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The Blaine City Council unanimously approved a bid of $115,409.12 from Sir Lines-A-Lot for the city’s 2026 pavement markings project at its March 16 meeting. The vote was 6-0, with Mayor Tim Sanders absent. Director of Engineering Dan Schluender said bids were opened March 5 and Sir Lines-A-Lot submitted the only bid. The engineer’s estimate for the project was about $105,000. Schluender said city staff has worked with the contractor on previous projects. With a 5% contingency added, the total project cost comes to $121,000. ...

The Blaine City Council voted 5-1 to approve a second reading of an ordinance amendment banning detached accessory dwelling units, advancing the change as the city faces an ongoing lawsuit over its handling of one such proposal. Mayor Tim Sanders was absent. Council Member Chris Ford cast the lone dissenting vote. Community Development Director Sheila Sellman said the amendment changes Blaine’s ordinance language on accessory dwelling units in residential districts and related performance standards. ...

The Blaine City Council unanimously denied Minnesota Performance’s request to expand its auto repair business at 1550 91st Ave. NE after city staff cited unresolved code violations and neighboring businesses raised complaints about noise, parking and outdoor vehicle storage. Before denying the request, the council split 3-3 on whether to revoke the business’s existing 2019 conditional use permit altogether. Council Members Tom Newland, Leslie Larson and Richard Massoglia voted to revoke it, while Mayor Pro Tempore Jess Robertson and Council Members Chris Ford and Terra Fleming opposed doing so. ...

Supporters of an Equal Rights Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution rallied at the Capitol on March 12, urging lawmakers to advance a proposed amendment that would ask voters to guarantee equal rights under state law. The rally in the Capitol rotunda drew advocates from across Minnesota, along with elected officials including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Sen. Mary Kunesh and Rep. Zack Stephenson. The proposed amendment, introduced by Kunesh and Rep. Leigh Finke, would place a constitutional amendment question before voters. Supporters say Minnesota is lagging behind other states in adding equal-rights protections to its constitution. ...

The Oak Grove City Council on March 9 approved a $567,676 bid from Knife River Corporation North for the city’s 2026 Street Improvement Project, including Nightingale Knoll Trail work. The contract was approved 4-0, with Council Member Paul Tradewell absent. According to the meeting packet, the bid was below the engineer’s estimate of $598,610. City Engineer Chuck Schwartz said the street work includes the south end of Zion Parkway, the adjacent section of 223rd Lane NW and the neighborhood south of Lake George. He said Pines Third Addition is included in the trail portion, which totals $56,018.20 and will be paid through a separate trail fund. ...

CAVA, a chain restaurant known for its Mediterranean-style bowls and pita wraps, is expanding with a new location in Blaine at 12351 Ulysses St NE. The restaurant has hundreds of locations in other states, but has not opened a Minnesota location until now. The location is near the National Sports Center, where development is underway on the 105th Avenue redevelopment project. In an email, a spokesperson confirmed the Blaine location, alongside another forthcoming location in Minneapolis. ...

The Columbia Heights City Council unanimously approved a first reading of a charter amendment that would shift oversight of the police department from the mayor to the city manager. City Manager Aaron Chirpich said the city’s Charter Commission had been working on the proposal for at least a year. The amendment would change how police oversight is defined in the city charter. Chirpich said the charter currently states that the mayor has appointment, control and direction over every police officer in the city, language he said is overly broad and does not reflect how modern police departments operate. ...

The St. Francis City Council voted 4-1 on March 2 to request inclusion in Anoka County’s hand-counted post-election review for the 2026 election, saying the move would help demonstrate the integrity of the city’s elections. Council Member Sarah Udvig cast the lone dissenting vote. Anoka County currently conducts post-election reviews in eight randomly selected precincts, although state statute requires only four. Mayor Mark Vogel said St. Francis is requesting inclusion in the process to further demonstrate confidence in how ballots are counted. ...

Doctors with Doctors Council SEIU at Allina Health have authorized a potential open-ended strike after 90% of members voted in favor amid stalled contract negotiations with the Minnesota and western Wisconsin-based provider. The union previously authorized a one-day strike in November 2025, citing concerns about staffing, health care benefits, retirement and sick leave. In previous reporting, Dr. Matt Hoffman, a family and travel medicine specialist at the Vadnais Heights clinic, also said Allina had been planning to cut wages for most primary care providers. ...

Ham Lake approved a conditional use permit for a flower farm despite residents raising concerns about noise from events featuring live music. The City Council voted 4-0 at its March 2 meeting to allow Branch and Bloom Flower Farm to operate at 13401 Radisson Road NE. The permit was requested by Kari Kearns of Cadillac Ranch LLC. Residents raised concerns about noise from events held at the property after the farm opened. ...