News Flash

Mercy Hospital Overwhelmed with Patients in ER

Inside Mercy Hospital's emergency department lobby, there are plenty of people waiting to see a doctor, including Grace Anderson."It seems to be pretty crowded," Anderson said. She lives in Elk River and came in to the emergency after e...

2 New Members on Anoka-Hennepin School Board

Two new School Board members took the oath of office this week.Kacy Deschene will represent District 3 which covers southwestern Coon Rapids along with Champlin and Dayton.Matt Audette represents District 4 which covers northern Andover and northeastern R...

Anoka Armory Reopens as COVID Testing Site

COVID testing is once again ramping up across the state. 

The Anoka Armory opened on Friday for those who need a test. Testing is also available Saturday, January 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then, starting January 13, the Armory will be open Thursda...

Children's Author Pens Second Book

Children's author Laura Larson uses insights from her work as an elementary school counselor to create a calm space for kids, using poetry in her second book, "Where Do You Go?""Where Do You Go" is a mindfulness-centered book ...

2 Options for Redesign of Hwy. 610/East River Rd. Interchange

Residents turned out at another open house this week for the proposed Highway 610 and East River Road interchange project. The goal is to provide a full-access interchange at that location. Currently, only a westbound on-ramp and an eastbound off-ramp exi...

Volunteers Help Spread Joy this Holiday Season

Dozens of volunteers reported for duty at a Coon Rapids warehouse this week giving their time to help those in need this holiday season.Jill Morrison is a volunteer with Toys For Joy which took over this donated warehouse space to unpack, sort and bag gif...

Holiday Tree Lighting Brings Community Together

The warmth of the fire from three glowing bonfire pits drew dozens of families together on Saturday night for outdoor winter fun at Boulevard Plaza. A 40-foot tall pine tree on the west side of the Coon Rapids Ice Center was the centerpiece for f...

MN Nat'l Guard Members Learn Nursing Skills at Local Colleges

Members of the Minnesota National Guard have a new mission. Hundreds of guard soldiers across Minnesota are training so they can lend a hand at long term care facilities around the state."It's the things that we do for ourselves everyday like just ge...

Coon Rapids Resident Self-Publishes Second Book

Sister Lost marks the second horror novel by Coon Rapids resident Jennifer DeVries who writes under the pen name, Brenda Lyne.Jennifer’s fascination with the horror genre began early. By age 12, she had read every Stephen King novel in her pare...

Support Local Businesses on 'Small Business Saturday'

The holiday shopping season is here and local small businesses hope you keep them in mind as you make your purchases in the coming weeks.

Mayor Jerry Koch has declared Saturday, November 27 as Small Business Saturday in Coon Rapids. The City supports our l...

Coon Rapids Designated as 'SolSmart Silver City'

RMS Company manufactures precision parts for high tech companies including the medical device industry. They run a 24/7 operation which uses enormous amounts of energy. RMS had been faced with rising energy costs, according to John Braun, the company&...

Planning Underway for Fire Station #3 Replacement

The Coon Rapids Fire Department is preparing for a big project next year. That's when construction is expected to begin on a new Fire Station #3."The city did a study of all of its buildings and it was decided that the current Fire Station #...

CRHS Fall Production: 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Coon Rapids High School presents, William Shakespeare's, "Much Ado About Nothing." It's a story full of misunderstandings and deception, according to senior, Riley Peterson, who plays the role of Ursala."There's c...

Famous Dave's Cuts Ribbon on New "Quick 'Que"

Two Chambers of Commerce welcomed Famous Dave's back to Coon Rapids with a ribbon cutting on Monday morning. The Quick 'Que style restaurant is the first in the nation for Famous Dave's. The restaurant’s founder, Dave “Famous Dave” Anderson presided over ...

CRHS Celebrates Homecoming Week

It's Homecoming Week at Coon Rapids High School and that means spirit days, a parade and powderpuff football action.The Coon Rapids High School marching band played in the Homecoming Parade Wednesday night as dozens of people gathered al...

Pickleball Courts Dedicated to Former Council Member

Dozens of family members and friends gathered last weekend to honor a man who brought pickleball to Coon Rapids.Former City Council member Bruce Sanders, who died one year ago, helped spearhead an effort which resulted in a major renovation project at Riv...

Construction of Addition Underway at CRMS

A major construction project is underway at Coon Rapids Middle School.The 8,000 square foot addition will include three, extra-large science classrooms and two, regular sized classrooms. The middle school is near capacity with 1,600 students currently en...

3 More Inducted into CRHS Hall of Fame

Coon Rapids High School recently inducted its third Hall of Fame class at a ceremony in the school cafeteria.  The first inductee was Katie (Bestul) Lakanen, who was a track and field standout athlete in the hurdles from 1994 through 1996."F...

CTN Wins 5 National Awards

CTN was recently recognized with five awards from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors annual conference. Here's a list of the awards:

1. 1st Place - "Sportsnight Promo" - Municipal Channel Promotion
2. 1st Plac...

Bikes4Kids Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On the Sannerud family farm, up in Ham Lake, it was a September pig roast and outdoor picnic, where volunteers, guests and dignitaries gathered to mark a milestone.Dave Bonthius of Anoka is a longtime Bikes4Kids volunteer and was the MC for the afternoon,...

A Look Inside the Multicultural Advisory Committee

In an effort to improve community relations between the police and the public, Captain John Stahnke of the Coon Rapids Police Department has organized the City's first Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC). The atmosphere is one of respect for c...

CRHS Welcomes New Principal

The freshman at Coon Rapids High School aren't the only new faces in the building this fall. Cardinal Nation has a new leader: Principal John Peña."The beginning of the school year has been great, the staff here have been awesome....

Reservoir Rehab Work Underway at East Water Treatment Plant

A large industrial vacuum sits outside the temporary entrance of the ground storage reservoir as crews work inside the emptied five and a half million gallon tank.  The rehabilitation of the steel structure is taking place at the East Water Treat...

District 11 to Require Masks for K-6 Students

On a 4-1 vote Monday night, the Anoka-Hennepin School Board voted to require masks for students and teachers in grades K-6 this fall when the COVID case rate is above 15 per 10,000 people. Anoka County is currently at 17 cases per 10,000.

Board member Anna...

School Bus Companies Looking for New Drivers

The new school year is approaching and that has local school bus companies looking to hire new drivers."Everybody starts at $19 an hour,” said Kottkes’ Bus Recruiter, Nichol Flemister.To drive a school bus, a candidate needs to be...