Category: <span>RepJ Stories</span>

Published November 11, 2008 by

Pownell and former opponents explain results

Photo by Bonnie Obremski
Photo by Bonnie Obremski

Rhonda Pownell said she wasn’t surprised to come out on top in a four-way race to fill an unexpired two-year term for an at-large seat on the Northfield City Council.

“I have energy and excitement and I’m encouraging others to come along,” Pownell said over a cup of herbal tea at the Bittersweet eatery on Thursday.

She took 33 percent of the 7,112 votes cast for that seat, currently held by Dixon Bond. Bond was appointed by the council after Noah Cashman resigned from the spot in July to pursue a job opportunity and care for an ill sister. Bond may step down early to allow Pownell to begin her work this month, instead of waiting until January when newly elected officials usually begin.

Pownell’s opponents, Joseph Gasior, C. Lynn Vincent and Victor Summa, expressed some surprise at her victory this week. Pownell, 37, has no prior job experience in municipal government and she has been a member of a once much-discussed group that sits in the audience during City Council meetings to quietly pray for the city.

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Published November 6, 2008 by

Northfield Police Chief Mark Taylor talks about heroin investigation

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Published November 6, 2008 by

Friend of alleged dealer offers perspective

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health

Published November 4, 2008 by

Preschool and daycare enrollment down

Photo: Joshua Rowan Caption: Annelise Holt, 4, dangles from the monkey bars at Open Door on Tuesday.
Photo by Joshua Rowan Annelise Hall-Holt, 4, dangles from the monkey bars at Open Door Nursery School on Tuesday morning.

Barbara Howe, director of Open Door Nursery School on West Third Street, is worried about the number of vacancies in daycares and preschools citywide.

“I think a lot of parents are having to make decisions financially,” Howe said on Tuesday. “There are things that have to go and unfortunately, nursery school is one of them.”

Howe said her concern about enrollment increased when she learned a Dundas business owner had plans to build a Goddard School franchise in Northfield.

That business owner, Jesse Streitz, has said he might apply for one of the city’s forgivable or low-interest loan programs in the amount of about $15,500, which would offset some city-associated expenses with buying the land for the $1.9 million school project.

“It’s not that I’m against other schools coming into the city,” Howe said. “I’m trying to say that if there’s another school with a lot of openings, it could be catastrophic for those of us who are already here. So, I would just rather not see tax dollars used to assist the Goddard School in that way.”
Streitz has said Goddard School Systems administrators performed market research that shows a school would be viable in Northfield, however, and that a Goddard School franchise has yet to fail in the company’s 20-year history.

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Published November 3, 2008 by

Halloween enthusiasts spare no expense for neighbors

Photo: Bonnie Obremski/RepJNorthfield.org

At least two Northfielders spent hundreds of dollars and countless hours to build front-yard attractions for neighborhood children on Halloween night

Dana Goss of Lupine Drive was one and Joshua Godfredson of Buchanan Court wan another.

Norman Butler, owner of the Contented Cow, alerted me to Goss’ attraction and Jerry Weber and Nicole Maloney of Sweet Pea’s Loft, told me about Godfredson’s display.

Butler said he believed Northfield could benefit if community leaders marketed the volunteer efforts of Northfield citizens such as Goss and Godfredson.

Goss’s family has a long-standing tradition of building a haunted maze with Jack-o-lanterns Dana Goss carves free-hand. A carving of the Headless Horseman seemed to draw the most attention from visitors this year. If looking at pumpkins all day is making you crave some for dinner, then make sure to check out the delicious allfitrecipes soup.

Godfredson’s attraction is newer than Goss’. He and friends and family added many more rooms and moving parts to his haunted pirate ship this year. Godfredson works part-time as a professional impersonator, mimicking Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in his role as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

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Published October 29, 2008 by

RepJ reporter teams with Carleton student on story

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health

Published October 28, 2008 by

Heroin bust press conference video

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Video

Published October 28, 2008 by

Judges set bail for alleged heroin dealers

Seven Rice County residents accused of dealing heroin are awaiting second hearings after arraignments at Rice County District Court on Monday morning.

Some arraignments occurred in courtroom 2, where Judge Thomas Neuville presided, and some in courtroom 3, where Judge Bernard E. Borene presided. The judges set bail of varying amounts for each of the defendants.

Alexander Bruce Benson, 19, of 300 Aster Dr., Northfield, is facing two charges of aiding and/or abetting in the sale of heroin on Sept. 29 near Greenvale Apartments on Greenvale Avenue, which is a public housing zone, and one charge of aiding and/or abetting the sale of heroin.

The apartment complex was home to Jillian Marie Wetzel, 25, who authorities determined died of an accidental heroin overdose on Aug. 23. Wetzel’s death by overdose was the most recent of five of such fatalities to occur in Northfield in the past year and a half.

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Heroin

Published October 27, 2008 by

Eight arrested on heroin charges

Richard Cook, Rice County Sheriff, released the following information in an email shortly after 8 a.m. on Monday. Check back for more information soon.

SEVEN ADULTS AND ONE JUVENILE AWAIT CHARGES FOLLOWING HEROIN PROBE

The Rice County DTF conducted an operation this past weekend resulting in the apprehension of seven area adults and one juvenile identified through recent investigation as active in trafficking heroin to area youth.

The adults will be arraigned Monday morning October 27 in Rice County District Court at 11:00 a.m… Sheriff Cook, Chiefs Taylor and Collins will conduct a press conference with local media at 2:30 p.m. after all have been arraigned in the lower level conference room of the Rice County Courthouse.

With this arrest and further investigation we feel the trafficking of narcotic distribution has been significantly interrupted and those who diminish our quality of life have either been arrested or put on notice.

We want to accentuate although this is a very serious and dangerous problem; it involves a minority of individuals and does not represent the main stream of Rice County or Northfield.

Read MoreEight arrested on heroin charges

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