Hiland charged with first degree assault in stabbing of parents

The Chisago County Attorney has formally charged a 26-year-old man with two felony counts of assault in connection with the stabbing of the man’s parents December 21.  Tyler Hiland is scheduled for his next court appearance January 4. Friday, January 1, 2021

January 13, 2021 11:07January 13, 2021 11:03January 13, 2021 11:00January 13, 2021 10:57January 13, 2021 10:52January 13, 2021 10:51January 13, 2021 10:49January 13, 2021 10:31January 13, 2021 10:29January 13, 2021 10:27January 7, 2021 15:44January 7, 2021 15:38January 7, 2021 15:36January 7, 2021 15:29January 7, 2021 15:26January 7, 2021 13:38January 7, 2021 13:34December 29, 2020 15:47December 29, 2020 15:45December 29, 2020 15:44December 29, 2020 15:43December 29, 2020 15:13December 29, 2020 15:10December 27, 2020 12:56December 27, 2020 12:55

Local youth enjoy area sledding hills

The hills at Paradise Park in Chisago City were filled with outdoor fun last weekend.  Mild temps and snow cover are luring people outdoors for activities that ranged from snowboarding (perfect slope near the lake for youngsters) to full blown speed racer sledding. Friday, January 15, 2021

Is it time to tap a new law enforcement team? City council looking into possibility

Taylors Falls City Council had a couple of guests in the meeting room Monday night this week, as Chisago County Sheriff Brandon Thyen and Sgt. Cliff Sheppeck were on the agenda for a discussion about Taylors Falls’ sheriff patrol contract.  Sheppeck succeeds Shane Carroll in 2021 as the primary “south-end” officer and will be the person assigned to Taylors Falls, Center City and Shafer.  Sheriff Thyen said having multiple contracts  lets him schedule and support wages for a fulltime person in the basic Highway 8 region and he’d be disappointed to lose any of the agreements. Friday, January 15, 2021

Highway 8 planning picking up speed as Chisago & Wyoming invited to provide design input

Improvements to Highway 8, from Forest Lake to Chisago City, have been on the back-burner for so long, most people have given up on seeing any action.   The first session of the “Highway 8 Task Force’ was in 2008. Friday, January 15, 2021

MN near top of federal Census responses, with Chisago in Top 10

Chisago County residents responded to the 2020 Census at a rate that put the county in the top 10 of 87 Minnesota Counties.  The best response rates came from Carver at 83 percent, then Anoka, Scott, Washington.  Friday, January 15, 2021

Water and Light awaits new member, talks about activating late fees

The North Branch water and light utility commission met shorthanded last week with one commissioner term having expired as of January.  North Branch City Council is responsible to fill terms by appointment and the council had an agenda item for this week’s council meeting,  to consider sole applicant James Baxter. Friday, January 15, 2021

Shafer City Council gets tower recap

Shafer City Council met for their first council meeting of 2021 January 5.  The meeting began with the swearing in of newly elected members Dianne Chmielewski and Brad Swenson. Friday, January 15, 2021

Center City Council welcomes Pease; hears of wrongly-placed driveway

Center City Council heard of a mis-located driveway in the new housing area, east of downtown on Orchard Court, that has the potential to become a very costly mis-step.  The new neighborhood on a bay of South Center Lake, is riddled with wetlands and when laying out the plat the initial approach was to create a Planned Unit Development, with conservation easements protecting open acreage in the low areas. Friday, January 15, 2021

Goodbye to a few community staples, the state is open? Let's go out to eat!

If there is one thing that I hate about this job, it has to be people I have become friends with, great people in our community, passing away.  This week we have two to mourn.  Not to belittle the others in our obituary section, I am writing about those whom I knew.  Ace Johnson of Lindstrom and Frankie Dusenka of Chisago City passed away recently.  Friday, January 15, 2021

What goes with what?

Good morning, or afternoon. Friday, January 15, 2021

Decades in design; but year at helm of professional association one to remember

EDITOR’S NOTE: If the year we just completed could be described in one sentence,  it might be that it was all about change.  Those of us who went outside of our comfort zone with open minds, just may have discovered in 2020 that change can be a great teacher.  Friday, January 15, 2021

Looking back on 2020 local highlights

The Year 2020 is unforgettable for more than a few reasons, but in looking back in the year’s newspapers  there were a number of positive news items that helped to bump the covid-19 virus off the front page once in a while.... Friday, January 8, 2021

North Branch Water & Light 2020 rebates far-ranging

Going into 2021 the staff with North Branch Water & Light are looking to spread the word on money-saving rebates available to commercial and residential customers and report on what the utility did to help out commercial-industrial customers in 2020. Friday, January 8, 2021

Chisago City DMV reopens after design changes and expansion

The Chisago City motor vehicle services and registration station at 10625 Railroad Avenue, has re-opened after some changes to the interior and its space being enlarged.  Design elements are updated and work stations have been separated better, and the former big round table where the public filled out forms is now two-seats.   The new awning on the exterior has not been installed yet but the announced plan is to have a metal awning along the front window area to provide some shelter when clients,  due to virus restrictions, form a line outdoors. Friday, January 8, 2021

DuBose new County Board chair; Heartland hand-off moves forward

The Chisago County Board voted 5-0 to seat Commissioner Chris DuBose as Chair for 2021.  Minus his face mask while seated (also lacking a mask,  Commissioner Dunne) Chair DuBose stated that he looks forward to productive collegial debates about local issues and accepted the gavel from outgoing Chair Ben Montzka. Friday, January 8, 2021

County Board adopts new policy to award recent state relief monies

Chisago County is dispensing another round of covid-19 business relief in the form of $5,000 grants. This funding comes through the state and is being made available to applicants until February 8. Statewide grants will be $114.8 million and funds are divided out to business forced to close and then a sum earmarked for theaters and entertainment venues and then the county appropriations. Friday, January 8, 2021

Thanks Jerry, please help our local restaurants; want a new snowmobile?

We still haven't heard back from our coloring contest winners. Hopefully the kids that won it were not from out of town visiting relatives. Again, Autumn, Wyatt and Avalynn, please contact us here at the Press at 651-257-5115 or stop in to claim your fabulous prizes. We want to take your photos for the next Press edition. Friday, January 8, 2021

Add lemon juice for odor

It’s about a green veggie that we can eat 365 days a year, unless there is a health issue that says you can only eat broccoli once or twice a week. Some of our medications don’t mix well with certain foods, so be sure to check with your doctor regarding this issue. One other thing, perhaps you just don’t like broccoli or the smell of it that fills the air when it’s being cooked. When cooking broccoli in water or steaming it, add a couple squirts of lemon juice to the water and it pretty much takes away the unwanted odor. Another way to get rid of the odor... eat it raw. I have a lot of info regarding nutritional values but I do need to get to recipes. The thing is, eat lots of broccoli, one way or another, because it really is very good for you. Friday, January 8, 2021

Christmas meal serves food to those in need

The annual Christmas meal volunteers were doing their best to get the food out to those who needed it this season, and even though there was no personal fellowship possible minus the ability to be seated around a community table, connections were made and hearts were touched.  The United Methodist Church family makes this happen with dozens of helpers. Friday, January 1, 2021

Wyoming P.D. have bodyworn cameras now

Wyoming Police have bodyworn cameras on the street. The department wasted no time getting the set of 10 cameras and supportive equipment activated, once the city had gone through the legal steps required by the state to implement bodyworn cameras in law enforcement.  Uniformed officers with Wyoming P.D. and Lakes Area Police, along with the sheriff’s office, are now using bodyworn cameras Friday, January 1, 2021

Local projects get 2021 grants

Clean Water Fund grants were approved late in December by the MN Board of Soil & Water Resources and Chisago County has won some allocations in this round of funding. According to BWSR grants amounting to $12.3 million for conservation and drainage management projects among other water quality efforts, are being funded locally. Friday, January 1, 2021

Concerns about bail don't extend to Chisago County process, at this time

As of January 1 county prosecutors in Hennepin, and Washington counties will be halting requiring bail for a number of offenses.  The County Attorneys in these urban area jurisdictions announced their upcoming elimination of bail for 19 crimes. In the foreseeable future, however, Chisago County is not apt to join the movement.  The numbers and types of crimes here don’t seem to justify any categorical exclusions to bail, according to County Attorney Janet Reiter. Friday, January 1, 2021

Goodbye to some catch phrases forever hopefully, Happy New Year

As we approach the new year, we say goodbye.  Goodbye to one of the crappiest years I can ever remember. Goodbye to staying locked inside and not visiting with friends and family. Goodbye to people hating, yes hating, other people because of their political beliefs. Goodbye (hopefully) to those annoying words  new normal, super spreader, and my most favorite of all....unprecedented...yuk.  I get it, the pandemic is not by any means over.  And I am not saying it is, but the end is in sight.  And the end of my short list hopefully is right behind.  Someday we will look back and find something positive that came about from our quarantining all winter and summer and again the following winter, but for right now I can’t find a single positive.   Very negative I know, I am sorry.  Things can only get better - right? Friday, January 1, 2021

Oven meals to grace your table

Have you put up or taken out your 2021 calendars yet? I always put the “new” calendar under last year’s so I’m good to go when the next year comes around. Now, if I remember to put the right date in my checkbook, I’ll be doing good! Friday, January 1, 2021

Looking like new Heartland Express operator taking over

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is making progress on re-assigning an operator for the Heartland Express.  The public transit program that serves residents of Isanti and Chisago Counties was the subject of a “special solicitation” that went out last fall, with MnDOT seeking proposals from new operators.  The solicitation was to have been awarded by October, but no news had been forthcoming. In checking with county officials, the apparent winner of the solicitation is Arrowhead Transit program. Monday, December 28, 2020

County Board sets wages, McMahon attends last meeting

County Commissioner George McMahon took his financial/bonding expertise, his passion for veterans and a brand new Rush City Tigers winter knit hat with him last week as he said farewell to the County Board.  The hat was a gift from Commissioner Mike Robinson.  McMahon served 12 years, and did not seek re-election last month. Monday, December 28, 2020