Community members stand shoulder to shoulder along Main Street in downtown Anoka on Jan. 24 during a candlelight vigil for Alex Jeffrey Pretti, part of a statewide “Shine a Light for Minnesota” event. Original Article ...

Candles surround a sign honoring Alex Jeffrey Pretti during a candlelight vigil in downtown Anoka on Jan. 24. Community members gathered along Main Street as part of a statewide “Shine a Light for Minnesota” event following Pretti’s death earlier that… ...

Participants warm up inside Metta Coffee in downtown Anoka on Jan. 24, where coffee and hot cocoa were provided during a candlelight vigil honoring Alex Jeffrey Pretti. Original Article

Residents gather with candles at the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue in downtown Anoka on Jan. 24 for a candlelight vigil honoring Alex Jeffrey Pretti. The gathering was part of a statewide “Shine a Light for Minnesota” event… ...

In the wake of the shooting death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, who was shot by federal immigration officers on Jan. 24, a large number of people gathered on the streets of downtown Anoka in theevening holding a candlelight vigil in his honor along Main Street. According to reporting by The Associated Press, Pretti, 37, was an intensive care unit nurse who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis earlier that day. ...

Tim Walz joined volunteers Jan. 23 at a community donation-sorting drive at First Congregational Church in Anoka. “Minnesota is meeting fear and division with decency and generosity,” Walz said in his weekly newsletter. “Across the state, we’re seeing neighbors helping neighbors. Grateful to First Congregational Church in Anoka for inviting me to see that work in action today.” Walz’s visit came as hundreds of businesses closed and thousands of protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis to protest federal immigration enforcement operations. ...

Columbia Heights has issued a statement in response to ongoing immigration enforcement in the city, saying that the council, Mayor Amada Marquez Simula, first responders and city staff had received calls, emails and messages about the presence of immigration officers in the city. “We have seen the trauma,” the statement read. “We have seen the fear in our community’s eyes. We have heard from seniors, students and families. We have met with business owners, school board members and neighbors who have experienced these harms firsthand. We have been present. We have listened. And we believe our community.” ...

A few Blaine residents raised concerns about federal immigration enforcement activity during the Blaine City Council’s Jan. 21 meeting, as city officials clarified the police department’s role and limitations regarding federal law enforcement. Early in the meeting, Police Chief Brian Podany said the department has received inquiries about federal law enforcement activity occurring in the city. Podany said the Blaine Police Department is not involved in federal immigration enforcement and defers all immigration matters to federal authorities. He said federal officers have been present in most or all cities across the Twin Cities metro area, as well as in many cities statewide. ...

Fridley Mayor David Ostwald issued a statement on Facebook addressing recent immigration enforcement activity in the city, saying residents deserve to feel safe and assuring that city services — including policing — will be provided without discrimination. Ostwald said that he had been having conversations with people in the community over the past several weeks, and that they had reinforced that Fridley was a community that cared deeply for one another. ...

The Blaine City Council unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing Thumos Fitness to open a new location in an industrial area on 91st Avenue Northeast. Thumos’ website describes the business as a place where “faith and fitness are forged.” In addition to fitness equipment and classes, the center includes a smoothie bar and hosts Bible study groups. Community Development Director Sheila Sellman said the site is zoned light industrial, consistent with properties to the north and west. Properties to the east and south are zoned heavy industrial. ...