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County News Review

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Veterans set their sights on new Isanti County park

Jared Johnson took part in the inaugural veterans hunt that took place at Phillip G. Nyman Park in Isanti County late last month. Johnson did not bag a deer — and that’s why he considered the hunt a success, not a failure. “As I was getting ready to hunt, several of my kids told me that they’d love the opportunity to come with me and sit in the blind during this hunt,” Johnson wrote in a letter to the organizers of the event. “After getting an attendant approved, I set up a schedule to bring out one kid at a time for the evening and morning hunts over the three-day period. But when I harvested a deer, the hunt would be over, and those who didn’t get a chance to come with would have to wait until next year.” So when Johnson did not collect a deer, he received something more important: An opportunity to spend time with Adelya, Ellianna, Sherman and Amira Johnson. “Being selected for this hunt afforded me the opportunity to take four of my kids out with me to the blind that I was slotted for,” Johnson wrote. “Each time I went out, I was able

Isanti County, MN · 2d

Forest Lake Times

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Rangers football finally breaks through

The Forest Lake football team made some history last week in their 29-14 trouncing of Eagan in a Class 6A second-round game played at home on Friday, Oct. 6, as the Rangers earned their second berth in the state playoffs in program history and their first in over three decades. What makes this year’s state berth especially sweet was that it came after second-round playoff losses in each of the past four seasons. “It’s like a monkey off our back,” head coach Brad Beeskow said. “We’ve had four straight years where we’ve reached this point and felt we had teams good enough to get to the state tournament, and not quite getting there. This year, the guys had a look in their eyes — all the adversity that we went through, with injuries and tough losses. I thought everybody picked up the slack and did an amazing job to get us to this point. I’m proud of them.” The last time Forest Lake advanced to the state quarterfinals was 35 years ago in 1991. “An unreal feeling,” senior defensive back Brooks Rohne said of going to state. “Since youth football we’ve been working for that.” Fellow senior defensive back Ndifor

Forest Lake, MN · 2d

takemetotn.com

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The Hidden Minnesota Mansion That Shoppers Now Wander Room By Room Hunting For Treasures

Some shops have aisles. This one has bedrooms, a parlor, a winding staircase, and even a bathroom stocked with things for sale. Tucked into a quiet corner of Anoka, an old historic home has been turned into a two-level treasure hunt for vintage collectors, gift seekers, and anyone who likes a story with their shopping. Shoppers move from room to room finding antique furniture, vintage toys, vinyl records, handmade crafts, and candles that people keep coming back for.

Anoka, MN · 1d
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grantcountyherald.com

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Anderson earns All-State honors at Class A State

The Minnesota State High School League Cross Country State Championships had a venue change this year and for the first time it was held at Majestic Oaks Golf Course in Ham Lake Nov. 7. Both West Central Area and Border West each had one representative in the race. Sophomore Karissa Anderson ran for the Bucs and earned All-State by finishing in fifth place and senior Michael Girard competed for the Knights and finished 96th.

Ham Lake, MN · 1d
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Sun ThisWeek

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Football playoffs: Irish, Cougars advance to quarterfinals

Class 6A teams now playing for trips to U.S. Bank Stadium Rosemount defensive coordinator Parc Williams watched with admiration as the Irish offense plowed through St. Michael-Albertville for yet another first down. “I’m loving this,” he said. With good reason. Rosemount’s offense was giving Williams’ defense an extended break, and it was bleeding the clock in the second half as the Irish finished off a one-sided 35-7 victory in the second round of the Class 6A football playoffs Nov. 6. St. Michael-Albertville (4-6) shut out three of its previous four opponents, but Rosemount (7-3) quickly eliminated that possibility by driving 72 yards in 10 plays – all on the ground – for a touchdown on the game’s first possession. The Irish kept on rolling, gaining 430 yards – 347 on the ground – in reaching the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2023 and 14th time overall. They will play Prior Lake at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at Maple Grove High School. With Rosemount’s rushing game dominating, that meant the Irish offensive linemen were having a good time. “It’s a great offense to block for,” said senior Max Meger, the Irish’s center. “Of course, it’s fun running down

Rosemount, MN · 2d

Press & News

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Anoka-Hennepin Schools sees enrollment decline

Enrollment is down at Anoka-Hennepin Schools. According to the district’s Oct. 1 report, kindergarten through 12th grade saw a decrease of 367 students from last year compared to their projected decrease of only seven students. Although enrollment fluctuates as the school year progresses, Oct. 1 enrollment numbers help determine school staffing needs and are reported to the state to determine funding received for the following year. This year, the K-12 population is 36,051, which is 274 less students than reported in 2020 near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.. “This is our second year of enrollments coming underneath projections, and that’s a trend that we’re anticipating for upcoming years as well,” said Nick Herman, the district’s data integration manager. Many school districts in the county have attributed a downward trend in kindergarten enrollment to lower birth rates across the state, which was predicted by the state demographer in a 2024 report. “We have fifth grade classes going to middle school that are relatively large, and they are not being replaced by kindergarten and they’re not being fully replaced by growth throughout from K to five,” Herman said. “Last year was a record low for kindergarten, and we came in four

Anoka, MN · 1d

Press & News

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STMA School Board reviews CACR, talks fall enrollment

The St. Michael-Albertville School Board approved a Comprehensive Assessment and Civil Readiness Plan, discussed fall enrollment and heard from Wright Technical Center Director Brian Nutter at a meeting on Nov. 2. Comprehensive Assessment and Civil Readiness Plan The School Board approved the district’s annual Comprehensive Assessment and Civil Readiness Plan. Director of Teaching and Learning Jennifer Kelly said the CACR examines school test scores, graduation rates and makes goals for the next school year. “We've had some unfortunate years where we needed to make some hard decisions, and so that systemically just has an impact on things that happen within our educational system. We've had some real reading challenges,” Kelly said. But one of the goals the district met was increasing the graduation rate. It increased from 94.1% to 97.3% for the class of 2025, which met the CACR’s goal of a 2.8% increase. As for testing, the percentage of students taking the preACT went down from 58% in 2025 to 54.6% in 2026. But the percentage of students who took the ACT increased from 33.9% in 2025 to 48.9% in 2026. Fall enrollment Executive Director of Business Services Kris Crocker said that the current enrollment in STMA Schools was

Albertville, MN · 1d

Elk River Star News

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Zimmerman High School to present ‘Elf Jr.’

Zimmerman Middle High School will present the musical “Elf Jr.” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22. The musical is based on the popular Christmas story of Buddy, a young man who grows up with Santa Claus at the North Pole believing he is an elf. When he discovers he is human and has a father in New York City, Buddy travels south to find his family. Buddy soon discovers that the human world is much different from life at the North Pole. His workaholic father has no idea he has a son, but Buddy’s journey brings him closer to his family, new friends and a pretty co-worker named Jovie. This heartwarming story reminds audiences that while Christmas comes with plenty of traditions and festivities, the holiday is ultimately about growing closer to the people we love. Senior Lincoln Hullermann plays Buddy, and Blake Carlson plays Santa. Bennett Mielke plays Buddy’s human father, Walter Hobbs, while senior Olivia Krats plays Walter’s wife. Owen Maack plays their son. Charlee Havens plays Jovie, and Zea Goth plays the store manager. The office staff includes Deb, played by Emmry Suits; Chadwick, played by Brayden Jones; and

Zimmerman, MN · 2d

takemetotn.com

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Step Into This Minnesota Car Museum And Feel Like You’ve Driven Straight Into The 1950s

Somewhere off a busy road in Rogers, Minnesota, rows of polished classic cars sit waiting under one roof. Every single one of them has a price tag. That twist turns an ordinary afternoon into something halfway between a museum trip and a very tempting shopping spree. Vintage collectors, weekend car fans, and anyone who grew up hearing stories about tail fins and chrome bumpers will find plenty to talk about here.

Rogers, MN · 1d

Union-Times

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Voting confirms new mayor and council members across towns

BALDWIN/MILACA/PRINCETON — Voters in local communities made their voices heard on Tuesday, Nov. 3 as they selected their next mayors and city council members in the years to come. The communities of Baldwin, Bock, Foreston, Milaca, Pease and Princeton all had their mayor and two city council seats up for election this year. Princeton City Council also held a special election for a third council seat to serve a two-year term. Below is an overview of how the communities voted. Baldwin Mayor Jay Swanson was re-elected, beating out opponent Cartrell Cooper. Swanson received 1,555, or 51.47% of votes to Cooper’s 1,452, or 48.06%. For the open council seats, two newcomers were elected to the roles. Mark Mason earned the highest number of votes at 1,468, or 30.84% with Bruce West not far behind at a total of 1,400 votes, 29.41%. Candidates Rosemaire Walker ended the night with 1,089 votes, 22.88%, and Clarence E. Mattson, Jr. received 783, or 16.45%, of votes. Bock With only one candidate for Mayor on the Ballot, incumbent Adam Booth was re-elected to the position having earned 28 votes. The two candidates running for city council were also elected to the subsequent open seats. Grace Marie

Princeton, MN · 1d

Forest Lake Times

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Forest Lake girls cross country finishes sixth at state

When the start of the state cross country meet was delayed 20 minutes, Forest Lake’s three seniors were warming up. Coach John Fick said the younger girls followed them, continuing their preparations while they waited to race. They “didn’t even flinch” Fick said of the delay. Once the race began, less than 39 seconds separated the Rangers’ first five finishers. Forest Lake placed sixth among 16 teams with 186 points at the Class AAA State Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, with freshman Hazel Hushagen leading a scoring group that included three seniors and an eighth-grader. “I could not have expected more out of them,” Fick said. “Sixth place is outstanding.” Hushagen finished 34th overall, covering the 5,000-meter course in 18 minutes, 55.6 seconds. She brought two years of state-meet experience into her freshman season. Fick said she ran on Forest Lake’s state runner-up team in 2024 and its fourth-place team in 2025. “For a ninth grader, she’s pretty experienced,” Fick said. Fick describes Hushagen as a quiet runner who goes about her work without complaints. Senior Molly McCarthy followed Hushagen in 51st place at 19:09.2. Senior Elsa Swenson was 61st in 19:16.9,

Forest Lake, MN · 1d

Forest Lake Times

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Forest Lake Council to resume vacancy deliberations next week

The Forest Lake City Council will continue vacancy deliberations at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16 ahead of its regular council workshop and potentially could appoint a new member after interviewing its nine finalists on Monday, Nov. 2 and Monday, Nov. 9. The Council selected the following nine finalists out of the 14 applicants for the vacant seat left by Hanna Valento at its Monday, Oct. 26 meeting: Brian W. Anderson, Andy Aplikowski, Julio Bonfe, Michael Falkner, Renee Feagan, MacKenzie Guptil, Geneva Kubal, Ken Urquhart, and Ken Wood. After the Council wrapped up interviews at its special meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, council members gave their unranked top three candidates, although any of the nine candidates could still be appointed to the seat, interim city administrator Jolleen Chaika said. Mayor Blake Roberts’ top three candidates were Feagan, Kubal, and Wood. Council member Jeff Larson’s top three candidates were Feagan, Urquhart, and Aplikowski. Council member Leif Erickson’s top three candidates were Feagan, Aplikowski, and Wood. Council member Kevin Miller’s top three candidates were Kubal, Feagan, and Wood. Interim finance director The Council approved an interim finance director agreement on Nov. 9, appointing Bonnie Friedrich as the city’s interim finance director after

Forest Lake, MN · 1d

ccxmedia.org

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Additional Costs Found for Future Osseo Brewery Renovations

For months, Osseo residents have watched construction transform an old building into a new brewery. Plans for Heavy Rotation Brewery to relocate into a new building started earlier this year and an agreement with the city helped to make sure the move would happen. Construction on the space began after...

Osseo, MN · 2d

KSTP 5 Eyewitness News Minneapolis-St. Paul MN

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Minnesota Prep Sports Network: Holy Family Catholic vs. Andover girls hockey

Watch live Minnesota high school sports games through the Minnesota Prep Sports Network. On Nov. 12, it’s Holy Family Catholic vs. Andover girls hockey.

Andover, MN · 18h

ccxmedia.org

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Champlin Park Football Set for State Quarterfinal

The Champlin Park football team is getting set for Thursday’s state playoff matchup. The Rebels (10-0) meet Forest Lake (8-2) in the Class 6A quarterfinals at 6:00 at Spring Lake Park High School. Champlin Park stayed perfect this season with a 49-13 win over Wayzata in the second round,...

Champlin, MN · 1d

Forest Lake Times

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Election results: Belz, Christenson, and Thomas win school board race

The 2026 General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3 largely saw incumbents win local races, as well as in the nine House and Senate races in the Forest Lake Times’ coverage area. Election results become official after canvassed and certified. Forest Lake area School board School board incumbent Jill Christenson has been reelected for a second term and newcomers Mike Belz and Sean Thomas claimed the other two open seats on the Forest Lake Area School Board in a hotly contested race that saw incumbent and board chair Curt Rebelein Jr. lose his seat. There were six candidates competing for three open seats on the school board, which has faced turmoil over several controversial decisions and debates over the past year and a half, and has been split as a six-member board since late October 2025 when Luke Hagglund resigned. Belz, Thomas, and Rebelein were endorsed by the Minnesota Parents Alliance, while Christenson, and candidates Claire Luger and Andi Courneya were endorsed by the Forest Lake Education Association and Education Minnesota. Rebelein, who was first elected to the board in 2022 and has pursued a great deal of change since he became board chair in January 2025, and Christenson, who has

Forest Lake, MN · 1d

bonezonepub.com

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Cretex Medical Acquires Select Assets of Design Phactory

Cretex Medical, a provider of contract medical device manufacturing and engineering services, acquired select assets and capabilities of Design Phactory, located in Zimmerman, Minnesota. Known for its expertise in solving complex molding challenges, Design Phactory is a tooling designer for plastic injection molding. The transaction closed in October 2026. “We’re...

Zimmerman, MN · 1d

krwc1360.com

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Ryan Dunlap Unseats Jeanne Holland in Wright County Commissioner District 3

The Wright County Board of Commissioners will have a new look, and some new voices in the coming year. In last week’s general election, challenger Ryan Dunlap of Otsego defeated incumbent Commissioner Jeanne Holland in District 3 by a margin of roughly 460 votes out of some 10,500 cast. Dunlap finished with 52 percent of the vote, to 47 percent for Holland.

Wright County, MN · 3d

isanti-chisagocountystar.com

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Isanti and Chisago County Court Reports, Nov. 1 - 7

David Lucas Goebel (DOB 06/29/2003) of Isanti, was charged Nov. 2 with Financial Transaction Card Fraud-Use-No Consent. Jason William Tillmans (DOB 12/29/1972) of Minneapolis, was charged Nov. 5 with Drugs - 1st Degree - Possess 50 grams or more - cocaine or methamphetamine. Michael Eugene Tabaka (DOB 08/16/1961) of Isanti,...

Isanti, MN · 1d

isanti-chisagocountystar.com

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‘New’ Isanti playgrounds may be installed this year

The Isanti City Council has decided to let the experts do the work of installing two new (to Isanti) playgrounds rather than having a Public Works employee get a crash course in installation and lead the city and community volunteers through the installation process. The decision also means there is a good chance — weather permitting — the playgrounds will be open before the end of 2026.

Isanti, MN · 1d