Crow Wing County senior engineer Luke Wehseler visited the Breezy Point City Council Monday night, June 3, to discuss the city’s request for bypass lanes on County Road (CR) 11.
The council’s area of concern is the eastbound lane of CR 11 at access points on the north side of the road, where vehicles make left turns to Wildwood Court and Narveson Management Incorporated (NMI).
Crow Wing County Land Services Supervisor Chris Pence presented his assessment report of Crosslake Planning and Zoning (PZ) to the Crosslake City Council Wednesday, May 29.
Included in Pence’s report are 31 recommendations for changes the council he believes the council ought to make to improve the PZ department.
He explained his assessment methodology to the council, saying he was looking for ways both the county and the city could improve.
Former Crosslake City Clerk/Treasurer Jenny Max and another city employee filed complaints against the city of Crosslake over its method of hiring its new finance director/treasurer. The council was informed of the complaints at a meeting on Wednesday, May 29.
The city advertised the position at $50,000-$55,000 a year, but hired the position at $70,000-$75,000.
The city council decided Wednesday, May 29, to approve the purchase of new cardio fitness equipment for the community center.
Crosslake Parks, Recreation and Library director Jon Henke said that some inventory at the fitness room dated back to 1997. He said expenses to maintain the equipment have doubled in the last year, and the room has seen a sharp increase in use since the community center started the Silver Sneakers program.
The city will sell its surplus equipment, with revenue from those sales expected to be between $2,000 and $4,000.
The Pequot Lakes School Board held a special meeting Monday night, June 3, to discuss appointing an agent of record for the district in order to save on insurance costs.
The board had brought up at past meetings that it could be able to save money by using an agent of record to provide both property/liability insurance and workers compensation.
Superintendent Rick Linnell told the board that he and the district’s business manager, Lea St. Onge, had interviewed five candidates. Linnell recommended the board use Weizenegger Engle as the district’s agent of record.
Millions of walleye fry (babies) tasted freedom for the first time last week as they were released into area lakes after spending the beginning of their lives at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) hatchery in Brainerd.
On Friday, May 31, 1.53 million walleye fry were released into the Whitefish Chain, adding to the 4 million that had already been stocked in the chain. The May 31 fry went to Cross and Rush lakes, but other areas of the chain were also stocked, with a total of 15 million fry stocked in the chain.
The Crosslake Police Department reported that at approximately 6 p.m. Monday, June 3, law enforcement responded to a reported shooting at 17027 County Road 36 in Crosslake, the home of Larry and Susan Bolton.
Crosslake Police Chief Robert Hartman said that dispatch received a 911 call from a female stating there was a shooting, and the shooter was still at the scene.
The department reported that upon arrival, a 59-year-old man was taken into custody without incident. Hartman said there was no struggle, but the man refused to answer questions and asked for a lawyer.
A 59-year-old Crosslake man faces four felony charges, including second-degree attempted murder, for allegedly shooting a man twice with a shotgun Monday, June 3.
The 2013 Nisswa-stämman saw a break in the clouds on Saturday, June 8, for the majority of its scheduled activities.
Nyckelharpas, fiddles, accordions and more scattered the grounds of the Nisswa Pioneer Village as costumed dancers and musicians meandered amongst the crowd of people gathered to watch performances of Scandinavian folk music.
Among the headlines of this year’s stämman, which means gathering of folk musicians, were Marie Skavnes and Lars Berg, from Norway; Harald Haugaard and Helene Blum, who played Danish music; the Bjarv duo, of Sweden; and many more.
Gardening should run in my blood. My great-grandparents owned two nurseries — one in the Cities and one in Crosslake, Perkins Crosslake Garden Center. They made a living on their ability to grow.
Nearly all my close relatives keep gardens; many of them worthy of magazines.
Gardening goes even further back, though. I’m not sure how many “greats” to add to the word “grandfather” before I get to the correct generation, but one of them worked under a prince in England, managing royal gardens.
The Crosslake City Council approved purchase Monday night, June 10, of a telephone switch totaling around $260,000.
Jared Johnson, Crosslake Communications staff, said the switch is the “nucleus of a telephone company,” that makes the calls happen. It provides the dial tone, 911 call work, the recording a caller receives when they forget to dial a 1 and other services like three-way calling.
The Crosslake City Council heard Monday night, June 10, that the fireworks committee is around $1,000 short of meeting its goal for community funding.
Pat Netko, fireworks committee member, told the council that donation collection cans are in businesses around town, and she asked the community to donate.
The city funds $5,000 of the $10,000 fireworks cost, and the Parks and Library (PAL) Foundation has set up a fund for tax-deductible donations to raise the remaining $5,000.
In a 4-1 vote, the Crosslake City Council upheld a stop work order Monday night, June 10, on an unpermitted patio being reconstructed on the shore of Cross Lake.
Council member Mark Wessels voted against the measure.
Community Development Director Ken Anderson said he brought the issue before the council at a council member’s request. Anderson reported that as he was inspecting another permit application June 3, he noticed the patio improvement work being done at the nearby residence on Red Oak Circle belonging to Wayne Reinking.
A 59-year-old Crosslake man faces four felony charges, including second-degree attempted murder, for allegedly shooting a man twice with a shotgun Monday, June 3.
Family members found a 3-year-old boy unresponsive Monday evening, June 10, in the water of Lake Edna in Nisswa, according to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities received a call around 6:30 p.m. that night, the department stated, and efforts to revive the child were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Unapproved draft meeting minutes from the Fifty Lakes City Council meeting held in May show the council offered the city’s vacant maintenance supervisor position to Bill Bright. The position was vacated by Eldon Lee, who retired April 30.
The draft minutes show Mayor Ken Hersey reported that the city received 32 applications for the position. The council conducted interviews with 11 candidates, then narrowed it down to three.
The Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office has released the names of the two victims of the June 3 shooting on County Road 36 in Crosslake. Robbie Bjerkness, 31, of Crosslake, was identified as the victim who was shot. Kelly Keith, of Coon Rapids, was the 911 caller.
Larry Joe Bolton is charged with four felonies in the case: three counts involving Bjerkness and one involving Keith.
Reports show that Bjerkness and Bolton shared an address on County Road 36 in Crosslake. The news release from the county attorney’s office did not include the relationship of the two men.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of the 3-year-old boy who drowned Monday, June 10, in Edna Lake in Nisswa.
Sheriff Todd Dahl said Linden Halverson was at his home when he drowned June 10. The department reported foul play is not suspected, but the county attorney will review the case. Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan said Tuesday, June 18, that he had not yet reviewed materials on the case.
The Breezy Point City Council held its third workshop on roads Monday, June 17, facing a long list of questions regarding roads and the city’s policy and procedures.
While the council was not able to address all the questions, discussion included a few specific areas of concern and some discussion over defining policy.
The first area of concern was Breezy Point Drive. Council member Scott Willer said that road should be pushed up on the list of priorities because it’s the image of the city.
Several local agencies came together recently to rebuild the Trout Lake public boat access on County Road 66 north of Crosslake.
The Crow Wing County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Army Corps of Engineers (COE), and the Whitefish Area Property Owners Association (WAPOA) all worked together to make better for the quality of the lake.
