After years of debating how to support street festivals and community-driven events struggling to keep pace with mounting police, road block and public safety costs, the St. Paul City Council seemed poised Wednesday to allocate $155,000 in event subsidies to be administered by the St. Paul Police Department’s special operations unit.

Instead of swift passage on Wednesday, the proposal has become a new flashpoint in a sensitive discussion over police-community relations, with some event organizers questioning why community groups who feel overcharged by the police should have to appeal to the same department for subsidies.

The original proposal’s goal, according to resolution author and Council President Rebecca Noecker, would be to have police distribute up to $7,000 in subsidies to up to 22 event organizers, a relatively small reduction off police overtime and road closure costs that have climbed nearly as high as $75,000 for the West Side’s Cinco de Mayo festival and $100,000 for Grand Old Day.

To qualify for the funds, Noecker said organizations would have to show their festival or event meets six criteria, including being based in St. Paul, hosting the activity in St. Paul and not charging an entry fee. The event would have to have been held for at least five years in the city, or it must take place in an area of concentrated poverty. Political campaign events would not qualify.

The “$155,000 isn’t much, but it will go some part of the way toward helping relieve that burden,” said Noecker to the council, noting the money was voted on as an annual, standing appropriation in 2024 but never dedicated last year.

“It has taken quite a while to get to the point of actually being able to roll this out,” said Noecker, who explained that no city department but the police appeared to have the staff capacity to administer the funds. “We went through a whole year last year where this did not get done.”

Alternative measure

Objecting to the prospect of giving St. Paul Police more influence over community events, Council Member Anika Bowie presented a separate resolution that would dedicate the $155,000 directly to 20 named community groups.

“Our community is under distress,” Bowie said. “They shouldn’t have to be worrying about raising funds to hire police officers while they’re under federal occupation and they’re not feeling supported by police officers. … I stand firmly opposed to divesting from community funds and investing in police.”

Bowie’s alternative resolution was not entered into the city’s Legistar software prior to the council meeting and not available online for public review, but the printed version made available during the meeting drew some pushback from council members around the prospect of picking favorites.

“I’m concerned about the specific events and event organizers being listed here,” said Council Member Saura Jost. “That’s bypassing our typical process by naming them.”

Noecker agreed. Under her original resolution, “there would be no picking winners or losers from any of us,” she said. “To me, the value of having the objective criteria … I’m thinking about if a new organization comes to St. Paul and wants to have a festival that we don’t know about yet.”

“It matters to me not at all where it’s housed and who runs it … but we need to have a staff person to do it, and we currently don’t have that staff person,” Noecker added. “This would be ready to go as of tomorrow. … The dollars can go out the door.”

Bowie and other council members asked for clarification from city staff around why the unspent funds from 2025 did not roll over from year to year and effectively double.

“This sounds like a technical error,” she said. “The funds that we have right now are not the funds we were expecting.”

The council president said she had raised similar questions with city staff, who explained Wednesday that unspent funds from annual appropriations are returned to the city’s general fund at year’s end.

“It was actually my leadership that got the questions asked to (the Office of Financial Services) and got us to this place,” Noecker said.

Public hearing

A public hearing after the discussion drew a handful of speakers expressing alarm and frustration over rising costs, which they said had grown 30% or more since 2023. Bob Cruz, executive director of the West Side Boosters and co-chair of the Cinco de Mayo festival and the Mexican Independence Day festival, said he felt “misled and deeply let down” by the process to date.

Cruz, who was skeptical of having the subsidy administered by police, said neither Noecker nor Bowie alerted him about Wednesday’s public hearing despite his outreach to both members. The Cinco de Mayo festival alone brought in 30,000 people last year from across the Upper Midwest, which he noted has a strong economic impact for the city.

“Last year, our single largest expense was the required contract with the St. Paul Police Department — $74,000,” Cruz said. “We have repeatedly raised concerns with St. Paul Police about the high cost of required presence. Their response is consistent: talk to the city council.”

The Grand Avenue Business Association submitted a letter to the city council supporting Noecker’s proposal.

“Our most significant cost driver is infrastructure, many parts of which are city operated,” reads the letter, signed by executive director Kim O’Brien and board chair Holly Weinkauf. “In 2025, our police costs exceeded $95,000, which was 34% higher than it was in 2023 despite a shorter footprint and no major incidents.”

Other speakers questioned why the police would charge community-driven events any money at all to protect the public, which is core to their taxpayer-funded mission.

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By JESSICA DAMIANO

Have you dreamed of creating a calm and cozy spot at home to relax and recharge, but don’t think you can spare the space?

You don’t need a “man cave,” “she shed” or even a whole room to retreat to. Just one corner will do.

One corner, warm lighting, a cozy chair and some plants, says interior and plant stylist Hilton Carter, who specializes in “nature nooks” — tiny wellness sanctuaries that calm the mind, body and spirit.

Carter has hosted plant-forward specials for HBO and PBS, launched a plant and accessories line with Target and authored six books (his most recent is “Unfurled: Designing a Living Home.”)

Nature nooks, he says, improve a home emotionally as well as aesthetically.

Carter, 48, found himself leaning toward plants a decade ago. “I was feeling overwhelmed by the hustle and grind working as a freelance filmmaker in Los Angeles when a project took me to Glen Mills, Pennsylvania,” he said.

There, he popped into a garden-themed café.

“I was all knotted up, and I walked in there and felt a change. It felt like a vacation,” he said.

Not long after, Carter moved to New Orleans and bought a fiddle-leaf fig tree he named Frank. “I was at a crossroads in life, which all of us face, and I faced it with this plant,” he said, adding that he made a vow to love it and keep it alive. “Everything I’ve accomplished since then was all due to that moment.”

A nature nook doesn’t need a lot of plants

Today, Carter, who lives in Baltimore with his wife and two children, has roughly 150 plants at home and another 200 or so in his studio, including Frank, now 14 feet tall. But creating a nature nook with as few as five plants can reap emotional benefits, he said.

Before buying any plants, choose your site, Carter said.

“There is no minimum or maximum size” for a nature-nook corner, he says. The important thing is “how lush you decide to make it.”

Next, assess lighting. “If one side of the corner has a nice-size window and it gets southern-facing light for eight hours of the day, there are particular plants that you could go wild with that could thrive in that light,” Carter said.

“But let’s say you have a north-facing window on one wall and it’s a standard-size window. You probably will want to bring in artificial light.”

Don’t get just any grow lights, though.

“Find those companies that make beautiful grow bulbs. Some have two-color tones, some (replicate) daylight and others make warmer lights” that make the space inviting but still help plants thrive, Carter said.

If relying on natural light, consider the seasons. “It may be brighter in the winter because all the leaves on the trees are gone, but in summer that’s a whole different situation.”

Assess your light and bring that information to a plant shop for guidance.

A comfortable place to sit

Bring in “some sort of accent chair facing whatever direction is going to provide you with joy: facing out the window, where the joy is having that sun caress your face, or facing in if you’re reading,” Carter said.

Select plants realistically.

“Be self-aware about your ability to care for plants,” Carter said. Your nook might start out looking lush and beautiful, but if you don’t take the time to care for the plants, it will look terrible and uninviting within weeks.

Personalize your nature nook

This undated image shows interior and plant stylist Hilton Carter holding at his home in Baltimore. (Ryan Rhodes via AP)

When creating nature nooks for clients, Carter asks them about their favorite vacations or where they spent honeymoons or anniversaries, because bringing in plants from those places can trigger happy memories.

“Think about your happy place,” Carter advised. “Get a sense of what you want to replicate and where you want to be transported to.”

A nature nook is an “escape from the chaos of the world,” he said.

When choosing plants, consider their foliage and how they look together. The glossiness of a burgundy Ficus elastica next to a Monstera ‘Thai Constellation,’ for instance, is striking, he says.

“But if you met your wife in the Pacific Northwest and you’re looking to create a look that’s similar to that, you’re going to get your more shaded plants — ferns, Norfolk pines, things that refer back to that space,” he said.

And don’t overlook pots. A beautiful terracotta planter that fits the space’s vibe will evoke emotion and set the mood of the nook.

Some practical concerns

Consider how tall plants will grow, and how high the ceilings and windows are.

Carter also advises being mindful of the type of flooring. “Use planters that will protect the floor” in case water drains out.

Toxicity is another important matter. “Do you have pets? Do you have kids? What kinds of plants will thrive and keep them safe?” he said.

Enjoying your nook

This 2025 image provided by Hilton Carter shows a plant-centered seating area at his home in Baltimore. (Hilton Carter via AP)

Once your nature nook is in place, create a routine. Maybe drink your morning coffee there or read there in the evenings. Using the space regularly can be transformative, Carter said.

“I’m much more patient, more kind, considerate and I’m a better listener because of plants,” he said. “I think I’m entirely a more loving individual than before.”

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

By Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

Looking to add more flavor and keep salmon fillets moist, I sautéed them on a bed of creamy spinach and seasoned them with garlic and dill. The result was tender, flavorful salmon with a touch of freshness from the herbs.

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Weeknight dishes: A quick stew with slow weekend vibes

For a colorful and easy side, I mixed quick-cooking couscous with roasted red peppers. The couscous takes just five minutes in the microwave—no pot to wash and dinner’s ready in a flash. It’s a quick, vibrant meal that’s as delicious as it is simple.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Minced garlic can be found in the produce section of the market. Six crushed garlic cloves can be used instead.

Pearl couscous is also called Israeli couscous.

A quick way to chop dill is to cut the leaves with a scissors.

COUNTDOWN:

Assemble ingredients.

Microwave couscous.

Make salmon.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 2 6-ouncre salmon fillets, 1 bag washed, ready to eat spinach, 1 container reduced fat sour cream, 1 bottle ground nutmeg, 1 container minced garlic, 1 bunch fresh dill, 1 lemon, 1 container quick cooking pearl couscous, 1 can roasted red pepper.

Staples: olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.

Garlic and Herb Salmon and Creamy Spinach

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

6 ounces fresh washed-ready-to-eat spinach (about 6 packed cups)
2 tablespoons reduced fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 6-ounce salmon fillets

Remove large stems from spinach. Mix sour cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine garlic, olive oil and dill. Add spinach to a large skillet and sauté 2 minutes or until spinach starts to wilt. Spoon out any liquid. Pour the sour cream mixture over the spinach and mix it in to the spinach. Spread the spinach mixture over the skillet. Arrange the salmon on top of the spinach. Spread the garlic mixture on top of each filet. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook 5 minutes, a meat thermometer should read 125 degrees. Squeeze lemon juice over fish. Lift spinach and fish to two plates spooning any left sauce over fish.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 358 calories (47 percent from fat), 18.6 g fat (4.2 g saturated, 7.9 g monounsaturated), 87 mg cholesterol, 39.7 g protein, 8.2 g carbohydrates, 2.9 g fiber, 451 mg sodium.

Pimento Couscous

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1/2 cup quick cooking pearl couscous
3/4 cup water
1 cup sliced canned roasted red pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add couscous to a large microwave safe bowl. Add water. Cover bowl with a plate or plastic wrap. Microwave on high 5 minutes. Remove and stir couscous. Most of water should be gone and couscous should be soft. If needed microwave, covered, for another minute. Add roasted red pepper, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Return cover to bowl and let sit while making the salmon dish.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 169 calories (29 percent from fat), 5.4 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 2.3 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 5.0 g protein, 25.9 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 14 mg sodium.

©2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

By Nada Hassanein, Stateline.org

“Don’t give me narcotics.”

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Emmalee Hortin, a doula, recalled one of her clients delivering that message to hospital staff. Doctors were operating on the woman to clear tissue after a miscarriage.

But despite her patient’s pleas, clinicians still administered fentanyl via IV to manage pain, Hortin said. Her client had substance use disorder and had been working toward recovery.

“She was really, really upset,” Hortin said. “She actually was really worried about returning to use, and so was her husband.”

Hortin is a doula trained in supporting pregnant and postpartum moms with substance use disorder — a role in increasing demand amid the nation’s concurrent crises of maternal mortality and addiction.

In recent years, more states, including Colorado and Utah, have passed laws to include Medicaid coverage for doula care. Some clinics are incorporating peer recovery doulas and other providers are offering training to bolster the workforce.

Many doulas who specialize in helping moms with substance use disorder are recovering from addiction themselves, or have helped loved ones with addiction. Hortin, a mother of three and stepmom to three others, is nine years into her recovery. Drawing on her own experience of isolation and addiction, she’s able to relate to struggling moms. She works at One Health, a Montana community health center that trains doulas from across the state in peer recovery.

In the case of the woman who asked not to be given fentanyl, Hortin recalled, hospital staff asked for her help to “defuse” her client’s emotions. “I was like, ‘Well, my job is not to defuse emotions, if you weren’t listening to my patient,’” she said. “When a patient in recovery, or that is working towards recovery, asks specifically for no fentanyl — that’s one of her triggers — you need to respect that.

“We had to do a lot of breakdown work and debriefing through the emotions,” Hortin said. “She felt like she couldn’t trust the hospital.”

Mental health conditions and substance use are leading underlying causes of maternal death, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those conditions can arise, or worsen, during pregnancy. Without treatment, it can be an especially vulnerable time for people with addiction and those who are trying to get sober, said recovery doula Britt Westmoreland, program coordinator for the University of Colorado’s recovery coach doula program.

Founder of Eggbaby Doula Services Aleece Weaver, right, demonstrates the work she does with pregnant clients. Weaver does pro bono doula care with clients in recovery at Utah perinatal recovery clinic SUPeRAD. Peer recovery doulas help moms with addiction, and state Medicaid plans have been expanding to cover doula care. (Anna Shmynets/Anna Shmynets/TNS)

Peer recovery doulas can advocate for patients in labor settings as well as support them when they face stressors or crave illicit substances during pregnancy or postpartum. Being in recovery themselves also helps foster trust and more open communication.

“It’s a lot easier for us to build rapport with people because there’s not a power differential or that systemic mistrust,” said Westmoreland, who is in long-term recovery and, like Hortin, knows the stigma and difficulties firsthand.

Stigma and bias

Stigma and bias around substance use disorder, mental health conditions and pregnancy can cause shame that prevents moms from reaching out for help or opening up about their struggle, doulas and doctors say. Those issues are exacerbated for Black and Indigenous women, who are disproportionately drug tested in hospitals during labor and disproportionately likely to be investigated by child welfare agencies, research has shown.

Native women can feel they’re treated differently in hospitals, said Julianne Denny, who is Cree, Ojibway and Mikmaq. Denny refers to her role as an Indigenous “birth worker,” as she supports women through cultural practices as well as through doula care. She trained at One Health and earned an addiction studies degree at Stone Child College.

It’s her job “to remind [moms] of their humanity and that they can gain control over their addictions and they can keep their babies,” she said. “That’s the endgame — is that their baby is safe and they’re safe, and we want our moms to grow with our babies, and our babies to grow with our moms.

“A big part of our work is working through the tough parts with moms to get them through to a successful pregnancy where they’re proud of themselves and they feel empowered.”

Hortin helps recovering moms up to three years postpartum. Working with clinicians, she helps create a personalized care plan for each family.

Emmalee Hortin works with a client this month. (Emmalee Hortin/Emmalee Hortin/TNS)

“No matter what these parents are struggling or facing, that’s not all they are,” said Hortin. “When we keep people held to our stigma and our bias, why would they want to change when no one’s willing to trust that they can?”

Policies to expand coverage

One day last week, 34 pregnant and postpartum patients with substance use disorder were on the schedule at the University of Utah’s Substance Use & Pregnancy—Recovery, Addiction, and Dependence (SUPeRAD) Clinic, where Dr. Marcela Smid is the medical director.

This week, more than 50 patients are on the schedule in a three-day period. Smid said her clinic gets patients from rural areas in Wyoming, Idaho and eastern Nevada.

States are slowly expanding coverage for doulas. Utah passed a law last year to start the process toward Medicaid coverage of doula care. Federal officials approved Utah’s plan, effective April 1, to allow certified doulas to be reimbursed via Medicaid.

“Now that we will be able to be paid through Medicaid, a lot of doulas will be able to feel this work is sustainable for them,” said Aleece Weaver, founder of the Utah Doula Access Project. She currently does doula work pro bono with Smid’s clinic.

Smid said the majority of the clinic’s patients are on Medicaid, which is the largest payer for behavioral health care nationwide. Most of her patients can’t afford to pay for doula care out of pocket, and because the state policy hasn’t gone into effect yet, doulas care for her patients pro bono.

Lanita Hoskinson, a peer recovery doula at One Health in Montana, holds a newborn. (Lanita Hoskinson/Lanita Hoskinson/TNS)

Colorado also recently expanded its Medicaid coverage to include doulas, and Montana passed a law last year establishing doula licensures, a first step toward coverage.

Beyond coverage, access is also an issue — especially in rural communities where health care providers, including mental and maternal health clinicians, are scarce. Smid travels monthly to Wyoming, where most residents don’t have easy access to maternal-fetal medicine specialists, she said.

States included goals of expanding behavioral and maternal health care access in their bids for federal dollars under the new five-year Rural Health Transformation Program.

For example, in its application, Montana said it would use the money to train a variety of health care providers and community-based professionals, including peer support specialists, in maternal health and crisis intervention.

Mental health conditions contributed to about 70% of Montana’s maternal deaths between 2020 and 2022 — with substance use contributing to more than 40% of those women’s deaths.

“It’s really just providing support to people that are already feeling hopeless. It’s about giving them the tiniest bit of hope and walking through it,” said One Health recovery doula Lanita Hoskinson. “All these families, they need somebody, especially in these frontier rural areas — they have nobody.”

Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein can be reached at nhassanein@stateline.org.

©2026 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.