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• Vikings coming to River Falls July 31
• Multiple races develop for legislative seats

Local Minnesota Vikings' fans will get a chance to see their favorite team up close when the Vikings come to River Falls to practice with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, July 31.

The practice at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Ramer Field will start at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 12-17 and free for children under 12. Parking will cost $5 per car.

The team's annual Family Fun Night will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, with gates opening at 4 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and free to those under 18.

The Chiefs will sign autographs from 6:30 to 6:50 p.m. with practice beginning at 7 p.m. Before the practice, jumpers from the Indianhead Sport and Parachute Club will perform and a Rolf Halverson fireworks display will cap off the evening. Fans will also be able to participate in the Chiefs Experience, a free event in which fans can test their football skills.

The Chiefs will arrive for their 18th summer training camp at UW-RF Thursday, July 24 with the first practice scheduled for Friday, July 25 at 10 a.m. Two-a-day practices start July 26 with the first practice in full pads slated for July 28. All practices, with the exception of the Vikings' practice and Family Fun Night, are free and open to the public.

The Chiefs will break camp and return to Kansas City Aug. 15.

By Judy Wiff, Regional Editor

Assemblywoman Kitty Rhoades will face another Republican in a primary, Congressman Ron Kind will be in a three-way race in November, and eight candidates are vying for the Assembly seat held by Barbara Gronemus.

First-term Assembly members Ann Hraychuck, District 28, and John Murtha, District 29, will also be opposed in November.

Tenth District State Senator Sheila Harsdorf, a Republican from River Falls, is challenged by Democrat Alison H. Page, River Falls.

That's according to candidate registration reports posted by the Wisconsin State Elections Board at 6:26 this morning. The deadline for filing nomination papers and completing the registration process was 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Kind, a Democrat from La Crosse, who has represented the Third Congressional District since 1996, is challenged by Republican Paul Stark, Eau Claire, and Libertarian Kevin Barrett, Lone Rock. Since the three are from different parties, there will be no primary election in September. Rhoades, a Republican from Hudson, is being challenged by Republican Bob Hughes, 123 1/2 S. Main St., River Falls, and Democrat Sarah A. Bruch, 645 Cherry Hill Lane, Hudson.

Rhoades and Hughes will face off in a primary election Sept. 9.

Although four other Assembly districts have either six or seven candidates each, the 91st District has the most.

While 12 people registered for the seat now held by Gronemus, who is retiring after 26 years in the Assembly, just eight met the registration deadline and had the required number of valid voter signatures.

Five of the District 91 candidates are Democrats and two are Republicans, so there will be primaries for both parties.

These are the District 91 candidates:

--Democrats: Marge Baecker, Independence; Steve Boe, Taylor; Remy Ceci, Pepin; Chris Danou, Trempealeau; and James K. Kraft, Durand.

--Republicans: David Anderson, Whitehall; and Dave Hegenbarth, Galesville.

--Independent: Paul A. Beseler, Ettrick.

The candidates in District 28 are Hraychuck, a Democrat from Balsam Lake, and Kent Muschinske, a Republican from Dresser. Lauren Stephens, Somerset, who registered as a Republican candidate, didn't submit nomination signatures, according to the Elections Board documents.

In District 29, Murtha, a Republican, is challenged by two Democrats and a Libertarian. The Democrats are Chris Buckel, Hammond, and L. John Peters, Menomonie. The Libertarian is Craig Mohn, Woodville.

Contact Judy Wiff at regional@rivertowns.net or 715.426.1049.