LOCAL
County insurance trust to pay out $7.5 million
A years-long lawsuit filed against Chisago County by a former family member of disgraced sheriff Rick Duncan has been settled. The County Board accepted an offer last week dropping all claims against the county in exchange for $7.5 million. The county commissioners were advised to not make any statements on …
North Branch leads permit activity, Wyoming in second
New construction activity in Chisago County in 2025 came to well over 2,000 permits issued from the county alone, with another several hundred from North Branch and Wyoming— which provide their own municipal building permitting and inspection services.
County Board awards SIRT culvert, rejects old jail site purchase bids
This is the time of year when contracts are being lined up for warm weather work. And, the early tasks to improve and complete Center City’s segment of the Swedish Immigrant Regional Trail have been started. The County Board last week OK’d the custom culvert ordering, which will allow for …
Facade grant OK’d for North Branch business
If you notice some building improvement work happening at the former taxidermy business site on main street in North Branch, it’s all part of the facade grants the city offers businesses in the core. The program was begun with $75,000 and the structure at 6354 Main Street is the third …
Some places you never forget
My wife and I and two of our good friends took a couple of days off last week and headed south. We went to a town about an hour and half from Cancun that we have been to before. The weather was incredible, mid 80’s and barely a cloud every …
Featured fish entrees for Lent
We are officially in the season of Lent and fish! The fish fry meals are always great at the local churches, but here are a few recipes you can make at home this year while observing Lent.
Remodel projects awarded for ISD 138
The plans to free-up classroom space for growing enrollment in Sunrise Elementary School, by relocating first graders to the education center facility, are closer to reality.
AED donation from SLFD
Stacy-Lent firefighters allocated funds from their charitable gaming proceeds and will install a life saving AED unit at a North Branch location. Department spokesperson Eric Coen and Sunrise River Elementary School Principal Taylor Swanson presented the concept of the save station to the school board last week. Coen said he …
Stacy roadwork set for spring start
Stacy City Council met February 10 for a regular meeting. All members were present.
Celebration of the Lakes 2026 Fishing contest
The turnout for the Chisago Lakes Lions ice fishing contest February 15 had to be one for the record books. Members reported every last cookie and hot dog was sold, the club opened 300 ice fishing holes which were all spoken for. The club had access to the entire south …
It felt like Florida for the COL
What amazing weekend weather we had for the Celebration of the Lakes. We don’t get many of these warm temps for the celebration so we need to enjoy them when they come.
Roatan was a blast, except for the bad chicken!
Aly and I took our current exchange student, Maceo, our first exchange student Guglielmo and joined up with her parents and took a trip to Roatan, Honduras last week for our spring break trip.
North Branch seeks percentage of charitable gaming for parks, rec
The first meeting of North Branch Council on their new night and time, (second and fourth Wednesday at 6 p.m.) was called to order last week by the vice mayor, Robert Canada with Mayor Kevin Schieber absent.
