Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 MINNEAPOLIMEDIA EDITORIAL | Minnesota’s Painful Cycle of Hope and Disappointment: The Vikings’ Latest Humiliation The Vikings’ 26-0 loss to Seattle shattered fans’ fragile hope, underscoring decades of unmet promise. Despite major investments in talent and coaching, the team keeps losing. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 Panda Express Opens New Coon Rapids Location, Bringing Fresh Energy to Riverdale Panda Express opened its new Twin Cities location in Coon Rapids on Dec 1, 2025, transforming the former White Castle into a $1.13M modern restaurant space. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 Coon Rapids Police Department Launches Redesigned Community Police Academy for 2026 The Coon Rapids Police Dept. invites residents to its free 7-week Community Police Academy, Jan 13–Feb 24, 6–9 p.m., to boost trust and collaboration. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 Anoka County Sheriff’s Office Collecting Holiday Donations for Annual “Toys for Joy” Drive The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office invites residents to donate to the county’s Toys for Joy campaign, helping brighten the holidays for families in need. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 Hennepin County Launches Dual-Track Program to Help Small Businesses Buy Commercial Real Estate Hennepin County launches a dual program offering loans and guidance to help small businesses secure commercial space, build equity, and combat displacement. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 The New Front Line: Coon Rapids Police Department Embeds Social Workers to Address Crisis, Not Crime Coon Rapids PD now embeds social workers like Lori Halbur to co-respond to mental health, addiction, and poverty calls, offering services over arrests. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Tue. Dec 2 2025 “In This Room, We Rise”: Sheletta Brundidge’s Small Business Saturday Brunch Unites, Honors, and Uplifts Minnesota’s Unsung Heroes Amid inflation and shrinking margins, Minnesota small-business owners found joy, connection, and affirmation of their work at the Coliseum Building Saturday. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Mon. Dec 1 2025 MINNEAPOLIMEDIA EDITORIAL | Minnesota Built a Responsible THC Economy. Washington Is About to Destroy It. Minnesota builds bridges, tests basements, shovels with resolve, and has cultivated a responsible hemp-derived THC industry as an economic and cultural shift. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Mon. Dec 1 2025 Coon Rapids Residents Face Monday Deadline for Annual Holiday Lighting Contest Homeowners across Coon Rapids are finalizing holiday displays for the city’s Holiday Lighting Contest, with entries due by noon Monday, Dec. 1. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Mon. Dec 1 2025 Twin Cities Man Arrested in Coon Rapids, Faces Felony Domestic Assault, No-Contact Order Violation, and Property Damage Charges A 28-year-old Coon Rapids man, Cole Edwin Ashpole, faces two felony charges—domestic assault and violating a no-contact order—and a property-damage misdemeanor. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Mon. Dec 1 2025 As Blaine Grows, Police Department Seeks 77th Officer to Match Rapid Expansion and Diversity As Blaine grows, the Blaine Police Department is boosting recruitment to expand its ranks and ensure public safety keeps pace with the city’s changing population. Tom Akaolisa Editor
Coon Rapids Mon. Dec 1 2025 Man Fatally Shot in St. Paul’s Frogtown Neighborhood; Suspect Arrested After Crash A man was killed in a shooting early Sunday morning in the city’s Frogtown neighborhood, and a suspect was taken into custody after fleeing the scene and crashed nearby. Tom Akaolisa Editor