Staff Directory 6370615

Tim Harlow

Reporter | Traffic and transportation
Phone: 612-673-7768

Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather.


Harlow previously spent four years covering Washington County news and writing about family events and festivals. He is a resident of Robbinsdale and earned a communications degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and a masters degree in communications from Bethel University.
Recent content from Tim Harlow
Roger Zima holds his 2024 Driver of the Year trophy awarded by the Minnesota Trucking Association at the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center on Wednesd

Truckers 'make the world turn': This Minnesota driver has logged millions of miles without a crash.

Roger Zima was named the Minnesota Trucking Association's 2024 Driver of the Year at a banquet Tuesday night.
The SeaQuest aquarium in Roseville's Rosedale Center in December 2024.

Troubled chain of SeaQuest aquariums wants bankruptcy judge to approve $80,000 sale

The company is asking a bankruptcy judge to approve a sale to an interested buyer by the end of January.

Two shootings 15 minutes apart claim the lives of two men in south Minneapolis

It's not yet clear if the homicides are related. No arrests have been made.
A student ran to her bus in the bitter cold after school at Sanford Middle School on in January 2018 in Minneapolis.

How cold does it have to be for Minnesota schools to close?

There is no statewide law, but many districts use windchills of minus 35 degrees as the threshold to call off classes.
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Plymouth city leaders stand behind police chief despite vote of 'no confidence'

The unions representing sergeants and officers took a vote last week and delivered a letter outlining 10 concerns about the police department to the city.

Teen in critical condition after Brooklyn Park shooting over marijuana sale

No arrests have been made in connection with the Sunday evening shooting.
Afternoon rush hour traffic moves along I-394 near Highway 100 in June 2024 in St. Louis Park.

The Drive: In 2025, let's learn how to merge properly

Failing to signal, yield and match traffic speeds are common errors drivers make while merging.
Water vapor rises above St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River as the Stone Arch Bridge is obscured, seen from the Third Ave. Bridge Tuesday, Jan.

Brrr! Cold snap will send temperatures across Minnesota plunging below zero for the next four days

Highs on Sunday and Monday won't make it above zero for the first time since 2019.

Police identify a 10-year-old girl as 'person of interest' in Fridley school threat investigation

Classes were canceled Wednesday and Thursday after online threats surfaced earlier this week.
A passenger waits for luggage at Carousel No. 4 at the MSP Airport on Wednesday Jan. 15, 2025

MSP Airport baggage claim features a 'very Minnesota' quirk

Local Emmy-winning audio engineer and sound designer Taylor Lewin gathered bird calls aimed at creating the feeling of movement around the carousel.
This handgun was confiscated in October at a MSP Airport checkpoint.

Here's how many guns TSA caught at MSP airport last year

The 52 guns intercepted at the Twin Cities airport was one fewer than in 2023.

Boy, 13, arrested related to threats; Fridley schools closed again Thursday

Thursday makes the second straight day that Fridley officials are canceling classes and activities.
Hinckley, Minn. Fire (1894) Main street of town after the fire which swept out hundreds of lives and displaced survivors.

California fires serve as reminder that Minnesota has seen its share of big blazes

Fires have wiped out Hinckley and parts of Moose Lake, Cloquet, Duluth and Cannon Falls.
Benjamin Morlock

Man charged with uttering slur, knocking Black man unconscious outside Twin Cities bar

The white suspect allegedly called his victim a racial slur before punching him.
With below zero temperatures in Minnesota, Salvation Army Harbor Light Center in Minneapolis opens its doors to people who need to stay warm.

Salvation Army opens metro area warming centers as arctic blast moves in

Frigid weather will hang around through mid-week, with a thaw arriving on Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

Three dead in Crow Wing County crash on snowy and icy roads

The crash happened Sunday afternoon on Hwy. 169 in Garrison Township.
Passengers board Metro Transit's on-demand service, Metro Micro.

Twin Cities transit agencies give suburban service a boost

Metro Transit Micro started up in Roseville and Woodbury last week, and MVTA expands Connect to Shakopee and Prior Lake on Monday.
Wildfires destroyed Mackenzie Brownsmith's home in Altadena, Calif.

Minnesota native loses everything in L.A. fire: 'It's all gone'

Mackenzie Brownsmith said her neighborhood in Altadena, Calif., "was a lot like Minnesota."
Uptown Art Fair gets a new name with its new home in south Minneapolis

Uptown Art Fair gets a new name with its new home in south Minneapolis

The newly rebranded SoMi Art Fair will remain a fundraiser for the Uptown Association despite its new location at the Bachman's store parking lot.
Water is dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

Los Angeles locals with Minnesota roots share their experiences of 'staggering' California wildfires

Some left their homes while others are riding it out and pitching in to help their neighbors.
Minnesota DFL Chairman Ken Martin has served as leader of the state’s Democrats since 2011.

Tim Walz endorses Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin to become next leader of DNC

Martin is one of several candidates seeking to replace current DNC current chairman Jaime Harrison, of South Carolina, who is not seeking re-election.

One dead, one seriously hurt in Dakota County crash

The wreck happened Wednesday afternoon on Hwy. 61 southeast of Hastings.
Estelle Alexander enjoys some sweet corn while at the Taste of Minnesota Sunday.

Taste of Minnesota seeks vendors ahead of July return to downtown Minneapolis

The festival will run July 5 and 6 on Washington Avenue and Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.
“I can’t stand that Iowa had them and we didn’t,” Gov. Tim Walz said in early January 2024 as he purchased a blackout plate at a DVS service c

Minnesota's blackout license plate demand blows past expectations

The sales brought in about $7.8 million for Driver and Vehicle Services and will be used to fund operations.
Riders exit the Metro D Line rapid bus headed toward Mall of America at 8th Street and Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis in June 2023.

Metro Transit tests new schedule for D Line, aims for more consistent service

The idea is to have buses arrive at stops at more predictable intervals rather than following a printed schedule.
Afternoon traffic moved along the I-94 freeway as it cuts through the Rondo neighborhood Tuesday in St. Paul.

MnDOT: Scrap parkway plan, keep I-94 a freeway between St. Paul and Minneapolis

The agency says proposals to remake the freeway connecting the two downtowns with a parkway or road with at-grade crossings do not meet the goals for enhancing mobility, safety and connectivity, and should no longer be considered.
Holiday travelers waited to check into their Sun Country flights Friday in Terminal 2 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. An estimated 119.

Brace yourself if you're heading out: Record number of travelers are likely to be on the move for the holidays

More than 119 million people are expected to travel between Friday and the start of the New Year, AAA says.
Sampson Pah cleans snow and ice off his windshield at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in St. Paul, Minn. on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.

Snow snarls traffic, triggers emergencies, closes schools across Twin Cities area

As of 6 p.m., 5.2 inches had fallen at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport with 6 inches reported at the Chanhassen offices of the National Weather Service as snow tapered off.
It was almost a whiteout during a visit to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden/Walker Art Center on a snowy Sunday in March in Minneapolis.

Season's largest dumping of snow expected Thursday as Weather Service ups it prediction

Shovels and snowblowers will likely be needed as 4 to 7 inches of snow is predicted to fall Thursday across central Minnesota and in the metro.
Roll-A-Dazzle is one of the activities at Holidazzle. Guests can bring roller skates or rent them for free.

Holidazzle is back on Nicollet Mall for the first time in more than a decade

Events begin on Wednesday and run through Sunday between 6th and 11th streets.
Newgate's operations manager Maddie O'Gorman and Ondrea Watts, a mother who received a car.

12 Twin Cities single mothers receive a 'life-changing' holiday gift

This marks the 6th year metro dealerships donated vehicles at Christmas to Newgate's Wheels for Women program.
Mark adjusted frosty.

Study claims that 'Frosty the Snowman' is the riskiest Christmas song of all for drivers

Research found holiday songs with 120 or more beats per minute can led to reckless driving.
Motorists navigate thick, ice-covered roads while entering Minneapolis from I-394 and I-94 Tueday, Feb. 25, 2014.

Tough travel conditions expected Saturday as mixed precipitation to fall across metro, southern Minnesota

Slick conditions are expected along and south of I-94, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a winter weather advisory.
David Hunter II has been named executive director of the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center in North Minneapolis.

North Minneapolis' Phyllis Wheatley Community Center names new executive director

David Hunter II is a former participant in the center's programs and a north Minneapolis native.
A bus commuter is obscured by a frost covered window at the Midtown Station Bus station on Chicago near Lake Street as cold weather has descended on t

A blast of arctic air plunges Minnesota into deep freeze for the next two days

Temperatures will fall all day Wednesday and sink below zero by evening.
TRIP agent Jeremiah Collins says safety initiatives enacted by Metro Transit are working.  He spoke during a press conference Wednesday at Metro Trans

Metro Transit spending $12 million to boost security, cleanliness on Twin Cities light rail and buses

The budget will allow Metro Transit to hire 40 additional TRIP agents and provide for more maintenance staff dedicated to cleaning and maintaining stations.
Suspect Luigi Mangione is taken into the Blair County Courthouse on Tuesday in Hollidaysburg, Pa.

Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing tussles with police outside Pennsylvania extradition hearing

Luigi Mangione had a "written admission about the crime" when he was taken into custody, according to charges.
FILE PHOTO - A MnDOT snowplow cleared a stretch of north bound I-35 W south of Burnsville Parkway in 2017.

MnDOT's Name-a-Snowplow has become a wintertime tradition. This year's edition is now open for submissions.

The public can submit ideas online through Dec. 20. A contest to pick the winners will be held in January.
Weekday frequency on Route 54 has improved to every 10 minutes between Mall of America and downtown St. Paul between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Metro Transit brings back scuttled routes and increases frequency on others as driver shortage eases

The Orange Line will run every 10 minutes during rush hours. The 94 between the downtowns will run every 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes.
Fog and snow lead to school and travel delays across east-central, northern Minnesota

Fog and snow lead to school and travel delays across east-central, northern Minnesota

Arctic air with subzero temperatures will arrive by Wednesday and Thursday.
A bird's-eye view of the current municipal consent design for the Lowry Avenue Station.

Nine designs are being studied for new Lowry Avenue light-rail station

The station on the border of Minneapolis and Robbinsdale will be one of 14 on the Blue Line extension.
A button featuring snow sculpting is one of four Winter Carnival buttons for 2025.

The 2025 St. Paul Winter Carnival buttons have been unveiled

Buttons feature designs created by local artist Heather Friedli. The 139th festival runs Jan. 23-Feb. 2.
Hmong College Prep Academy in St. Paul. ] LEILA NAVIDI • leila.navidi@startribune.com

Minnesota attorney general sues ex-charter school leader over 'reckless' investment

The suit filed in Ramsey County said Christianna M. Hang's investment of Hmong College Prep Academy's money with a hedge fund was also illegal.
A boy looks at jellyfish in an aquarium at a SeaQuest attraction. The fast-growing developer of mall attractions is building an aquarium and wildlife

SeaQuest aquarium files for bankruptcy, faces investigations in Minnesota

Company officials in court documents blame "unprecedented disruption" during COVID for its current financial woes. Failed inspections have led to an active investigation of its Roseville location.
Signs along I-494 warn drivers of a weekend closure.

Stretches of two metro-area freeways will shut down this weekend

Closures in St. Paul and Bloomington/Richfield will put drivers on detour Friday night to Monday morning.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, as they arrive to meet with Sen

Hegseth says Trump is fully behind him despite rocky start to confirmation

President-elect Donald Trump looks to be having second thoughts about naming Minnesota native Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and may turn to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the role, according to multiple reports.

Man fatally shot in Robbinsdale was 22-year-old from Hastings

Nobody has been arrested in connection with the shooting Monday.

Man who shot at other motorists in road rage incidents in St. Paul charged with multiple felonies

James Allen Ameer Smith told authorities he "hates driving" and "all it has caused me is problems."

Woman dies in fire at senior living apartment building in Robbinsdale

Other residents were evacuated from the 7-story building on West Broadway after the blaze broke out about 5:15 a.m.
A new Minnesota law governing minimum pay for rideshare drivers kicked in Sunday.

New minimum pay kicks in for Minnesota rideshare drivers

Uber and Lyft drivers pushed nearly two years for better wages. An Uber spokeswoman said riders may see a price increase as high as 25%.

Man killed by passing driver while removing deer he hit from Dakota County road

The victim, 69, had hit the deer on County Road 46 on Wednesday morning in Marshan Township.
A biker rides across the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis on April 11.

As Stone Arch Bridge glow-up makes progress in Minneapolis, east side to re-open

The pedestrian bridge is undergoing a major renovation project, with the downtown side soon to close.

Woman dies in two-vehicle crash in northwestern Minnesota

The crash happened on Hwy. 10 in Pine Lake Township in Otter Tail County.

Two crashes on snowy, icy roads in Minnesota leave three people dead

The crashes happened in Crow Wing and Pennington counties Monday morning.
State troopers made many stops for impaired driving during a recent enforcement campaign across Minnesota.

Minnesota officials are stepping up DWI enforcement to combat 'incredible and unacceptable' trend

The campaign is aimed at preventing traffic deaths and encouraging people to drive sober.
Fairgoers wait to enter the gates on opening day of Minnesota State Fair in August.

Minnesota State Fair tickets are being sold at lower price for one day

Fair officials say tickets being sold online for 2025 won't get any lower.
Gov. Tim Walz held a sample of the state's new blackout license plates during a press conference in January at the White Bear Lake License Bureau.

Why do blackout plates begin with the letter Z?

Also, transit will run less frequently on Thanksgiving and the day after.
DFL Party Chair Ken Martin speaks during a news conference at the party's headquarters after President Joe Biden's announcement that he was dropping o

Minnesota DFL Chair Ken Martin running for Democratic National Committee top job

Martin announced his bid Tuesday in a video posted on X. He's the second person to enter the race, after former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley.
The holiday season is underway with the appearance of the Salvation Army donation kettles and bell ringers. This year's campaign will run 43 days acco

Salvation Army puts out the call for bell ringers as annual holiday campaign gets underway

The nonprofit also is expanding its ability to accept donations from those who don't carry change and prefer to use chipped credit card or smartphone.
A crash closed eastbound lanes of Interstate 494 at 7th Avenue in South St. Paul.

Driver rear-ends semi, dies in crash that led to I-494 closure in Inver Grove Heights

The wreck was in the eastbound lanes near 7th Avenue. Drivers were diverted off the freeway for about 3 hours.
Ross Carlyon stacked boxed ballots at the Hennepin County election office in Minneapolis on Monday. Ballots were hand-counted by election judges early

Minnesota leads nation in voter turnout — at least for now

Wisconsin could surpass the North Star State for the No. 1 spot when all votes are finalized and verified.
Highway cameras capture crash on Hwy. 7.

Teen dies in crash on Hwy. 7 in Minnetonka

The single-vehicle crash happened Sunday about 10:45 p.m. at County Road 101.
FILE - In this Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, file photo, emergency crews work the scene of a fatal crash involving a charter bus and car on the AA highway

See flashing lights? Weeklong campaign urges drivers to slow down and move over at crash scenes.

Also, the Northstar commuter rail line turns 15 with a celebration from 6-9 a.m. Wednesday at Target Field Station in Minneapolis.
Minnesota State Patrol

ID'd: Driver who died in 2-car collision at Sherburne County intersection

The crash occurred on Hwy. 10 in Big Lake Township, the State Patrol said.
Edgar Barrientos-Quintana was released from prison and having his life sentence overturned.

Man whose murder conviction was vacated after 16 years is freed and speaks publicly for the first time

Edgar Barrientos-Quintana was released from jail last week and spoke during a news conference Tuesday.
A customer pumps gas at an Exxon gas station, Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in Miami. Just as Americans gear up for summer road trips, the price of oil remai

Gas prices down sharply from a year ago in Minnesota

The most common price for a gallon of gas was $2.99, but one Minnesota station was as low as $2.21.

Pedestrian fatally struck while crossing Hwy. 7 in Hopkins identified

The incident happened Saturday at the intersection of 12th Avenue.
A worker put up a new sign on Kenwood Parkway as reduced speed limit of 20 mph on Minneapolis parkways took effect in 2022.

Do lower speed limits on city streets actually slow down drivers?

Speeds are trending in the right direction in St. Louis Park, a University of Minnesota study found.
Discover Airlines is Lufthansa’s leisure subsidiary.

Discover Airlines will take over Lufthansa's Minneapolis to Frankfurt route in 2025

Lufthansa said delays in aircraft delivery from Airbus and Boeing prompted the handoff.
New Star Tribune Publisher Steve Grove photographed at home in Minneapolis in February, 2023.

Minnesota Star Tribune Publisher Steve Grove's memoir set for release in June

Grove, 47, said the book charts a "humbling and rewarding" experience in his life.
Halloween night on Thursday will be cold enough that snow could mix in with the precipitation, said Nick Carletta, a meteorologist with the National W

Record warmth possible on Tuesday; snow may be in store for Halloween

The mercury will flirt with 80 degrees Tuesday and could smash a high temperature record that has stood for 102 years.

Driver dies after hitting deer and then getting rear-ended by another driver in Maple Grove

The crash happened Sunday morning on eastbound I-94 near Brockton Lane.
Lanes are closed on both directions of Interstate 94 in downtown Minneapolis as is the ramp from northbound Interstate 35W to eastbound I-94.

Ramp from northbound I-35W to eastbound I-94 in Minneapolis closes for five weeks

The ramp and lanes on I-94 will be closed until Nov. 29.
A new vehicle inspection station opened in Brooklyn Center.

Vehicle inspection station opens in Brooklyn Center

Others are set to open, too, as state tries to meet expanding need for inspections.
The Department of Corrections juvenile facility in Red Wing, Minn.

Juvenile found dead inside Red Wing correctional facility

Officials are still trying to determine how the death occurred.