Community Corner

Top Stillwater Patch Posts of 2013

Reflect on the year gone in headlines from the past 12 months.



JANUARY 2013

Ripple in Stillwater Writer Karl Bremer Dies

Bremer died of complications related to pancreatic cancer on Tuesday at his home in Stillwater Township. He was 60.

Meetings Set to Discuss How Levy is Invested, What a Failed Renewal Would Mean for Stillwater Schools

The Stillwater Area School District will hold a series of meetings for families to learn about the "cost centers" work, view potential budget-reduction lists and share input about school funding.

FEBRUARY 2013

Snowmobiler Dies After Falling Through Ice on St. Croix River

A 22-year-old man died after his snowmobile went through the ice on the St. Croix River in Bayport.

Tolls on the St. Croix River Crossing?

“I think this is a crazy proposal,” Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake) said. “I will not be voting for any kind of toll road or toll bridge between the great states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.”

MARCH 2013

Jury Trial Set in Lumberjack Days Organizer Dave Eckberg's Theft Case

A jury trial for theft charges filed against Lumberjack Days organizer David Eckberg has been set for Aug. 19 in Washington County District Court.

Army Corps Grants MnDOT Permits to Complete Construction of St. Croix River Crossing

Both authorizations were required due to the construction involving work within the St. Croix River.

APRIL 2013

Police: Gun-Safety Instructor Fires 1911 Colt 45 Inside School Cafeteria

A 76-year-old Cottage Grove man was “very apologetic” to police about the incident saying, “you gentlemen can’t imagine the embarrassment I feel towards myself for what took place." The instructor told police "he assumed the weapon was empty."

Army Corps Awards Contract for Levee Project in Lowell Park

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $722,000 contract to the St.. Paul-based Povolny Group to begin construction of Stage 3A of the Lowell Park levee project in downtown Stillwater.

MAY 2013

Friends and Family Sing Farewell to Zach Sobiech

“He had a knack for making the person he was with feel like they were the most important person in the world to him," Sammy Brown said. "The crazy thing about that is that, in that moment, they probably were."

Zach Sobiech’s ‘Clouds’ Rises to No. 1 on iTunes

The musician and Stillwater Area High School student died Monday following a four-year battle with cancer.

JUNE 2013

Stillwater Police Arrest Man who Made Bomb Threat after Robbing US Bank

Stillwater Police arrested a suspect who allegedly made a bomb threat after robbing US Bank in downtown Stillwater.

Stillwater Lift Bridge is Stuck after Cable Snaps Sunday Night

The bridge can't be raised after the mishap, which happened as the bridge was being lowered Sunday night. Weather, which was severe Sunday evening, was not a factor.

JULY 2013

Stillwater Fourth of July Fireworks Display (Photos)

The 2013 Stillwater Fourth of July Fireworks display shot from Pioneer Park. 

AUGUST 2013

In the Land of Food on a Stick, Lift Bridge Brewery will Turn Heads with Mini Donut Beer

Stillwater's Lift Bridge Brewing Company has developed a recipe for Mini-Donut beer that will debut at the Minnesota State Fair this year.

SEPTEMBER 2013

ESPN2 to Broadcast Stillwater Ponies Game on Sept. 13

ESPN2 will be broadcasting the Stillwater Ponies on Sept. 13.

OCTOBER 2013

Pumpkin Smashes MN Record and Pumpkin Smashes at Harvest Fest

Relive the Stillwater Harvest Fest 2013 pumpkin drop in a video clip and have a good look at the winning giant pumpkins.

NOVEMBER 2013

Stillwater Schools Levy Passes

The vote was 63 percent to 37 percent in the District 834 special election.

Charges: Grantsburg Teacher Had Sex with Students at His Stillwater Home

Washington County prosecutors charged Matthew Robert Koenen with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges 'stem from' his role as a high school teacher in 2012, they said.

DECEMBER 2013

Inmate Strangled to Death at Oak Park Heights Prison, Says BCA

Shane Lawrence Cooper, convicted of sexually assaulting a preteen girl, apparently died at the hands of another prisoner, according to the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

Hear Choir of 4,000 Sing 'Clouds' at Mall of America

Videos are surfacing of the big sing Thursday of Zach Sobiech's song, part of the KS95 for Kids Radiothon to raise money for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.


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