Naked Swimmers, New Restaurants, And Burglars: July's Top Stories

July is traditionally seen as one of the duller months of the year for news, but not this time around! Here are the top stories in Southwest Minneapolis from the last month.

1. - Were you really surprised? Early this month, during that awful heat wave, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department caught two separate groups of bathers skinny-dipping in and in . In a follow-up story, Minneapolis to bring back a public nude beach.
2. - Well, not the original Linden Corner Development. Mark Dwyer, the developer who proposed the first, controversial project at the corner of 43rd and Upton announced he was bringing a half-sized version of the proposal, to be called 4250 Upton, back to the neighborhood for input.
3. - Late this month, scores of garages were broken into over a few nights. The thieves seemed chiefly interested in high-end bicycles. Police have since upped their marked and unmarked patrols in Southwest Minneapolis.
4. - County prosecutors charged a CARAG resident in one of the many vandalism incidents where the windows of Kyle's Market and Calhoun Pet Supply were smashed. The accused told police he thought Kyle's Market was selling him "poisoned" cigarettes.
5. - As many of you know, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) accused Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and a top State Department aide of being part of a radical Muslim conspiracy to infiltrate the US government.
6. - The soon-to-open restaurant at 50th and Bryant sat down with us for a sneak peek at the hotly anticipated eatery. "I like the idea of a bistro, of a cafe" chef Peter Ireland said. "It's really a European diner."
7. - A newly-opened Windom pizzeria is nervously eyeing its financial future after the Minneapolis City Council—at neighbors' request—barred it from keeping its dining room doors open past 10 p.m. It will still deliver to 3 a.m. to most of Southwest Minneapolis.
8. - Linden Hills stalwart Bob Bayers decided to retire after being out-competed by Settergren's Ace Hardware.
9. - An ancient European alternative treatment for asthma and other illnesses comes to Tangletown.
10. - A short sermon by a priest who told Minneapolis and Edina residents why a good Catholic can still vote "no" on the marriage amendment garnered thousands of hits on Youtube in a few weeks.