Columbus
Forest Lake Times
Sports Preview: Forest Lake softball hopes to claim second straight state title
Rangers look to repeat despite a new-look infield The Forest Lake Rangers softball team hopes to win back-to-back state titles after the program claimed its first state championship in school history last season. The Rangers will have to do so without the six seniors who were on last year’s championship roster and played significant time on varsity. Forest Lake coach Sean Hall said they have a “strong feeder program,” which...
After five years, seniors appreciate Newtrax bus
For Cathy Primeau, the weekly Newtrax bus service that runs every Wednesday is key for her to get some groceries and stop at the bank, since she doesn’t have a car, nor a license. When she moved to the area from Blaine a few years ago, a transportation service was a necessity, but was somewhat lacking before the nonprofit began servicing the city. “This is not one of those [companies that] serves and fulfills all the transportation gaps out there. But this is meant more,...
Scandia’s new administrator is ready to work and build community closer to home
Forest Lake resident begins new position later this month Kyle Morrell will soon take over the administrator’s chair in Scandia, leaving behind in the same chair in Hinckley. He’s ready, he says, for the transition. “I’m just excited to get started,” he said. He will take over the position nearly four months after the previous...
Forest Lake’s Evelyn Hudrlik honored after skiing trip to Kazakhstan
There were a few times where Forest Lake senior Evelyn Hudrlik felt compelled to take in everything around her at the National Skiing Center on Mount Kamenukha in Schuchinsk, Kazakhstan; Of course when she wasn’t busy skiing in the biathalon for Team USA in the IBU Youth World Championships held on March 4-12. Regardless of the results, Hudrlik foreshadowed what this opportunity meant for her future as she entered the bus that took her to the venue in Schuchinsk from the capital, Astana. ...
Forest Lake school district purchases robot
For decades, the Forest Lake Area School District manually painted sports fields. Kyle Young, Forest Lake’s community education athletics and facilities coordinator, said it took two staff members up to four hours to measure, set the lines and paint each field. Now that will no longer be necessary thanks to a recent purchase by the school district: a robot. The district recently purchased a roughly $50,000 robot from a company called Turf Tank in December, Young said. He said the district had been searching into...
Vietnam veterans honored during annual ceremony
On a sunny spring day, a special homecoming event was held at the American Legion in Forest Lake. It was a homecoming for 1999 Forest Lake graduate and current U.S. foreign service diplomat Nicole Finnemann, who flew home to be the master of ceremony event for the Legion’s annual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Service. But Finnemann spent her time “welcoming home” the Vietnam veterans from the area during the service, an event that’s a labor of love by Forest Lake resident Diane Finnemann, Nicole’s mother. It’s...
Chisago County works to preserve history
The Chisago County Commissioners set in motion a plan to preserve the county’s historical documents at its March 15 meeting. County Recorder Karen Long presented the plan, with the goal of having historical data online for easier research by genealogists, title companies, attorneys and others who may wish to view county documents. “Currently not all of our documents are available digitally, and I think it’s time to upgrade that,” she...
Students to receive free school meals under new law
Area representatives not unanimous on votes Minnesota will join California, Colorado and Maine this summer in offering free breakfast and lunch to students at all public schools across the state. The free school meal program is set to begin on Saturday, July 1, 2023, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. This program was finalized when Gov. Tim Walz signed the bipartisan free school meal bill into law on Friday,...
Forest Lake’s Matt Wallner and Zack Raabe gear up for new baseball season
Wallner starts with Saints, expected to see more time with the Twins Editor's Note: Zack Raabe has since been released by the Milwaukee Brewers organization, according to Baseball America. Former Forest Lake baseball standouts Matt Wallner and Zack Raabe are preparing for their upcoming seasons with the St. Paul Saints and Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, respectively, with a shared target in mind: move up to the next level. ...
LILA’s archery program brings home more hardware from state tournament
The Dragons win third straight 3D state title Lakes International Language Academy’s archery program has become the team to beat in the last several years, and this year the team proved it again at the National Archery in the Schools Program’s Minnesota State Tournament last weekend on Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. LILA’s high school team won the state championship in the 3D tournament...
Fox 9 Town Ball Tour will stop in Forest Lake this summer
Schumacher Field is penultimate stop on the schedule The 2023 Fox 9 Town Ball Tour will make a stop at Schumacher Field in Forest Lake this summer when the Brewers face the Anoka Bucs at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12. Produced by Lori Lees Fisher, Fox 9 is expected to have a television booth on-site for live news coverage of the event with reporters – and a weatherman – according to Brewers’ team manager Adam Gallatin. Live interviews with fans and players will also...
LILA students take on musical ‘The Lightning Thief’
When it came time for Lakes International Language Academy lead director Kristina Kofski and assistant director Megan Hirman to choose a spring musical, the choice sort of fell out of their hands. “The kids brought it to us as a suggestion,” Hirman said. Both Hirman and Kofski were familiar with the book and movie “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” but it wasn’t at the top of their...
Norhart Apartments tackles affordable housing crisis one steel stud at a time
When Norhart Apartments experienced the rising costs of lumber – and other supplies – in the early months of the pandemic, CEO Mike Kaeding knew it was time to flip a switch, one he’d been working toward since he took over the family business in 2014. Norhart Apartments bought a facility in Forest Lake off 11th Street in the summer of 2021 to create a “steel stud factory” to manufacture its own materials and pre-construct wall panels for the apartment buildings the company owns and manages. ...
Scandia hires Kyle Morrell for administrator position
Hinckley city administrator expected to begin mid-April After roughly a four-month search, the city of Scandia is set to hire Kyle Morrell, the current city administrator for the city of Hinckley, for the role of city administrator after the council approved an employment agreement with Morrell during its Tuesday, March 21 meeting. Morrell’s first day is expected to be Wednesday, April 17, and will earn $115,000 annually in the Scandia city administrator role. ...
‘It was crazy’: Josie Bothun backstops Penn State to CHA Title
Forest Lake graduate helped Nittany Lions achieve history Former Forest Lake hockey hotshot Josie Bothun recently led Penn State University women’s hockey team to a historic victory. The Nittany Lions won 2-1 in overtime over Mercyhurst University inside Pegula Ice Arena in Pennsylvania for their first College Hockey America Championship in program history on Saturday, March 4. “It was crazy,” Bothun said of the win. “It, like, took me a...
School board approves inclement weather makeup day
Board meetings will remain at district offices As of the Thursday, March 2, school board meeting, the district has one final e-learning day it can use in inclement weather without having to make up another school day later in the year. “Given the pattern of this winter, I think it would be prudent to identify a day that we might need to make up,” Superintendent Steve Massey said. ...
Scandia begins negotiations with Waste Management following complaints of missed pickups
After rounds of missed or delayed trash pick-ups since December – and subsequent resident complaints – the city of Scandia is trying to seek solutions, including possibly pursuing another company’s service, if negotiations with its current hauler, Waste Management, Inc. cannot be agreed upon. On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Scandia City Council approved city staff to begin negotiating with Waste Management Inc. in mid-March following the issues with the hauler. ...
Bud Grant’s legacy touched Forest Lake
Vikings coaching legend once called Forest Lake home When legendary Vikings head coach Harry Peter “Bud” Grant died at the age of 95 on Saturday, March 11, outpourings of love and affection came from across the state. His name has become synonymous with Vikings lore, where he was a head coach from 1967 to 1983, and then again in 1985 when he returned for a single season. ...
Forest Lake man charged with criminal sexual conduct
A 39-year-old Forest Lake man was recently charged with two felony counts of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor. Neil Lundgren was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct on Dec. 2. A first court appearance was held for Lundgren on Feb. 9. According to the criminal complaint, Lundgren inappropriately touched the underage victim at least three times between the ages of 5 to 10. In one incident, the criminal complaint states that Lundgren drank a shot of vodka followed by Mountain Dew before inappropriately touching the victim. Lundgren was released upon agreement that he comply with random chemical testing and chemical dependency evaluations, and is required to give up firearms and has a no-contact order with minors.
Chisago County confirms contract with Teamsters
The Chisago County Board of Commissioners ratified a new three-year contract with the Teamsters 320 bargaining unit at its Wednesday, March 1, meeting. The agreement covers some county employees in Health and Human Services, Engineering and Highways as well as General Assistance Program. The agreement includes a one-time longevity bonus of $250 per year of service for each employee. It also involves adoption of the Baker Tilly 105% wage scale...
Forest Lake Times
869+
Posts
835K+
Views
Forest Lake Times has been serving Forest Lake, MN since 1902. Published Thursdays by APG of East Central Minnesota with 24/7 local coverage found online at forestlaketimes.com
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.