On Monday, April 14, the Hastings City Council Planning Committee met to discuss a rundown of ongoing city projects ranging from the zoning ordinance update, the Gateway Project, cannabis special use …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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4/24/25
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The Senate Labor Committee held a hearing on a bill authored by Senator Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton) on Tuesday, April 8. The bill, Senate File 2744, would appropriate $1 million to the Minnesota …
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4/17/25
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To invest in Wisconsin’s transportation system, Gov. Tony Evers has signed a $950,615 contract with prime contractor Haas Sons, Inc. of Thorp for a safety improvement project on US 10 just east …
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4/16/25
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On Saturday, April 5, Rep. Tom Dippel (R-Cottage Grove) held a town hall at the HERO Center in Cottage Grove and spoke to issues ranging from the budget deficit to PFAS to federal changes appearing …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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4/9/25
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It’s been a busy week with K-12 Education initiatives in the Minnesota House. As I serve on both the education policy and education finance committees, we’ve had numerous discussions on …
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4/3/25
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Hastings Fire Chief John Townsend presented before the city council workshop on Monday, March 16 on the future of the Hastings fire station including testing for new sites. Chief Townsend presented a …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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3/26/25
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A plan that would prevent biological boys in Minnesota from playing in girls’ sports received a full House floor debate this week. State Representative Tom Dippel (R-Cottage Grove) voted yes on …
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3/11/25
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Mayor Mary Fasbender and Rep. Tom Dippel (R-Cottage Grove) spoke before the House Capital Investment Committee on Thursday, Feb. 27 for state funding for PFAS water treatment plants within a future …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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3/5/25
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At the March 3, 2025 meeting of the Hastings City Council, the council discussed the 2025 Neighborhood Infrastructure Improvement, Gores Pool #3 and received a PFAS update from City Administrator Dan …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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3/5/25
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On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners held its 2025 employee recognition ceremony celebrating some of its longest-working employees. The ceremony celebrated the longevity of …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/25/25
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From the Hastings City Hall, Rep. Tom Dippel (R-Cottage Grove) held a press conference to announce a new bill that would allocate funds from the Legacy Fund’s Clean Water Fund towards …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/20/25
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At the Feb. 12 meeting of the Arts and Culture Commission, newly revamped for 2025, members discussed moving forward with the civic arena mural as well as the creation of new arts and culture grants. …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/19/25
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On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the US Senate held a Judiciary Committee to hear about H.R. 27 Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or simply the HALT Fentanyl Act. Among those speaking at the meeting was …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/19/25
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On Thursday, February 6, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-Saint Paul) appointed Senator Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton) to two Advisory Councils - the Public Safety Advisory Council and the …
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2/19/25
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Headlines and national news don’t usually trickle down to Dakota County, but at the Feb. 4 legislative update at the General Government and Policy Committee of the Whole, the county’s …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/12/25
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On Wednesday, Feb. 5, House DFL and GOP members announced they had come to a power-sharing agreement which allowed the House of Representatives to finally come to order. The power-sharing agreement …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/11/25
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On Monday, Jan. 27, the Hastings Planning Commission held a workshop featuring a presentation from Codametrics Principal Leslie Oberholtzer on the upcoming comprehensive zoning map for the city of …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/6/25
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In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature passed Amara’s Law – recently implemented environmental protections that prohibit the use of PFAS “forever chemicals” in everyday products. …
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By State Sen. Judy Seeberger
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2/6/25
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Monday, Feb. 3 saw Mayor Mary Fasbender cede her title for the day to sixth-grader Amelia Caponigri, winner of the mayor for a day contest. In her essay, Caponigri proposed a new community group to …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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2/5/25
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Despite the drama in the state legislature, a key issue for the state legislators representing Hastings continues to be securing funds to build water treatment plants. Both Sen. Judy Seeberger …
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By Graham P. Johnson
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1/31/25
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