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A Columbia Heights resident was taken into custody Feb. 12 by federal immigration enforcement agents who allegedly posed as motorists needing car assistance outside his home. Miguel Flores wrote on GoFundMe that his father, Jesus Flores, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that afternoon. He described his father as hardworking and said he provided for his children. According to the GoFundMe page, two women approached the family’s door at about 1 p.m. and later were identified as ICE agents. The post states they knocked and asked Jesus Flores for help with car problems before detaining him. ...

Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise told the Oak Grove City Council on Feb. 9 that his office continues to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement within the limits of state law and said he supports expanding statutory authority to allow more immigration pickups to occur inside jails rather than in communities. Wise said immigration enforcement activity in the northern portion of Anoka County has been limited. The Sheriff’s Office patrols the area north of 133rd Avenue and Main Street in the northern half of the county, and he said he was unaware of any incidents locally that would draw scrutiny. ...

Fridley’s school district and city officials remain divided over what authority the city has — and how much it should exercise — regarding the presence of federal immigration enforcement agents. The dispute centers on the Fridley Police Department’s 2017 immigration statement, which says the department will assist federal law enforcement “when called upon.” Jake Karnopp, chair of the Fridley School Board, said at the Jan. 26 meeting that the city had declined to apply federal and constitutional laws restricting civil immigration enforcement in school settings and had declined to collaborate with the district to keep children safe amid ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. ...

The Fridley City Council approved a temporary liquor permit for the Fridley Lions Club for its annual Winter Warm Up event on a 3-0 vote at the Feb. 9 meeting. Mayor David Ostwald recused himself from the vote because his wife, Steph Ostwald, currently serves as president of the Fridley Lions Club. Council Member Ryan Evanson was absent. City Clerk Melissa Moore told the council the Winter Warm Up is an annual event hosted by the Lions at Banquets of Minnesota on Feb. 27 and will include sampling of alcoholic beverages. ...

The East Bethel City Council on Feb. 9 unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing Happy Earth Made Products to operate a cannabis microbusiness focused on cultivation and production. Interim Community Development Director Kendra Lindahl presented the item, stating the property is zoned Light Industrial and guided for that use. Cannabis microbusinesses are permitted as a conditional use in the district. The requested endorsements are for cultivation and production, not retail sales. ...

2 wounded in Columbia Heights restaurant shooting On Feb. 14 at 8:45 p.m., the Columbia Heights Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at New York Gyro in Columbia Heights. Authorities said a male suspect fired multiple shots inside the restaurant before fleeing, according to a Feb. 15 press release from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office. A man and a teenage boy were transported by others to a local hospital. Both were reported in stable condition. ...

The St. Francis City Council voted Jan. 20 to formalize a resolution directing the city to fly Minnesota’s 1957 state flag rather than the current official flag flown at the Minnesota State Capitol. The resolution was approved 5-0 and states the city’s opposition to flying the current state flag. The vote followed earlier council discussion in which Mayor Mark Vogel described the move as a statement opposing actions taken at the state level in adopting the new flag, which was chosen through a legislative redesign process and made the official state flag in 2024. ...

Columbia Heights resident Ed Higgins was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Feb. 5 and transported to the Whipple Federal Building before being released later that evening. In a written statement posted Feb. 5, Higgins said he was driving through Sunnyside Mobile Home Park at approximately 2 p.m. when he saw three vehicles he believed belonged to ICE agents. He said he identified the vehicles based on what he described as prior confirmations from community members over the previous two weeks and sounded his horn to alert residents. ...

Columbia Heights said in a Facebook post that Xcel Energy is implementing temporary protections for customers affected by recent events. According to the post, the company extended a suspension of service disconnections to all seven metro-area counties through the end of February, effective Feb. 5. Customers do not need to contact the company to receive disconnection protection, but bills will continue to accrue during the suspension. The post stated that customers seeking flexible payment arrangements or energy assistance can call 800-895-4999. ...

At the Feb. 9 meeting, Fridley residents continued to urge the council to take action in response to ongoing immigration enforcement in the city. Concerns included the public safety department’s use of Flock cameras and requests that the council declare Fridley a sanctuary city, adopt an ordinance restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from operating on city-owned property and follow steps taken by neighboring suburbs. Public Safety Director Ryan George reiterated his earlier statement on the department’s immigration policy and said Fridley was not sending any Flock camera data to the federal government. ...