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Northfield's Top Stories of 2011

We take a look back at some of the biggest stories of 2011.

 

Here's a look at the top stories of 2011 on Northfield Patch, both in terms of the number of people who read them and also for the effect they had on the community.


Person of the year

Nearly 3,000 voted for Northfield Patch's 2011 Person of the Year. Zach Pruitt, director of the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, received the most votes. Craig Swenson, who helps out at the Northfield YMCA and Northfield Senior Center, came in a very close second.

• Meet Zach Pruitt, Northfield Patch's Person of the Year

• Zach Pruitt is Northfield Patch's Person of the Year

• POLL: Vote for Northfield Patch's Person of the Year


School levy

Northfielders paid attention when Northfield Public Schools wanted to increase its per-pupil operating levy to the state maximum. In the end, the voters overwhelmingly supported the schools.

• Northfield School Board Reduces Tax Levy

• Northfield School District Levies Pass With Ease

• A Primer: Northfield School District Levy Referendum

• Operating Levy Increase Would Maintain Northfield School District Class Sizes, Offerings

• Northfield District Will Ask Voters to Approve a Higher Operating Levy in November


Haslett-Marroquin house fire

The community responded in immeasurable ways when the Haslett-Marroquin home was lost to a fire on Thanksgiving Eve. What quickly followed was a grassroots effort from the community to help the family work back toward normalcy.

• VIDEO: Haslett-Marroquin Family Benefit Concert

• PHOTOS: Haslett-Marroquin Family Benefit Concert

• How to Help the Haslett-Marroquin Family

• UPDATE: Pets Survive Rural Northfield House Fire

• UPDATED: Friends Respond to Help Northfield Family Displaced by House Fire

• UPDATED: Fire Destroys Rural Northfield Home

• VIDEO: Fire Destroys Rural Northfield Home


Downtown post office

For most of 2011, conversations revolved around the potential closing of the downtown Northfield post office, how to save and repurpose the location, and the eventual decision to shutter the location in favor of consolidating it with the United States Postal Service annex on the south end of the city.

A recent announcement that the USPS is delaying closures and consolidations until May has given folks some hope, but it's unknown how the announcement will effect the long-term plans for the building.

• Downtown Northfield Post Office to Stay Open Through At Least May 15, 2012

• Northfield's Downtown Post Office Gets a Reprieve

• USPS Declines Northfield Council's Offer to Keep Downtown Post Office Open

• Shanty to Brick: The Story of Northfield’s Post Office

• USPS: Solutions to Save Downtown Northfield Post Office

• Fight to Save Downtown Post Office Far From Over

• UPDATE: Downtown Northfield Post Office to Close

• VIDEO: Northfield Post Office Forum Hosted by NDDC

• Northfield Residents: Fight to Save Downtown Post Office

• Save the Northfield Post Office! Sign the Online Petition

• Downtown Northfield Post Office Could Close


Shea Stremcha's death

The 2004 Northfield High School graduate was shot and killed this summer in his south Minneapolis home after an attempted break-in.

• Two Men Charged for Murder of Shea Stremcha

• Two Arrested for the Murder of Shea Stremcha

• Northfield Graduate Killed in South Minneapolis

• Shea Stremcha, 25 (obituary)


Creative marriage proposals

Patch was able to put the spotlight on two creative marriage proposals that took place in downtown Northfield at the Contented Cow and Goodbye Blue Monday.

• Coffee and Marriage: When a Man Pops the Question

• Scrabble and Marriage: When a Man Pops the Question


The Ole Restaurant

Many Northfielders were saddened by the shuttering of the Ole Café. The longtime establishment didn't go long without operating before Chuck Pryor announced he was buying the store and reopening it as the Ole Store Restaurant.

• Ole Store Purchased, Reopening as Restaurant


Gymnastics gets two in a row

The Northfield Gymnastics team continued its strong run by winning its second straight state championship. They go for their third straight title this season.

• Northfield Gymnasts Hit 150, Defend State Crown

• Northfield Gymnastics Off to a Hot Start, Eye Third Straight State Title


Pizza Hut and Tokyo Grill

Two of the other popular restaurant openings this year were Pizza Hut, which returned to Northfield after being gone for many years, and Tokyo Grill, which opened this summer and offers another option for Asian fare.

• Northfield Pizza Hut Opens—Will You Order?

• Northfield Pizza Hut Opens Oct. 25

• Northfield Pizza Hut Space Coming Together

• Pizza Hut Coming to Northfield

• Business Already Picking Up at Northfield's Tokyo Grill


Yarn returns to Northfield

Knitting enthusiasts were ecstatic when word of a new yarn store was opening in downtown Northfield. After the store opened, the traffic was brisk.

• Northfield Yarn Opens to Brisk Business

• Yarn Store to Open in Downtown Northfield


Drug busts

Local and county law enforcement executed a few big busts this fall, bringing on charges for several people for allegedly peddling drugs in Northfield.

• UPDATED: Nine Charged in Greenvale Apartments Drug Bust

• UPDATED: Charges Roll in from Greenvale Place Drug Bust

• Eight Arrested at Greenvale Place Apartments in Drug Bust; Police in Search of Four Others

• Three Charged With Selling Heroin in Northfield


Thanksgiving Day shooting

In an unusual scene for Northfield, police responded Thanksgiving night to the area near Applebee's for an apparent shooting. Three people have been charged for their allegedly involvement in the incident.

• Northfield Woman Charged in Thanksgiving Shooting

• UPDATED: Two Men Charged in Northfield Thanksgiving Shooting

• UPDATED: Man in Custody for Alleged Role in Northfield, Faribault Shootings

• UPDATED: Northfield Police Respond to Possible Shooting Outside of Target, Cub Foods


Royalty visits St. Olaf College

St. Olaf College hosted Norway's royal couple in October. The visit didn't disappoint.

• St. Olaf College Welcomes Norway's King and Queen

• Norway's King and Queen Arrive to Northfield, St. Olaf College

Related Topics: Applebee's, Business, Greenvale Apartment Drug Busts, Haslett-Marroquins, Northfield Public Schools, Northfield Senior Center, Northfield YMCA, Northfield Yarn, downtown northfield, and downtown post office

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