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Judge: Orono in contempt over fire department feud, again
The City of Orono will be launching its new fire department in July following a breakdown in discussions of how to move forward under Long Lake Fire Dept.
ORONO, Minn. — A Hennepin County judge has ruled for a second time that the City of Orono is in contempt of court for interfering with Long Lake Fire Department (LLFD). The Orono City Council held its first meeting since the contempt order on Monday night. The council went into a closed session to discuss the measures, which upset residents.
“I urge you to reconsider your plans to take over services for Orono,” resident Kelly Prchal said during public comment. “You have the ability to make a change. Please show your residents you value their input and their safety.”
Orono Mayor Denny Walsh said he feels it’s in the city’s best interest to have their own department following failed contract discussions years ago with LLFD.
“We would like to have control of what’s going on because we have a much bigger human resources, [and] finance department. Just a much bigger background to help everyone run a 30-person department,” Walsh said.
Walsh points out that Orono makes up more than half of the service area covered currently by LLFD. Medina is also covered in its jurisdiction.
“It’s concerning,” Long Lake Mayor Charlie Miner said.
Long Lake filed a lawsuit against Orono for hindering its operations at its fire department by recruiting its firefighters over the summer. A Hennepin County judge granted them a temporary injunction in July, then found Orono in contempt of that injunction in November and most recently in March.
“We don’t agree with the judge’s decision,” Mayor Walsh said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Miner feels validated.
In the March ruling, court documents say Orono “willfully disobeyed” the injunction’s prohibition against Orono’s recruitment of LLFD firefighters by offering a waiver of the standard physical and psychological exam requirements for a class of applicants that included only current LLFD firefighters. Orono was fined for the continued violations of the court orders.
LLFD’s former chief is now leading the Orono Fire Department. In the last year, 10 of the on-call paid LLFD firefighters have joined Orono.
“We’re trying to do what we can to maintain the fire department we have now so we can continue to provide service to the cities we serve,” Mayor Miner said.
Starting in July, the Orono Fire Department will cover roughly one-third of the city around the Navarre neighborhood. Mayor Walsh says they will have their new department running by January 1, 2026.
LLFD promises to service Orono residents through December 31, 2025.
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Police said the 7-year-old victim was skateboarding on Saturday night.
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The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Officials have closed the westbound lanes of US Highway 12 starting at I-494 in Minnetonka after a collision occurred on Saturday night.
According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 511 Map, the road is closed and there was a “serious crash,” on the highway.
The road closure is expected to last until about 11:30 p.m. tonight, according to MnDOT.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
“It’s amazing how well and good the people are helping out,” volunteer Connie Guinn said.
ELK PARK, N.C. — It’s still difficult for Mike Ellenburg to see the damage Helene left in Elk Park, North Carolina.
“Never in my lifetime, no I have not,” Ellenburg, Fire Chief at the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department, said. “We had to bring in heavy equipment and open the road up.”
The storm left homes destroyed, trees toppled and cars flipped. It’s left roads near rivers and creeks nearby unrecognizable.
“Used to be a paved road, houses on both sides,” he said. “They’re gone.”
“You’ll see some vehicles down here that are sideways, and they’ll have spray paint on ’em,” Ellenburg continued. “Marking that that vehicle has been checked and that nobody was inside of it or around it.”
Ellenburg says he believes there are four areas around Elk Park in a similar state, damaged and difficult to get into. Despite that, help is still coming, both from the town and the rest of the state.
“We’re just trying to get it organized,” Connie Guinn, a volunteer said, standing in front of pallets of food and water. “Because we can’t find nothing, and neither can anybody else.”
Donations have continued to arrive at the Elk Park Volunteer Fire Department. Ellenburg says some have even come from around the country.
Other agencies, like the Dallas, North Carolina volunteer fire department, have also arrived to help where they can.
“It’s amazing how well and good the people are helping out,” Guinn said.
Ellenburg says it will take time to rebuild their community, but it’s made easier to get through with neighbors like theirs.
“I would only say that I don’t want to live anywhere else but here in Avery County, North Carolina,” he said.
