St. Paul Daily: Church Protest Case Expands, Skyway 5K Debuts, and Fresh Snow/Budget Notes

Top headlines

• Federal case expands after Cities Church protest
• Downtown’s first Skyway 5K puts the skyways in the spotlight
• Snow and budget updates: recent parking rules, and a fresh look at state numbers

Federal case expands after Cities Church protest

Federal prosecutors have added 30 more defendants in connection with a Jan. 18 protest inside Cities Church in St. Paul, bringing the total charged to 39. The case centers on allegations that the group disrupted a worship service and interfered with congregants’ rights, after activists targeted the church because a pastor is connected to federal immigration enforcement.

Authorities said many of the newly charged defendants were taken into custody, with additional arrests expected. Several people charged earlier in the case have said they were documenting events as journalists, while organizers describe the protest as a response to heightened immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota.

Downtown’s first Skyway 5K puts the skyways in the spotlight

Hundreds of runners spent Saturday morning weaving through the St. Paul skyway system in what organizers described as a first-of-its-kind timed 5K inside the downtown corridors. The course started and finished at Union Depot, and included stairs, tight turns, and a rare chance to experience the skyways as a true event space.

Beyond the finish times, the race also drew attention to a downtown asset that many residents use daily but rarely celebrate—especially after pandemic-era shifts that changed how people move through and gather in the city center.

Snow and budget updates heading into March

On the local side, the city has refreshed its running list of snow emergencies for the 2025–26 season, noting the most recent declared period ran Feb. 19–23. It’s a small update, but a useful one for anyone tracking parking rules and plowing timelines as we move toward the thaw-and-refreeze stretch of early March.

At the Capitol in St. Paul, state finance officials also released a new budget forecast that shows improved numbers compared with late 2025 projections. The outlook includes a projected surplus for the 2026–27 biennium and a smaller positive balance for 2028–29, while leaders from both parties cautioned that federal funding decisions and broader economic uncertainty could quickly change the picture.

Sources

• https://apnews.com/article/837d2ebc7a121340a7eaf73600cba019
• https://www.startribune.com/skyway-5k-downtown-st-paul-minnesota-unique-running-race-first-ever/601576115/
• https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/public-works/snow/past-snow-emergency-dates
• https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/minnesotas-budget-fortunes-appear-to-improve-with-a-surplus-now-projected
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/27/minnesota-ice-church-protest-arrests