By Ruth Anne Maddox, Correspondent 

The exact weather conditions on May 11, 1858 — when Minnesota became the 32nd state — are not readily available, but the organizers of a 150th birthday celebration at The Landing are hoping that it was a warm and beautiful sunshiny day — and that history will repeat itself.

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

Prosecutors allege that handwritten letters from jail penned by Craigslist murder suspect Michael John Anderson of Savage detail that he tried to hire someone to take responsibility for killing Katherine Ann Olson last fall.

By Shawn Hogendorf, Correspondent

A 17-year-old Prior Lake boy was charged by the Scott County Attorney’s Office in association with a burglary and assault of a 74-year-old Prior Lake woman in the 16900 block of Lyons Avenue around 2:32 a.m. on April 27.

The boy was charged with one count of first-degree burglary with assault and one count of third-degree assault, causing substantial bodily harm, both counts are felonies.

By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent

Drama over the statewide smoking ban spilled into Judge Jerome Abram’s Shakopee courtroom Tuesday with the first court hearing in Minnesota on the issue.

An Elko New Market bar faced the state in Scott County District Court, where attorneys debated whether "theater performance" smoking at Bullseye Saloon violates the state ban.

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

The lights might be brighter in the Petula Clark song, “Downtown,” but that was before LED signs that use animation, changing images and words.

Now the Savage City Council wants to make sure those lights on signs don’t get too bright and voted last month to update the city ordinance to regulate the new technology. But doing so took a year, as the city imposed a moratorium on signs that display animation or electronically changing images and messages in April of last year.

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

New York author Charles Leerhsen spent two years digging up information for his soon-to-be-released book about Dan Patch.

Was there a nugget of information that even he was shocked to find about the famous pacer, who turned 112 years old on April 29? Many books have been written about Dan Patch, but Leerhsen wanted to tell the complete story in “Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America.”

By Lori Carlson, Correspondent 

Results of a student survey show both good and bad news when it comes to the behaviors of local boys and girls, the Prior Lake Savage Area School Board heard Monday.

Results of a survey gauging public views on a school referendum will go to the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board for review on Monday, May 19.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. at the District Services Center, 4540 Tower St., Prior Lake, to discuss the results of the survey conducted by Springsted Inc.

All 2008 high school grades who live in Savage are being asked to contact the Savage Pacer! (Please note: parents can submit this information for their busy graduate!)

The newspaper wants to know who you are, what high school you are graduating from, what activities you were involved in while you were in high school, who are your parents and what are your future plans after high school. Graduates are also encouraged to send in a picture, which can be submitted in a digital format or as a print.

Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board members officially approved the selection of Sue Ann Gruver, the district’s next superintendent, on Monday.

Gruver will take over in July, replacing Superintendent Tom Westerhaus, who resigned after Chris Lind was elected to the board this fall.