Philando Castile was killed 10 years ago. What’s changed?

Ten years after a St. Anthony police officer shot and killed Philando Castile on July 6, 2016, following a traffic stop for a broken tail light, officers in Ramsey County are pulling over more drivers for moving violations and fewer for equipment violations, according to reporting by the Pioneer Press. The statistics reflect law enforcement leaders’ focus since 2021 on moving violations, like speeding or running red lights, over equipment violations.

The change “had a dramatic impact around building community trust, getting to a better version of public safety, getting police to really focus on the types of traffic enforcement that matters: speeding, careless driving, impaired driving,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. 

Despite widespread thunderstorms, fireworks went off as planned in much of the metro area Saturday night, including shows in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Rochester avoided the storms but not a “technical issue” that brought the city’s fireworks to an abrupt end, reports Bring Me The News. A handful of cities rescheduled their Independence Day displays, including Lakeville for Sunday, July 12, and Chanhassen for Thursday, July 23. 

The Long 2 wildfire detected last week south of Pine Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is now 100% contained, according to WTIP North Shore Community Radio. The fire, which was caused by lightning, had burned about 3 acres of land as of Thursday. “The fire is burning deep in the ground, so it may take several days to a week before it can be declared out, depending on rainfall,” officials with the Superior National Forest said. It has not caused any closures in the BWCAW. 

A $2.5 billion mine is slated to open within weeks on Minnesota’s Iron Range, reports the Star Tribune. The project – one of the biggest economic investments in the state’s history – expects annually to produce 7 million tons of direct-reduction grade iron ore pellets, a raw material for steel production. The opening of Mesabi Metallics “will conclude a 20-year saga that included a bankruptcy, lost leases and spurned state investments,” the story said. 

The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth has a new president, according to MPR News. Brenda Kelly, a scientist who spent the past eight years as provost and dean of Gustavus Adolphus College, takes over the college at a time of strong enrollment but massive budget pressures. According to the story, the school is “reportedly facing a $5.6 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2027 and recently laid off several faculty members.”

After 36 years, Star Tribune sports columnist Jim Souhan is saying goodbye. In a farewell column on Sunday, Souhan called out basketball great Lindsay Whalen and Twins pitcher and current bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins as “two athletes [who] stand above all others … because they also use their positions to help those in need and champion social justice.” Souhan also praised his colleagues at the Strib and made a plea for “financially-viable independent news sources. Democracy depends on it,” he wrote.

The post Philando Castile was killed 10 years ago. What’s changed? appeared first on MinnPost.