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Hill & Lake Press

Courtney grew up on Humboldt Avenue in Lowry Hill and even helped deliver the Hill &amp; Lake Press before her family moved to Karachi, Pakistan when she was 12. Like many Minnesotans, she eventually felt the pull of home and returned to Minneapolis. She and her husband raised their two children—and a lively pack of dogs—in East Bde Maka Ska before settling in Kenwood, where she now serves as neighborhood board chair.
A retired non-profit leader, Courtney devotes her time to community service, with a focus on reproductive health, affordable housing, and healthcare access. She is deeply involved at Hennepin Healthcare as a Foundation board member and a therapy dog volunteer team.
Courtney’s photos regularly appear in the Hill &amp; Lake Press, and she occasionally contributes commentaries and articles. For her, photography is both a creative outlet and a way to celebrate the community—capturing neighbors and moments as they are, unposed and authentic.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-9532" src="https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?w=200" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg 4480w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=200,300 200w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=768,1152 768w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=683,1024 683w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=1024,1536 1024w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=1365,2048 1365w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=1080,1620 1080w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=564,846 564w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=710,1065 710w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=290,435 290w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=320,480 320w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=235,353 235w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=300,450 300w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=150,225 150w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=100,150 100w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/courtney.jpg?resize=780,1170 780w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />

Courtney Cushing Kiernat

Local News

My EMS Ride Along Adventure

Neil Trembley

The Cedar Lake Trail seen cutting though its prairie.

The Cedar Lake Prairie to Burn This Spring

John Peterman

New cool tone bulbs replace warm hues which has angered many neighbors.

A New Hue Turns Streets and Moods Blue

Marty Carlson is a regular writer for Hill &amp; Lake Press.  He lives in Kenwood. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-9518" src="https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/martys-dog.jpg?w=225" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/martys-dog.jpg 240w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/martys-dog.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/martys-dog.jpg?resize=235,313 235w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/martys-dog.jpg?resize=150,200 150w, https://lede-admin.hillandlakepress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2025/09/martys-dog.jpg?resize=100,133 100w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />

Marty Carlson

My Saturday with the DFL

Curt Gunsbury

Dear Council Member Katie Cashman

Susan Lenfestey lives in Lowry Hill, where she and her husband Jim Lenfestey raised their four children, among other things.   They were part of the founding crew of the Hill &amp; Lake Press.

Susan Lenfestey

Local government leaders move forward on Minne-Amsterdam plan.

Minneapolis Goes Dutch!

Weekend Crime Spree Starts With Attack on Kenwood Teen

Luminary Loppet: Failure Is Not an Option!

Caucus Cacophony Turns Symphonic

Craig Wilson has long been active in neighborhood and citywide community organizing, bringing people together to build a stronger, more connected Minneapolis. His background in cultural studies and comparative literature, along with landscape architecture and urban and regional planning, shapes his interest in how culture, place and community intersect. As editor of Hill &amp; Lake Press, Craig is dedicated to highlighting local stories, championing civic engagement and nurturing the shared spirit of the Hill &amp; Lake community — often with his two whippets by his side on neighborhood walks.