By: Barry Lytton

The main feature of Como Avenue Southeast’s newest storefront is designed to look like a cross between a Foot Locker and an art gallery — a fantasy of sorts for local sneaker-heads.

PIFFmpls, a one-stop shop for streetwear needs, opened Labor Day, and it consigns luxury shoes and clothing from brands like Versace, A Bathing Ape, Gucci and Hugo Boss.

Its self-described “curator” and owner, Ben Alberts, said though the store’s stock is now split evenly between shoes and apparel, Alberts is looking to expand to art, prints and fixed-gear bicycles.

read more

By: Zoe DiCicco

While Southeast Como neighborhood residents’ concerns about harmful vapors in their homes continue to linger, a lawsuit against General Mills is moving forward.

On Friday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota heard the case against General Mills, in which a few neighborhood residents claim the company put locals’ health and the value of their homes at risk by dumping TCE, also known as trichloroethylene, in the area for 15 years.

read more

By: Zoe DiCicco

Before the University of Minnesota’s smoking and tobacco ban took effect, it was subject to years of debate that at times grew contentious.

Though the University’s ban just went into effect on July 1, it’s far from unique. Hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide had already jumped on similar restrictions, displaying a trend toward smoke-free campuses that some say is becoming the new normal.

read more

By: Blair Emerson

The University of Minnesota is taking its “Driven to Discover” mantra outside of classrooms and labs by arming faculty and student researchers with new initiatives to turn their breakthroughs into businesses.

Last year, faculty research helped create 15 start-up companies — a figure the institution’s officials are looking to expand.

read more

By: Christopher Aadland

A lawsuit filed against two for-profit colleges has highlighted the pitfalls of transferring credits from those types of schools to their nonprofit counterparts.

This summer, the Minnesota Attorney General’s office sued Minnesota-based for-profit college Globe University and its sister college, the Minnesota School of Business, alleging that the schools used aggressive recruiting tactics and misled students about the transferability of credits.

read more

By: Nicholas Wicker

Around noon Thursday, University of Minnesota junior Sara Gorman waited for her bus at the corner of 27th and Como avenues Southeast.

As she stood, phone in hand, she said a man approached her and joined her in the bus shelter. Gorman said she thought he was simply waiting as well, but after about a minute, he spun around and began to threaten her with a concealed weapon.

“He whipped around and had something in his sweatshirt that he was pointing at me — but it was hidden — and said, ‘Give me everything you have,’” Gorman said.

read more

By: Sarah Connor

This fall’s newest recruits of the University of Minnesota’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter will sidestep a lengthy pledge process to gain membership in less than a week.

The fraternity abandoned the pledge process last spring, leaving some alumni wondering whether the change would affect membership numbers. But some say the new process won’t decrease bid numbers and will instead draw in higher-quality recruits.

read more

By: John Thomas

As crowds of students crossed the Green Line light rail for the first time last week, University of Minnesota and city officials upped safety measures to prevent accidents this year.

Metro Transit and school police officers ramped up their efforts in educating students about moving safely around the Green Line and patrolled the highly trafficked area on Washington Avenue Southeast. With the campaigning and extra surveillance, police hope to instill safe habits among the University community.

read more

By: Kaylee Kruschke

Minnesota advanced in its plan for making medical marijuana available for patients next year as it opened up applications Friday for potential manufacturers of the drug.

State health officials say the results of the monthlong application period will play a role in the success of the new law’s implementation. Minnesota plans to manufacture and distribute medical cannabis by next July.

The state will have two manufacturing plants, and each will service an area of the state based on congressional districts.

read more

By: Anant Naik

 In November 1998, professor James Thompson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison isolated and cultured human stem cells, making a discovery that would revolutionize the future of genetics research and open a window to potential cures for diseases.

Stem cells — preliminary cells that have the ability to turn into other cells through a process called differentiation — are being used to study a plethora of diseases. For the past several years, scientists have explored how to use stem cells to treat both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

read more