Dakota County
Tribune
Farmington | Rosemount www.dakotacountytribune.com
NEWS Opioid epidemic costs mount The County Board has approved an action that allows the county attorney to file a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies. Page 3A
OPINION Balancing interests In order for the Minnesota economy to grow, the state needs to address how to grow jobs in rural areas. Page 4A
THISWEEKEND
and the surrounding areas Dec. 14, 2017 • Volume 132 • Number 41
Suburbs ready for NFL weekend Hotels booked for Super Bowl weekend in south metro by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Although Minneapolis will be the staging grounds for one of the biggest sporting events in state history this February, the south metro will feel its aftershocks. Shayna Keanaaina, marketing manager with the Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau, said although most Super Bowl events are
taking place in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, the entire metro is buzzing with anticipation. “The whole Eagan hospitality community is definitely benefiting from having the Super Bowl close by,” Keanaaina said. “Restaurants, hotels, the Twin Cities Premium Outlet mall, the economic impact is huge for community.” The area is essentially booked for Super Bowl
weekend. There are a few hotels available as close as Chaska and Hastings, but the price is more than $400 per night. The Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau is working on making sure visitors’ experience is positive. “We want to make sure the guests who stay here feel that warmth and sense of community, and hopefully come back to visit some-
time,” Keanaaina said. Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee’s Stephanie Hall, senior marketing manager from Eagan, wants to get the message across that the North is a bold, fun place to visit and live. Host committee members recognize that not all of the expected 1 million visitors to the Twin Cities are going to have a ticket to the game.
New tool trains firefighters Flint Hills makes donation to Dakota County Fire Chiefs Association by Andy Rogers SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Highly caffeinated Triple Espresso is celebrating 23 years of laughs as it is in the midst of a holiday run at the Ames Center in Burnsville. Page 19A
SPORTS
Tigers to face Wildcats The Farmington High School girls hockey team has an important tilt with Eagan on Saturday. Page 13A
PUBLIC NOTICE The Dakota County Tribune is an official newspaper of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District. Page 14A
INDEX Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 13A Public Notices . . . . . . 14A Classifieds . . . . . . . . . 15A Announcements . . . . 18A
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Area firefighters respond to several hundred vehicle fires in Dakota County every year. Before last week, there was no good way to practice putting out a vehicle fire unless trainees traveled out of state or put a real one up in flames. That is until now. Photo by Andy Rogers A fire car simulator was unveiled last week Firefighters demonstrate how a new car fire simulator will help train Minby the Dakota County nesota’s departments on how to contain a vehicle fire. Fire Chiefs Associaoff when complete. Fire departments often tion. “Many people learn better trained using real vehicles. It’s the first of its kind availby seeing and doing and by go“We needed a better way, a able in Minnesota. Flint Hills Resources Pine ing through experiences,” said safer way, and more environBend Refinery was the host of Geoff Glasrud, refinery vice mentally friendly way to do a live demonstration last week. president and manufacturing this,” said Ed Steele, fire chief at Flint Hills Resources. Although the cold prevented manager. Flint Hills Resources donatMike Scott, Eagan fire chief, the actual extinguishing of the fire, onlookers watched as fire- ed the simulator and plans to said in his 37 years in the fire fighters learned how to handle host free training session for law See FIRE, 6A a vehicle fire and turned the fire enforcement across the state.
US Bank Stadium holds approximately 66,000 people. But, plenty of NFL fans will likely come to the Twin Cities area to be “a part of the excitement,” Hall said. “Not everyone has the resources to go to the actual game, but Super Bowl LIVE, the NFL Experience, both of those are an opportunity to come and share in See SUPERBOWL, 6A
District 196 Foundation aims for $150,000 Donations would fully fund weekend food program by Tad Johnson SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
The Rosemount-Apple ValleyEagan District 196 Foundation is making a holiday-time push in an effort to reach its goal of raising $150,000 to help provide weekend food packages to 1,135 students whose families are in need. “It is not fun to see a student without enough food to eat,” said foundation director Bill Tschohl, of Apple Valley. “Beyond the health issues, these young people who are students in School District 196 are unable to focus on school studies causing them to fall behind in their classes. “At this time of year, when we are planning to celebrate Christmas with our families and are busy shopping for gifts and preparing for great meals, it is even harder to think of even one student not See DISTRICT, 3A
Scent-sational new business Farmington resident Lori Cole’s business, Illuminations, offers a variety of scented items for sale by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Follow your nose all the way to 431 Third St. in downtown Farmington and enter the world of Illuminations. On Nov. 25, Lori Cole opened her latest business venture. The store sells handmade soaps and candles, bath bombs and jewelry. According to Cole, all of those scented items give the store its own unique appeal. “When you walk in, it smells amazing. And I don’t have to do a thing; it does it all by itself,” Cole said. At just under 300 square feet, the shop is small, but Cole originally bought the space with her existing business, a wedding planning service, in mind. She had the idea to keep her inventory for that business in the back and sell other products in the front end of the store. “I’m always complaining we don’t have enough
stuff in Farmington, so I figured, well, I can’t really complain if I have this little storefront and I don’t do something with it. … I needed to come up with something that was small enough — (but) that we could carry a large enough selection to have it be interesting for a customer,” Cole said. She added that she has a personal affinity for candles, and her 13-yearold daughter loves bath bombs, so it seemed like a good all-around fit. Cole also decided to keep the name Illuminations from her wedding planning business to keep everything consistent. Cole also noted that she isn’t looking to encroach on any other businesses in the area. Her “littlest bath bomb shop in the world,” as she calls it, is separate from those other local stores. “We really try not to … compete with Janie up at Market-on Oak and Urban Revival — they kind
of have that niche covered for this area. And … the size of the space that I have, having been to some of the Lush stores and stuff, they’re pretty tiny too,” Cole said. With increasing numbers of people shopping online, Cole said that there are some challenges with opening a physical store. However, she explained that it makes sense to buy her goods in-person simply because of the scentoriented nature of the products. “You can buy bath bombs online, but you can’t touch them and see them and smell them and know what they’re going to be like. … If you order candles online, unless you really know the brands and you know it’s what you like, it’s a little bit of a crapshoot what you’re going to get,” Cole said. “I feel like since everything we carry really does have Photo submitted the need to smell it and see Illuminations offers candles, bath bombs, handmade soaps and jewelry. The store opened in downtown FarmSee COLE, 7A ington on Nov. 25.