Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has begun maintenance projects involving temporary runway closures that may mean more airplane noise for some areas nearby.

The first phase started on Monday and is expected to continue through May 23, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The second part will be from Aug. 18 to Sept. 26. By doing the project in two phases, the runway — known as R12-30L — will be open to all aircraft for the majority of the peak summer season.

“This work ensures that critical airport infrastructure maintains the highest level of safety for handling aircraft operations and conforms to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specifications,” according to MAC officials.

Residents may hear increased air traffic activity overhead due to the change in runway use. Once the work is complete, “the FAA will return MSP to its pre-construction operational patterns,” according to the MAC.

Additional information and updates on the project can be found at the MSP Noise Oversight Committee web page and at the MAC website.

Also, runway use information and flight activity are available on the MAC FlightTracker. And, information about runway closures can be found at metroairports.org/msp-runway-closures.

Those with questions on airfield or aircraft noise or runway closures due to construction can contact the Community Relations Office at 612-726-9411.

— Staff report

Man, 30, convicted of fentanyl trafficking

A St. Paul man has been convicted by a federal jury after authorities intercepted more than 50,000 fentanyl pills being sent to him.

After a three-day trial in U.S. District Court, Kurtis Lavonte Gordon-Greenwood, 30, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

The investigation into the St. Paul drug ring began in 2022 when law enforcement intercepted a UPS package to Gordon-Greenwood. The package, sent from Arizona, contained about 50,000 fentanyl pills, or more than five kilograms.

While searching his apartment, officers also found a shipping receipt for a FedEx package sent to Phoenix that contained three cell phones and a Taurus 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. Authorities in Phoenix intercepted the FedEx package to Phoenix and also found $8,240 cash inside.

“Firearms and drugs are a deadly combination — make no mistake that lives will be saved with Gordon-Green

wood off the streets,” Kirkpatrick said about the conviction. “Drugs are trafficked to Minnesota by air, vehicle or through the mail, as we saw in this case.”

Two co-defendants, Joshua Lanard Howse, 33, and Cornelius David Pierce, 34, also of St. Paul, have pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.

— Kristi Miller

Lawmakers approve a library book ban

North Dakota lawmakers narrowly passed a bill Monday that would require most libraries in the state to keep material deemed sexually explicit in areas that are difficult for minors to access. Under the measure, librarians who do not comply could face prosecution.

The legislation is part of a broader push by conservatives to restrict access to library books that they consider inappropriate for children, an effort that has alarmed many librarians and free speech advocates. New library laws or regulations have been approved in recent years in several Republican-led states, including Iowa, Idaho, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah.

The North Dakota measure, which still must go to

Gov. Kelly Armstrong, a Republican, is the state’s latest effort to restrict library content. In 2023, former Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, signed a measure that required explicit materials to be removed from the children’s sections of libraries. But Burgum, who is now secretary of the interior, vetoed a bill that would have imposed criminal penalties on librarians found guilty of willfully exposing minors to sexually explicit materials.

The measure passed Monday was somewhat less punitive. The bill would apply to public libraries and libraries in public schools; university libraries and art museums would be exempt.

— New York Times