Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of what local media outlets and Twitter-ers are gabbing about.
Prez Release
Two shake ups in Minnesota academia today: U of M president Joan Gabel is leaving for a chancellor gig at the University of Pittsburgh, while Hamline University president Fayneese Miller has announced she'll retire on June 30, 2024. Both presidents have seen their share of controversy in recent months. Gabel accepted an invitation to join Securian Financial's board of directors, an egregious conflict of interest that came under fire from U Regent Darrin Rosha and Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville). Miller, meanwhile, was widely criticized for her handling of an incident in which an art professor showed an image of the Prophet Muhammad in class; the conflict between religious and academic freedom, and the University's decision to dismiss the staffer, helped the situation become a national news story. Hamline faculty previously called for Miller to resign, so you can take "retire" here with a big ol' grain of salt.
USPS Workers Rally in Minneapolis
MPR's Estelle Timar-Wilcox reports that about 100 postal workers and their supporters rallied outside the downtown Minneapolis post office on Sunday to demand higher wages, increased staffing, and an end to the post office's mandatory overtime policy. “This is a quality of life issue,” Dave Allmann, district safety liaison for the union, said in a press release this weekend. “Letter Carriers deserve to be able to plan their lives outside of work, to be able to spend time with their families and loved ones.” Postal workers are calling for better wages, which would make the position comparable to jobs at other shipping companies like UPS, which in turn would make the job more desirable and help resolve what National Association of Letter Carriers union steward Branch 9 union steward calls a "staffing crisis."
Posh Hotel Bar Constantine Is Closing
As far as downtown hotel bars go, Constantine at 1115 2nd Ave. S. in downtown Minneapolis is always pretty solid. They have a great happy hour, stay open until 1 a.m. on weekends, and offer a dark-yet-cozy vibe. Unfortunately, after eight years, next month will be their last, along with sibling hotel restaurant Monello. “We are so sad to announce that Constantine will close their doors on May 31 due to management changes at the Hotel Ivy,” the bar writes via Instragram. “Don't worry, you still have a couple months left to stop in 1, 2, or 3 more times!” Last week, it was announced that New York investment group Monarch Alternative Capital had purchased Hotel Ivy from Marriott International for $30.75 million—according to Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal that’s about 54% more than what it went for the last time it was sold. In the meantime, we recommend you hit up their $6 happy hour; the menu features mini-burgers, homemade pop-tarts, and a beer and a bump for $6 each.
The Baby Eagle Has Died and We're Very, Very Sad
Mother Nature is often more cruel than kind, which brings us to the worst news of the day: The baby eagle, born last week on the EagleCam, has died. “At 7:53 a.m. on Apr. 2, the EagleCam nest fell,” explains the DNR via Facebook post. “DNR staff immediately went to the site. After a few hours of searching, the chick was found deceased and taken into DNR possession.” While the DNR is not 100% certain on what happened, staff believe that Friday’s heavy snowfall proved to be too much for the dead branch that the 2,000 pound, 20-year-old nest was built on. For now, the DNR is asking people to avoid the area to prevent putting further stress on the adult eagles. Though chick season is over for the year, it’s believed that the eagles are likely to rebuild in the same spot, and thus the circle of life will continue. “Rest assured, we are feeling this with you and are committed to the EagleCam,” DNR promises. “It will return, either with a new nest in a new location or the same area. “
