The Minnesota River is at 700.24 feet as of 5 a.m. today and continues to rise steadily, but is still running lower than what than the National Weather Service predicted for the river level.

The weather service is continuing to predict that the river will reach flood stage (702 feet) in Savage at 7 p.m. tonight. The river is still predicted to crest 710.6 feet by Thursday, March 25. When the river reaches 710 feet the city will need to protect sanitary sewers.

The Minnesota River is at 699.29 feet as of 2 p.m. this afternoon, which is 2.16 higher than what was reported Tuesday afternoon. It is also about a foot less than the National Weather Service predictions for the river level for today.  

By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent

Scott County didn’t fare well in the final bonding bill that emerged from the state Legislature and was line-item vetoed down Monday (March 15) by Gov. Tim Pawlenty; however, there’s still a chance local projects could be funded.

U.S Census forms are arriving in the mail this week. 

And in an effort to help people complete the 2010 Census or to help them get the 10-question Census form, hundreds of  Questionnaire Assistance Centers (QACs) locations are opening statewide beginning March 19.

The Minnesota River is at 697.1 feet as of 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Joel McColl, Savage’s emergency management director told the Savage City Council Monday night (March 15) that “our theory is to plan, not panic,” in regards to the possibility of flooding from the Minnesota and Credit Rivers.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty today issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in several state counties due to flooding, including Scott.

Counties included are Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Chippewa, Clay, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Kittson, Lac Qui Parle, Le Sueur, Lyon, Marshall, Nicollet, Norman, Polk, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Sibley, Swift, Traverse, Washington, Wilkin, Wright and Yellow Medicine.

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

Why would officials from Scott County go to Washington, D.C. to lobby for money to be spent on transportation projects in two cities?

“Both of these projects have a dramatic impact to our residents,” explained Scott County Commissioner Jon Ulrich of Savage.

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

Paperwork, instead of dirt, will be moving in May for the road construction project at the intersection of Trunk Highway 13 and County Road 101.

Are you in the March 13 edition of the Savage Pacer? If so, you can buy photographs that appear in the newspaper at http://savagepacer.smugmug.com/. Look below to see the slide show:

By Nancy Huddleston, Editor

Local flooding has stabilized on the Credit River and has only risen slightly overnight, according to Savage’s Emergency Management Director Joel McColl.