Mound Would Be Lake Minnetonka's Big Winner under New Local Government Aid Bill

The bill would change the way Minnesota calculates LGA but won't start money flowing into most Lake Minnetonka city coffers.

Years without getting local government aid will stay that way for Lake Minnetonka cities.  Other Minnesota cities could see payments balloon under a new proposal that would inject tens of millions of dollars into the system and change the way those millions are distributed. A bill by state Rep. Ben Lien of Moorhead (DFL-4A) would add $80 million to the $426 million that the state is scheduled to spend on local government aid (LGA) in 2014. One Lake Minnetonka city would get LGA money only under the Lien plan: Mound gets nothing under current law or under the Dayton plan, but it would get more than $300,000 in 2014 local government aid under Lien's bill. Long Lake is the only Lake Minnetonka city to get LGA now, and it would continue to get…

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Become an Expert Parent

myHealth for Teens and Young Adults is offering parent education workshops.

myHealth for Teens and Young Adults—formerly West Suburban Teen Clinic—is offering affordable parent-education workshops. Licensed parent educators will offer classes like “Learning to Speak Their Language: Texting, Social Networking and Cyber Safety,” “Surviving the Stress of Parenting” and “Growing Up: Mothers and Daughters Connecting.” The goal is to help parents feel like experts. Classes take place during evenings and weekends and cost between $10 and $35. Details on upcoming classes and registration are available here. myHealth operates two clinics in Excelsior and Hopkins. It offers free and low-cost healthcare, dental services and mental health counseling, a program for pregnant and parenting girls and health and parent education …

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Excelsior Native Kate Raddatz Returns as Reporter at WCCO-TV

She had interned at the station and at the St. Paul Pioneer Press but was most recently at WBAY-TV in Green Bay, WI.

A hometown girl has landed a reporting job at a hometown TV station: Kate Raddatz, a native of Excelsior, is returning to WCCO-TV, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. She told the Pioneer Press: "Telling stories in my hometown is something I've always wanted to do. ... Being able to do that for the station I grew up watching, along with such an incredible team, is just the icing on the cake. I'm thrilled." Raddatz most recently was on-screen at WBAY-TV in Green Bay, WI, but earlier had served as an intern at WCCO and the Pioneer Press, the newspaper said. News of Raddatz's return sparked a flurry of congratulatory tweets on Twitter. Sample them in the Storify above (use the scroll bar at the right side of the window) or at Storify.com.

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West Suburban Teen Clinic To Announce Name Change at Homecoming Gala

The organization said its name no longer reflects the full scope of its services.

“West Suburban Teen Clinic” is a pretty straightforward name. There’s just one problem: It doesn’t accurately capture the full extent of the organization’s services anymore. So after 40 years in operation, West Suburban Teen Clinic is planning a name change. The organization, which has locations in Hopkins and Excelsior, began by brainstorming 2,401 names. It whittled those down to 500 names and then to three choices through online surveys and discussions with constituent groups. Residents then voted on a new name and tagline at community events, such as the Raspberry Festival. West Suburban Teen Clinic will unveil its new name at its 40th Anniversary “Homecoming Dance Gala” taking place Sept. 28 at the DoubleTree By Hilton Minneapolis — …

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Mauer Visits Excelsior, Says Wedding Date 'Not Yet' Set

Maynards hosted an afternoon of hot stove baseball.

The annual Twins Caravan brought All-Star catcher Joe Mauer and third baseman Danny Valencia to Maynards in Excelsior Thursday afternoon. "My son begged and begged for me to let him miss school so he could see Joe," Ken Broxton of Chanhassan said as his third-grader waited anxiously for the players to arrive. "Eventually he convinced me, and eventually I convinced his mother. He's really excited. Joe is is favorite player." Radio station 1500 AM was broadcasting live from a large heated tent set up near the shores of Lake Minnetonka, and about 50 audience members had a chance to take photos, ask questions of the players and enter contests for game tickets and memorabilia. Mauer and Valencia talked about a wide range of topics during their …

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UPDATE: Firefighters Battle House Fire on Lakeview Avenue in Tonka Bay

A neighbor says he heard a loud explosion that sounded like a "bomb going off."

Firefighters and police officers from several area departments responded late Monday afternoon to a report of a home explosion on Lakeview Avenue in Tonka Bay. The fully engulfed home is on the shores of Echo Bay. Firefighters at one point had about a half-dozen hoses on the structure. They fought the blaze from the ground and from a ladder elevated above the roof. Flames were coming out of the roof and windows of the house, and the front of the structure nearest the road suffered extensive damage. Excelsior Fire District Chief Scott Gerber said the initial call was received by emergency dispatchers just before 4 p.m. Police officers were the first to reach the scene, and reported to inbound firefighters that the home was fully engulfed. "…

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Excelsior Ring Maker Granted Copyright for 'Diamonds & Roses' Design

Ring allows men to give roses that will last forever.

Excelsior jewelry designer and ringmaker Brian Walters has been granted a U.S. copyright for his new "Diamonds & Roses Forever" collection. The engagement ring design for a center diamond has a dozen roses, and the matching wedding-anniversary bands have roses all the way around. Both can be set with diamonds inside the rose petals as well. "Sometimes men just don't have the words to express how they feel," Walters said. "I hope this new collection will help men say 'I love you' with roses that will last forever." Walters offers the collection in 14K white gold, yellow gold, rose (pink) gold, 18K yellow gold and platinum. The collection will also be offered to select jewelers in other markets across the U.S. and beyond via trade shows and …

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Lake Minnetonka Moments

A Great Excuse to Get Your Girlfriends Together

Since 2006, women have come in droves to Excelsior on Thursday evenings for Girls’ Night Out.

On Thursday, June 16, Girls’ Night Out in Excelsior had a Bourbon Street Bash/Mardi Gras theme. Women visited stores, spas and restaurants to take advantage of discounts and promotions, as well as to receive Mardi Gras beads and feathered eye masks. In addition to a band playing on a stage on Water Street, there was a “photo op” bench where friends could pose with a Mardi Gras themed background. Girls’ Night Out takes place in Excelsior every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. until Oct. 6. Each week, visitors can pick up a brochure at participating retailers that lists all of the special promotions, giveaways, spa treatments, food and drink specials and more. Many of the Thursdays have special themes. On the last Girls’ Night Out event of the year…

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College Student from Excelsior Joins Elite Company

Gustavus College is located about 70 miles from the Twin Cities in St. Peter.

A college student from Excelsior is the newest member of the nation's oldest academic honor society. Rachel Schmitt is a student at Gustavus Adolphus College and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa this month. The Gustavus chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the Eta chapter of Minnesota, was approved in 1982 and formally chartered in April 1983. Students who have excelled in the study of liberal arts are elected each year by a faculty committee of local chapter members. Election criteria include a record of high academic achievement in liberal arts courses and majors, competency in math and foreign language and demonstration of a love of learning as evidenced by the depth and breadth of a student's college career.

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TONIGHT: Louie Anderson Comes to Excelsior

Performances scheduled for Saturday and Sunday

Editor's note: Contact Bayview Event Center at (952) 474-2502 for the latest ticket information. Minneapolis native Louie Anderson is coming back to the Twin Cities for a pair of live shows this weekend at the Bayview Event Center in Excelsior. “I'm going to do some old stuff, but mostly new stuff since I'm working on my new special, and it's some of the best stuff I've done,” said Anderson.  “A lot of my show is on what happens after 50. It will be about food, family, how to survive your 50s, getting through your 60s and sleeping through your 70s so you can enjoy your 80s.” Anderson recently released his first special “Live  at the Guthrie” on iTunes, which is a compilation of some of the routines that launched Anderson into comedy …

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