By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls volleyball team had a formidable task in its first two matches of the season.

The Lakers faced two of the Lake Conference’s best teams in Burnsville and Chaska. One team (Burnsville) has arguably the state’s best player in Tori Dixon, while Chaska is ranked No. 1 in the state and is a perennial power winning back-to-back state titles in 2005-2006.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake boys soccer team had some encouraging signs in its first two games.

It looks like the Lakers have found another scoring threat up front to team with senior Jeff Butler.

The Lakers have five goals in its 1-0-1 start with Butler and fellow forward, sophomore David Wee, combining for four of them.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls soccer team is winless in its first three games, but coach David Graham is not overly concerned.

Graham likes the how his team has met the physical challenge so far and has played with a lot of intensity, even though the Lakers have just three goals. And all three of those goals came in a 3-3 tie with Burnsville on Aug. 21 in the season opener.

The Regent Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) is currently accepting applications for four positions on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls tennis team stayed at the .500 mark earning a split in two matches against Lake Conference teams.

The Lakers won three of four singles matches against Bloomington Jefferson on Aug. 26, but it wasn’t enough in a 4-3 loss.

It’s going to take some time, but what began in April will eventually convert all of Minnesota’s 158 types of embossed license plates into flat plates that are produced in a manner that saves time, space, money and a few unpleasant chemicals all while making the plates easier to read, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls cross country team took fourth at the Class AA state meet last year and all seven of its runners were underclassmen.

So one could only assume the Lakers will be fully loaded this fall with expectations of competing for a state title.

Not so fast.

Conversations about removing a forested parcel called SS-9 located on Prior Lake High School property will continue based on a divided vote at Monday's Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board meeting.

The board voted 4-3 to approve a resolution allowing up to $25,000 from the facilities budget (not the general education fund) to continue plans with city of Savage engineers. The board anticipates the total planning cost at $5,000, well below the approved amount.

By Kevin Busse, Correspondent

The third and final round of the Dodge Challenge Series had the drivers ready to race Aug 24, at Raceway Park in Shakopee.

The Hobby Stock feature was a powerhouse of performance and skilled racing with Jeff Partington of Farmington coming out on top in the 50-lap feature.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls tennis team surpassed its win total from 2007 with a 5-2 non-conference win over Burnsville on April 22.

The Lakers (2-16 last season) won three of four singles matches and two of three in doubles to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Earning wins for Prior Lake in singles were Amanda Bigby at the No. 1 spot (6-1, 5-7, 6-3), Kristen Tusa at No. 2 (6-0, 6-1) and Caitlyn Gengler at No. 3 (7-5, 2-6, 6-4).

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the exploitation of children has unfortunately become a “growth industry,” but the FBI is working every day to find and stop those who prey on children.

In a recent speech, the director of the FBI, Robert S. Mueller, III, noted how pervasive these crimes have become.

Prior Lake-Savage area schools, in cooperation with Shakopee and Jordan school districts, are looking for parent and community volunteers to serve on a joint planning council that will focus on providing supportive programming and integrating minority students into the school systems.

The Minnesota State Fair is a prime location for businesses to showcase their products and ideas.  The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is offering tips for consumers who are considering making purchases at this year’s events.

The following obituaries are from the Aug. 23, 2008 print edition of the Prior Lake American newspaper:

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls soccer team is still looking for its first win following a 4-0 road loss to Edina on Aug. 23 in a non-conference game.

Are you interested in reading the public notices published in the August 23, 2008 print edition of the Prior Lake American newspaper? The page or pages on which those notices were printed are attached to this item, in the form of .pdf's that can be opened with Adobe Acrobat.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake boys soccer team earned a 2-2 tie with Burnsville in its season opener on Aug. 21.

The Lakers got goals from Jeff Butler and David Wee in the non-conference road game. Aaron Johnson and Michael Zawlocki each had assists.

The Lakers will return to action on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at home against Bloomington Jefferson in a non-confernece game at 7 p.m.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Prior Lake girls soccer team started its 2008 campaign with a tie.

The Lakers and Burnsville played to a 3-3 deadlock on Aug. 21 in Prior Lake in a non-conference game.

Scoring goals for the Lakers were Paige Kuplic, Alex Citrowske and Lauren Larson, while Chloe Winkleman and Jenna Nelson had assists.

The Lakers will return to action on Saturday, Aug. 23 when they travel to Edina for a non-conference game at 5 p.m.  

By Nancy Huddleston, Correspondent

An air conditioning unit at Prior Lake High School caught fire Thursday night (Aug. 21), but luckily no extensive damage occurred inside the school.

Officer Gene Miller was on routine patrol at about 9:10 p.m. and observed smoke coming from the roof of the building. “Something didn’t look right to him so he got out to take a closer look,” said Savage Police Chief Rodney Seurer, “Right then, he heard a sizzle and a loud pop and flames started coming from the roof.”

The Prior Lake man who hit a Shakopee boy on his bike, fatally injuring him, is back in jail for breaking probation-- this time for
drugs.

Randal Hennes, 40, was arrested by Southwest Metro Drug Task Force Officers yesterday and is now jailed on suspicion of two counts of fifth-degree possession of crack cocaine and meth. He is to appear in court Friday morning.

Hennes was in jail last week for breaking probation by consuming alcohol.