Valian sentenced for rural Harris murder in May 2020
 | Emotions were still very raw among those who testified at Friday’s sentencing of Justin Valian. Judge Bollman ordered him to serve to 225 months in prison for an earlier guilty plea to the second degree stabbing death of Joshua Kaczrowski, outside his home in rural Harris, in May 2020.
Friday, April 16, 2021
|
|
April 15, 2021 13:53
| Ground broken for Falcon Apartments in North Branch |
Falcon Apartments are officially under construction in North Branch, with the groundbreaking celebrated this week. Pictured are left, city Administrator Renae Fry and Mayor Jim Swenson, third from right— with Kuepers contractors representatives; Ray Austin and Pete Wolf and Chris Raiman for the architects. City officials were thanked for their swift handling of permits, road access and many other items that had to be addressed before this apartment complex got underway. The site is on the east side of Falcon Avenue, nearby the Ecumen senior living facility and south of Fairview’s Medical Center. It will be accessed by a new road, 385th, that is coming off 383rd, heading north into the apartments site.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 13:52
| | County adopts
housing trust | The Chisago County Board voted 5-0 last week to adopt an ordinance putting a Housing Trust Fund into existence. Chisago will be only the fourth county in Minnesota to have such a financial tool.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 13:09
| | No surprises in audit | The 2020 audit was presented to Taylors Falls City Council Monday night this week, and the council was pleased to learn that accounting and budget practices pretty much stayed on track despite covid-19 and everything going virtual with new deadlines imposed. Mayor Mike Buchite commented that city spending was contained somewhat over a traditional year’s purchases, because council was uncertain how projected revenues from property tax payments would be affected. The audit shows no delinquency worries there.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 13:08
| | Council approves street repairs;
public hearing next step on borrowing | With a heavy thunderstorm rumbling in the background, Center City Council, minus members Donna Higgins and Ryan Pease, tackled a couple hours’ worth of business last week.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 13:07
| | Girl Scout Silver Award project |
The Girl Scout Silver Award Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, hosted by Aisha Roche and Kaitlin Carlson at Moberg Park last Thursday, commemorated the efforts of their partners and community members’ celebrate completion of their "The Birdhouse Project." The event featured a presentation, demonstration, and opportunity to ask questions about the project and check out the birdhouses constructed by community members. The girls worked with the Park Commission, and placed 30 birdhouses. "The Birdhouse Project" is a sustainable community outreach project that has been led by two ambitious girl scouts, Aisha Roche and Kaitlin Carlson, in partnership with the Chisago City Parks Commission, Gregory Contracting, the East Central Regional Library Chisago Lakes area branch, and the Audubon Society, in a collaborative effort to bring habitat to our local parks.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 13:05
| | North Branch Water and Light puts years
old trailer park issue on upcoming agenda | North Branch Water & Light Commission welcomed a familiar face to its meeting last week, in the person of Tom Borchardt. The former owner of Oakwood Trailer Park in North Branch, Borchardt is seeking compensation for a six-year-old utility project he says he was “forced” to undertake; by a utility commission that he says was acting in violation of its own policy. Commissioners agreed to review the issues and take action at next week’s Water & Light meeting April 21.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 12:57
| | Shafer Council reviews bar outdoor events, parking complaint | Shafer City Council met April 6 for a regular meeting. All members were present with attorney James Monge via zoom.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 12:48
| | Numbers are changing - not in a good way anymore, last chance for '21 guide |
Well over a week ago it seemed we were turning the page on the COVID-19 situation. Our numbers were improving, deaths were plummeting, all signs were trending positively. This week is a complete 180. we are back to double digit daily deaths and our ICU numbers are soaring once again. When is this immunity thing going to kick in? We are told every night by the nightly news that our vaccination numbers in Minnesota are huge and growing daily. Then why are the pandemic numbers on the increase?
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 12:30
| | Sharing childhood food | Last week, I did a dessert column that featured recipes from some of the ladies in my life: my wife, my grandma, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Friday, April 16, 2021
| |
April 15, 2021 12:28
| | Chisago County vaccination pace is great, but hospitalizations pick-up | County Public Health officials are seeing good vaccination activity in Chisago County but the hospitalizations of residents has risen.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 14:04
| | Farmaste Animal Sanctuary to relocate this summer | A couple ag parcels north of Center City could be finding new life as a non-profit and a rural retail operation. The County Board will take final action April 21 on the permit recommendations handed up by the Planning Commission.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 13:32
| | Role as an extra in 'The Chosen' a blessing | A Chisago City real estate coach and team leader had the opportunity to play an “extra’ in a film production of Jesus’s life, that reviewers and industry analysts expect to have a lasting impact on entertainment and popular religiosity. Neal Lawson gathered with about 1,500 other people, on a hillside outside of Dallas Texas for the filming of Jesus’s sermon on the mount for the The Chosen— a free streaming series with the distinction of being the largest crowd-funded television or cinema project of all time.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 13:19
| | One-acre buildable discussion still underway | Three citizens have been assigned to a select county work group— tasked with re-writing an ordinance that for better or worse, has been a tool in the county land use tool box for conserving open space and rural aesthetics. The working group is assigned to develop new wording replacing “one acre buildable,” a pre-requisite for new plats imposed by Chisago County since 1997.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 13:13
| | Hwy. 8 'open house' to run virtually April 12-29 | If you are curious about proposed improvements along Hwy. 8 or if you have been hoping to give some input or to just learn more about the concept, Chisago County invites interested people to see a website for a “virtual public engagement event.”
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 13:10
| | Chisago County Collects:
Old and interesting (very) |
The Chisago County Historical Society is pleased to announce there’s a new exhibit at the courthouse in Center City. “Chisago County Collects: Old and Interesting” is arranged in the four display cases on the first floor and highlights antique and vintage items that have been collected by local residents.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 13:05
| | Getting a shot, big decision? Not for everyone it's not; FoodShare month | I hope you and your family. had a wonderful Easter. You couldn’t ask for better weather! Let’s hope this weather is here for good. Somehow I have a feeling it’s not. I think we had snow on my daughter’s birthday last year - that was in June.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 11:28
| | Satisfying your sweet tooth | Getting together with family was amazing on Easter. We met at my aunt’s house in West St. Paul and posted up in the driveway with a handful of tables since we didn’t have the whole family there.
Friday, April 9, 2021
| |
April 8, 2021 11:24
| | Saturday food distribution is coming April 24 to North Branch | There will be a food distribution to members of the public who need some help feeding themselves or their families...it is being held at North Branch Middle School at 38705 Grand Avenue, North Branch, Saturday April 24, from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. or when supplies are gone.
Thursday, April 8, 2021
| |
April 7, 2021 15:12
| | Guilty plea accepted for May 2020 fatal stabbing | A District Court judge has accepted a guilty plea from Justin Gerald Valian admitting to second degree murder with no intent, and not premeditated. Valian, 24, faces almost 19 years in prison under sentencing guidelines, according to the County Attorney. He will be sentenced April 16 in Judge Bollman’s court.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 4, 2021 15:39
| | Wireless internet
system installation
needs more time | The North Branch network of wireless broadband continues to be in the installation phase, and there’s a few days needed yet for testing by Genesis Wireless. The Braham based communications firm has a contract to service North Branch clients, who otherwise have not been able to connect to the Internet by wire/fiber optic. Genesis is leasing space atop multiple tower sites provided by the city, which give the company locations on which to erect its wireless equipment.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 1, 2021 13:52
| | Chisago City Council approves project funding, looks at ATVs | In a rapidly paced, one-hour meeting March 24, the Chisago City Council acted on a number of projects that will ensure a busy summer in Chisago City.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 1, 2021 13:51
| | North Branch mayor lifts
COVID-19 remote meeting rules | Big news: COVID-19, is no longer a public health concern. That comes straight from North Branch Mayor Jim Swenson, who last week lifted his special declaration relaxing restrictions around remote meeting participation by elected officials.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 1, 2021 13:50
| | Mandatory reporter expansion embraced by local youth rec group | A bill casting a wider safety net of mandated reporters who are watching out for abused children, garnered major bipartisan support in the state House on a 130 to 3 vote March 24.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 1, 2021 13:44
| | Flames take down Wild Mountain maintenance building |
Tuesday morning, local fire departments were dispatched to a fire at Wild Mountain Recreation Area. Business officials released a statement reporting that only one structure, the maintenance building, caught fire. Although snow-making and grooming equipment and machinery were lost and/or damaged, the winter season next year should see no significant ill effects. Firefighters who responded deserve a huge thank you, and “without them the outcome may have been far worse,” the statement declared.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 1, 2021 13:43
| | School sports teams compete at state level; take vaccinations seriously | The ice is finally gone. Thank goodness. It only took inches of rain and wind gusts that rivaled a hurricane to get rid of it. Nonetheless it just gives one a sense that winter is finally over and what a brutally cold end to the winter we had. After that deep temp dip spell, the ice actually went off in almost record time. Bring on the warm weather.
Friday, April 2, 2021
| |
April 1, 2021 13:21
|
|
|
