Relative of triple homicide victim is main suspect
 | A 39-year-old male found deceased in rural Dakota County, Saturday March 4 is being investigated as the main suspect in a triple homicide here, Chisago County authorities announced this week. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:01
Rotary Club donates to Harmony in the Park | The Chisago Lakes Rotary Club is proud to be a platinum sponsor for this Summer’s Harmony in the Park. The Board presented a check for $500 to Rusty Johnson recently at our board meeting. The Rotary club is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and wanted to celebrate by supporting the concerts in the park. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:25
| Moody Lake next on W.D.
projects list | In the world of water quality, the term legacy doesn’t always mean something positive. In the case of a public park on Moody Lake in Chisago Lake Township South, research has identified a “legacy” load of contaminating manure built up over decades of an operating dairy farm. Last week the watershed district managers voted to do something about it. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:24
| Police Commission honors longtime volunteer | The every-other-month Lakes Area Police Commission meeting last week was a festive gathering celebrating the end of an era, literally, of service from citizen Mark Anderson, Chisago City. He has announced he’s stepping away from the reservist program, but he will still volunteer with city parks and community events. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:23
| Taylors Falls 2022 audit, good and bad news | The Taylors Falls City Council heard Monday night this week; that it was a good thing the city had healthy reserves (balances) and also took in extra federal recovery act funds, because the city spent much more in 2022 than it took in. The audit was presented by Abdo accounting associate Brad Faltysek. He told the council the audit also showed a number of municipal accounting shortcomings likely resulting from staff chaos. He advised that the state of Minnesota is not going to be coming to the city assessing any fines, as long as the state sees “you are going in the right direction,” he declared. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:22
| Ag leadership organization celebrates 25 years; women leaders being shaped by North Branch alum | The native Chisago County farm kid, currently leading an important women in agriculture organization, should not be a surprise to anybody who knew her back when. As Doris Mold was growing up on the family farm near Harris, her mother Sarah was the first female elected to be a Chisago County Commissioner. Doris’s dad Melvin was involved in Farm Bureau and the American Dairy Association. They made sure Doris got to her FFA and 4H meetings and supported her in contributing volunteer hours at the county fair. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:17
| What on earth is a pandemic?
Shorts on St. Patty's Day? Yep | From time to time I like to look back a year, three years, even five years to see what I was writing about.. I stumbled across my 2020 column from this week. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:05
| Time for March Madness | We’re coming up on March Madness this weekend, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m not even a huge college basketball fan, but I love this time of year. Games on in the morning, bets flying between friends and non stop action from near sunrise to sundown on the basketball court. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:04
| Center City Council hears of pier replacement, fire tanker pending sale | The big news out of last week’s Center City Council meeting had to be that the DNR is providing a new fishing pier. The one on North Center Lake is over 20 years old, more like 40 years by some estimates, and the state has it on the replacement cycle for 2023. Friday, March 17, 2023
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March 16, 2023 12:00
| Fish Lake Township deaths | The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office late Tuesday this week, released the names of three gunshot fatalities, found in a residence on Brunswick Road, Sunday March 5. The investigation has developed a “person of interest” believed to be the perpetrator, who is also deceased. This person was not identified. This death and the scene in Fish Lake Township began to connect after authorities found links working the case basically non-stop, according to a sheriff’s spokesperson. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 14:35
| Lent-North Branch annexation OK'd | A relatively uncomplicated annexation of sections of land out of Lent Township and into the City of North Branch has been ordered by state regulators. Based on materials submitted supporting the annexation, the MN Office of Boundary Adjustments and its administrative law division released the decision Wednesday March 1. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 12, 2023 15:08
| Disputed Lake Martha
preliminary plat approved;
annexation moves forward | After having been denied by the city planning commission in December and then sent back to the planning commission by the city council, a preliminary plat for Lake Martha Overlook and related variances was approved unanimously by council, Feb. 28. The planning commission met Feb. 2 to reconsider a revised plat for the detached villa townhome development, and city staff recommended approval. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 14:25
| Townships hold elections, meetings soon | The second Tuesday of every March, townships in Minnesota hold annual meetings where residents gather to review the budget, talk about concerns and make suggestions. Most townships also hold elections, although in Chisago County— Lent and Nessel Townships have opted to provide ballots on the November General Election calendar. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 14:23
| North Branch Council briefs | The five elected city council persons in North Branch all seemed to agree last week that they are not to be considered “personnel.” But, when time came to vote on designating officeholders as “non-personnel” the action was tabled until a work session later this month. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 14:20
| Sewer Commission to move forward on 'Phase 4' work | Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 14:12
| Chisago City Council OK's
Highway 8 design | The Chisago City Council met on Feb. 28 one member short. Technical difficulties prevented Craig Meyer from attending the meeting remotely, but that didn’t keep the council from tackling its lengthy agenda. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 14:11
| It's time to go green: St. Patrick's Day! | This is one of my favorite recipe columns of the year. As an Irishman, I love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, I love corned beef and cabbage, and I do like me some beer as well! Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 13:19
| Time to get your company into 2023 Community/Visitor Guide | We here at the Press are getting started on our annual Chisago Lakes Area Community and Visitor Guide. I think we started the guide my second year here at the Press and each year it has continued to grow. Last year we eclipsed the 100 page mark and this year looks to be bigger yet. Friday, March 10, 2023
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March 9, 2023 13:17
| Two men ID'd in fatal North Branch blaze | The medical examiner’s office has released the names of the two men who were found deceased inside of a burned structure March 5. Tuesday, March 7, 2023
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March 6, 2023 17:27
| Lindstrom has mayor, two council seats filled | The City of Lindstrom has its first ever female Mayor, with the installation of appointee Judy Chartrand on Friday, March 3. The two remaining city council members left in office following a couple of resignations early in 2023—voted to put Chartrand in the mayor’s position over two other citizen applicants, AnnMarie Brink and Rodney Stickney. Chartrand had just won a council seat in the November 2022 election. Monday, March 6, 2023
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March 5, 2023 15:00
| Home Sweet Home at the Chisago Lakes Home Show | The Home Show had close to 2,000 visitors last weekend. They were treated to tons of entertainment like The Houdeks bluegrass trio, and crafts for the kids, ie: Gregory Contracting birdhouses. Vendors (80) showcased goods and services. Below, Author Root reads to kids Monday, March 6, 2023
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March 5, 2023 11:09
| Heritage Area still in the works; group
continues efforts on healthy economy | Anybody who has taken a Marketing 101 course has heard the saying, customers don’t just stumble into destinations, they are lured. When energy, consistency and smarts go into the activity of doing the luring, the better the outcome will be. Monday, March 6, 2023
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March 5, 2023 10:44
| Hazelden
announces
$10 million gift | Up until recently, Hazelden’s biggest gift had been $8 million officially announced in July 2022 and received through the Estate of Max E. and Joyce Wildman. But, last week Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation announced a $10 million commitment coming from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation; as the largest donation to date received by the Center City-based organization. Monday, March 6, 2023
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March 5, 2023 10:42
| Fentanyl law revisions part of their mission | Like much of Minnesota— Chisago County has not been able to hide from the destructive power of fentanyl. In recent years multiple defendants have been prosecuted here for directly or indirectly providing fentanyl laced substances, that killed the consumer. Monday, March 6, 2023
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March 5, 2023 10:39
| Capitol cases delayed to March | The U.S. Department of Justice reports that as of the 25-month mark since the breach at the U.S. Capitol, there have been 500 guilty pleas resolving felonies to misdemeanors, and 1,003 persons have been charged. Among the defendants still in process are four Lindstrom area men; Jonah, Robert and Isaac Westbury and Aaron James, who have been moving through hearings and motions as a grouping. They recently appeared before U.S. Judge Rudolph Contreras, who approved pushing their cases to a virtual hearing March 24. Friday, February 24, 2023
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February 21, 2023 16:28
| Search firm hired for Lindstrom City Administrator position | The three remaining officeholders in Lindstrom last week approved retaining a search firm to bring city administrator candidates for consideration. John Olinger stepped down at the end of 2022 and Deputy Administrator Missy Glenna has been handling administrator duties in an interim capacity. Friday, February 24, 2023
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February 21, 2023 16:29
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