Denise Martin
Recent Stories
NEWS
Wyoming looking to put police, city hall in new site
Wyoming City has put down $38,000 in earnest money towards a purchase of a commercial building on Forest Boulevard. City Council members voted last week to also move ahead on a contract with Wold Architects, who will review costs to make the existing 16,000 square foot building usable for police and city hall functions. And, Wold is asked to look into the efficacy of the city hall space, attached to the fire station, to be remodeled for full fire department uses once city offices move out.
NEWS
Wyoming denies cannabis cultivator permit application
A legal, but non-conforming, farm in the City of Wyoming was denied permission to let a third party lease land to grow a cannabis crop. The Wyoming city council last week did not approve an interim use permit to a cannabis cultivation enterprise.
NEWS
Local couple to celebrate book release
There’s so much more to this story than just an announcement of a local book launch party; although props are due as it’s no simple feat to make a book.
NEWS
North Branch considers local option sales tax
North Branch City Council was unanimous in its support commissioning a study looking at implementing a Local Option Sales Tax. The cities in Minnesota can get permission for a half of one cent sales tax, that doesn’t go to the state, on items sold in the jurisdiction. Mayor Kevin Schieber remarked last week that “additional revenue is key” to meeting some of North Branch’s needs and a local option sales tax (LOST) “would be a nice bump.”
SCHOOLS
Substitute teacher pay for North Branch schools is up
The North Branch School Board boosted its substitute teacher daily pay for the next two years, in action last week and included a bonus above the casual contract, for any retired teacher who works as a sub.
NEWS
So far, so good on County transition over to local, single track probation
December 18, 2024 may not register as an important date to readers, but it was when Chisago County Probation (Court Services) Director Mark Hendrickson got the thumbs-up from the County Board to move ahead on what he hopes will be a positive transformation in probation delivery. With 34 years under his belt in the system, Hendrickson finds himself at the point where he is convinced the shift away from state controlled probation services and a confusing dual delivery approach — to community corrections basis – can be transformative.
NEWS
Taylors Falls OKs borrowing $1.575 million
Taylors Falls city council members, minus Lee Samuelson who was absent this week, accepted terms for a 20 year loan to buy equipment/vehicle for the fire department and cover costs of maintenance and repairs/replacement of city hall structural issues.
NEWS
Rush City inmate incident under investigation
Corrections staff at Rush City Prison were doing routine cell searches Saturday, August 9, when at approximately 3:20 p.m. an inmate allegedly stabbed an officer using a handmade weapon. Three other officers subdued the inmate and sustained some injuries in the scuffle.
NEWS
Wyoming city council has light meeting agenda
The city council for Wyoming met Wednesday instead of the usual Tuesday night due to a conflict with National Night Out. Minus member Dennis Schilling last week the session kicked off with the mayor administering an oath for newly-promoted Sergeant Jack Brietbach. He was to succeed Lance Beardsley as of August 11, who retired.
NEWS