East Bethel became the latest city to state its intent to fly the 1983 Minnesota state flag, voting 4-0 at its May 11 meeting. The council first discussed the matter April 27, City Administrator Matt Look said, and directed staff to prepare a formal resolution to display the old flag on municipal property. State law does not require municipalities to fly the current state flag; cities can choose which flag to fly, if any, Look said. ...
Columbia Heights Police Chief Matt Markham said he has been told of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city, but has not personally verified those reports. Markham said he trusts the sources who told him about the activity, but rejected any suggestion that the Columbia Heights Police Department was involved. “Any reports of the police department collaborating with ICE are categorically false,” Markham said. “I have no idea where these rumors come from or how they start.” ...
A Columbia Heights fire crew rescued about eight ducklings from a storm drain May 5 after a passerby spotted them at the southwest corner of 40th and Central avenues. Fire Chief Daniel O’Brien said someone called 911 at 7:47 a.m. after seeing the ducklings in the drain and waited at the scene. O’Brien was on his way to work, traveling west on 40th Avenue, when the call came in. “I showed up, I kind of evaluated it,” O’Brien said. “I wasn’t sure how to get at it without too much of a disruption.” ...
Protein House, a fast-casual restaurant focused on customizable meals and meal prep, has opened near the 105th Avenue development and National Sports Center in Blaine. Manager Joylynn Audrieth said every meal is made in-house and can be customized for customers’ preferences or dietary needs. “We can be gluten-free,” Audrieth said. “Nothing is deep-fried. We just use olive oil.” Protein House got its start in Hudson, Wisconsin, four years ago. Audrieth said her sons’ involvement in soccer at the National Sports Center helped lead to the new Blaine location, where she saw an opportunity to offer healthy food options for families, athletes and residents. ...
Electric scooter riders in Blaine could face new penalties for careless operation, while public nudity at Lakeside Commons Park beach is now specifically prohibited under code amendments approved May 4 by the Blaine City Council. The council voted 6-0 to approve amendments to three chapters of city code covering electric-assisted bicycles, motorized scooters and public nudity. Deputy Chief of Police Joe Gerhardt said the ordinance adds electric-assisted bicycles and motorized scooters to Chapter 82 and includes several new provisions. ...
Blaine splits Meadowbrook road project after bids come in over budget The first phase of Blaine’s Meadowbrook Area street reconstruction project will move forward this year after bids came in higher than the city had budgeted for the full project. The Blaine City Council voted 5-1 May 4 to award a nearly $1.6 million contract to North Valley Inc. of Nowthen for the first phase of the project. Council Member Jess Robertson voted against the contract. ...
When St. Francis voted to return to the former Minnesota state flag early this year, city leaders framed the decision as a message to state officials Months later, that message has echoed across the state, with more than a dozen cities choosing to fly the former design or keep it displayed in city buildings. Supporters of the former flag say the issue is less about the image itself than the process used to replace it. They argue voters should have had a direct say before Minnesota retired a flag that had flown in some form for generations. ...
A request for six speed humps on Quincy Boulevard drew competing concerns over speeding, school traffic, snow removal and cost before the Blaine City Council voted to table the proposal May 4. The council voted 5-1 to table an item that would have added the speed humps on Quincy Boulevard between Territorial Road and 109th Avenue as part of a street reconstruction project. Council Member Chris Ford cast the lone dissenting vote. ...
Fire damage is visible at a home on 157th Lane NW in Ramsey after a Sunday, May 3, fire that spread to a grassy area south of the structure. No injuries were reported. Original Article ...
Several cats were rescued and no injuries were reported after a fire damaged a Ramsey home and spread into a large grassy area Sunday, May 3. Firefighters were called to a structure fire on 157th Lane NW, according to the city of Ramsey. The fire extended to a large grassy area south of the structure. The Rum River Fire District said crews extinguished the structure fire and rescued several cats from the building with assistance from the Andover, Nowthen and Oak Grove fire departments. Two firefighters immediately treated the cats after they were removed from the home, according to the district. ...