Beginning next week, the Isanti County area will be alive with the annual sounds of the selling of Girl Scout cookies. However, because of an ordinance change approved by the Isanti City Council during their Feb. 4 meeting, the Girl Scouts, along with any other nonprofits looking to raise mo…
Normally, annual reports to county boards can be somewhat on the mundane side, featuring a bunch of statistics and other numbers. That wasn’t the case with the most recent Isanti County Commissioners meeting held on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The North Branch School Board has already started with interviews for the soon-to-be-open superintendent position when Dr. Deb Henton ends her tenure in June. No, they haven’t interviewed any candidates, but rather they interviewed for who would help them with the search process.
When it comes to Minnesota’s transition to the use of REAL IDs, the percentage of Chisago and Isanti County residents who have already made the change is below the state average.
The city of North Branch had twice the reasons to celebrate last Tuesday, Feb. 11 as both Kwik Trip stores celebrated their grand openings with ribbon cutting ceremonies.
Feedback is being sought from local communities to help shape the Lower St. Croix 10-Year Watershed Plan.
The public is invited to Third Thursday events in downtown Cambridge on Thursday, Feb. 20, hosted by downtown businesses and North 65 Chamber.
Question: This winter has provided snowbanks as barriers in town, eliminating the turn lane between our east- and westbound lanes. If a school bus is stopped and the stop arm is extended, does the opposing traffic have to stop?
Over 780 people visited the Vasaloppet Art Show the weekend of Feb. 7-9. The art show, held in conjunction with the Vasaloppet Ski Race was presented by the Kanabec County Art Association. Visitors viewed more than 100 pieces of art created by 32 area artists. Several artists were first-time…
Representatives of the North Branch Area Education Foundation (NBAEF) were at North Branch Area Public Schools on Monday, Feb. 10, to award grants to seven staff members who applied earlier this winter.
Two Chisago County locations and two Isanti County grantees will be benefiting from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund later this year.
East Central Regional Library is excited to announce its Storytime to Go kit collection is receiving a sizable boost with more play components to help families and those who work with children integrate learning and playing.
Military veterans who have been on the battlefield will be forever changed by the experience. Combat often leaves physical, mental and emotional wounds. It also leaves spiritual wounds which must be dealt with using spiritual tools.
The Fairview Lakes Medical Center Volunteer Organization will award $1,000 scholarships this spring to up to 30 to qualified candidates pursuing a career in the medical field. Application deadline is March 31, 2020.
On Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 Farm Bureau members from Chisago County attended the LEAP (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Promotion) Conference in Bemidji. Members participated in industry tours, networking sessions, educational workshops and discussion meet. Amanda Cook competed in the discussion…
Conservation Officer Angela Londgren, with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources stationed in the Cambridge area, recently received the DNR’s Willard Munger Wetlands Achievement Award at the enforcement division’s annual awards ceremony and training conference at Camp Ripley.
North Branch Area Public Schools is preparing to dispose of special education student records for the graduation class of 2011. If you have any need of these records or questions about the disposal, please contact Mary Rock at 651-674-1013 by March 31, 2020.
Last Friday, Jan. 31, North Branch kids (and a few adults) got the experience of being able to get up close and personal with several snakes and other reptiles. The program, which was led by Emily Roberts of "Snake Discovery," and sponsored by the North Branch Area Early Childhood Program an…
Following a public hearing the week before regarding conditional use permit (CUP) violations by Terry’s Disposal that North Branch Mayor Jim Swenson described as “almost like a court trial,” the North Branch city council, during their Jan. 28 meeting, unanimously approved giving the business…
The Cambridge city council took the next step in ensuring a burned-out house gets properly removed, while at the same time giving the “owners” a little while longer to do it themselves rather than have the city contract out the work and assess the costs to the property.
During an interview prior to the high school One Act Play competition season, North Branch director Laura Michels admitted she had chosen a challenging play for the cast to perform.
The Isanti-Chisago County Star earned a total of five awards in the Minnesota Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Contest during an awards ceremony held in Brooklyn Park on Thursday, Jan. 30. The five awards is believed to be a record number received by the Star in a single year.
As if Cambridge motorists weren’t fed up enough with traffic delays on Highway 95 caused by trains, what played out late Monday afternoon, Feb. 3, only amplified their frustrations.
On Super Bowl Sunday, people gathered around the television to watch football, but also to watch new commercials released by some of the world’s most recognizable brands.
The North Branch Area High School DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter competed Sunday and the following students will advance to the State Career Development Conference March 1-3.
Are you excited about the new library in Cambridge?
Updated information: Due to the North Branch High School being closed due to the cold, this event has been postponed.
Thinking spring already? You can get a head start on spring by ordering trees and shrubs from the Chisago Soil and Water Conservation District.
Question: If I see someone texting and they are driving in an unsafe manner (crossing in and out of their lane or going onto shoulder), should I call 911?
The popular “Blind Date with a Book” event is back at East Central Regional Library-Rush City, and the fun doesn’t stop there next month.
Surrounded by district managers of Farmers Insurance, along with representatives of North 65 Chamber of Commerce and the city of Cambridge, Ed Grandy (with scissors) officially cuts the ribbon celebrating the grand opening of the Ed Grandy Agency of Farmers Insurance. The business is located…
The Chisago County chapter of Pheasants Forever will hold its 35th annual banquet on Saturday, Feb. 29, at Lent Town Hall just north of Stacy. The banquet begins with a social hour at 4 p.m., followed by dinner and the program at 5:30 p.m.
Dr. Kent Hanson speaks to the crowd at the annual Scholardazzle event, a fundraiser for scholarships for Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Cambridge, held Friday, Jan. 31, at Pinewood Wedding and Event Center. The evening included dinner, live music, silent auction and more. Approximately 22…
The Isanti County Master Gardeners will offer a free class on “Maple Syrup Production for the Home Hobbyist” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13, in the lower level of the Isanti County Government Center, 555 18th Avenue SW, Cambridge.
The East Central MN Business Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club will host its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at East Central Energy, Braham.
Anoka-Ramsey Community College will host a Community Resource Fair on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Cambridge campus at 300 Spirit River Drive S. The fair will be in the cafeteria.
The Shalom Thrift Shop is happy to announce that during 2019 they have given back to the community $417,700 partnering with many agencies and churches in the Isanti County area.
The Cambridge-Isanti Women’s Connection (CIWC) will hold its monthly luncheon on Monday, Feb. 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Common Ground: A United Methodist Community, 404 North Cypress, Cambridge.
On Jan. 18 the Grasston Chapter of the Royal Neighbors hosted a fundraising Scandinavian Winter Feast at Braham Event Center, featuring lutefisk, potato sausage, meatballs, potatoes, rutabagas, peas, rolls, pickles and rice pudding. Entertainment included a gnome race and visit from “Ole.” F…
Northern Lights Writers will offer a free event for area writers on Saturday, Feb. 15, called “Write Your Heart Out – A Roundtable Discussion on Crafting Your Story.”
Minnesota Housing announced over $52 million is available to provide affordable mortgages to first-time homebuyers through a collaboration with Minnesota cities and counties, including $779,024 for Chisago County.
Nancy Hoffman (right), executive director of Chisago County HRA-EDA, was named “Economic Developer of the Year” by the Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM) at its annual Winter Conference on Jan. 23, 2019. She’s pictured with EDAM President Matt Brown. The award recognizes “a…
In lieu of its regular monthly meeting on Feb. 9, East Central MN PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbian and Gays) is offering a free community presentation by Ali Sands, of Minneapolis, author of “‘I Know Who You Are, but What Am I?’ A Partner’s Perspective on Transgender Love.”
The 2020 Senior All-Night Party Planning Committee, with the North Branch Area High School, is looking for donations of services, products, gift cards and money for the All-Night Senior Party.
The public is invited to join Living Branch Lutheran Church in supporting the Belize Mission Society (BMS) with its “Shades for Belize” project.
Kirstin Knutson, a 2012 Cambridge-Isanti High School graduate and 2012-2013 Isanti Ambassador, was crowned “Queen of the Snows” during the St. Paul Winter Carnival’s coronation ceremony on Friday, Jan. 24.
The “donut hole” in the legal purchasing age of tobacco products in Isanti County has been filled.
Isanti City Council Member Steve Lundeen and Mayor Jeff Johnson took issue during the Jan. 21 city council meeting with comments made on Facebook regarding the condition of Isanti city streets.
Isanti County Planning Commission and the County Board of Commissioners have been grappling with what to do about First State Tire, which is out of compliance with its conditional use permit (CUP).
Stephen Michael Bochniak, 39, of North Branch has been charged with felony burglary and sale of stolen checks for allegedly burglarizing Journey North Church in Pine City on Jan. 14.
