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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. ...

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. ...

Federal and state law enforcement searched two Fridley autism centers April 28 as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud involving publicly funded social-service programs. The Fridley locations were Empower Skill Academy and Aspen Associates LLC. The searches were part of a broader investigation involving the Department of Homeland Security and the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families said in an April 28 statement that the law enforcement actions were the result of state, county and federal agencies working together. ...

Hello. This is Piper the cat writing. I belong to Madeline, the girlfriend of Elliot Steeves, who works for Adams MultiMedia of East Central Minnesota 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. ...

The cooling system that keeps ice frozen at the National Sports Center’s Super Rink is 28 years old, and officials say replacing it has become a critical infrastructure need. State legislators are seeking bonding money for the project, but the request comes during a year when infrastructure needs across Minnesota exceed the funding likely to be available. Jayme Murphy, director of health, data and analytics for the National Sports Center, said the Super Rink is a state-owned building and is eligible for state bonding funds. ...

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. ...