Star Tribune
Historic Osseo cemetery gets a modern name
A 155-year-old Osseo cemetery has been renamed for the second time, and is now known as the Open Gate Cemetery.
The graveyard at 124 W. Broadway was established by the Freie Gemeinde, a society whose name roughly translated from German means “free community” or “free thinkers.” The society considered themselves “the friends of truth, uprightness and honesty,” said Larry Phenow, president of the Rudolph Niggler Cemetery Association, which owns and operates the grounds.
In 1918, the Freie Gremeinde Cemetery was renamed the Niggler Cemetery to recognize a land contribution from Rudolph Niggler and his wife, Elizabeth. The gift doubled the size of the cemetery on the southwest side of Osseo.
Phenow said changing the name to Open Gate is part of an effort to increase local awareness of the cemetery. The new name is also meant to better represent the society’s founding values: a cemetery available to all, regardless of race, creed, color or religion, Phenow said.
The Niggler Association will soon be renamed the Open Gate Cemetery Association.
Tim Harlow
Dakota County
More youth using library since county dropped fines
Young people are increasingly getting library cards, checking out materials and generally engaging with Dakota County libraries — a shift that county officials are crediting in part to the decision to eliminate youth fines in 2022.
Margaret Stone, Dakota County libraries director, said that although recent data is “a little wonky” due to COVID-19, she believes a “good proportion” of the uptick is due to ditching fines.
From 2019 to 2022, the number of young people applying for library cards has increased 41% and the number of youth materials checked out has risen 30%.
The number of average daily users who are youth went up in 2022 compared to 2019, the last normal year for data before the pandemic. Average daily use — measured by recording any time a juvenile library card interacts with library software — jumped 19%.
The Dakota County Board will consider eliminating all fines during 2024 budget discussions, Stone said.
The county budgeted for $220,000 in fine revenue in 2022 but only collected $73,000, she said.
Erin Adler
St. Louis Park
Anti-idling program growing
Signs discouraging idling cars could pop up around more of St. Louis Park’s parking lots this spring and summer.
The signs are part of the “Idle-Free SLP” campaign launched last fall, inspired by a student project at St. Louis Park Middle School. With the signs and a page on the city website, the city is trying to raise awareness of the financial, health and environmental costs of running parked vehicles.
This spring, the city is again offering free aluminum anti-idling signs to anyone who owns or manages a parking lot. Email City Sustainability Specialist Ellie Rabine at erabine@stlouisparkmn.gov to get a sign.
Josie Albertson-Grove
Golden Valley
Planning commissioner appointed to City Council
The Golden Valley City Council has appointed Sophia Ginis to finish the term of departing Council Member Kimberly Sanberg, who is moving out of the city.
Ginis has served on the planning commission since October 2021 and has also served on the city Board of Zoning Appeals. She works as director of community affairs at Metro Transit.
Other finalists for the seat were Roger Bergman, Stephen Ettel, Andy Johnson and Stephen Merriman. The council interviewed candidates earlier this month and voted to appoint Ginis.
She will be sworn in next month and serve until January. Voters will choose a new council member this fall to serve a term beginning in 2024.
Josie Albertson-Grove
Star Tribune
Judge gives driver year in jail for being drunk, fatally hitting man in Minnesota street
A driver was given a year in jail Wednesday for being drunk when he fatally hit a man in the street near St. Cloud.
Tyler J. Nies, 26, of Sartell, Minn., was sentenced in Benton County District Court after pleading guilty to criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash shortly before 11 p.m. on July 28 in Sauk Rapids near the intersection of N. Benton Drive and N. 8th Street that killed Kevin D. Oehmen, 47, of Sauk Rapids.
Judge Robert Raupp opted for the year in jail while setting aside a 5¾-year term. Raupp also ordered Nies to serve 10 years’ probation, perform 80 hours of community work service, complete a chemical assessment attend a victim impact panel, abstain from mood-altering chemicals and stay away from bars.
According to the criminal complaint:
An officer at the scene noticed that Nies smelled of alcohol. Nies initially said he had one beer before driving his pickup. A preliminary breath test by the officer measured Nies’ blood alcohol content at 0.129%, more than 1 1⁄2 times the legal limit in Minnesota.
Upon further questioning, Nies said that before driving he drank three beers, which were about 16 ounces each.
Nies told police he was heading north on Benton Drive in the right-hand lane and suddenly saw a man walking in the grassy area next to the curb “like he was going to cross the road,” the complaint read. Police Chief Perry Beise added that Oehmen was on a street with no marked crosswalk.
Here’s a roundup of 55 claims that caught the interest of the Washington Post, in the order in which they were made
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A small fire of three to five acres has been detected in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but it was holding in place as of Wednesday morning.
The fire was discovered Tuesday and is located on an island in Wood Lake, north of County Road 18, according to a news release from the Superior National Forest. The area is to the northeast of Ely.
The release said the fire was smoldering and holding in place due to good overnight relative humidity levels and light to no wind. However, Superior National Forest is experiencing drought conditions and above average temperatures, and increased winds are expected later this week.
The Forest Service is using aircraft to cool the fire and initiate suppression actions. Firefighters are also engaging with the fire, but ground conditions are difficult, the release said.
“This is an ever-changing event, and we ask the traveling public to stay away from the area and seek alternate routes,” the release said.
The fire is burning among timber and heavy, dead balsam fire, the release said. The origin has not yet been investigated, but it is believed to be human caused.
Judge gives driver year in jail for being drunk, fatally hitting man in Minnesota street
Manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect forces authorities to search rugged terrain: “It is like a jungle”
D.C. police release bodycam footage showing fatal shooting of man, prompting calls for justice from community
Judge gives driver year in jail for being drunk, fatally hitting man in Minnesota street
Manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect forces authorities to search rugged terrain: “It is like a jungle”
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