Star Tribune Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:49:28 GMT
Cannon is fodder for war debate
When a citizens group sought approval to raise money to buy a Civil War-era cannon for a soldiers' memorial, members of the St. Croix Valley Peacemakers showed up to say they see the cannon as a symbol of destruction. New battle lines have been drawn in Stillwater over the Civil War’s most famous weapon Ââ€" the cannon.
Star Tribune Wed, 12 Dec 2007 03:57:57 GMT
Afton tower timeline has Sheriff's Office worried
Washington County's quest to place the last of 14 towers needed for a new radio system won't go to the City Council until February. But while the county effort to arrange a tower in Afton avoided defeat recently by a 3-2 City Council vote, it now faces a series of procedures and hearings lasting into February. The tower is controversial in Afton because of concern that it would spoil the city's natural beauty and might lead to other towers.
Star Tribune Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:59:58 GMT
Proposed psych facility draws fire from other hospitals
East metro hospitals oppose the plan for a new psychiatric hospital in Woodbury, saying Minnesota doesn't even have enough psychiatrists to staff existing beds. A Catholic health care organization's desire to build an 144-bed psychiatric hospital in Woodbury is drawing opposition from other east-metro hospitals, including the company that owns Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury. Allowing Prairie St. John's to open such a hospital would hurt mental health care in Minnesota for the elderly, disabled and poor, and invite competition for a small number of available psychiatrists and chemical dependency counselors, the chief executive officer of St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul said in a letter to state health officials.
Pioneer Press Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:08:34 -0700
Hudson, Wis., names 3 police chief finalists
Three finalists have been named in the search for Hudson's next police chief - the fourth in less than two years. A new chief is expected to be hired by mid-February. The three remaining candidates interviewing for the job Feb. 12 are: Hudson police Sgt. Marty Jensen, Kohler Police Chief William Rutten and Glencoe, Minn., Police Chief Jeff Cummins.
Star Tribune Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:21:20 GMT
Afton tower foes: It may look like a tree, but it's not
Some Afton residents oppose a radio "stealth" tower near their homes. Designed to resemble a pine, it's part of a public safety network. Afton residents who live near the proposed site for a Washington County public safety communications tower told commissioners Tuesday that the tower would stand out too much and hurt their property values. "We don't think that's an appropriate site for the tower," said Diane Dettmann, who lives in the Afton Hills subdivision, where the 88-foot "stealth" tower -- resembling a large pine tree -- would be installed. Dettmann said 14 houses surround the 1.6-acre site. "There are a lot of people who don't want the tower for a number of reasons," she said. Another Afton Hills resident, Frank Sando, said that neighbors had considered buying the land at 15326 Afton Hills Court South, owned by Jeffrey and Jennifer Morgan, to stop construction of the tower. But Jeffrey Morgan, in a later interview, said he's trying to do the right thing for the city where he's lived for 20 years. "I wouldn't like to spoil Afton at all," he said.
Pioneer Press Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:50:44 -0700
Cottage Grove/Woodbury / Going 'round and 'round on signs
Driving in circles sounds pretty simple. But Cottage Grove and Woodbury are finding it's anything but. The two cities have new roundabouts, but they want to put up very different signs - kicking off a debate about which is better. Cottage Grove has installed standard left-turn signage but wants to replace it with an "experimental" sign. "Roundabouts are unique and different, and people expect signs that are unique and different," said city engineer Jennifer Levitt. But Washington County Highway Department spokesman Wayne Sandberg disagrees. Woodbury is scheduled to open a roundabout on Bailey Road and Radio Drive on Wednesday, and the signs will be conventional left-turn arrows, as seen at any controlled intersection. "A totally different way of communicating seems counterproductive," Sandberg said. "Drivers will say, 'What does that mean?' If you look at (the proposed Cottage Grove sign) for a while you can figure it out, but it's not intuitively what you think it is."
Star Tribune Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:47:34 GMT
Message from the neighbors: Slow down on our street
A task force of traffic engineers is studying whether the state should lower its speed limits in some areas. ... MnDOT tends to look at speed limits from an engineering standpoint, considering road characteristics and technical analyses that measure how fast most people drive a stretch of road. But people who live on a road look at it from their front steps. They watch traffic whiz by. They know how easy or difficult it is to back out of their driveways. They worry about kids playing at the street edge or using a shoulder to walk to the school bus. Sometimes, St. Paul city engineer John Maczko said, people bemoan speeding on streets near their homes but do it themselves when they drive. "People act one way when they're standing on the sidewalk or sitting in their front lawn, and act 180 degrees opposite when they're behind the wheel," he said. Maczko, a member of the task force, is a firm believer in a 25 mph speed limit on urban roads. He thinks it's safer. St. Paul has long wanted that lower speed limit, he said. Minneapolis pushed for a similar change a few years ago. And in Edina, Public Works Director Wayne Houle said the city receives "a tremendous amount of complaints" about speeding on city streets. Last month, the Edina City Council passed a resolution supporting the state task force and an investigation into the feasibility of a 25 mph limit.
Star Tribune Wed, 21 May 2008 16:15:16 GMT
Afton OKs application for public safety radio tower
After a debate lasting more than three hours, the Afton City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday night to approve a Washington County application to build a public safety radio tower in the city. After a debate lasting more than three hours, the Afton City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday night to approve a Washington County application to build a public safety radio tower in the city. Sheriff Bill Hutton said after the vote that the county will move forward with construction of the 800-megahertz stealth tower, which will resemble a pine tree and will be built on land in the Afton Hills residential area. "It's not only a tower for Afton but for Washington County, the metro area and the state," the sheriff said. The tower would be one of 14 serving Washington County under the new radio system, a state effort to bring counties onto the same radio frequency in the event of a disaster. Sheriff's Capt. Steve Pott, who has headed the county's effort, said the tower is needed to ensure radio coverage for deputies, firefighters and other emergency workers working in the Afton area. The city contracts with the Sheriff's Office for policing. But several neighbors who live in the area where the tower will be built protested through the evening. One of them, Susan Sando, referred to the tower as a "monopine" and said it would look out of place in the neighborhood.
Pioneer Press Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:48:26 -0700
St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington target of two complaints, lawsuit
After more than three years of relatively smooth relations between St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington and his officers, the honeymoon appears to be over.Things came to a head this week with two hostile-workplace complaints filed by high-ranking officers against Harrington, and a lawsuit by the police union alleging unfair labor practices: -- A commander and sergeant allege Harrington treated them unfairly and retaliated against them for supporting political candidates he opposed. -- Both officers became aware that Harrington was being paid to work in off-duty jobs and expressed concerns over it. -- The lawsuit claims Harrington is giving police jobs to civilians, which the union said threatens public safety.
Star Tribune Thu, 13 Dec 2007 05:46:56 GMT
St. Paul votes to keep billboard ban in place
The City Council OK'd the ordinance voted to restrict digital billboards; hospitality fees, city budget also OK'd. As it stands now, you won't see any digital billboards in St. Paul, which also means you won't see any traditional billboards coming down. That's what one billboard company representative said Wednesday after the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance regulating the conversion of traditional billboards to electronic signs. Tom McCarver, a vice president for Clear Channel Outdoor's Minnesota division, said two provisions in the ordinance make it unworkable for business. One requirement is that messages must stay in place for 12-seconds and the other is that 6 square feet of lighted billboard space or 8 square feet of unlighted space be removed for every square foot of new electronic display space. Those numbers just don't work, he said. The ordinance limits electronic billboards to Interstates 35E and 94 only and says the signs must be spaced at least 1 mile apart. John Mannillo, co-chairman of anti-billboard group Scenic St. Paul, said he was pleased to see the ordinance pass. "But I don't think this is the last you'll hear of it," he said.
Pioneer Press Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:18:53 -0700
Lakeville / Police test tool that finds wanted cars
Lakeville police officer Kevin O'Neill started his patrol shift at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. By 10:30 a.m., he had run background checks on 422 license plates. O'Neill used a new device â€" called a license plate recognition system â€" that reads characters on plates by using two automated cameras mounted on a squad car and compares the reading to a national database of wanted vehicles. Lakeville police are the first in Minnesota to use the system, which already is used in other states and Canada. Lakeville plans to test the system for a year. The system watches for vehicles involved in police alerts about stolen vehicles, AMBER alerts and wanted felons. "This technology is something that has promised to be beneficial to patrol officers," Police Chief Tom Vonhof said. "This is a tool officers use to enhance their capability."
Star Tribune Sun, 20 Jan 2008 04:40:50 GMT
Stillwater's hospital sees regional role in its future
Lakeview Hospital eyes zoning change to grow in Stillwater and seeks space in Lake Elmo, Grant. Nestled among single-family homes in a quiet Stillwater neighborhood, Lakeview Hospital has long been a community hospital. But as the east-metro suburbs continue to mushroom and as the hospital adds more in-house specialists, the 73-bed hospital is positioning itself to become a regional health center. That has led to plans for a major expansion. Lakeview Hospital is licensed to have 97 beds, and leaders say they'll need them all to fulfill their mission. They plan to invest $30 million to $40 million at the current site at the corner of Churchill and Greeley streets in Stillwater. To prepare for the expansion, hospital officials want a change from their current residential zoning status so they can more easily make changes to the building. In addition, officials from the hospital's parent company, Lakeview Health, have been looking to buy a large tract of land in Lake Elmo or elsewhere for future building projects.
Star Tribune Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:57:22 GMT
Woodbury police officers jump into firefighter role
The east-metro suburb now has 10 officers who double as firefighters, keeping their fire gear in the back of their squad cars. ... What started as an experiment in Woodbury to improve response times at big fires has grown into a full-scale effort to break with tradition. Washington County's largest city is Minnesota's only public-safety department where on-duty police officers double as firefighters, changing into fire clothes stowed in the trunks of their squad cars. "Honestly, when I first heard about this plan I thought it was kind of crazy," said Lee Vague, Woodbury's public safety director. "I thought, 'What's next, plow drivers?'" But Woodbury officials -- unconcerned that Burnsville abandoned a similar program years ago -- think the plan makes good economic sense in a city that had only about 60 serious fire calls last year. Police calls, meanwhile, topped 26,000 in the city of about 60,000 residents. Woodbury has nine full-time firefighters and three full-time fire chiefs, but supplements that crew with 68 on-call firefighters -- and now with 10 police officers who qualify as firefighters. Those cops play prominently in a new city policy that requires five trained firefighters to respond to fires in fewer than 9 minutes, 90 percent of the time. ... Of all metro cities, New Brighton appears to have the closest arrangement to what Woodbury is doing. Seven police officers work as New Brighton firefighters, but only when they're off duty. ... St. Martin, who volunteered 16 months ago to become one of Woodbury's first five cops to train as firefighters, offered his evaluation: "Overall, in a word, positive. I'm excited about its potential and where it's going."
Star Tribune Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:57:12 CST
Dispatch 'upgrade' slows fire response
A new computerized dispatch system in Minneapolis touted as improving emergency response is plagued with glitches. ... Not every computer-aided dispatch upgrade causes major problems. Ramsey County upgraded its computer dispatch system but stayed with the same manufacturer. That lessens the stress on employees, according to Scott Williams, the county's emergency communications director. "It's a major transition" to switch vendors as Minneapolis did, he said. Radeke the dispatcher was more colorful. "For some, it's like a bad date -- you're much more attractive in your pictures."
Pioneer Press Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:29:50 -0600
St. Paul vows to battle banks over vacant homes
The City of St. Paul is taking on a group of national lenders that own many of the city's 1,700 registered vacant properties, saying its fed up with playing property manager. "We want to be clear. If they don't come to the table we're going to go after them," St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman told reporters at a press conference today. While stopping short of saying they planned to sue the lenders as other cities have done, Coleman announced a new plan of attack to address the foreclosure crisis, including giving the lenders 30 days to respond to letters asking the lenders to fix up and find owners for homes they've let sit vacant.
Star Tribune Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:22:21 GMT
Justice Department approves Clear Channel
SAN ANTONIO - The Justice Department on Wednesday approved the $19.5 billion sale of Clear Channel Communications Inc., the largest U.S. operator of radio stations and the world's largest billboard company. The approval of the sale to a group of investors led by private equity firms Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners is the final regulatory hurdle for a deal that initially struggled to get shareholder approval. ... San Antonio-based Clear Channel grew into a media giant following a 1996 law that eliminated the national limit on how many radio stations a single company may own. But the radio business, which now includes 833 stations, has struggled in recent years as competitors like satellite radio and digital music players have siphoned off listeners and hurt advertising sales. [emphasis added]
Star Tribune Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:40:23 GMT
Plan to add hundreds of stop signs gives pause
In an era when many cities are yanking stop signs, Richfield plans to put one at every corner. ... "Transportation engineers have to understand human behavior, and I've been fascinated by this ever since I became one," Foley said. To his surprise, the results of the yearlong trial showed that with stop signs, drivers went slower 64 percent of the time. [emphasis added]
Star Tribune Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:59:51 GMT
Fuel bills and budgets challenge east metro cities and counties
The ones that aren't burning up money set aside banded together to buy gas and diesel in bulk. ... In Ramsey County, the Parks and Recreation Department alone is likely to come up $40,000 short in gas and diesel expenses by the end of the year, said department director Greg Mack. More cities and counties are joining forces to buy fuel in bulk, as Woodbury did this spring. Woodbury's involvement with St. Paul and other east metro cities in a purchasing consortium already reduced its gasoline and diesel costs by $7,764 on its first fuel order. Roseville, Maplewood, Shoreview, New Brighton and Ramsey County also belong.
Pioneer Press Fri, 16 Nov 2007
St. Paul / Electronic billboard proposal beefed up
The St. Paul Planning Commission beefed up a proposal Friday that would let billboard companies put up a newer breed of advertising signs so long as they take down several old ones. ... On the billboards issue, the commission suggested giving advertising companies permission to erect digital signs, but with a tradeoff: For every square foot of digital signage that goes up, 6 to 8 square feet of old billboard space would come down. Commissioners said they wanted a more aggressive takedown ratio than suggested by the commission's zoning committee.
Star Tribune Sun, 11 May 2008 03:32:21 GMT
Ramsey County aims to limit outdoor smoking
The board votes Tuesday on a policy to make many recreation areas, including county beaches, tobacco-free zones.
