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West Hennepin Public Safety
- The following incident was reported in the city of Independence. Sunday, May 12 - An officer was dispatched to a suspected drunk driver at the intersection of Highway 12 and County Road 90. A reporting party advised the driver had struck the center concrete barrier and was all over the road. The officer located the vehicle and observed it jump the curb in the roundabout. The driver admitted to hitting the barriers and damage could be seen on the side of the vehicle. Ultimately, it was determined the driver was not under the influence.
Arrests and fire calls for May 23
Wright County Sheriff arrests: • Brandon Ray Larsen, 46, of St Cloud was arrested May 13 in Monticello on a Wright County warrant for driving after license cancellation. • Kelly Murray Skepper, 39, of Otsego was arrested May 14 in Monticello on a charge of theft. • Zachary Ryan Opdahl, 37, of Middle River was...
Waconia presents inaugural ‘Stewardship Award’
Roxanne “Roxy” Hilfers is the first ever Waconia Stewardship Award recipient. The city of Waconia began the annual award this year to recognize an individual or group who has dedicated a significant amount of their time and talent to give back to our community. Hilfers was selected from several nominations and presented the award at the May 6 Waconia City Council meeting. “Roxanne has been a staple in the community...
First responders emphasize water safety during Memorial Day weekend
MINNETONKA, Minn. — For many Minnesotans, Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of boating season. At Lake Minnetonka, first responders are preparing for crowds of thousands to hit the water. This week, however, the U.S. Coast Guard is emphasizing the importance of water safety, sharing data showing the prevalence of accidents and injuries while boating. In 2022, the USCG says 636 people died nationally in boating accidents – and another 2,222 people were injured. Moreover, boating accidents caused $63 million in property damage."It's a lot of people's first time out on a lake — they might not...
Tonkabots bring home hardware from state
In a year of firsts, the Mound Westonka Tonkabots FIRST Robotics Team was one of 36 teams invited to compete at the Minnesota State High School League’s 2024 Robotics State Tournament on May 4 for the first time in program history. Not only did they compete, they won 11 of their 12 matches and emerged as state champions in an alliance with teams from Becker and St. Peter. The Tonkabots competed as alliance captains for the first time, which gave them the opportunity to choose...
Construction forces summer music series to move
Construction is fully underway on the next phase of downtown infrastructure improvements which includes Main Street from Olive to Spruce streets and one block sections of Elm, Pine, and Spruce. Earlier this month, the contractor finished removing the street pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalks, and driveways on project Stage 1 east of Elm and around City Square Park. Sanitary sewer and watermain construction also began on Main Street. With the...
Lessons learned at the Delano Citizen Academy
I recently completed the 2024 Delano Citizen Academy. Community Enrichment Director Nick Neaton told me that nearly 30 people participated in the program this year, the most in the academy’s three-year history. The Citizen Academy was divided into six sessions, each designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the...
City develops rehab plan to fix Crow River erosion
The water level of the Crow River in downtown Delano has quickly fallen during the past few weeks, but that was expected to change this week. According to the National Weather Service, the river crested at 14.92 feet on May 8, 2024, at the bridge along Bridge Avenue after a month of heavy rainfall.
Delano School Board says goodbye to student representative
The Delano School board honored one of its student school board members who will graduate this year. Superintendent Matt Schoen presented William Sorensen with the ceremonial plaque marking his seat during board meetings at Delano City Hall for completing his term successfully as a student school board representative. He also...
Delano digs deep in comeback win over Holy Family
DELANO – The Delano softball team found themselves in an unfamiliar position in their matchup with Holy Family. You wouldn’t know it by looking at them. Down by five runs early on, there was never any panic in the Tigers as they stuck together and scored six unanswered runs the rest of the way as they picked up a 6-5 comeback win over the Fire May 15.
Waconia on the hunt to track down remaining lead pipes
Get the lead out is the goal of a federal initiative targeting the removal of all lead pipe from community water systems. In support of that effort cities are required to conduct inventories of all water service lines to identify the materials within them, such as lead, galvanized, copper and plastic. Utility Supervisor Doug Bode provided an update on Waconia’s efforts to the city council at their May 6 meeting. Sorting through building documents, system maps and equipment markings, Public Services has narrowed the inventory...
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