St. Paul voters will test the new system Tuesday that will allow voters to rank their choices for St. Paul City Council. The process is to ensure that a majority winner can be determined.

For the first time, voters can rank their choices in the seven city council races. In some races with more than two candidates, one person might not come away with a majority of the votes, so the race goes to an instant run-off with people's second and third choices. The four school board seats are not ranked choice.

Nearly a week after St. Paul voters cast their first ranked-choice ballots, Dave Thune was declared the winner of his city council race. Thune failed to gain a majority of the first-choice votes that were counted on Election Night. Counting two rounds of second-choice votes finally pushed him over 50 percent.

Downtown St. Paul residents are bracing for some restless nights. The Pioneer Press the City Council is exempting light rail construction crews from after-hours noise laws. The Council is allowing only a limited number of noisy construction episodes after midnight.

Two St. Paul city council races are too close to call and will go to hand counts next week. One of those races has incumbent Dave Thune in a tight race for his seat in Ward 2.

The Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches promoted Noya Woodrich to executive director. The appointment makes her the first woman and the first American Indian to lead the organization in its 107 year history.

St. Anthony City Council members have rejected plans to locate an Islamic center in the basement of the former Medtronic headquarters off Old Hwy. 8. The proposed Abu-Huraira Islamic Center had been on hold for months after some residents objected to the center and city leaders studied whether city zoning would support the facility.