LOCAL
Water Festival brings the kids out to learn
It was a group effort to bring water education to 600 of the County’s fifth grade students. The twenty-fourth annual Chisago County Children’s Water Festival was hosted on a sunny September day at Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls. This interactive day of learning wouldn’t have been possible without the help …
County prelim levy up by 6.4%
Chisago County commissioners unanimously supported a levy for 2027 at a maximum sum of $55,264,483. This local levy will support expenditures of $104,400, 976. The adopted max is up from 2026 by some 6.4 percent.
Shafer discusses permit on lot with potential buyer
Shafer City council met September 15 for a regular meeting. Council member Nick Brehm was absent.
Lindstrom early levy up by 4.9 percent
Lindstrom City Council met September 16 for a regular meeting. Council member Greg Krueger and Brian Norelius attended virtually.
North Branch advances stripped down version of NW Old Town
The full North Branch City Council has kept the preliminary levy hike for 2027 at less than double digits— but the hope expressed is there can still be reductions found. The final levy needs to be adopted in December. At the nine percent hike currently, Mayor Kevin Schieber observed during …
And that’s a wrap on festivals
I had the pleasure of attending Shafer Days and Almelund’s Apple Festival this weekend. They are two of the final summer celebrations and they didn’t disappoint.
Man sentenced in Wyoming assault
District Court Judge Trevino sentenced James Alan Johnson Monday this week for first degree premeditated attempted murder. Johnson, 73, seriously injured his wife with a hammer and a delivery truck driver intervened in the assault. The incident happened in the Heims Lake neighborhood May 11. The driver secured the weapon …
Law Enforcement
One deer was the cause of a multiple vehicle accident on Stark Road at Balsam Avenue in Fish Lake Township last week about 5:45 a.m. Authorities were told a deer was hit by vehicle number one, and the damaged car driver stopped on the roadway to get out and look …
Dressin' up for Shafer Days!
Shafer Days 2026 didn’t let some blustery weather stop the fun. People came out to enjoy the celebration and of course the parade.
County board denies expanded uses at Hay Days site
In a rare move, September 16, the Chisago County Board unanimously turned a recommended permit approval from the planning commission, on its head— and voted 5-0 to deny the SnoBarons snowmobile club request to intensify use of their Hay Days Motorsports event grounds. The planning commission had recommended approval 4-3 …
ARMER contract to be renewed
Agreements put in place years ago to create a comprehensive emergency communications network of several hundred devices, under a system called ARMER, are due to expire in December. The county commissioners adopted wording for a new agreement, which will be distributed to agencies and government units. Fees and conditions in …
