up](. You also can share it using the links below. CURIOUS MINNESOTA Hennepin County Library This week's edition of the Star Tribune's beloved reader-powered reporting project seeks to answer the question: "Why did Minneapolis close Nicollet Avenue for a Kmart?" For nearly 50 years, the store has blocked what was once a lively, central thoroughfare. Knowing the history of the decades-long saga is crucial as the city and community members imagine a new Nicollet Avenue. [Read more here](. IN OTHER NEWS - [What’s the Best City for New College Graduates? Minneapolis]([- The New York Times]( - [First Look: Inside Ava, North Loop's new disco lounge - Axios]( - [Minnesota railways will soon be patrolled by licensed police officers - MinnPost](     THE MINNESOTA GOODBYE dberthia/Reddit Anyone else hoping the rain and cloudy skies finally leave us be? It feels so heartbreakingly far from the Minnesota summers we all love right now. Is there some sort of if-you-put-the-snowblower-away-too-early old wives tale for rain? Please do whatever you need to do so our skies start looking more like this gorgeous shot of Lake Superior. Have a good weekend. Thanks for reading Zoe Jackson, reporter David Taintor, editor [Email]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Manage email preferences]( • [Subscribe to Star Tribune]( • [Privacy Policy]([Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Manage]( your preferences | [Opt Out]( using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? [Sign up]( to receive our future emails. View this email [online](. 650 3rd Ave. S. Suite 1300 | Minneapolis, MN 55488 US This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.