Year in Review

Opening of Centerfolds Cabaret dominated news in early 1999

January

Jan. 7

-Kitty Rhoades took her oath of office as representative from the 30th District during ceremonies at Hudson High School. Rhoades, who was elected in November 1998, took her oath from Judge C.A. Richards in front of about 200 friends and relatives.

-The first significant snow of the winter brought about six inches of the white stuff Jan. 3 and 4.

-Maggie Fischer traveled with the University of Wisconsin band to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The band put on 12 shows in five days, including a halftime show at the Rose Bowl. Wisconsin defeated UCLA 38-31. Fischer is the daughter of Richard and Barbara Fischer

Jan. 14

-Circuit Court Judge Thomas Barland ruled that the city of Hudson lost its right to oppose a casino at St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Track when it agreed to accept payments. The city had agreed to accept payments if a casino ever opened. Later the city passed a resolution opposing the casino. Four Feathers, promoters of a casino, had sued the city for $175 million. The city hoped the case would be tossed out of the court system. The city is still appealing the decision.

-The first New Year's baby at HMC didn't arrive until Jan. 12. Kyla Schewe was actually born two weeks early according to mom, Stephanie Schewe.

-St. Croix County will spend $300,000 for new computer hardware and software in the law enforcement departments. The system will cover all cases in the Sheriff's Department, including arrest and citations records, jail records and the dispatch center.

Jan. 21

-Much to the dismay of local citizens, a strip club known as Centerfolds Cabaret opened at 609 Second St. Owner Thor Gunderson of Brooklyn Park, Minn., said he would seek a liquor license for the establishment. Although no ordinances prohibited the opening of the facility, the city later passed laws that essentially shut down the strip club. The business remains open as an adult book store as Gunderson attempts to seek legal recourse against the city.

-Hudson native Mark Olson, a 1992 HHS graduate, works in the public relations department of the Atlanta Falcons. Olson was headed to the Super Bowl after the Falcons defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-27 in the NFC championship game.

-Four Feathers representative Morris Andrews and Barney Palmer came to Hudson and St. Croix County in an attempt to gain local support for a proposed casino at the dog track. At a local meeting he claimed a scientific poll showed the casino would be supported by 52 percent of Hudson residents and 60 percent of St. Croix County residents. Both St. Croix County and the city of Hudson refused to hear the representatives. The men are still working the area, but most of their efforts are outside of the Hudson area.

Jan. 28

-Anti-casino protestors demonstrated in front of Hudson High School, unhappy that members of the local teachers union were willing to hear offers from casino representatives Morris Andrews and Barney Palmer. Teachers later rejected supporting the casino in exchange for financial payments.

-The first of several winter, and later spring, bomb threats disrupted classes at Hudson High School. Students spent most of Monday morning at St. Patrick's Church as authorities searched the school. No one has ever been charged in connection with any of the bomb threats.

-The HHS debate team of Bridget Reagan, Megan Lapinski, Nick Lemberg and Lucas Meyers advanced to state competition in Oshkosh.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 4

-A drug bust in the town of St. Joseph nabbed more than 230 pounds of marijuana. Three people were taken into custody, including the homeowner of the St. Joseph house. Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said the bust was the largest he could remember. The street value of the marijuana was estimated at between $1,000 and $1,500 per pound.

-Although he was not charged, disciplined or demoted, the Department of Corrections made permanent the removal of Peter Stacy as superintendent of the Challenge Incarceration Program in New Richmond. Stacy continued to work with the Corrections Department in the probation office in Hudson. Stacy was removed from the New Richmond job amid allegations of inmate abuse. Stacy denied the charges and said "philosophical differences" with some of the corrections personnel led to his removal.

-The Hot Air Affair prepared to celebrate its 10th anniversary. A record number 52 balloons were scheduled to participate in the annual event.

Feb. 11

-A senior citizens apartment is proposed in North Hudson near Lake Mallalieu. The 40-unit structure was proposed by Michele Drevnick on property owned by her mother, Genevieve Hafner. The estimated cost was $3.5 to $4 million. The project, despite objections of some neighbors and village board members, was eventually approved.

-Sam Nooger received a reply to a letter he sent to Yugoslavia more than 18 years earlier. Nooger, however, was looking for someone to assist in translating the letter.

-A motorcycle-car crash on I-94 in Hudson took the life of a River Falls man, John Patoile, 55. He was critically injured in the crash when his motorcycle ran into the rear end of a car. He died six days later.

Feb. 18

-Fire destroyed the house of Nancy and David Ray just south of Hudson on Hwy. 35. The couple was at a Bible study in Roberts when the blaze started. A passerby saw the smoke and fire. Four fire departments responded to the blaze.

-Opponents of the Centerfolds Cabaret nude dancing club expressed their outrage at a city council meeting and organized picketers to walk in front of the building. The first weekend of picketing resulted in some verbal confrontations.

-Hudson was in the grips of influenza season. Dr. Robert Stoy said the number of sick people isn't much different, but the symptoms are were more severe and the illness seemed to linger longer.

Feb. 25

-A small hazardous chemical spill closed Hwy. 12 and the TA truck stop for most of the day. The truck was hauling two chemicals, one much more toxic than the other. A Twin City firm was called in to analyze the situation and determined that the spill involved the less-serious chemical.

-The Hudson Boosters rejected the Four Feathers proposal of money in exchange for support of a casino. The amount of money involved and the vote total was not released, but it was the second vote in a short period of time. Some members requested the second vote, citing irregularities following a "close" first vote, which also rejected the Four Feathers' offer.

-The city of Hudson passed a 120-day moratorium on new sexually oriented businesses.

MARCH

March 4

-Teachers said "no" to the Four Feathers offer $500,000 in exchange for support of the group's proposed casino at the St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Track. The teacher's union voted on the offer, but no vote totals were released.

-The site of a future hospital was annexed into the city of Hudson. The 21 acres is at the southeast corner of Stageline and Carmichael roads. Construction of the new facility is expected within three to five years.

-Several local people expressed their memories of the old Omaha car shops in North Hudson. Virgil and Maxine Muckenhirn, Bob Dabruzzi and Bioll Zappa talked about memories from the railroading days. The facility closed in 1957 after employing up to 800 people at one time.

March 11

-A local chaplain, the Rev. Paul Martinson, and a former hospital patient, met for the first time since 1955. Martinson visited Sandy Kasma at St. Paul's Bethesda Hospital in 1955. The two were reunited through various activities at the Phipps Center for the Arts.

-North Hudson Police Chief Rich Jansen announced that he would retire in June. Jansen started working as a part-time officer in the village in 1967.

-Second-grader Jake Wilson, who suffered a fractured skull during a fall on the playground at Willow River Elementary, is making a full recovery with the help and best wishes of friends and family. He was injured Feb. 22 and has received hundreds of cards and well wishes.

March 18

-An 18-month-old Hudson girl was killed after being struck by a pickup truck in a Burnsville, Minn., restaurant parking lot. Allison Glenn Helmen, the daughter of Dr. Kevin and Leslie Helmen died at Hennepin County Medical Center shortly after the accident.

-The Raider boys basketball team advanced to the WIAA state tournament for the second consecutive year. Hudson defeated Marshfield 52-50 to advance to state competition.

-Construction was set to begin on the Hwy. 35 and I-94 interchange. The project was delayed one week because of heavy snow.

March 25

-Jamie Watters was selected as Miss Hudson during a pageant sponsored by the Hudson Jaycees. Other members of the court were First Princess Holly Dahm, Miss Congeniality Jaime Livermore and Second Princess Teri Pawlenty.

-Rebecca and Jay Kolls moved to Hudson in 1996 and enjoy living in the community when success could have led them anywhere. Rebecca turned down an offer to be the weather forecaster on "Good Morning America." She is the host of the television show "Rebecca's Garden." Jay is a reporter for KSTP television.

-The town of Hudson voted not to recommend that a long stretch of land along Carmichael Road be rezoned as commercial property. A hearing was held at the request of the owners of True Value Hardware. They were interested in building a new store in the area.

APRIL

April 1

-Incumbent Len Meissen and challenger Starr Paton were campaigning to be village president of North Hudson. The two had been at odds over numerous issues, including the extension of water and sewer service to St. Croix Station, which Meissen favored and Paton opposed. Priscilla Wyeth announced that she was a write-in candidate for the school board, challenging Clarence "Buck" Malick and Daniel Tjornehoj.

-Somerset couple Kelly and Dave McMahon win a $19.5 million Powerball lottery jackpot.

-The old Hudson Country Club building on Coulee Road was razed. The new clubhouse on Carmichael Road was nearing completion.

April 8

-Len Meissen defeated Starr Paton 469-268 in the contest for the North Hudson village presidency. Bob Hawksford, George Boldizsar and Joyce Koettler were elected to trustee positions on the village board. Daniel Tjornehoj and Clarence Malick were re-elected to the school board.

-The Hudson City Council denied a request by Centerfolds Cabaret, the new nude dancing club at 609 Second St., for a liquor license. The council said that allowing the club to serve liquor might exacerbate the negative secondary effects already associated with it.

-The North Hudson Village Board rejected the recommendation of its Public Safety Commission to hire Brian Aichele of New Richmond as the village's chief of police. Longtime police chief Rich Jansen was to retire at the end of June.

-The cabins on Lake Mallalieu's Proehl's Point were being razed to make way for four new homes. Reagan Gensen of Baldwin was taking down the cabin where Sophia Proehl once lived and planned to reassemble it on property near Menomonie.

April 15

-Marian Furlong was named chief executive officer of Hudson Medical Center, replacing administrator John Marnell. Marnell was assigned to head up the fund-raising for a new hospital.

-The Hudson City Council adopted an ordinance banning totally nude dancing in establishments licensed to serve alcohol. Council members said they were concerned about bars starting to offer nude dancing in response to the opening of Centerfolds Cabaret.

-Town of Hudson Chairwoman Rita Horne presided over her last annual town meeting. Horne stepped back from public service after eight years as town chairwoman and 10 years as town clerk. She also had been a town board supervisor and a member of the town's plan commission.

-Christian Community Home's decision not to renew the lease of Pooh Corner Nursery School when it expires at the end of June 2000 brought protests from nursery school owner Heidi Leeson and parents of children who attend the school. CCH President Dan Dixon said the space the nursery school occupies is needed for five additional assisted living units for the elderly.

April 22

-Centerfolds Cabaret filed a lawsuit against the city of Hudson claiming that it was unfairly denied a liquor license.

-Mark Krtich, a 15-year-old Hudson High School sophomore, decries the NATO bombing of Belgrade. Krtich's father and mother are both Serbian immigrants and his grandparents still live in Belgrade.

April 29

-Christopher Carlson of North Hudson was lucky to be alive after the truck he was driving hit a Bobcat front-end loader on the I-94 St. Croix River bridge. The truck burst into flames, and when Carlson got out of it, he fell through a hole in the bridge, which was under repair. Carlson landed on a work platform below the bridge. He was rescued with the use of ropes by St. Croix Emergency Medical Services.

-HHS junior Michael Stroozas makes an emotional speech to fellow students, calling on them to reject hatred and violence, the day after 12 students and a teacher are shot to death at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

MAY

May 6

-Erickson's Diversified Corp. and its 18 grocery stores in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including Erickson's City Market in Hudson, were sold to Nash Finch Co. of Minneapolis.

-Bomb threats called into Hudson High School disrupt classes there on a Friday and again the following Monday.

-The congregation of St. Paul's Episcopal Church holds its first service in its new sanctuary on County UU.

May 13

-The North Hudson Village Board reversed an earlier decision and voted 5-2 to hire 26-year-old Brian Aichele as the village's police chief.

-School officials announce that four bomb scares at the high school have cost the district at least $64,000. A scheduled two-hour early release on May 14 was canceled and another day was added to the school calendar to make up some of the lost class time.

May 20

-The Hudson City Council adopts an ordinance requiring exotic dancers to stay at least 5 feet away from customers while performing. The ordinance also restricts where sexually oriented businesses can locate in Hudson.

-A Twin Cities theater owner announces plans to build a 10-screen movie theater at the corner of Hanley and Carmichael Roads. Another six screens will be added eventually, Kent Rebeck said.

-The Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau holds a job fair at the Best Western Hudson House Inn. Twenty-four local companies participate, hoping to find employees in a tight labor market.

May 27

-Hudson Medical Center, HealthPartners and Western Wisconsin Medical Associates announce that they have entered into a partnership to build a new medical campus on 17 acres of land at I-94 and Carmichael Road.

-The village of Baldwin votes in favor of supporting the establishment of an Indian casino in Hudson in return for promised payments from the Four Feathers casino partnership. The advisory referendum passed 261-220. Four Feathers had said it would pay half the village's levy ($490,000 at the time) the first year the casino was in operation, and increase the payment 5 percent each succeeding year.

JUNE

June 3

-Centerfolds Cabaret discontinues nude dancing, saying it's unprofitable with the new 5-foot rule. The club asks St. Croix County Circuit Judge Eric Lundell for an injunction prohibiting the city from enforcing its new sexually oriented business ordinance.

-Valedictorian and class president Anthony Blodgett, salutatorian Peter Klein, class vice president Christopher Kary and social studies teacher Michael Kaul deliver speeches at the graduation ceremony at Newton Field. Diplomas were awarded to 263 members of the class of 1999.

-The Hudson Rod, Gun and Archery Club celebrated its 75th year with shooting events, a pig roast and a dance.

June 10

-Tom Lehman and fellow professional golfer Steve Striker mark the grand opening of Troy Burne Golf Club with an exhibition match. Lehman, who helped design the 18-hole, 7,003-yard course, lost to Striker.

-St. Croix County Circuit Judge Eric Lundell upheld Hudson's new sexually oriented business ordinance, which requires dancers and customers to maintain a distance of 5 feet during performances. Centerfolds owner Thor Gunderson appealed the decision and converted the dance club into an adult video and magazine store.

-A Bureau of Indian Affairs official said Indian tribes are allowed to make payments to local governments in return for the governments' support for opening casinos. The Four Feathers casino partnership had been promising money to St. Croix County municipalities in return for support for opening a casino at St. Croix Meadows dog track.

June 17

-The Hudson School District reported that it expelled 10 high school students during the past year. The number was believed to be an all-time high. Over the past six years, the greatest number of expulsions have resulted from drug or alcohol offenses, followed by weapons charges, refusing to follow rules, assaults, property damage, theft, setting fires and computer security violations.

-Construction of the new four-lane Hwy. 35 between Hudson and River Falls was in full swing.

-Many fireworks vendors were doing a brisk business in everything from sparklers to mortar displays.

June 24

-Retiring North Hudson Police Chief Rich Jansen was honored at an open house at Village Hall. Jansen joined the North Hudson Police Department in 1967. He became its chief in 1980.

-During a court hearing on whether he was unfairly denied a liquor license, Centerfolds Cabaret owner Thor Gunderson testified that he found the components for a meth lab in the basement of the building shortly after he bought it. The charge was strongly denied later by Liz Jones, who worked in the Sandbar tavern, the previous occupant of the building. Gunderson's attorney, Randall Tigue of Minneapolis, argued that the alleged negative secondary effects associated with the nude-dancing club weren't as bad as what was there previously.

-Responding to plans for a new 10-screen movie theater in Hudson, the owners of the existing theater, Cinema 4, announced that they would add five screens to their complex. If both theater companies carry through with their plans, Hudson will have 19 movie screens by the end of the summer of 2000.

JULY

July 1

-St. Croix County Circuit Judge Eric Lundell upheld the city of Hudson's decision to deny a liquor license to Centerfolds Cabaret. Lundell said the city had a rational basis for denying the license. Strip club owners said they would appeal the decision.

-St. Patrick's School officials announced that they are exploring the possibility of expanding the school. The Rev. Peter Szleszinski said there is a definite need for a larger facility. The addition would include either an eight-room or 16-room addition.

-Hudson attorney Phillip Todryk was injured in a motorcycle accident in Sturgeon Bay. He suffered a serious leg injury, but doctors were successful in saving his leg.

July 8

-Five men were killed in a late-night St. Croix River boat crash during the Fourth of July weekend. Killed in the crash were Quentin Thell, 26, Woodbury, Minn.; Michael Flamang, 31, and Steven Langer, 30, both of Apple Valley, Minn.; Karl Ludvigson, 26, and Scott De Ville, 33, both of Dresser.

-A gun-toting robber struck Hudson's Southside Cinema. The robber escaped with about $1,000 cash and two tapes. He was the same suspect sought in several other Twin Cities movie theater robberies and was later captured.

-Steve Wilcox was the first Hudsonite to ever be named president of Rotary District 5960, which includes much of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. He was sworn in during ceremonies in Hudson July 1.

July 15

-A St. Croix Beach man, Daniel Mork, 49, drowned while attempting to swim to shore from an island in the St. Croix River. The drowning occurred at about 4 a.m.

-Officials disagreed about law enforcement on the St. Croix River. Many people called for speed limits and tighter enforcement after a July 4 accident claimed five lives. Some asked for stricter laws, but Buck Malick of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission said more laws won't help without more enforcement.

July 22

-A Woodville man was injured at a town of Hudson construction accident at the Grass Range subdivision. Rick Johnson, 48, was installing a septic tank when one of the sides of a dirt wall gave way. He suffered a fractured pelvis.

-Miss Hudson Jamie Watters and her dog, Border Collie Annie, have traveled many miles and won numerous awards in flyball and other competition.

-It was announced after testing that both drivers in the July Fourth weekend boating accident on the St. Croix River were drunk. Both also had driver DWI records. Five men died when two boats collided.

July 29

-City of Hudson officials claim the city is not getting its fair share of revenue from the county sales tax. It was estimated that the city generates nearly half of the sales tax collected by the county. The issue came up when the county refused to pay much of the cost of rebuilding Vine Street/County UU from Wisconsin Street to Grand View Park.

-A 31-year-old St. Paul man threatened to jump from the I-94 bridge before he was coaxed off the bridge ledge by law enforcement officials after about two hours.

-Hudson High School graduate Matt Lee prepares for his third year at West Point. The Hudsonite said he enjoys the challenges of the academy.

AUGUST

August 5

-Seven campers were sent to hospitals when they were overcome by heat at the Rolling Ridges Girl Scout Camp east of Hudson. Several rescue services were pressed into service during the 100-degree heat. In addition to transporting youths, the services provided water.

-Retired Hudson sailer Darrell E. Nelson is working on a project for the new millennium to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the submarine service and acknowledge people from the area who served on boats. Nelson served 32 years in the Navy, most aboard submarines.

-Ground was broken for the new Hudson School District swimming pool to be constructed at the Middle School. Completion of the $32 million project is expected in May 2000.

August 12

-Two people were killed in county traffic accidents. John D. Lassek, 19, Red Wing, Minn., was killed on Hwy. F just south of Hudson. Todd D. Variese, 25, Baldwin, was killed on Hwy. 63 near Baldwin.

-St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said it is noble of the county to freeze tax levies, but said his department must grow as the county continues to grow. He said the county will respond to at least 10,000 calls in 1999.

-Margie Sanders was named as Good Neighbor for the 1999 Pepper Festival.

August 19

-The F&M Bank on Coulee Road was robbed. The robber left the scene in a pickup truck which was later found at Gilbert Motors. The truck had been stolen in Minnesota three days earlier. The robber was believed to have left town in a different vehicle, a red or maroon Ford Probe.

-Independent Counsel Carol Elder Bruce said that Department of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt would not be indicted over his role in the rejection of a casino in Hudson.

-Retired North Hudson Police Chief Rich Jansen was named grand marshal for this year's Pepper Fest parade.

August 26

-Vandals flooded rooms and performed other acts of vandalism at Hudson High School. Water from a hose drained through a window well during the night. Other damage included vents, light sensors and an air conditioning unit on the roof.

-WITC opened its Hudson campus at 944 O'Keefe Rd. Administrator Timothy Schreiner said he expects the facility to offer 62 classes the first year. Most classes are in the areas of computer, management and supervisory management.

-The Hudson area again showed the top gains in population estimates. The city's 1999 estimate was 8,109; North Hudson, 3,444; town of Hudson, 5,121; town of Troy, 3,245 and town of St. Joseph, 3,031.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 2

-U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold visited Hudson and expressed concerns about the federal budget and tax cut proposals. He identified three "bad habits" affecting budgets: avoiding tough spending issues, a rosy economic outlook and increased special interest spending.

-Hudson's waterfront experienced $20,000 in stolen property. Missing were three jet skis, two trailers and 50 chairs and tables from a cruise boat.

-Randomly selected businesses claim they will be ready for the Y2K bug. County Market, Nor-Lake, NAPA Auto Parts and Sandeen Insurance Agency claim to be ready.

Sept. 9

-Judge Eric Lundell upheld Hudson's sex club ordinance which requires dancers to stay at least 5 feet away from customers. Owners of the Centerfolds Cabaret had challenged the law that was passed in May.

-A developer dropped plans for local rental units after neighbors objected. Developer Lonnie Kornovich said the land south of St. Patrick's Church will instead be used for owner-occupied townhouse units.

Sept. 16

-Hudson High School graduate Keegan McConaughey is beginning his third year at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He said he is having a lot of fun, but also says it involves a lot of hard work.

-A plan to sell a 3.3 acre piece of property on the southwest corner of Crest View Drive and Heggen Street has stirred up controversy. The city plans to rezone the land from single-family to commercial use. Residents in Hazel Crest oppose the rezonement.

-Wisconsin State Trooper Kirk L. Danielson suffered minor injuries when an alleged drunk driver slammed into his patrol car while it had another vehicle stopped for a routine traffic violation. The accident happened on I-94 near Carmichael Road.

Sept. 23

-County Administrative Coordinator John Krizek resigned amid allegations of personal misuse of his county computer.

-A 22-year-old Lakeland woman was killed in a one-vehicle rollover near exit one on I-94. Trisha Ann DeCosse died in the early morning accident.

-David Kelly, 87, and the late Norman "Ole" Anderson were added to the Hudson High School Wall of Fame. Kelly is a retired farmer and Anderson was active in St. Croix County and other political arenas.

-Tom Barthman was named Firefighter of the Year.

Sept. 30

-Homecoming antics again frustrate Hudson police. Chief Richard Trende said the calls again included vandalism, property damage, eggings and disorderly conduct.

-A 66-year-old Hudson woman was the victim of two con artists and was bilked out of $6,500.

-Jennelle Anacher was named St. Croix Emergency Medical Service's EMT of the Year.

OCTOBER

-Target opened in Hudson on Oct. 4. It is located on the corner of Carmichael and Coulee roads.

-The prevalence of the drug methamphetamine has prompted the creation of a St. Croix County Sheriff's Department special investigative task force. The two investigators from here work with state law enforcement officials and investigators from neighboring counties to find labs that manufacture the drug and those who sell it.

-The city of Hudson and Hudson Township lead the county in new housing construction. Housing construction in the city, the town and in North Hudson account for 47 percent of construction countywide.

-The town of Troy adopted new subdivision regulations and a development rights buy-out program of prime farmland. The vote was 4-1 with Supervisor Fritz Anding casting the dissenting vote. The issue was hotly contested by landowners and residents of Troy. The intent, the document says, is to protect large areas of farmable land and open space from development by requiring any farm divided into lots of 35 acres or less to submit a "Whole Farm Plan." The plan calls for 40-60 percent of the farmable land be set aside for agriculture or open space.

-The annual "Frost Your Nuts" motorcycle rally brought more than 4,000 cyclists into town Oct. 9. While there was some traffic congestion and a few accidents, there were no serious injuries.

-The Hudson Board of Education approved an agreement with the teachers and custodians' unions for a two-year contract. A beginning teacher in the Hudson School District receives $25,913 and benefits worth $12,544. The top salary for a teacher is $52,492 plus $17,318 in benefits.

-Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent counsel in connection with his department's rejection of an Indian casino in Hudson four years ago. Hudson city officials including Mayor Jack Breault and city council members were among the 450 witnesses questioned in the case.

-Jackie Miller, a 35-year-old mother of three, didn't fit the model of women who get breast cancer but she did. She underwent rigorous chemotherapy and radiation and is on the road to recovery.

-A Minnesota woman was killed in a car accident on I-94 near milepost 10. The 23-year-old was thrown from the vehicle she was driving after she struck a semi.

-Fire raced through the Kobylarczyk home in North Hudson on Oct. 20. No one was home at the time of the fire. Wiring was blamed for the blaze. The house was a total loss.

-A Hudson High School student faced felony drug charges and expulsion from school for allegedly bringing marijuana-laced brownies to an art class. Ross G. Hobson, 17, was charged with seven counts of delivery of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school and one count of conspiring to deliver marijuana.

-Boy Scout Troop 140 of Hudson marked its 70th anniversary with a banquet at Bethel Lutheran Church Oct. 30. The troop has more than 70 Eagle Scouts to its credit.

NOVEMBER

Nov. 4

-Business is booming in Hudson's newest industrial park. Three years after St. Croix Business Park opened, 40 percent of the land is spoken for. Among the companies already in the park are Cardinal Health and Woolford Engineering, both from Minnesota. The going rate for the approximately 80 acres still available as of mid-October is $1 per square foot or $43,560 per acre.

-Two years after the death of her infant daughter from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Kris Tjornehoj talked about the impact of such a loss on her and her family. Tjornehoj, the former band director at Hudson High School, now a professor at UW-River Falls, explained her personal journey of grief and growth.

-Developers unveiled plans for four big developments on the east side of Hudson. They included 80 acres of commercial development between Stageline Road and I-94, a possible shopping center between old Hwy. 35 and the new highway and more than 700 housing units on property east of O'Neil Road and east of St. Croix Business Park.

-On Nov. 5 Hudson High School students were first searched at the doors of the school and later ordered into a school-wide lockdown in response to two separate threats of violence. The search was conducted in response to a bomb threat that was found on a bathroom wall. The lockdown was ordered after a student allegedly made threats of violence against school administrators. The school was locked down until the student was located by authorities. No bomb was located, but the student search did result in the confiscation of tobacco products, some drug paraphernalia and one knife. No charges have been filed against the student who allegedly made the threat.

-World War II, Vietnam veteran Jim Pribil recalled his 26-year career in the Air Force in the Veteran's Day issue. Pribil was shot down in Italy in World War II and was a contingency planner for the U.S. forces in Vietnam.

-On Nov. 7 two women had to be airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul following a multiple car crash on I-94 near milepost 4, just east of Hudson. The accident involved both the east and westbound lanes, backing up traffic in both directions for more than an hour.

-Hudson Medical Center opened a specialty clinic with 19 new physicians in 14 specialty fields including oncology, podiatry, gastroenterology, ophthalmology and rheumatology.

-Feelings are mixed when it comes to a stoplight at Hwy. 35 and Monroe Street in North Hudson. The village is considering a DOT proposal to put a traffic signal at the intersection to allow for more access to Hwy. 35 during peak traffic periods.

-Hudsonite Carol Palm turned a homegrown idea into a new product. Palm and her father, Leonard Bessa, designed a Christmas tree that holds collectibles, everything from Christmas villages to teddy bears. Palm recently secured a patent for her tree.

-Four Hudson High School students were involved in a car crash at exit 4 on I-94 on Nov. 19. The students, all in one car, collided with a truck driven by Clyde Wolf of River Falls. No one was seriously injured in the accident.

-Fire ravaged a homemade log home in Houlton on Nov. 17. The house represented 16 years of work by the Michael Johnson family. Four fire departments were called to the scene on County E. The cause of the fire was unknown but was not suspicious.

-Thanksgiving had special meaning for the Joe Radlinger family this year. Kay Radlinger is cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant from her brother.

DECEMBER

-Residents of the city of Hudson will see a drop in their overall property tax mill rate of 87 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The city's mill rate will stay the same at $7.52 per $1,000 of property value. The decrease is the result of declines in the school district and county mill rate.

-Hudson EMTs Ben Wasmund and Jay Penfield are qualified instructors in rope rescue after attending an intensive course of training in Arizona. They are the only qualified instructors in the area and plan to hold classes to instruct other area EMTs.

-Former county board member Bill Oemichen, now a state administrator, is one of five finalists for the position of St. Croix County administrative coordinator, a position vacated by John Krizek earlier this fall. More than 60 people applied for the job.

-The possibility of a casino resurfaced when the federal government and three bands of Chippewa Indians reached an agreement in a lawsuit pending between them. In the settlement, the Dept. of the Interior agreed to reconsider the Indians' application to establish a casino at St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Track, which they had previously denied in return for dismissing the lawsuit. The agreement does not affect the lawsuit the Indians have pending against the city of Hudson. Predictably both opponents and proponents of the casino intend to step up their efforts.

-Ruth Kolerus, age 105, was honored by family and friends at a birthday celebration. Kolerus has seen the 20th century from beginning to end.

-County Board Supervisor Daryl Standafer is leading the charge to reduce the size of the St. Croix County Board from 31 to 21. The board tabled the decision until after the spring election, saying the new board should make the decision. If the downsizing occurs, it must take during a census year, like 2000. A similar effort to reduce the size of the board failed in 1989 and 1990. Standafer cites efficiency as the best reason to cut the size of the board. "It is easier to work with smaller numbers."

-Star-Observer Publisher Emeritus Willis Miller and Columnist Catherine Johnson shared their memories of the 20th century.

-State Rep. Kitty Rhoades sent a letter to Gov. Tommy Thompson asking that he "oppose the conversion of the facility (dog track), and ask that the future of the casino be left in the hands of local elected officials."

-The only snow to be found was man-made this week at Badlands Snowboard Park in the town of Hudson. The unseasonably warm weather hasn't included any rain, let alone snow.