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The three-weekend event will span the whole city this year.

The St. Paul Art Crawl, a multiple-weekend public art festival organized by the St. Paul Art Collective, starts April 25 and goes until May 11.

Each weekend, a different St. Paul gallery, restaurant, venue or other participating location will host showcases of local art. More than 42 venues across St. Paul are participating in the event, up from 30 last year, according to SPAC Executive Director Mariusz Kujawski.

This year’s art crawl will feature a variety of exhibitions, workshops, food trucks, live music and art markets.

Melissa Critchley, an artist at F-O-K Studios, said more than a thousand people have come through to see the work on display in past years. This year, 30 artists in F-O-K’s six-story building will open their studios to the public, accompanied by food trucks and performance art throughout the weekend.

“It’s always a big bash at our building,” Critchley said.

The first weekend is in St. Paul’s Lowertown, Westside and West 7th neighborhoods. Kujawski said the art crawl began in Lowertown in 1991.

As the event grew and artists began to open galleries in other parts of the city, the art crawl grew as well. This year’s edition will cover the whole city of St. Paul and the city’s east and northwest sides will host the second and third weekends, respectively.

“It’s amazing how the artists come together,” Kujawski said.

Since making membership free in January, SPAC has nearly doubled in size, Kujawski said. Having more members makes it easier to get sponsors and partners for programming and events like the art crawl, he said.

32 non-profit organizations are participating in this year’s crawl, up from eight last year. Kujawski said those partnerships have helped SPAC recoup the costs of cutting membership fees, so artists no longer need to worry about the financial burden of participating in crawl.

“Everyone’s a little more relaxed this year,” Kujawski said.

Metro Transit is offering free bus passes for the art crawl on April 26 and 27. More information can be found on the St. Paul Art Crawl website.

Among this year’s winners are Burnsville volleyball player Mesaiya Bettis and Maple Grove basketball standout Jordan Ode.

2025 Athena Award winners include (clockwise from top) Elle Wildman (9) from East Ridge and Kaylee Idrogo-Lam (21) of Edina, Forest Lake's Norah Hushagen and Shakopee’s Arianna Zelen. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Here are the Athena Award winners for schools in the Twin Cities. Athena Awards go to high school senior girls for their athletic achievements; each school chooses one. Winners from the St. Paul area will be honored at a private awards ceremony Wednesday at St. Paul’s RiverCentre. Minneapolis-area winners will be honored at a luncheon May 2 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center.

Minneapolis area

ANDOVER

• Mackenzie Jones (hockey, soccer, track and field): Wisconsin

ANOKA

• Maddy Freking (basketball, softball, volleyball): St. Thomas

ARMSTRONG

• Ava Mack (hockey, swimming, track and field): Wisconsin Stout

BENILDE-ST. MARGARET’S

• Bailey Gray (hockey, lacrosse, soccer): Delaware

BLAINE

• Katelyn Wozniak (basketball, tennis, track and field): St. Thomas

BLAKE

• Vivien Pihlstrom (Alpine skiing, figure skating, lacrosse): Dartmouth

BLOOMINGTON JEFFERSON

• Kylie Jones (hockey, lacrosse, tennis): Wisconsin

BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY

• Emily Spencer (hockey, softball, volleyball): Undecided

BRECK

• Esme Gulbransen (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): Colby

BURNSVILLE

• Mesaiya Bettis (volleyball): Iowa State

CHAMPLIN PARK

• Abby Hibbs (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): North Dakota State

CHANHASSEN

• Susie Tollefson (basketball, softball): Augustana

CHASKA

• Veda Baumann (dance): Minnesota Duluth

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS

• Elizabeth Schoenbauer (dance, softball, swimming): Concordia (St. Paul)

COON RAPIDS

• Lily McKenzie (cross-country, golf, hockey, softball): Wisconsin River Falls

COOPER

• Anna Delaney (cross-country, Nordic skiing, softball, wrestling): Wisconsin Stevens Point

DELASALLE

• Carlie Jackson (Alpine skiing, softball, tennis): Holy Cross

EDEN PRAIRIE

• Vanessa Jordan (basketball, track and field): Minnesota

EDINA

• Kaylee Idrogo-Lam (hockey, lacrosse, soccer): undecided

ELK RIVER

• Lilly Osterman (basketball, lacrosse): Colorado Mesa

FRIDLEY

• Aubrey Cochran-Starr (basketball, cross-country, softball, swimming, track and field, volleyball): undecided

HOLY ANGELS

• Anya Anderson (hockey, softball): Creighton

HOPKINS

• Sydney Drevlow (cross-country, mountain biking, Nordic skiing, track and field): Nebraska

JORDAN

• Savannah Borowicz (basketball, volleyball): Nova Southeastern

MAPLE GROVE

• Jordan Ode (basketball, cross-country): Michigan State

MARANATHA CHRISTIAN

• Ashley Yost (softball, volleyball): Northern State

MINNEAPOLIS CAMDEN

• Shayla Thao (badminton, cross-country, volleyball): undecided

MINNEAPOLIS EDISON

• Elise Ashland (cross-country, soccer, track and field, wrestling): undecided

MINNEAPOLIS NORTH

• Brooklyn Pettis (basketball, track and field, volleyball): undecided

MINNEAPOLIS ROOSEVELT

• Ana Cecilia Walker (basketball, softball, track and field): Minnesota State Moorhead

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH

• Isabelle Luhmann (basketball, football, soccer, softball): Minnesota Duluth

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST

• Zoe Sumner (cross-country, mountain biking, Nordic skiing, track and field): undecided

MINNEAPOLIS WASHBURN

• Sydney Ruckett (soccer, track and field): Brown

MINNEHAHA ACADEMY

• Leah DiNardo (cross-country, gymnastics, track and field): St. Thomas

MINNETONKA

• Zeal Kuku (track and field, volleyball): Minnesota

MOUND WESTONKA

• Audrey Kirscht (cross-country, track and field): Minnesota

ORONO

• Zoe Lopez (hockey, soccer, track and field): Minnesota State Mankato

OSSEO

• Macy Patton (hockey, lacrosse, softball, tennis, trap shooting): Wisconsin River Falls

PARK CENTER

• Maya Woods (gymnastics, Nordic skiing, swimming, track and field): Northern Michigan

PRIOR LAKE

• Layla Vennink (cross-country, track and field): St. Thomas

PROVIDENCE ACADEMY

• Hope Counts (basketball, track and field, volleyball): Lipscomb

RICHFIELD

• Audrey Olson (softball, volleyball): Minnesota Morris

ROCKFORD

• McKenzie Perry (hockey): Gustavus Adolphus

ROGERS

• Anya Schmidt (basketball, track and field, volleyball): St. Thomas

SHAKOPEE

• Arianna Zelen (swimming): Wisconsin

SPRING LAKE PARK

• Brianna Finnegan (soccer, track and field): South Dakota State

ST. ANTHONY

• Josie Bossen (gymnastics, swimming, track and field): Northern Michigan

ST. FRANCIS

• Alexa Skogquist (basketball, softball, tennis): Bemidji State

ST. LOUIS PARK

• Eleanor Lindeman (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): St. Catherine

TOTINO-GRACE

• Chloe Nuss (basketball, soccer): Mary

WACONIA

• Evelyn Tellers (gymnastics, lacrosse, tennis, weightlifting): St. Thomas

WATERTOWN-MAYER

• Eleanor Rundell (basketball, soccer, softball, unified sports club): Bethel

WAYZATA

• Sophie Hawkinson (basketball, soccer, track and field): North Dakota State

ZIMMERMAN

• Lindsay Peters (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): Wisconsin

St. Paul area

APPLE VALLEY

• Makayla Moran (golf, hockey, lacrosse, soccer): Minnesota State Mankato

CENTENNIAL

• Kylie Nelson (gymnastics, Nordic skiing, track and field): North Dakota State

CHATFIELD

• Jaelyn LaPlante (track and field, volleyball): Minnesota State Mankato

CHISAGO LAKES

• Laura Carlson (lacrosse, swimming, track and field, weightlifting): Kennesaw State

CRETIN-DERHAM HALL

• Brooke Nesdahl (softball): St. Benedict

EAGAN

• Ava Ligtenberg (basketball, soccer, track and field): North Dakota State

EAST RIDGE

• Elle Wildman (basketball, soccer): Iowa

EASTVIEW

• Gracie Puit (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): Alaska-Anchorage

FARMINGTON

• Hannah Hansen (basketball, softball): Minnesota

FOREST LAKE

• Norah Hushagen (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): Minnesota

GENTRY ACADEMY

• Zosia Miller (hockey, softball): Bethel

HASTINGS

• Haley Strain (basketball, softball, volleyball): Southern Illinois

HILL-MURRAY

• Josie Skoogman (golf, hockey, soccer, tennis): St. Thomas

IRONDALE

• Lulu Semakula (diving, gymnastics, track and field): Air Force

LAKEVILLE NORTH

• Olivia Grecco (dance, track and field): Pepperdine

LAKEVILLE SOUTH

• Avery Sandmann (soccer, track and field): St. Thomas

MAHTOMEDI

• Kaili Malvey (track and field, volleyball): Concordia (Moorhead)

MATH & SCIENCE

• Amelia Applebee (cross-country, Nordic Skiing, track and field): undecided

MOUNDS PARK ACADEMY

• Delaney Cunnington (gymnastics, soccer, track and field): Colorado

MOUNDS VIEW

• Kate Roeber (basketball, cross-country, track and field): undecided

NEW LIFE ACADEMY

• Makenna Lilly (track and field, volleyball): Northwestern (Iowa)

NORTH BRANCH

• Dakota Esget (cross-country, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball): St. Thomas

NORTH ST. PAUL

• Gabby Martinez (basketball, softball, volleyball): Concordia (St. Paul)

NORTHFIELD

• Ella Pagel (football, track and field, wrestling): undecided

NOVA CLASSICAL

• Ava Ball (volleyball): South Dakota

PARK OF COTTAGE GROVE

• Josie Leonard (hockey, lacrosse, soccer): Colorado (Colorado Springs)

RANDOLPH

• Carter Raymond (basketball, cross-country, softball): Minnesota

RED WING

• Morgan Hanlin (basketball, cross-country, soccer, track and field): St. Benedict

ROSEMOUNT

• Sophie Stramel (hockey): Minnesota State Mankato

ROSEVILLE

• Samantha Mermelstein (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): Rochester (N.Y.)

SIMLEY

• Emerson Joyce Hocking (gymnastics, soccer, track and field): Auburn

SOUTH ST. PAUL

• Scarlett Johanson (basketball, soccer, track and field): St. Benedict

ST. AGNES

• Terese Fischer (basketball, track and field, volleyball): St. Thomas

ST. PAUL ACADEMY

• Julia Maria Taylor (basketball, track and field, volleyball): undecided

ST. PAUL CENTRAL

• Laura McClary (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field): Minnesota

ST. PAUL COMO PARK

• Ava Lopez (basketball, soccer): John Jay

ST. PAUL HARDING

• Tiffany Tran (badminton, tennis, track and field): undecided

ST. PAUL HIGHLAND PARK

• Hanna Koch (cross-country, Nordic skiing, track and field, ultimate Frisbee): Vermont

ST. PAUL HUMBOLDT

• Neenah Mork (basketball, golf, swimming): Luther

ST. PAUL JOHNSON

• Sadie Mays (basketball, track and field, volleyball): St. Catherine

ST. PAUL WASHINGTON

• Megan Fang (badminton, volleyball, wrestling): undecided

STILLWATER

• Liberty Quast (gymnastics, track and field): Minnesota

TARTAN

• Greta Culshaw-Klein (lacrosse, hockey, soccer, track and field): St. Scholastica

TRINITY

• Adelyn Bye (basketball, track and field, volleyball): undecided

TWO RIVERS

• Claire Stein (Nordic skiing, soccer, track and field): St. Olaf

VISITATION

• Samantha Wills (basketball, volleyball): Harvard

WHITE BEAR LAKE

• Madelyn Belisle (hockey, softball, tennis): Hamline

WOODBURY

• Sarah Vaske (basketball, cross-country, track and field): Creighton

about the writer

Joel Rippel

News Assistant

Joel Rippel writes about sports for the Star Tribune.

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A historic St. Paul church is condemned ahead of Easter weekend after it caught on fire due to what is believed to be a lightning strike. Now the church's leader is working to make sure the church reopens as soon as possible.

The Brief

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A historic St. Paul church is condemned ahead of Easter weekend after it caught on fire due to what is believed to be a lightning strike. Now the church's leader is working to make sure the church reopens as soon as possible.

Leader of St. Paul steeple church without a home

What we know:

William Hanson, known in the neighborhood as Reverend William, is putting his faith in God.

"I just knew that everything was going to be okay," said Hanson.

Hanson lives in the multi-use church building and described the moment he first thought something was wrong.

"We went outside and looked. We just heard a pop. We didn't see, nothing wrong," said Hanson.

He just went back inside and then.

"20 minutes later, we went outside again, and the steeple was on fire," said Hanson.

The historic St. Paul church hit by lightning

What officials say:

Fire crews had to use two ladder trucks to fight the flames. Fire officials say the damage was mostly limited to the steeple and didn’t extend into the church.

"They actually were inside and covered up the few clothing and things that I have in a bed with plastic, and pulled things away from the wall. So there's minimal water damage in there," said Hanson.

The Trinity Evangelical Norwegian Lutheran Church, now known as Church Incorporated, is now condemned and considered unstable.

Easter Sunday will continue at Church Incorporated

Praying on Easter:

The sidewalks and streets on Farrington and Sherburne Avenue are blocked off. But Hanson says this is not going to stop him from celebrating Easter Sunday at the church.

"I trust Jesus. What are the children going to think if I'm not here? I mean, right," said Handson.

His plan is to sit outside and pray with whoever shows up. In the meantime, he has to pick up the pieces and figure out what’s next.

"Red Cross gave me $600 that should pay for the weekend hotel room itself," said Hanson.

Background

The backstory:

Hanson tells FOX 9, he's been working to get the roof fixed from damage that happened three years ago. He says his claim was approved by insurance on Thursday. But just two hours after he found out, lightning struck the steeple further damaging the roof. He is hoping the money from insurance can cover the repairs so he can pray inside the church again soon.

St. PaulMinnesota

Busy Baby, a baby product manufacturer that's scored vendor deals with Walmart and Target, says soaring U.S. tariffs on imports from China represent an "existential threat." The veteran-owned company has turned to community crowdfunding for help.

Busy Baby, a Minnesota-based maker of baby products that's recently scored vendor deals with national retailers, says soaring U.S. tariffs on imports from China represent an "existential threat." The veteran-owned company has turned to community crowdfunding for help.

Beth Benike, co-founder of the Oronoco-based small business, started a GoFundMe campaign April 13 to help Busy Baby “survive the tariff crisis,” according to the fundraiser. With a goal of nearly $230,000, at the time of writing, Benike has raised a little over $17,000.

Benike had budgeted for higher tariffs, but not this high. The current tariff rate on most products coming out of China is 145%, up from 30% in just the past 10 days as China and the Trump administration quickly ratcheted up pressure on each other. The White House has since exempted some items, like iPhones, from the highest tariffs for now, but Busy Baby's products — which include nonslip placemats and teething toys — aren't on the list.

In her crowdfunding appeal, Benike explained that if tariffs remain at this high rate, the company will not be able to afford importing the products it has already paid for, and its current inventory would only last two to three months. With no products coming to be sold in the U.S., Busy Baby could not pay off its loans, which would ultimately lead to Benike losing her house, as she explained in the GoFundMe’s description.

“I've put everything on the line for Busy Baby — my house is leveraged against loans I took to grow our company,” Benike wrote in the fundraiser. “Without a solution to this tariff crisis, we face the very real possibility of bankruptcy.”

With the money Busy Baby is attempting to raise, the company would cover essential business costs, such as keeping employees on payroll and maintaining operations, while exploring manufacturing options in the U.S.

Busy Baby was founded in 2017 by army veteran siblings Benike, a U.S. Army veteran, and her brother, Eric. The company began with her nonslip silicone placemat, which she took to ABC’s Shark Tank in 2021, after winning the Minnesota Cup general division in 2020. She was named the 2025 Minnesota Small Business Person of the Year earlier this year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Last year, Busy Baby signed supplier deals with Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT

Jennifer “JLor” Lor

[email protected]

(651) 417–9454

SAINT PAUL – The City of Saint Paul has condemned the Capital City Plaza Parking Ramp, located at 50 4th Street near the Alliance Bank Center, and is preparing to close direct skyway access from the ramp.

On April 2, the city inspected the Capital City Parking Ramp owned by Madison Equities and posted a notice of the condemnation, effective immediately. The notice orders all drivers and vehicles to vacate the premises, citing public health and safety concerns for all guests and neighboring properties.

“Another week, another abandoned Madison Equities property,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “Their chronic neglect has caused serious harm that will impact our city for years.”

The closure of skyway connections from the Capital City will begin at 4th Street and end at Press House at 5th Street. The intersecting skyway to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office on Cedar Street will also be closed. There are no businesses or direct street access routes within these two connections and residents of nearby towers will not be impacted.

Closure of these skyway connections will secure the parking ramp, ensuring no access until the ramp has been brought up to code. The following map indicates the additional skyway connections from the Capital City ramp that are now closed to the public:

“The city is committed to the health and safety of our residents, businesses, and visitors,” said Director Angie Wiese of the Department of Safety and Inspections. “In addition to taking immediate action to condemn and vacate the Capital City Plaza parking ramp, our teams are working with all impacted community groups to ensure our community remains safe and welcoming.”

The latest condemnation comes after city inspectors found several areas of concern, including blocked exits, exposed electrical circuits, inoperable equipment, and water leaks in the parking ramp. The city also discovered that Madison Equities had failed to routinely test its fire suppression systems, the structural integrity of the ramp, and the water backflow prevention system, which separates contaminated water from clean water. This lack of testing poses a risk to the shared potable water supply for all nearby properties.

Notice of the condemnation and closure of the skyway connections were communicated with downtown stakeholders, business leaders, public safety partners, neighboring properties, residents, and guests. Madison Equities and its lender has also been ordered to get the parking ramp up to code.

To learn more about the downtown skyway system, visit the Skyway System webpage. Residents may also call (651) 266-8989 or email [email protected].

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Last Edited: April 7, 2025