A
Burnsville festival offers a day jammed with jazz. See Thisweekend Page 7A.
NEWS OPINION SPORTS
Thisweek Farmington-Lakeville AUGUST 19, 2011
VOLUME 32, NO. 25
www.thisweeklive.com
Messages/2A
Opinion/4A
Classifieds/8A
Sports/11A
Announcements/12A
Public Notices/12A
‘Heritage Center’ slowly taking shape Lakeville officials say new name reflects mission of forthcoming senior center
E. coli scare closes Orchard Lake beach
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Kerri Hall of Apple Valley won a ribbon in the Decorated Cakes contest ... no kidding.
by Aaron Vehling
City says the beach will remain closed through weekend of Aug. 19
PHOTOS ONLINE
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Throughout the debates and up to the initial vote for the new senior cent e r - Ye l l o w Ribbonhistorical society site at the former police sta- Mielke tion, what to call the project has been a practice in tongue-twisters and confusion. But no more. The city has decided on the name “Heritage Center.� City Administrator Steve Mielke said the name came to be as a way to reflect a commonality with the neighboring area, including the Heritage Library, Heritage Commons and the fact that the building is located See Heritage, 5A
For more photos, go online to thisweeklive. com
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Gracie Hanson from Lakeville rides the swings at the Dakota County Fair, which organizers say might have had attendance of about 125,000 during its weeklong run.
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Dakota City Heritage Village was the scene of a mock bank raid and The 2011 Dakota County 4-H Arts In production shootout during the Dakota County Fair. For more photos from the was of “Frank’s Barber Shop.� fair, go online at www.ThisweekLive.com.
Lakeville woman sentenced for cyberstalking Belzers
Warm weather draws crowds to 2011 Dakota County Fair Plans already under way for 2012
The 26-year-old woman bullied the local business owners online, stole identities
by Laura Adelmann THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
After a dismal turnout due to humidity and storms last year, warm, sunny weather helped boost 2011 Dakota County Fair attendance, Aug. 8-14. While the Agricultural Society
by Aaron Vehling
Board that oversees fair operations won’t release actual attendance numbers until November’s annual meeting, Board Member Mark Malecha said he was pleased with the turnout, and estimated the crowd numbers to rival those in 2008 and 2009 when attendance reached about 125,000.
“The fair went very well,� Malecha said, noting that more parking areas were used every day. “That told me cars were staying longer. Last year, it was so ungodly hot that people would only stay a few hours,� he said. See Fair, 5A
by Aaron Vehling THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Blame the geese, again. Lakeville’s Parks and Recreation Department has closed Orchard Lake beach because of an E. coli outbreak. Testing of water samples will occur daily until the levels are acceptable for public swimming. Because of the lag time in receiving lab results, the beach will be closed through the upcoming weekend. Park Maintenance and Operation Supervisor John Hennan said the cause was likely the same as what caused the closing of beaches at Valley Lake and Antlers parks last month: a dangerous combination of warm weather, too much rain accumulation and goose feces. Those beaches were each closed for about a week. The city conducts tests for E. coli every two weeks, said Parks and Recreation Director Steve Michaud last month when those other two beaches experienced outbreaks. This is the first time the city has had an E. coli problem at Orchard Lake, Hennan said. Aaron Vehling is at aaron.vehling@ecm-inc.com and www. facebook.com/thisweeklive.
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The end of a long nightmare approaches for Jamie Belzer and her family. It has been a roller coaster ride that led to Dakota County Judge Richard Spicer sentencing Kaley Hennessy, 26, of Lakeville, last week to a year in jail and 40 years of probation for a series of cyber crimes and identity theft perpetrated against Belzer.
$228.9 million for Morrises of Burnsville Largest Lottery jackpot in state history makes couple’s retirement worries vanish by John Gessner THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
The stock market was getting clobbered when Thomas and Kathleen Morris of Burnsville met with their financial advisor on Monday, Aug. 8. “So that night I told Tom, ‘The only way we’re going to retire is if we win the lottery,’ � Kathleen said. Four days later, the Michigan natives, married 38 years, discovered their retirement worries had vanished. The couple won the $228.9 million Powerball Jackpot, the largest payout in Minnesota Lottery history. Tom, a sales engineer, had bought five Powerball
Online hijacking
General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Display Advertising 952-846-2011 Classified Advertising 952-846-2000
&
!""'! !
$
ďż˝ ďż˝
Court records illustrate an intricate level of crimes allowed by the Internet, which offers up personal data in a convenient, easily accessible fashion. It is easier now more than ever to impersonate someone based on the information acquired from a Google search. Hennessy and Belzer were friends at one point. Hennessy even dated Belzer’s brother-in-law. But following Hennessy’s breakup with the brotherSee Stalker, 5A
Photo by Rick Orndorf
Thomas Morris bought his winning Powerball ticket at this SuperAmerica store, at 16161 Cedar Ave. in Lakeville. tickets Wednesday morning in Lakeville on his way to a work assignment in Indiana. “I wasn’t aware that he even bought a ticket on his way out of town on
Wednesday,� Kathleen said. The Morrises discussed their good fortune in an often-giddy and briefly tearful press conference Friday, Aug. 12, at Lottery headquarters in Roseville. “I’d like to say, we have a lot of nice friends that added that it couldn’t have happened to a nicer couple,� Kathleen said, patting her chest and welling up. “That was nice to hear.� Tom said he was preparing to put off pending retirement plans after the recent market downturn. Those plans quickly turned around. “He’s retired – 14, 15 hours ago,� Kathleen told reporters as the couple’s
ďż˝
ďż˝
ďż˝ ďż˝
Minnesota Lottery photo
Thomas and Kathleen Morris of Burnsville met the media Friday, Aug. 12, at Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville. Jenny Canfield, right, the acting lottery director, introduced the couple. two adult daughters stood nearby. Tom – who didn’t name his employer but said the company does mechani-
cal contracting and makes packaging conveyors – stopped by the SuperAmerica store at 16161 See Jackpot, 5A
ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝
ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝ ďż˝