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Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount and the surrounding areas
www.dakotacountytribune.com
VOTERS GUIDE
October 27, 2016 • Volume 131 • Number 35
Craig, Lewis debate on the radio 2nd District candidates cover budget, deficit, political ties by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Election 2016 information Inside this edition is a special section devoted to information about the candidates running for state, city and school district positions. Inside
The two major party candidates for the 2nd District seat in U.S. Congress met in their second debate on Thursday, Oct. 20, during a one-hour session on Minnesota Public Radio. Republican Jason Lewis and Democrat Angie Craig traded barbs over health care, the federal deficit, budget cuts and taxes as they pointed their campaigns into the final days.
The candidates covered their backgrounds with moderator Tom Weber and many issues related to the Affordable Care Act that were Jason Lewis outlined in previous Sun Thisweek and Dakota County Tribune stories, but also discussed other topics. In talking about budget cuts, Lewis said if federal departments
can’t find 2.5 percent of cuts to make, then something’s wrong. He said the amount is about $100 billion out of a $4.1 trilAngie Craig lion budget. He said the problem with Congress is people are “going along to get along� resulting in a trillion dollar deficit. “I am going to work with budget caps,� Lewis said.
He said another problem results when Democrats cut Republican programs and Republicans cut Democrat programs, then they meet behind closed doors and end up funding each other’s programs. He said that’s what’s led to the $19.5 trillion debt. Lewis said he’s in favor of a normal appropriations process. In recent years, budgets have been set using continuing resolutions, which Republicans have said don’t
Halloween Walk celebrating 30 years by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
OPINION Encouraging involvement The new president and CEO of 360 Communties encourages local resident to get involved to make a difference. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND
‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ Chameleon Theatre Circle and Theatre Uncorked present the modern stage classic at the Ames Center in Burnsville. Page 17A
SPORTS Rosemount earns No. seed The Rosemount High School football team defeated Lakeville North in three overtimes to earn the No. 1 section seed. Page 10A
INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 10A Public Notices . . . . . . 12A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 13A Announcements . . . . 16A
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The Halloween Walk has been an part of the fall experience in Farmington for the better part of three decades. “We’re seeing those people who came as young children now coming back with young children of their own,� said Kris Akin of Farmington Community Education who has been with the Halloween Walk since it began. The 30th annual Halloween Walk is scheduled for 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 28 at Dodge Middle School, where it’s warm and there’s plenty of room to wait. Lines can get long during the annual event, but there’s space inside where the line can loop around lockers before the experiencing main attractions inside the gym. It wasn’t always this way. When if first started in 1986, the Halloween Walk was outside at Rambling River Park. “It was popular, but we had a few cold years, so we moved it inside,� Akin said. They lived through famed blizzard of 1991
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Rochester teen dies in crash Farmington father, daughter suffer injuries by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
chat. “I guess it’s more conducive to more people enjoying themselves and being warm,� Akin aid. “When it was outside in the dark, it was hard to talk to other people. It was one big long line.� Once families walk through the doors to the decorated gym, attendees
A Rochester teen died in a crash at about 2:44 p.m. Friday in Dakota County near Hampton that also injured two Farmington residents. Sahra Ahmed, 16, died at the scene where she was a passenger in a 1999 Toyota Corolla that driver Affey Asdirhaham, 18, of Rochester, lost control of while it was traveling northbound on Highway 52 south of County Road 50. The car went on the shoulder then over-corrected, going across all lanes and collided head on with a southbound 2014 Kia Soul, according to the State Patrol report. The Corolla then rolled and some passengers in the vehicle who were unbelted, including Sahra Ahmed, were ejected. Two other passengers
See WALK, 11A
See CRASH, 12A
Children dressed up for the 23rd annual Halloween Walk in Farmington in 2009 back when it was at the Instructional Services Center. It has since moved to Dodge Middle School, where a line can form indoors. (File photo) when it inside what is now Boeckman Middle School. “We still pulled it off, but it was hard for some of the volunteers to get home in all that snow when it was over,� Akin said. They moved it again to the Instructional Services Center, but eventually outgrew that space, too. Too many people had to
wait outside, where the weather can get a little unpleasant. Crowds have increased from about 800 people to now about 2,500 through the years. Akin said the wait is rarely longer than 30 minutes, but it’s part of the experience. The line loops through the hallways and lockers, which gives parents the opportunity to
Rosemount earns class championship Marching band finds success at national competition by Brent Honcharenko SPECIAL TO SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
The Rosemount High School marching band earned the Class AAA Championship at the Bands of America BOA Super Regional Marching Band Championships on Oct. 21-22 in St. Louis, Missouri. Sixty-five high school marching bands, representing 13 states, competed in four classes (Class AAAAA) during two days of preliminary competition. Only the top 14 scoring bands, regardless of class, moved on to finals competition. In addition to winning
their preliminary round class championship, Rosemount also captured the Class AAA awards for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Visual. The Marching Irish tied with Bellevue West (Neb.) High School for the Outstanding General Effect Award. Bellevue West finished second and Richland (Texas) High School finished third in Class AAA prelims. Rosemount’s show, entitled “Love At First Bite,� scored third overall among all of the classes in preliminary competition, earning them a spot in finals competition. In the finals, Rosemount finished in seventh place behind bands from Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska and Illinois. Other Minnesota high school bands participating at the BOA Super The Rosemount High School marching band earned the Class AAA Championship at the Bands of America BOA Super Regional Marching Band Championships on Oct. 21-22 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo contributed by Leo Avenido) See BAND, 12A
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