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nVent has opened a new production facility in Blaine that will make liquid cooling products for data centers. The 117,000-square-foot facility, located on Naples Street, is expected to employ more than 175 people once fully staffed, according to a company Facebook post. nVent held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening. The company said the facility went from empty to fully operational in 100 working days. nVent first announced the Blaine expansion in September 2025, saying it was the second time in two years the company had expanded what it calls its solutions manufacturing operations. The Blaine facility will build new products for data center customers. ...

When St. Francis voted to return to the former Minnesota state flag early this year, city leaders framed the decision as a message to state officials Months later, that message has echoed across the state, with more than a dozen cities choosing to fly the former design or keep it displayed in city buildings. Supporters of the former flag say the issue is less about the image itself than the process used to replace it. They argue voters should have had a direct say before Minnesota retired a flag that had flown in some form for generations. ...

Anoka County has filed court exhibits showing text messages in which DFL House Leader Zach Stephenson, Coon Rapids, told Anoka Mayor Erik Skogquist that Metropolitan Council money for the city’s Rum River Dam project was being taken from Anoka County’s share of metro sales tax revenue and described it as “revenge” tied to the county jail dispute. The text messages were included in exhibits submitted May 13 by Anoka County Administrator Jim Dickinson as part of the county’s legal fight with the Minnesota Department of Transportation over a proposed pedestrian bridge connected to the city’s Rum River Dam project. ...

When St. Francis voted to return to the former Minnesota state flag in January, city leaders framed the decision as a message to state officials. Months later, that message has echoed across the state, with more than a dozen cities choosing to fly the former design or keep it displayed in city buildings. Supporters of the former flag have offered a wide range of issues with the current flag, including an aesthetic or historical affinity to the former flag. Others said the issue is more about the process used to replace it, arguing that voters should have had a direct say before Minnesota retired a flag that had flown in some form for generations. ...

The Ramsey City Council voted 4-3 May 12 to remove three politically charged items from its agenda, including proposals to make the former state flag the city’s official flag, censure Gov. Tim Walz and explore whether the city could take legal action against Walz and other state leaders. The items would have designated the state flag adopted by Minnesota in 1983 as Ramsey’s official flag, expressed formal disapproval and censure of Walz, and authorized city staff to explore whether Ramsey could file a legal claim against Walz and other state leaders. ...

The Fridley City Council unanimously approved ordinance changes May 11 that clarify how the city handles inoperable, junk and unlicensed vehicles. Assistant Community Development Director Stacy Stromberg said the amendments to Chapter 404 do not change the city’s existing enforcement process, but add language describing how vehicles may be impounded when they are inoperable, junk or unlicensed. Vehicle violations are consistently among the city’s top five violation types each year, Stromberg said. Those cases can include outdoor storage, unlicensed or inoperable vehicles and parking on grass. ...

East Bethel became the latest city to state its intent to fly the 1983 Minnesota state flag, voting 4-0 at its May 11 meeting. The council first discussed the matter April 27, City Administrator Matt Look said, and directed staff to prepare a formal resolution to display the old flag on municipal property. State law does not require municipalities to fly the current state flag; cities can choose which flag to fly, if any, Look said. ...

Columbia Heights Police Chief Matt Markham said he has been told of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city, but has not personally verified those reports. Markham said he trusts the sources who told him about the activity, but rejected any suggestion that the Columbia Heights Police Department was involved. “Any reports of the police department collaborating with ICE are categorically false,” Markham said. “I have no idea where these rumors come from or how they start.” ...

A Columbia Heights fire crew rescued about eight ducklings from a storm drain May 5 after a passerby spotted them at the southwest corner of 40th and Central avenues. Fire Chief Daniel O’Brien said someone called 911 at 7:47 a.m. after seeing the ducklings in the drain and waited at the scene. O’Brien was on his way to work, traveling west on 40th Avenue, when the call came in. “I showed up, I kind of evaluated it,” O’Brien said. “I wasn’t sure how to get at it without too much of a disruption.” ...

Protein House, a fast-casual restaurant focused on customizable meals and meal prep, has opened near the 105th Avenue development and National Sports Center in Blaine. Manager Joylynn Audrieth said every meal is made in-house and can be customized for customers’ preferences or dietary needs. “We can be gluten-free,” Audrieth said. “Nothing is deep-fried. We just use olive oil.” Protein House got its start in Hudson, Wisconsin, four years ago. Audrieth said her sons’ involvement in soccer at the National Sports Center helped lead to the new Blaine location, where she saw an opportunity to offer healthy food options for families, athletes and residents. ...