The Minneapolis City Council is meeting for its first time since seven new council members were elected in Nov. 2021. Most insiders expect Andrea Jenkins to be elected president today. The Council will also be selecting committee chairs, which will have a big impact on how their business is done.

Right now, it looks like the most interesting action might happen in the vice president election, where Elliott Payne publicly announced his intention to seek the position over the weekend, followed up by four of the most progressive members of the Council announcing they would support him. Aisha Chughtai, Council member for Ward 10, said Elliott engaged with her about how he can help work on issues that matter to her constituents. “He’s committed to being in the community and showing up for Ward 10," Chughtai said.  It's widely expected that there will be at least one other candidate for vice president.

With eight council members publicly uncommitted, Payne would need to get support from two additional members to win.   Read through Melody's tweets from this weekend for more context.  

What is it like to teach in Minneapolis Public Schools right now? High school teacher Robert Kohnert shared his experience with Southwest Voices. MPS is operating with distance learning today. The announcement was made Sunday afternoon.

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LINK ROUNDUP 

Hennepin County is offering free consulting for small businesses that are struggling to stay open during another COVID-19 surge. (Star Tribune)

The barbecue division of Revival, formerly of Keg and Case Market, is taking over the former Corner Table on Nicollet Ave. Should be smokin' hot by early summer. (Star Tribune)

Sorry, Vikings fans. The Vikes' head coach and general manager just got canned. If you'd like to root for a winning team, the Packers community is ready to welcome you with open arms.

GET INVOLVED 

Today's Minneapolis City Council meeting will be shown online. You can watch the meeting starting at 11:30 a.m. here.

Ridwell, a electronics (and more!) recycling program, has launched in Minneapolis. There will be an online information session on Jan. 21. You can sign up for Ridwell here.

OUT & ABOUT 

Today is the last day to buy early bird tickets for the Luminary Loppet (outdoor event). Adults tickets go up by $10 starring Jan. 11.

Did you know that people used to race horses on the ice? Neither did I. Our Wedge neighbor, Kathleen Kullberg, is giving an online talk on Tuesday night about our city's history of ice racing.

Have a happy Monday, everyone. -Melody

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