Bethel
Politics
Experience This ‘Must-See’ Halloween Event In Minnesota
As a child growing up in rural Minnesota, October was always a special time for me. I loved trick or treating, dressing up, enjoying pumpkin-face painted cookies from my aunt Marlene, and enjoying all the fun festivities of fall. I've just discovered a magical event that you and your family...
Forest Lake approves preliminary levy at 11.54%
Forest Lake’s preliminary levy has been set at $16,677,970, an increase of 11.54% after the council had requested the levy percentage get trimmed back from a 13.2% increase. The state requires cities to pass a preliminary levy, which cannot be exceeded, before the city’s passing of a final levy in December. The city had hoped to make more headway on funding its park maintenance and improvements, but after council members heard from residents that the 13.2% increase was too much, $250,000 was taken out of...
Interim administrator Kristina Handt named among three finalists
Forest Lake’s 8-month-long search for a new city administrator continues to move forward with its new hiring firm Express Employment/Specialized Recruiting Group as the council announced three finalists. Among them is interim city administrator Kristina Handt. The council also named Jon Radamacher, a former city administrator for Little Falls, and Shawn Metcalf, a former city administrator for the city of Hastings, Nebraska, as finalists alongside Handt. A date has yet to be announced regarding any interviews with the finalists. ...
Drones officially banned from Isanti County parks
The Isanti County Board approved the changes to the county’s park ordinance as part of its meeting held Tuesday, Sept. 17. And with that move, it effectively banned drones from county parks. The commissioners originally tackled the topic during a meeting held Aug. 6 where they listened to public input about the document, which was created in 2014 and last updated in 2018. Before a public hearing on the topic...
Isanti County declares 'state of emergency' to deal with wind damage
Isanti County declared a state of emergency as part of a special meeting of the Isanti County Board of Commissioners held Tuesday, Sept. 24. The decision was in response to damage caused by violent storms which hit the county on Monday, Aug. 26. Isanti County Emergency Manager Clinton Maxson said the damage was focused on the south edge of the county, notably Bradford, Isanti and Spencerbrook townships, with lesser damage found in Athens, Springvale and Stamford townships as well as the cities of Isanti and...
Sherburne board sets preliminary levy at $62.7M
A preliminary 2025 property tax levy of $62,765,982 has been set by the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners in a unanimous vote on Sept. 17. That is a 3.99% increase over 2024. The final levy will be adopted in December. It can be lower, but not higher, than the preliminary levy. Before the county board sets the final levy, a public meeting about the proposed 2025 budget will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Sherburne County Government Center, 13880 Business Center Drive...
Zebra mussels confirmed in Ann Lake in Sherburne County
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported last week it has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Ann Lake, near Orrock in Sherburne County. Following up on an earlier unconfirmed report of zebra mussels in Ann Lake, the Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation District and a volunteer, in partnership with the DNR, collected water samples from the lake on two different days. The samples showed high counts of zebra mussel larvae, called veligers. The presence of veligers indicates zebra mussel reproduction in the...
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