The Star Tribune Is Killing Its Sunday Magazine

Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of what local media outlets and Twitter-ers are gabbing about.

RIP Strib Sunday Mag

Did you know the Star Tribune has a Sunday magazine? If you're a print subscriber, one has arrived with your paper every three months since 2017. But the glossy, "upscale lifestyle" publication aimed at "sophisticated and affluent adults" won't be around much longer. Newish Strib publisher Steve Grove broke that news to his newsroom late last month via an all-staff memo that was leaked to Racket. "The work has been an award-winning passion project of so many, and had delivered a great value to our print readers over time," he writes of Star Tribune Magazine, which produced articles ranging from Michele Tafoya profiles to oral health FAQs. "Given the market dynamics, we believe we can better leverage this kind of journalism in ways that will deliver greater value to more people in the future." (Fans of corporate-speak may remember City Pages was deemed "financially unviable" by Star Tribune ownership, presumably due to market dynamics.) Readers will learn in the November 19 edition of the magazine that it's headed for Magazine Heaven, Grove continues, though advertisers have already received word. It's unlikely any jobs will be lost considering various Strib staffers and freelancers pitched in to keep the mag afloat.

So, How Are Things at the New Community Commission on Police Oversight?

Depends on who you ask. The 15-member commission was created last year to replace a similar, poorly functioning commission, and last week the Minneapolis City Council was briefed on its progress so far. Council Member Robin Wonsley says her office is receiving “concerning feedback” about the Community Commission on Police Oversight (CCPO), which is intended give the public "meaningful engagement" in keeping the infamously unchecked Minneapolis Police Department in check. Per Wonsley, the commission is being accused of lacking focus, transparency, and timeliness while being minimally engaged with MPD. CCPO member AJ Awed admits to "a little bit of a messy start,” but he says "things are starting to move pretty well." Recommendations from the previous version of CCPO were often ignored by city leaders and ex-MPD Chief Medaria Arradondo, MinnPost's Mohamed Ibrahim writes. But Awed? He says he's confident new Chief Brian O’Hara will take their disciplinary suggestions seriously.

Let's Build a 100-Mile Driftless Hiking Trail!

Earlier this year we brought you news of the Driftless National Park & Preserve Initiative, whose $700 million dream of preserving 235,041 acres of the bluffy, beautiful region in southeast Minnesota died a swift death. Now, we present a more scaled-back attempt at Driftless preservation: The Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail. Inspired by the Appalachian and Superior Hiking Trails, organizers hope to forge a 100-mile path between Chatfield and the Mississippi River. MPR's Catharine Richert reported earlier this year that a dozen landowners have already signed up (the path would weave through public and private land like the SHT), and lead volunteer Marty Walsh says 10 to 20 miles should be open to the public in the next couple years. “It is some of the most beautiful land in the county,” Walsh says. "That's part of the magic of the Driftless Area. You get to these little winding creek valleys and it's easy to imagine that there's nobody for 50 miles."

Um, Things Got Weird at Terminal Bar...

At press time, we have no context to add to the following TikTok clip that has amassed almost 900,000 views, though readers are clamoring for a proper Racket investigation. We'll hopefully be back soon with a follow-up Terminal Bar report.