St. Paul music school Walker West Music Academy, known for its decades-long commitment to young Black musicians, is officially opening the doors of its new Marshall Avenue headquarters this weekend.

The school shifted operations to the fully renovated building earlier this year and is planning a two-day grand opening celebration: On April 25, a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. will be followed by remarks from school leaders, legislators and community partners and a performance by the school’s Kamoinge Strings ensemble.

Then, an all-day family open-house event from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 26 is set to include tours of the space, food trucks and performances by groups including Walker West’s jazz ensemble, string instrument students and its Amazing Grace Chorus, geared toward older adults including those with dementia.

The 16,000-square-foot facility at 650 Marshall Ave. replaces the school’s previous home on Selby Avenue, which it had occupied since 2014 and was quickly outgrowing. In late 2023, the school, which serves about 5,600 students a year, estimated 200 people were on its waitlist.

Now, with more than double the space it previously occupied, the school will contain 18 music studios, a specialized recording studio, a digital music lab, new instruments and staff and a 200-seat performance hall slated to open in September.

The new building has been a centerpiece of the school’s multi-year capital campaign, which has so far raised about $13.5 million of a $19.5 million goal. Contributions have come from both private and public sources, including $4 million from local philanthropists Pat and Gary Sauer and approximately the same amount in state funding, spearheaded by state Rep. Samakab Hussein, within whose district the school’s new home lies.

“Walker West’s new space is more than just a building; it’s a designated cultural destination and vital community resource right here in the historic Rondo Community,” executive director Braxton Haulcy said in a statement. “We are thrilled to open our doors and invite students, families, and community members to experience the joy of music.”

Walker West Music Academy was founded in 1988 by the Rev. Carl Walker and Grant West, both skilled church musicians and jazz pianists. It’s one of the oldest community music schools in the country founded by Black musicians.

“The academy’s journey from an upstairs duplex to its award-winning ensembles performing on prestigious stages represents the power of community investment in the arts,” Hussein said in a statement. “Walker West exemplifies how music education strengthens our cultural fabric.”

If You Go

What: Two-day grand opening celebration for Walker West Music Academy’s new facility
When: Ribbon-cutting and reception 4 to 8 p.m. April 25; family day and open house 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 26
Where: Walker West Music Academy; 650 Marshall Ave.
More information: Available online at https://walkerwest.org/grand-opening-2025/

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By RIO YAMAT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.

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Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody ahead of her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.

In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the loyal Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and “select media outlets” of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to “target and dismantle” her life.

The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. She had been facing the possibility of decades in prison.

Federal prosecutors said at trial that Fiore, 54, had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter’s wedding.

“Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,” federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said.

FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore’s home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending.

In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon “reckless” and a “slap in the face” to law enforcement officers.

Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was appointed as a judge in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer.

She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour’s drive west of Las Vegas.

In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week.

Nye County said in an email to The Associated Press that it is awaiting an update from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline on Fiore’s current suspension. The AP sent emails seeking comment to the commission, as well as Fiore’s lawyer.

Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.

While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016.

By JONATHAN J. COOPER

PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said Thursday that party officers should be banned from taking sides in primaries, countering DNC Vice Chair David Hogg’s plan to raise money for candidates challenging Democratic incumbents.

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Martin’s proposal escalates a public feud between the new DNC boss and Hogg, who rose to prominence as a gun-control advocate after surviving the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Both were elected by DNC members earlier this year.

Martin said he’s drafting proposed bylaw changes to require officers to remain neutral in all Democratic primaries.

Martin said party neutrality is crucial to maintaining the confidence of voters, pointing to the bitter feud that emerged after supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign believed he was stymied by party insiders putting their thumb on the scale in favor of Hillary Clinton, who won the nomination but went on to lose the general election to Donald Trump.

“You can’t be both the player and the referee,” Martin wrote in an opinion piece published by Time.

Hogg has said he’ll raise millions of dollars through a political action committee unaffiliated with the DNC to support primary challengers running against longtime incumbents in solidly Democratic congressional districts. He says the party needs a shakeup to bring in leaders who will more aggressively confront Trump and connect with younger voters.

FILE – David Hogg talks to people after speaking at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Hogg said in a statement posted on social media that he is not breaking any current DNC rules, and his actions don’t interfere with the party’s responsibilities, including setting a presidential nominating calendar, supporting state Democratic parties, building data infrastructure and creating the campaign infrastructure for a future Democratic presidential nominee.

Voters don’t view Democrats as a “real alternative to the Republican Party,” he said.

“That will not change if we keep the status quo,” Hogg said. “We have no other option but to do the hard work of holding ourselves and our own party accountable.”

Also on Thursday, Martin said the DNC would increase its financial support for state Democratic parties by $5,000 to $17,500 per month, with an additional $5,000 monthly for Republican-led states.

John McCarthy, the chief finance officer for the city of St. Paul, is leaving City Hall after 18 years.

McCarthy has been named as the new chief financial officer of the League of Minnesota Cities, the state’s largest municipal membership association. He will join the league on June 2, replacing current CFO Mark Ruff, who announced his decision to step down earlier this year.

McCarthy will oversee all of the league’s financial reporting, accounting, budgeting and accounts payable. He has worked for the city’s Office of Financial Services since 2007 and has served as the city’s chief financial officer since 2019.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said plans for “interim leadership” will be announced in coming weeks.

The league represents more than 830 member cities through advocacy, education, training and policy development.

Jay Willms

On Wednesday, the St. Paul City Council officially swore in Jay Willms as director of city council operations. Willms, who was previously a principal fiscal analyst with Ramsey County and before that delivered nonpartisan budget analysis for the state Senate, had served since June 2023 as the council’s chief budget officer.

He replaces Brynn Hausz, who was director of city council operations until November 2024. Willms had served as the interim director since that time.

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