Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily midday digest of what local media outlets and Twitter-ers are gabbing about.
3M VP Charged with Stalking
Robert T. Cesena is a C-suite executive at 3M Co.—CREEP-suite! The VP of the Maplewood-based Fortune 500 company was charged Monday with felony stalking and misdemeanor disorderly conduct in St. Croix County Circuit Court in Wisconsin, the Pioneer Press reports. The 48-year-old exec is accused of repeatedly peeping through the windows of a duplex occupied by a 24-yer-old woman. Cesena's alibis include watching movies (Solo and Iron Man 3) and assembling IKEA furniture at home, per the criminal complaint, though Hudson, Wisconsin, cops say he “looked exactly like the person” in surveillance footage from the duplex. Cesena's unoccupied Mini Cooper was found parked nearby. He became "nervous" and "desperate" as police began poking holes in his inconsistent story and, at one point, called out to his wife for help. 3M declined to comment on its VP's situation. Cesena posted $2,500 bail at his first court appearance, and was released under the condition he stay the hell away from his alleged victim.
Daunte Wright’s Memorial Stays Up
When Brooklyn Center City Manager Reggie Edwards contacted Daunte Wright’s memorial organizers via Instagram on the best way to remove items and reopen the sidewalk, Daunte’s mother, Katie Wright, asked to speak with the city. And for once, rational discussion seems to have prevailed, as Brooklyn Center has agreed to leave the memorial alone. “The meeting was very positive,” Wright’s attorneys state via press release. “The city and the family will work cooperatively with civil engineers, artists, and community members to construct a permanent memorial at that location. The current memorial will continue to exist as is until permanent plans are finalized.” April 11 will be the one-year anniversary of the murder of Wright, who was shot by Officer Kim Potter during a routine traffic stop at 63rd Avenue North and Kathrene Drive. Potter is currently serving two years. There will be a candlelit vigil at the site that evening, and the city is working with the family to host a public memorial as well.
Strike Update: School Board Member Resigns, MPS HR Senior Officer Moves On
As it nears the end of its second week, the Minnesota Federation of Teachers’ strike seems to be taking its toll—on management. School board member Josh Pauly resigned yesterday, according to the Star Tribune. "I don't feel like I am in a place where I can work towards rebuilding trust with the current MPS leadership," Pauly said. The former teacher, who is among the four board members who voted against renewing Superintendent Ed Graff’s contract last year, said he considered resigning when the decision was made to keep Graff on. And this morning the Minneapolis Public Schools announced that Maggie Sullivan, a senior human resources officer for MPS and a member of the contract negotiating team, is also moving on, though she will stay till the strike is over.
Beard Brothers
The James Beard Foundation Awards finalists were announced yesterday, with three Minneapolis restaurants and one chef making the cut. Owamni, chef Sean Sherman's Indigenous, pre-colonial restaurant, is still in the running in the Best New Restaurant category. (Read our review here! Owamni rules!) Sherman is also a Best Chef: Midwest finalist, where he's joined by Jorge Guzmán (Petit León) and Yia Vang (Union Hmong Kitchen). Kim Bartmann, who was named a semifinalist in the JBA's Outstanding Restaurateur category last month and whose current and former employees spoke out against her nomination due to her recent wage-theft settlement, did not make it to the whittled-down round.
