by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol Reporter

Sen. Amy Koch, R-Buffalo, is carrying Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposed state spending limit constitutional amendment and will take the bill before the Senate Tax Committee on Dec. 7.

Democrats in general have expressed a willingness to listen to the proposal, an attitude Koch won’t second guess.

Read more: She’ll take them at their word, said Sen. Amy Koch

“When we still heard the five-inch guns firing, we didn’t have to get too nervous. But when we heard the 50 calibers, that’s when things got nerve-wracking,” recalled Harold Van Gundy of rural Houston about his three-year stint in the U.S. Navy.

Van Gundy, who was a Machinist Second Class, spent much of his time deep in the bowels of the USS O’Bannon in one of the two engine rooms making sure the Navy destroyer continued its motion through the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

See more in Editor Charlie Warner's Caledonia Argus story.

U.S. Navy Machinist Second Class Harold Van Gundy as he looked in the mid-1940 while serving on the USS O'Bannon.

(Submitted photo)

The Fillmore Central and Caledonia School Boards have set a tentative meeting date of Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m., at the Caledonia School, to initially take a look at the idea of sharing a superintendent position.

The full boards plan to meet, so the meeting will be open to the public. See more in Caledonia Argus story by Craig Moorhead and Charlie Warner.

“People need to wake up and realize bad things can happen and are happening in Caledonia. We currently have 19 criminal sex crimes under investigation here. That’s more than we had in a year when I worked in Austin, which has over 20,000 people,” said Caledonia Police Chief Kurt Zehnder during the Nov. 9 city council meeting.

See more in Caledonia Argus story.

State Representative Mary Liz Holberg, R-District 36A, Lakeville, will participate in a panel discussion on transportation policy as part of the Bipartisan Policy Center Performance Driven: A New Vision for U.S. Transportation Policy forum.

The event is at the Cowles Auditorium at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute on Monday, Nov. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. See more in ThisweekLive.

by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter

The 2nd Congressional District race took more shape today (Tuesday, Nov. 17) with Burnsville Democrat Dan Powers’ announcement.

Powers intends to challenge fourth-term Republican Congressman John Kline, R-Lakeville, to represent the district.

Burnsville resident Dan Powers today (Tuesday, Nov. 17) announced his candidacy for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District. The Democrat said he is running to win, not just to make a statement. Powers is challenging Republican Congressman John Kline, R-Lakeville, who won a fourth term last November by taking 57 percent of the vote. (Photo by T.W. Budig, ECM Capitol Reporter)

 

Read more: Burnsville Democrat Dan Powers plans to challenge Rep. Kline

A woman was booked and released at the Anoka County Jail Nov. 13 following an arson fire at a Coon Rapids residence.

The woman, 49, arrested on a probable cause, first-degree arson charge, lived at the townhome on the 1800 block of 113th Lane N.W., with her sister, 47. See more in Editor Peter Bodley's Coon Rapids Herald story.

A report by an Office Max employee that he was stabbed in an attempted robbery in the parking lot outside the Coon Rapids store early Sunday evening was phoney.

According to the employees’s story, the store, located at 3400 124th Ave. N.W., had just closed Nov. 15 and he was smoking a cigarette when a man approached him, demanded “all your s...” and when the victim refused, he was stabbed in the chest with what the victim described as a small folding knife. See more in Editor Peter Bodley's story in the Coon Rapids Herald.

NEWS RELEASE

St. Paul, MN -- iQor Inc., a New York City-based company that specializes in providing call center services for companies around the world, announced Tuesday that it has opened a new call center in Plymouth that will bring hundreds of new jobs to the community.

Company officials said the 49,000-square-foot facility at 12755 Highway 55 in the western Twin Cities suburb has a capacity for more than 1,000 employees.

Read more: iQor Inc. opens call center in Plymouth; capacity for 1,000 workers

Caledonia’s dream of a “threepeat” was crushed Friday night when a very large and very physical Waterville-Eylsian-Morristown defeated the local football team 20-13 in the Class AA State Quarterfinals.

The two-time defending state champs had their 22-game win streak snapped by the WEM Buccaneers, who proved to be the Warriors’ toughest foe this season. See more in Editor Charlie Warner's game report in the Caledonia Argus.

Caledonia quarterback Bobby Augedahl (12) picked up a block from Mitch Reiser (71) in last Friday night's Class AA state football tournament quarterfinal game in Rochester. (Caledonia Argus photo)