The Roundabout

Editor’s Note: Woodbury News Net is an independent, non-profit organization being published by a group of local community volunteers. This newsletter is our first step in fulfilling our mission as a fact-based news source as we continue to fully launch our website. In our first week, we’ve grown the number of people who receive our newsletter from 100 to 850! Please continue to share and encourage people to join our email list. It’s free and always will be! Donate to our cause if you’re able!

Newsletter Editor: Pat Mack

Woodbury Weather via National Weather Service

Things to Know

Fire Damages Two Homes

A fire Sunday afternoon damaged two homes in Woodbury but no one was injured. The Woodbury Fire Department received the call around 3 p.m. on Jamestown Curve near Bailey Road and Woodbury Drive. Firefighters say they found the attached garage fully engulfed, and flames spread to the home and a neighboring home. Six fire agencies and Lakeview EMS assisted. Both homes are unable to be occupied. The Red Cross is assisting the families. Fire officials say the investigation report is still being completed but the fire is not suspicious.

Person of Interest in Bank Robberies in Custody

The Woodbury Police Department has taken a person of interest into custody in connection with bank robberies in Oakdale and Woodbury. Officials say charges in the case are being considered.

Road Construction Updates: I-94, Lake Road, Gold Line

If you know of a major road in Woodbury not under construction, please keep it to yourself. No need to give anyone ideas. We’re joking, mostly. We understand the need for infrastructure improvements, and we are truly blessed at the moment. 

Interstate 94 (I-94): More ramp closures and traffic shifts are coming to the major project on I-94 between Century Avenue and the St. Croix River.

Beginning Mon., Aug. 12, eastbound I-94 exiting onto northbound I-694, Radio Drive or Woodbury Drive will be detoured via Tamarack Road until Sat, Sept. 14. Motorists will use the I-494/Tamarack Road interchange to loop around to go north or to get back on I-94 to access the Woodbury exits. If you are traveling east through the area, past the Woodbury Drive exit, continue to use the left two lanes on I-94.

These ramps will be closed starting Mon, Aug. 12 through Sat, Sept. 14:

• Eastbound I-94 to northbound I-694 ramp. Bypass this closure by using southbound I-494, Tamarack Rd. and northbound I-494/I-694.

• Southbound I-494 to eastbound I-94 ramp. Bypass this closure by using southbound I-494, Tamarack Rd., northbound I-494 and eastbound I-94.

MnDOT asks for continued patience and advises people plan extra travel time through the project area. The I-94 project is resurfacing pavement and ramps, and building a new eastbound lane from I-494 to Woodbury Drive. The two-year, $120 million project is scheduled to be completed in late fall.

Lake Road: The Lake Road construction project should be complete next week. The road was converted from four lanes to three between Blue Ridge Drive and the Cottage Grove Drive trail crossing near Cherry Lane. The goal was slower travel speeds, improved motor vehicle safety, and improved pedestrian crossing safety. Pavement rehabilitation and striping is complete, which stretches from Blue Ridge Drive to Manning Avenue. Some trail and minor utility repair also is finished. Signage is being completed this week with a traffic signal being adjusted at Lake Road and Wimbledon Drive by mid-August.

Gold Line: On the METRO Gold Line project, McKnight Road at I-94 in St. Paul is closed through August 16 as underground utilities are replaced and the intersection is repaved. Expect overnight I-94 lane closures beginning in mid-August for crews to pour concrete for the Maple Street pedestrian bridge in St. Paul. In Woodbury, work continues on Bielenberg Drive as well as construction of the Queens station and Woodlane Park & Ride. The Gold Line is expected to open next March.

Primary Election set for Tuesday, Aug. 13

Early voting is underway for Minnesota’s primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 13. One of the highest profile contests will decide which Republican will face incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November. Joe Fraser, a Navy veteran, and Royce White, a former basketball player and Congressional candidate, are the GOP candidates.  

Woodbury voters will also be voting in primaries for our two Congressional Districts. In Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig faces a challenge from fellow Democrat Marc Ives, a teacher. While GOP-endorsed congressional candidate Tayler Rahm, a Burnsville attorney, dropped out of the race last week, his name will remain on the ballot against Joe Teirab, who also is an attorney in Burnsville. 

In the Fourth Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum is unopposed, but two Republicans are running to face her in November: May Lor Xiong, a former teacher and real estate broker, and Gene Rechtzigel, a farmer and property manager. Xiong became the first Hmong candidate to win a Republican primary in 2022 when she beat Rechtzigel. She lost to McCollum in the general election. 

Election Essentials

• Vote early at Woodbury City Hall through Monday, Aug. 12. Other early voting sites in the state can be found here.

• Register to vote on Election Day with a proof of residence.

• Information on how and where to vote as well as a sample ballot and candidate information.

• Information on primary candidates

School Board Filings Open Until Aug. 13

Two of Woodbury’s three school districts will hold school board elections this fall. Candidates have until Aug. 13 to file. Stillwater Area Schools—ISD #834 has three open seats. Candidates can contact [email protected] to schedule a time to file their affidavit of candidacy at the district office in Stillwater. Four seats are up for election in North St. Paul-Oakdale-Maplewood—ISD #622. Affidavits of candidacy are available from the School District Clerk, 2520 East 12th Avenue, North St. Paul, MN, 55109.  The Minnesota School Board Association offers a Candidate’s Guide to School Board Elections.  

City Hotel Tax Revenue Lower Than Expected

Woodbury’s new city lodging tax revenue came in under projections for its first nine months. The city reports $373,859 was collected between April 1, 2023, when the tax began, and Dec. 31, 2023. The projection was $470,300 for that period. A city spokesman said the projections were based on historical occupancy and room rate data. But the hospitality industry is still experiencing challenges across the country with a decrease in business travel and the rise of short-term rentals. The tax money will be used for Destination: Woodbury, a new destination marketing organization. Eric Satre was hired in May as the manager for the organization, which will use strategic marketing initiatives to help the hospitality industry recover.

Woodbury Days Fireworks, Button Design Winner Set

The city is shifting its annual fireworks display to the Woodbury Days celebration. The threat of stormy weather cancelled the city’s July 4 fireworks, so they will now be part of Woodbury Days at Ojibway Park on Saturday, Aug, 24, at approximately 9:30 p.m. Woodbury Days runs Aug. 23-25. Nora Zimmerman of Woodbury has been declared the 2024 button design winner. Sales of the button generate revenue for the celebration and provide discounts during the festival.

Editor’s note: Woodbury Days President Paul Huffman is a member of Woodbury News Net’s leadership group. We’ll detail some of this year’s new activities next week.

Local Singers Perform With Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow’s “One Last Time” concert at Xcel Center last Friday featured some last-minute local talent. When another group providing backup vocals for the iconic performer fell through just days before the concert, local music director Mary Reimann answered the call for help. She assembled seasoned performers from Open Door Community Theatre and Spirit Song Choir who could learn their parts quickly and be comfortable performing with minimal rehearsal in front of a huge crowd. Just hours before the show, the singers learned and polished the choreography. Woodbury resident Lisa Cressy is a long-time Manilow fan and said being on stage with Barry was “a lifetime memory maker.”

Editor’s note: As we grow, we look forward to expanding our coverage of the local arts, including a calendar of events. Speaking of events, Hudson is hosting its annual Yellowstone Trail Heritage Day on Saturday, Aug. 10)

Input Sought on Draft Environmental Plan

Two public meetings are being held to gather feedback on the city’s draft Environmental Stewardship Plan. An online survey of residents showed environmental priorities include drinking water, natural resources, vegetation and tree cover, renewable energy, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, resilience to extreme weather, and impacts of climate change. The plan’s goals and actions will be posted online Monday. Input will help shape the plan that is expected to be finalized by the city council by the end of the year.

Environmental Plan Meetings (6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)

Community Garden to Grow, Become More Accessible

Woodbury’s Community Garden has received two grants, which will help it grow in size and become more accessible. AARP recently gave a $6,600 grant aimed at making the garden easier to use for older adults and people with disabilities. Woodbury Thrives will use the money for ADA-compliant raised garden beds, signage and gardening tools. The beds will be high enough to allow for a wheelchair underneath them. A grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will triple the size of the garden, according to an article the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The grant provides three years of funding totaling almost $50,000. The city partnered with Woodbury Thrives to create the space in 2022. It has 48 plots this growing season that are rented by residents and civic groups.

Algae Closes Carver Lake Beach

The city reports that blue-green algae was discovered in Carver Lake on Monday and is urging people to avoid contact with the lake until further notice. “Not all blue-green algal blooms produce toxins; however, there is no way to predict if or when a bloom will produce toxins,” the city release states. “For this reason, it is best to avoid contact and stay out of the water.”

Update on Woodbury News Net:

We plan to publish the newsletter weekly at first, and add frequency as we grow. We also are working toward hiring a professional editor and making WoodburyNewsNet.org a dedicated source for local news and information.

Why local news needs your support

Report for America and Minnesota Public Radio recently explored the need for support for local news at an event at the Weisman Museum on the University of Minnesota campus. A group of philanthropic leaders discussed the challenge of building a sustainable business model for local news. That panel discussion will be broadcast Monday, Aug. 12, on MPR News with Angela Davis, which airs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. A second discussion from the event between pioneers in local news startups will air Tuesday, Aug. 13. The shows will eventually be posted here.

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