Below are excerpts from the Star Tribune article, "St Paul's last strip club closes amid violence and fierce neighborhood opposition" by Shannon Prather on March 15, 2022.

The Lamplighter Lounge, St. Paul's last strip club, which faced fierce neighborhood opposition after hundreds of police calls in recent years and the killing of a young woman [Nia Black] in the parking lot, has closed.

"It is a big day in the neighborhood as we have just received confirmation that the Lamplighter is now permanently closed," said Rice-Larpenteur Alliance Executive Director Kim O'Brien, in an e-mail to her board. "I believe this to be a great outcome and opportunity for a new beginning for the neighborhood that has suffered so much from the violence, negativity and pain that the business brought with it."

O'Brien, who oversees the alliance — a group of local leaders and community members working to improve the intersection where St. Paul, Roseville and Maplewood meet — said she didn't know "any single cause for the closure" but credits community members, Black's family and the help of local leaders for turning up the pressure on the club owner.

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“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts” is often attributed to the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Yet, the philosophy applies to the work of Roseville-based Northeast Contemporary Services, Inc. (NCSI), which specializes in cultivating self-sufficiency in people with disabilities.

“Our goal has always been community integration, not isolation, and Roseville has always welcomed our involvement in the community,” said Jennifer Freeburg, executive director at NCSI. “The more our clients are integrated into daily life in our community, the more their lives are enriched and they feel equal to everyone else.” Read more.