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The Minnesota Sinfonia’s free outdoor summer pops concerts come to Eagan and Apple Valley this month. SEE STORY IN THISWEEKEND ON PAGE 7A
Thisweek Apple Valley-Rosemount JUNE 11, 2010
VOLUME 31, NO. 15
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
www.thisweeklive.com
Announcements/4A
Opinion/6A
Puzzle Page/8A
Real Estate/9A
Sports/11A
Classifieds/12A
Rain drives graduation into gym Family, friends of 440 students attend ceremony by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
ROSEMOUNT
Rain drove Rosemount High School’s graduation ceremonies indoors but didn’t dampen spirits as 440 seniors graduated Saturday, June 5. Faculty speaker Kurt Bills and senior class speaker Courtney Marti jointly gave a speech that included advice to be a light in the dark world, pursue excellence, live with integrity and make wise financial decisions. Rosemount High School choir conductor Steve Albaugh led the choir in two stirring selections, “If You’re Out There” and the traditional “Irish Blessing.” The top 10 honor students were recognized before diplomas were presented: Jennifer Saunders, Emily Holz, Micaella Petrich, Jared Sipe, Katie Morris, Tim Bell, Austin Phillips, Salutatorian Karen Lamb and Valedictorians Matt Quan and Elliot Bell. After jubilantly throwing their hats in the air, the newest Rosemount alumni celebrated with family and friends before attending their all-night party.
Courtney Marti smiled as she prepared to deliver her speech during the Rosemount High School graduation June 5. Once the ceremony was over, Rosemount High School graduates were greeted with hugs and well wishes. Photos by Laura Adelmann
Laura Adelmann is at laura.adelmann@ecm-inc.com.
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Eastview High School Principal Randall Peterson greets graduates as they line up near the stage to receive their diplomas at the school’s Class of 2010 graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 5.
An Apple Valley High School graduate walks up the ramp to the stage to accept her diploma.
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Family finds hope in son’s medical ordeal Neppls are honorary host family at Apple Valley Relay For Life by Andrew Miller
APPLE VALLEY
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
It’s been a rough year “The doctor came and and a half for the Randal said there was no cancer acand Anne Neppl family. tivity,” Randal said. In December 2008, The Neppls will be the Apple Valley couple’s sharing their story as the 8-year-old son AJ was diaghonorary host family at this nosed with aplastic anemia, year’s Apple Valley Relay a condition where bone For Life, an annual event marrow does not produce supporting the American sufficient new cells to reCancer Society that will be plenish blood cells. held June 18-19 at Eastview After a bone marrow High School. transplant, doctors had Randal, an Apple Valmore grim news for AJ, ley firefighter, will deliver who’d been experiencing Photo by Andrew Miller the Relay For Life’s opening seizures. The Randal and Anne Neppl family is the honorary host address. “We thought we were do- family at this year’s Apple Valley Relay For Life, an annual Though AJ still wears ing great,” said Randal, but event supporting the American Cancer Society which will be a cloth medical mask most then doctors found a tumor held June 18-19 at Eastview High School. The Apple Valley of the time to keep healthy, in AJ’s frontal lobe; discov- couple’s son, 8-year-old AJ, has been battling aplastic anemia and requests extra servings ery of a second tumor re- and lymphoma. Their daughter, Jessica, is pictured at right. of ice cream – a request his sulted in surgery and several parents are happy to oblige rounds of chemotherapy. to help him regain body weight – things are starting to AJ, a second-grader this year at Diamond Path El- look up. ementary who enjoys playing computer games and NinWhat’s made the ordeal easier has been the community tendo Wii, was kept out of school while he weathered the support the family has received, Randal said. treatments. His teacher, Lauren Quam, would stop by the In April, the Apple Valley Firefighters Relief Associafamily’s home after school to give AJ lessons. tion hosted “Grab a Bite for Alex,” a benefit dinner for the In May of this year, the family got some good news. See Hope, 2A
Walking around the clock in the fight against cancer Apple Valley Relay For Life will benefit American Cancer Society by Andrew Miller
APPLE VALLEY
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The fight against cancer will last all night long at Eastview High School June 18-19. The annual Apple Valley Relay For Life will see teams walking and running around the high school’s track as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Seventeen teams and about 150 people have already registered for this year’s relay, which kicks off with the opening lap at 7 p.m. and runs until the following morning. Patty Gerrits, who has been involved with the Apple Valley Relay For Life for three years, is this year’s honorary “survivor chair” and will host a survivors’ tent alongside the track throughout the relay. Gerrits, who works in the
IN BRIEF The Apple Valley Relay For Life runs June 18-19 at the Eastview High School stadium. To learn more or get involved, visit www.relayforlife.org/applevalleymn. guidance office at Eastview High School, began participating in the relay after her own battles with cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer 11 years ago, and five years ago found out she had lymphoma, for which she underwent radiation and chemotherapy. “I come from a family that has a very long history See Relay, 2A
Rosemount business fined for accident that killed two workers CF Industries did not contest citations by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
A Rosemount fertilizer plant was one of two businesses fined by the Minnesota Occupational Health and Safety Administration after an investigation into a toxic ammonia leak in November that killed two truck drivers.
CF Industries, a fertilizer plant, was fined $1,400 for failing to monthly inspect and ensure its respirators functioned properly. The trucking company, High Pressure Transports of Oklahoma, was fined $25,000 for not providing a safe work environment. Both are considered se-
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rious violations of safety standards, and neither company contested the citations. The accident killed Robert Shue, 31, and 56-yearold Roy Taylor, both of Oklahoma, when poisonous vapors were released after a piping connection transferring the ammonia onto the truck failed. Shue died immediately and Taylor succumbed two
weeks later in the hospital. Rosemount Police Officer Scott Sandell and Dakota County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Schuster were also injured while trying to help the truckers. According to CF Industries’ website, anhydrous ammonia requires special equipment and technology to transport, store and ap-
ply. The company website states that the chemical is produced in some capacity by all of CF Industries’ manufacturing plants. It also states CF Industries has one of the best safety performance records in the chemical industry, noting that four of its facilities have surpassed the 40year mark without a single
lost-time accident. The website states, “CF Industries is committed to assuring that its employees go home every day the same way they came to work that morning: safe and healthy.” In 2003, OSHA gave the company’s Glenwood plant a Safety and Health award. Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com.
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