What’s Up With That Empty Prison
Minnesota’s got this massive empty prison sitting in Appleton, a town so small that the facility could house more people than the entire population. For 15 years, the Prairie Correctional Facility has been gathering dust, but now, word is it might come back to life—not as your usual jail, but as a detention center for ICE. Yep, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement might turn this ghost prison into a hub for holding immigrants. Here’s the kicker: no official deal’s been signed yet, but CoreCivic—the private company that owns the place and works hand-in – hand with ICE—has been quietly prepping the facility. They’ve patched up the roof and done some electrical upgrades, all signs that they’re gearing up for something big. The city’s been hearing rumors for months but hasn’t seen any paperwork. Meanwhile, ICE’s internal documents leaked to the Washington Post show Appleton on a long list of potential detention sites around the country, even though the agency says the list isn’t final or approved. Look, private prisons have always been a hot topic, but this one’s been closed for over a decade. Now, with the Biden administration out and Trump back in the White House since November 2024, ICE is under pressure to expand detention capacity fast. CoreCivic just signed a contract to reopen a 600-bed ICE facility in Tennessee, so Appleton could be next if they pull the trigger. The town itself is tiny—about 1, 350 people. Imagine a prison with room for over 1, 600 inmates sitting there, ready to go. It’s wild. And honestly, what does this say about immigration policy right now?
Is it about managing numbers or about political theater?
It’s not just a local story; it’s part of the bigger debate on how America handles immigration enforcement in the Trump 2.0 era.
Target’s Digital Dilemma
Switching gears, let’s talk shopping—specifically, Target’s new approach to how it handles online orders. For years, the retailer has been a trailblazer in mixing digital and physical shopping. You could order online and pick up your stuff at the store, or get it delivered, all thanks to stores that double as mini fulfillment centers. It drove digital sales through the roof but often left shelves empty and stressed workers to the max. Now, Target’s playing it smart—or maybe just admitting the obvious. Incoming CEO and current COO Michael Fiddelke announced they’re scaling back on using stores to fulfill most online orders. Instead, they want stores to focus on in-person shoppers and drive-up orders. It’s like they realized you can’t be all things to all shoppers without sacrificing something. Packing and shipping online orders from every store was pulling away from what really matters: the in-store experience. They’ve tested this in a few Chicago stores, and now they’re expanding to another 30 to 40 markets this year. No word on whether Minnesota stores are on that list, but given Target’s Minneapolis roots, it’s something to watch. The takeaway?
Big retailers are waking up to the fact that digital growth can’t steamroll the physical store experience, especially with holiday shopping and foot traffic still a huge deal. Here’s the thing though: Target’s not ditching digital sales altogether. They’re just trying to find a better balance, focusing resources where they actually move the needle without burning out employees or frustrating customers who want to grab something off the shelf.
Golf Balls Gone Rogue
And then there’s the Hiawatha Golf Course drama in Minneapolis, which sounds almost comical but is seriously driving locals nuts. Imagine chilling in your own yard or eating lunch outside when suddenly—bam—a golf ball crashes through your window or smacks your windshield. For folks living next to the fourth hole, this isn’t a once-in – a-blue – moon thing. It’s every day, all season long. Neighbors like Tyler Page have a stash of “trophies”—buckets full of errant balls they’ve collected after dodging shots that fly way off course. People’s cars have windshields smashed, someone even got hit while biking down the street. It’s a mess, and it’s not just random bad luck; the course layout basically forces golfers to tee off right next to a fence that borders the neighborhood. Now, the city’s park board is taking this seriously. They’re in the middle of a drawn-out redesign of the course, chopping it from 18 holes down to nine. The idea?
Improve the ecological balance around Lake Hiawatha, which has pollution issues, and hopefully, keep those flying golf balls in check. It’s been a yearslong debate with plenty of pushback, but the new plans might finally put an end to this neighborhood hazard. Listen, we all get that golf courses and neighborhoods sometimes butt heads. But when you’ve got broken windows, bruised neighbors, and shattered car glass piling up, it’s clear something’s gotta give. And the city’s finally trying to fix it, even if it means downsizing the course and changing a longstanding layout.
What’s the Common Thread
If you look at these stories side by side, you see a pattern: communities grappling with big systems that impact their daily lives in unexpected ways. Whether it’s a ghost prison possibly swallowing a tiny town, a retail giant recalibrating how you shop, or a golf course making a mess in a quiet neighborhood, it all boils down to how institutions respond—or don’t—to real people’s needs. Minnesota is a microcosm of bigger national issues: immigration detention policies riding the wave of political shifts, retail giants scrambling to find footing as shopping habits evolve, and urban development clashing with quality-of – life concerns. And none of these solutions come easy or clean. There’s always a messy middle. So here’s what I want to know: What do you think about reopening that prison as an ICE facility?
Is it right to bring that kind of detention space back to a small town?
And Target scaling back digital fulfillment—does that sound like a smart move, or a step backward?
Finally, for those near the golf course or just curious, has your neighborhood dealt with weird stuff like rogue golf balls?
Hit me up in the comments—let’s hash it out.
