By Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writer

“On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,” said President Barack Obama during his inauguration speech.

Among the cheers in Obama’s debut speech, one local voice could be heard shouting among them.

By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent

Having grown up a politically active family, Jeanette Gloege wouldn’t have missed giving up two days of her life to serve as an observer for the first statewide general election recount since 1962.

The U.S. Senate race recount got underway in Scott County on Thursday, where election judges and city officials poured over tens of thousands of ballots. Hovering around them were Democrat and Republican party observers, ready to challenge any ballot.

By about 4:30 p.m., 20 of the 44 Scott County precincts had been counted, with 41 ballots headed to the state canvassing board for inspection. By the day's end, officials had processed around half of the approximately 67,000 ballots.

The county hopes the recount will finish Thursday.

By Shannon Fiecke and Nancy Huddleston, Staff Writers

Although the vote tally in Scott County stayed the same following a canvassing meeting Nov. 7, it wasn’t business as usual for the group.

By Shannon Fiecke, Staff Writer

Despite a strong grass-roots campaign from his challenger, Republican Rep. John Kline handily won a fourth term in Congress in the 2nd District.

By Shannon Fiecke and Nancy Huddleston, Staff Writers

For the second election in a row in House District 35B, DFL candidate Taylor Kristoffe-Jones of Savage failed to unseat Republican state Rep. Mark Buesgens of Jordan, a five-term incumbent.

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

Nearly 93 percent of registered voters turned out on Election Day to vote and that excitement was evident before the polls opened at Precinct 1 in downtown.

By Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writer 

Former Sioux Trail Elementary School Principal DeeDee Currier, current School Board Vice Chairman Ron Hill and former administrative assistant Sandy Sweep were elected to the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Board this week.

Election Day would have turned out differently if Prior Lake-Savage Area children had their say.

Kids Voting USA 2008 results show John McCain winning the presidential election. Over 2,500 children cast ballots at Kids Voting USA booths at area precincts.

Children also selected Norm Coleman, John Kline, Michael Beard, Tom Wolf, and Chad LeMair as their elected officials.

Students would have passed both School District referendum questions by a landslide, while in the true election only the first question passed.

By Joanna Miller, Correspondent

“It’s a wonderful day in Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools for our students” were the first words Superintendent Sue Ann Gruver used to describe the referendum vote Tuesday.