By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer 

A Prior Lake Amateur Baseball Association volunteer who failed an alcohol compliance check last August at Memorial Park was sentenced to serve one year of probation.

By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer 

Three teenagers from Savage were arrested for burglary last weekend after they allegedly scaled the drain pipe of a vacant building in Prior Lake and got into it through a hatch on the roof.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Minnesota State Patrol plan to close two Twin Cities Metro area roads today at approximately 6 p.m. due to flooding.

James Arthur Ray, the leader of a sweat lodge ceremony that turned deadly in northern Arizona last October, will have his day in court Aug. 31.

In addition to setting a trial date on Wednesday, Yavapai County Superior Judge Warren Darrow also ruled that the autopsy photos and reports of the three people who died as a result of the sweat lodge ceremony will remain under a court-ordered seal, according to media reports.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

The imminent threat of state budget cuts is leading Prior Lake officials to raise gate fees for the city’s annual Cleanup Day.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

Philosophical differences between Prior Lake City Council members were evident at Monday’s council workshop on fund balance policies.

By Kristin Holtz, Correspondent 

In these days and times, it’s no wonder people are hurting.

Lost jobs and lost homes have translated into a lack of stability for many, as they struggle to provide for their families.

By Lori Carlson, Editor 

In his first year as a music teacher, Brian Lenz already has made his mark.

The Prior Lake Fire Department responded to the following fire and medical calls from March 7 to 13: 

Sunday, March 7

No calls.

Monday, March 8

The Prior Lake Police Department responded to the following incidents between March 3 and 17. This is not a comprehensive list of all incidents to which the department responded.

Accidents

Jane Horn's Prior Lake gardens are featured on the "Better Homes and Gardens" Web site, the Internet home of the popular lifestyle magazine. The self-taught gardener offers tips on a range of issues, including plant choice and how to cultivate a luscious landscape.

The "Better Homes and Gardens" feature isn't the first time Horn, a Scott-Carver Master Gardener, has shared her yard space with the public. In July 2009 she hosted a public viewing of her garden, with proceeds going to support the Piper Breast Center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

I didn't mean for this blog to turn into a catalog of my nuptial neuroses, they seem to dominate my headspace. Let's dive in:

Part of being a Maid of Honor involves buying a dress apparently. The lovely bride has decided that because all seven of her bridesmaids span the spectrums of heights, weights and skin tones, that we should all buy our own dresses. I appreciate that she embraces our differences, but now I'm wracked with stress as I scan for the perfect dress.

It needs to be purple (dark purple, like grape, not lavender) and preferably knee to tea length.

After years of delays, funding is in place to fix the traffic-clogged intersection of Highway 169 and Interstate 494.

From this week’s Looking Back column in the Jordan Independent:

Seventy years ago, Prior Lake village has been awarded by President Roosevelt an allotment of $29,738 for its Works Progress Administration (WPA) project for new sidewalks, curb, gutter, and improved streets.

Read more about Jordan area's history at jordannews.com/news/looking-back.

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

A standing-room-only crowd of about 50 people filled the room Monday during a public hearing on the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District’s recently proposed budget cuts for the 2010-11 school year.

Some attendees wielded band instruments while others wore bright, yellow stickers proclaiming “Synergy is important.” Many members of the audience did both.

A wee bit o' planning for a safe and sober ride can keep St. Patrick's Day partiers out of jail on what is notoriously known as a dangerous holiday for drinking and driving.

By Shawn Hogendorf, Staff Writer 

A 35-year-old Prior Lake woman faces criminal sexual conduct charges after admitting to police that she was involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with her son’s 15-year-old friend.

By Lori Carlson, Editor
A Haitian pastor who worked closely with Prior Lake church missionaries was killed Friday in a confrontation with burglars in his Port-au-Prince home, Holy Cross Lutheran Church Rev. Robert Nowak confirmed on Monday.

Nowak – president of the Haiti Lutheran Mission Society – had worked with the Rev. Doris Jean Louis during mission trips to Haiti, including the January trip in which the Holy Cross missionaries got caught amidst that country’s Jan. 12 earthquake.

For the second consecutive year, 2009 saw a substantial increase in online crime complaints, according to the annual Internet Crime Report issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Thos complaints have increased by more than 100,000 since 2005.

Prior Lake City Council members will meet today at 4:30 p.m. for a workshop on fund balance reserves.

Finance Director Jerilyn Erickson will ask city leaders to consider adopting policies for minimum fund balances and classifications of different fund types.