A family sits in a corner of Storyteller Cafe. Original Article

A poster showing bullet pointed information about human trafficking. Original Article

People sit near the stage during Growing Change Together. Original Article

Storyteller Cafe was packed for the Growing Change Together fundraiser the evening of April 23. Original Article

Inside a Blaine cafe on the evening of April 23, survivors and police delivered the same warning: human trafficking can begin in familiar places — a home, a hotel room, a gaming app or a phone screen. The Growing Change Together fundraiser, held at Storyteller Cafe, brought together survivors, police and community members to raise awareness about human trafficking and signs that someone may be at risk. The fundraiser supported the Stories Foundation, which works to combat human trafficking. ...

Sen. Andrew Matthews, R-Princeton, has introduced a bill that would provide St. Francis with a $3 million grant for water and sewer improvements along Highway 47 from Cree Street to 241st Avenue. The funding, which would come from state bonding, was presented to the Senate Transportation Committee on April 22. St. Francis Mayor Mark Vogel, testifying before the committee, said the city needs to replace existing water and wastewater lines, some of which date back to 1979. ...

The Senate Transportation Committee heard legislation April 22 aimed at addressing safety concerns at the intersection of Highway 65 and Bunker Lake Boulevard, according to a press release. The bill, authored by Sen. Michael Kreun, would direct funding from the Trunk Highway Fund toward redesign and construction of the intersection. “This is Anoka County’s top transportation priority for a reason,” Kreun said. “The intersection is widely considered one of the most dangerous in the county, and it’s unsafe for every single person who travels that corridor.” ...

The Nowthen City Council voted 3-2 April 14 to appoint Michael Hoium to the Planning Commission, choosing him over former Mayor Jeff Pilon after a divided discussion over the interview process and the future of planning and zoning in the city. Mayor Shane Hybben and Council Members Mary Rainville and Dan Swenson voted for Hoium. Council Members Ken Glaser and Dan Breyen opposed the appointment and favored Pilon. Glaser said that after watching the Planning Commission meeting, he understood Pilon to be the members’ primary choice. Hybben confirmed that everyone had voted for Pilon and that some had also voted for Hoium. ...

Nowthen’s first small cannabis cultivation business is moving forward, but its owner told the City Council the operation will look less like an industrial grow site and more like a “glorified garden.” The City Council unanimously approved an interim use permit April 14 for Matthew and Rhiannon Paradise to grow cannabis on a 7,000-square-foot portion of their 39.5-acre farm at 19420 Rhinestone St. NW. The cannabis would be grown outdoors and sold to dispensaries, according to the applicants. ...

Hello. This is Piper the cat writing. I belong to Madeline, the girlfriend of Elliot Steeves, who works for this paper and recently moved in with her. As I stand here for the brief amount of time I have to type on this keyboard, I want to inform you all of one very simple fact: I am utterly beautiful. I am a proper calico — a domestic longhair, most likely — with long, white-spotted fur and fabulous nails. My biscuit-making skills with my paws are so amazing that I can type on a keyboard. ...