There were plenty of thrills and chills at this year's Isanti Fire District Rodeo, held Friday through Sunday, July 6-8. Here is a collection of photos collected by Isanti-Chisago County Star photographers from this year's action.

This is the third in a series of first-person accounts by a local woman dealing with her grandmother’s advancing Alzheimer’s. Other installments will appear periodically in the coming months.

This summer, Play Inc’s Junior High Theater Troupe is performing “Singin’ In The Rain” the weekend of July 20-22 with performers in grades 5-8. 

Isanti mayor George Wimmer presented the GreenStep Four award to Director of Community Development Ryan Kernosky at the July 3 Isanti City Council meeting. 

Two-term mayor of North Branch Kirsten Kennedy has filed her intent to seek the office currently held by Rick Nolan in the House of Representatives. Kennedy is seeking the DFL nomination in the primary which is taking place on Aug. 14. Early voting is underway at the time of this publication.

Joy Lutheran Church, at 1155 Joy Circle in the Goldenwood area of Cambridge, celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, June 24, 2018. 

Question: When the speed limit is changing on a road, does the new speed limit start at the sign, or does it start when you can see the sign?

The Hands All Around Quilters of Braham are seeking entries in their 28th Annual Show of Small Quilts held in conjunction with Braham’s Pie Day celebration on Friday, Aug. 3. 

From July 19-22, people attending the Chisago County Fair will have the opportunity to learn more about anxiety awareness in children and teens through a Girl Scout Gold Award Project led by North Branch senior Kaitlyn Isaacson. 

Phoenix Academy of Art and Science, a tuition-free public charter school in North Branch, announces a change of location and a new principal for the 2018-2019 school year. 

“Here you go Pittman.” Four words the army corpsman most likely forgot the second he walked out of the room. Four words that included all the pomp and circumstance Ray Pittman would ever enjoy as the corpsman unceremoniously dropped an envelope on Ray’s hospital bed. 

It’s one of those times in life when the dirtier you get the better you’ll feel. Brave souls are invited to run, jump, crawl, climb and slog through miles of mud and craziness in the first annual Rough ‘N Tough Mudder Against Hunger on Saturday, July 21. 

Libby (foreground) and Trixie react to their unsuccessful attempts to defuse a “bomb” during “Keep talking and nobody explodes” at the Cambridge Library on Wednesday, June 27. The computer game, which is a takeoff of an escape room, tasks participants to defuse a bomb through teamwork and co…

The Cambridge city council looked into making one minor change to the North Fern Street reconstruction project, but due to the potential major implications of that change, the council decided to table the item until the Aug. 6 meeting in order to collect more data.

The City of Isanti has made amazing progress in my time as mayor, which include:

My name is Jeff Johnson, and I am ecstatic to announce to the city of Isanti that I am running for your mayor! I ask for your support in this very challenging undertaking. As a citizen of Isanti, I know that a great city is measured by the qualities of lives of the people who live within. I …

Yet another pest that doesn’t belong here. The emerald ash borer, known to those who deal with it daily as EAB, is threatening Minnesota’s ash trees. It’s not a matter of if Minnesota could lose many of its millions of ash trees, but when. 

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Cambridge City Council. I’m not new to local politics. I served you on the Council from 2002-2012 where I voted to:

Question: When golf carts are using a pedestrian crosswalk, are vehicles required to yield? This happens in some towns where the roadway separates a golf course.

The possible reasons for former Chisago County Sheriff Richard Duncan’s retirement in April took a strange and disturbing turn last week as it was revealed that Duncan had been, and continues to be, investigated for allegedly attempting to blackmail a former female coworker.

The over 30-year relationship between Cambridge-Isanti Schools and the Rum River Special Education Co-op will be coming to an end thanks to a unanimous vote by the C-I school board during their June 21 meeting.

So often our society hears the concerns of the growing presence of social media and the disconnect it has on face-to-face connections. However, it can also be credited for bringing people together for a common cause. 

Local community and business leaders joined senior leaders and staff of Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS) in a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, June 21, of the expansion and “reconnection” of GracePointe Crossing senior living community, located at 1545 River Hills P…

These days communication no longer revolves around a landline and two people with time to talk. Instead, continuous conversations are held between peers, friends, colleagues and others simply by text. Texting has become the way of life for not only youth but most of society. 

To expedite the review of plumbing plans for commercial and industrial development in the city of Isanti, the council adopted an ordinance amendment at its June 19 meeting allowing the city’s building inspector MNSpect to review the plans.

Desiree’s Dance Studio of North Branch won the title of the 2018 Midwest Starz Grand National Champions at a national competition held June 17 at Kalahari Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., with their Production routine of “Bringing It Back.”  

People say I do a great job of listening and providing thoughtful leadership. It is crucial to seek input from many voices, and do so respectfully. I love serving our citizens on city council and strive to provide a proud and thriving community by focusing on innovative and reliable ideas. B…