Those following the reconstruction project on First Avenue in Shakopee may want to attend a special City Council meeting next Tuesday.

City councilors will receive an update on the First Avenue/County Road 101 redesign, proposed between Spencer Street and Marschall Road, from consultant Bolton and Menk.

A group of interested businesses and community leaders have been meeting periodically since June to review and discuss issues regarding the anticipated reconstruction.

A couple people have asked me what's being built by Home Depot in the Southbridge area. No, it's not a new building.

Crews are constructing a right-in, right-out turn lane onto County Road 18. This is something the developer (and city) were seeking to spur business development in that area.

Developer Steve Soltau had said he couldn't get businesses to come in without that access. The county finally agreed to allow the connection when negotiating with the city about the Co. Rd. 21 extention project. The work is being financed by Soltau's company.

Shakopee continues to be the Twin Cities leader in new-housing permits and for the number of housing units planned, according to the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC),

 Shakopee was the top city in the metro area with 54 permits issued in October, followed by Blaine (30), Maple Grove (24), Woodbury (23) and Lakeville (20).

Shakopee High School invites fans to wear red as it takes on Chaska High School in the Section 2A final Saturday.

The undefeated Shakopee volleyball team competes against Chaska at 6 p.m. Saturday at Chanhassen High School, 2200 Lyman Blvd., Chanhassen.

By Shawn Hogendorf, Correspondent 

Citations were issued to two Prior Lake High School students after an unannounced drug sweep was conducted on the school campus the day before Halloween.

No narcotics or contraband were found inside the school on Oct. 30, but K-9 drug dogs did alert Dakota County Drug Task Force agents to a number of vehicles in the parking lot, according to Capt. Dave Muelken. In all, more than 10 vehicles were searched, but narcotics were only located in two.

I love the smell of off-season trades.

The Twins need to get over the hump - you know, win a couple playoff games. And they need to do it in the off season.

Going into October, most will agree signing Joe Mauer to a multi-year deal is the team's top priority. It has to get done. Fixing their weak spots comes to No. 2.

Are you attending any parties this season? Do you know the difference between black tie, white tie and informal wear?

Visit the new exhibit at the Scott County Historical Society where women’s formal wear from the early 1900s to the 1980s will be display.

Operation Christmas Child is coming to Shakopee.

A relay center will be located in the Shakopee Town Square later this month for people to drop off shoe boxes of gifts for children in need around the world.

Fashion designer Christopher Straub crafted a dozen dresses for season six of “Project Runway,” but in the end, he won’t be showing at New York Fashion Week.

Judges sent the Shakopee designer home in the final challenge Thursday, comparing his dress to a “thick jean skirt.”

By Shannon Fiecke, Staff Writer
Scott County has a good chance of winning up to $1 million to put a three-mile trail along County Road 101 in Shakopee, connecting a large portion of the Minnesota Valley Trail.

Although preferred to run beside the Minnesota River, due to historic cultural sites and environmental impediments, the segment would instead pass in front of The Landing and Valleyfair along county road right-of-way.

Are you interested in reading the public notices published in the November 5, 2009 print edition of the Shakopee Valley News newspaper? The page or pages on which those notices were printed are attached to this item, in the form of .pdf's that can be opened with Adobe Acrobat.

Popular local burger eatery Lions Tap has reached a settlement with McDonald's Corp. over the hamburger giant's use of the slogan "Who's Your Patty" in a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign for Angus burgers. 

In documents filed in federal court today, the Eden Prairie restaurant withdraws its suit, which asked for a financial judgment and McDonald's to quit using Lions Tap's trademarked phrase in all advertising. 

Laurie Roth, 54, passed away from complications of a brain tumor on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 at her home in Spring Lake Township.

Visitation will be Sunday, Nov. 8, from 6-8 p.m. at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, 4565 Pleasant St. S.E., Prior Lake, and one and one-half hours prior to the service at church. The funeral service will be Monday, Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 18460 Kachina Court, Lakeville.

Arrangements made by Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, Prior Lake Chapel. www.ballardsunderfuneral.com

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has awarded grants to communities around the metro region to help them conserve and manage natural resources in the midst of urban pressures. Included are two local grants.

Among the six Community Conservation assistance grants awarded:

Over the next week or so, Scott County parents of school-age children will be receiving a mailing from Scott County Public Health (one envelope per child enrolled in school). Inside will be important documents.

A free Share the Harvest concert is 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Living Hope Lutheran Church, 8600 Horizon Dr., Shakopee.

Contemporary Christian recording artists Mela Kamin of the Twin Cities, Carl Herrgesell of Nashville and Mike Westendorf of Milwaukee to perform.

Honor America’s military veterans from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Landing – Minnesota River Heritage Park, Shakopee.

Ceremony is at 1 p.m. Remembrance Day at The Landing features speeches, music and Abraham Lincoln reciting the Gettysburg Address.

By Kristin Holtz, Staff Writer

Once upon a time in a faraway land, a fretful princess spent a night atop 20 mattresses, tossing and turning this way and that in the desperate hope of getting a little shut eye.

OK, so it wasn’t just a pea. And the princess wasn’t exactly your prototypical royalty. And there might have been an unexpected pregnancy integrated into the subplot.

Get the real scoop on “The Princess and The Pea” fairytale when the Shakopee High School Drama Department presents its fall musical “Once Upon A Mattress.”

Going into Tuesday’s levy referendum vote, Shakopee School Board members and administrators were “cautiously optimistic” the levy would be renewed.

By late Tuesday evening they were downright thrilled.

“I think it speaks very well of the Shakopee community that they saw fit to continue to support the school district in this fashion even though it is a difficult financial time,” Board Member Reggie Bowerman said.

The Shakopee School Board will have two new faces around the board table come January.

Shakopee voters elected newcomers Carla Shutrop and Anthony Bonsante to four-year terms on the School Board Tuesday.

Incumbents Steve Schneider, Mary Romansky and Chuck Berg were also re-elected.