Latest news with #StillwaterCityCouncil
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stillwater to treat water for PFAS with $2.5M temporary facility
Construction will begin this summer on a temporary solution to PFAS chemicals found in parts of Stillwater's water supply. Market and Johnson Inc., of Eau Claire, Wis., submitted the lowest bid to construct a temporary facility to treat water from one of Stillwater's wells to meet the latest standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as 'forever chemicals' because they resist breaking down in the environment. Five bids were received and opened, city officials said. Market and Johnson, which has a local office in Stillwater, submitted a bid of $2,517,000, which beat the engineer's estimate of $2,678,000, city officials said. The Stillwater City Council voted June 3 to accept the bid. The facility, which will be located adjacent to Well No. 10 near Benson Park, is expected to be in operation until a permanent solution is found. The facility will use granulated activated carbon to treat the water. The city secured a $3 million grant from the Public Facilities Authority for construction of the temporary water treatment facility, said City Administrator Joe Kohlmann. Construction will begin this summer, and the facility should be operational by late 2025 or early 2026, he said. PFAS chemicals were found to have contaminated drinking water supplies in parts of the eastern Twin Cities, including in Stillwater's groundwater supply. 3M and other companies manufactured the substances for use in products ranging from nonstick cookware to firefighting foam, but now they have made their way into water and food supplies across the country and have been linked to cancers and other health issues. The Trump administration recently announced plans to relax limits on certain 'forever chemicals.' But for two commonly found types, PFOA and PFOS, the limits put in place by the Biden administration will remain in place. Utilities will have two more years — until 2031 — to meet them. Two wells in Stillwater – Well No. 6 and Well No. 10 – were found to contain PFAS at levels above health-based guidance values for drinking water. An additional well, Well No. 9, contains PFAS at levels just below these standards. All three wells are currently inactive and are not providing water for the community, Kohlmann said. The temporary treatment facility at Well No. 10 will ensure the well can safely be put back into service to meet drinking-water standards, he said. Driver, 23, dies in single-vehicle crash in Scandia Emaciated stowaway cat found in Minnesota after epic journey from China Stillwater: Lift Bridge rescue call was false alarm, authorities say East Metro Softball Player of the Year: Forest Lake's Avery Muellner Retiring Woodbury city administrator says over 21 years, he's watched the city grow
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stillwater Veterans Memorial to undergo $200K expansion
The Stillwater Veterans Memorial committee is working on a $200,000 expansion that will add 500 pavers to the 1,500 engraved pavers already on site memorializing local veterans. 'It's not quite full, but we're planning this expansion now because, two years from now, we anticipate we will have filled up all the existing space,' said John Kraemer, the memorial committee's board chairman. The Stillwater City Council approved plans for the second phase of the expansion at the memorial, located at Third and Pine streets, earlier this year, and the committee is working to raise the necessary funds. The first expansion was done about 10 years ago, he said. The memorial, which includes a 53-foot steel spire and a Wall of Honor, is amid several parking lots across from the Washington County Historic Courthouse. The second phase of the expansion can be done because the city now has additional parking spaces available in an adjacent parking lot to the north of the site, Kraemer said. The Stillwater Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 2004, features a walkway from Pine Street that leads to a circular overlook area where the spire is located. The Wall of Honor includes the names of veterans from Stillwater area schools who died serving their country. The names date back to the Civil and Spanish-American wars. The memorial expansion will 'ensure an ongoing legacy of honor and respect for all who have served, are serving, and will serve,' said Kraemer, a retired financial planner from Stillwater and a Vietnam-era veteran of the Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth. Plans also call for new walkways and additional landscaped areas, including shrubbery on both sides to separate the memorial site from the surrounding parking areas, he said. 'We're trying to make the memorial a little more intimate,' he said. 'We want to create a larger public space for gathering and contemplation.' The enhanced symmetry of the site will ensure all memorial pavers will have 'equal access,' he said. 'That's certainly our objective.' A fundraiser for the Stillwater Veterans Memorial will be held May 17 in downtown Stillwater. 'Dine Her, Dance Here' includes a full day of free music, including live bands and a DJ – all with a 1970s disco theme, said organizer Rachael Kozlowski. There also will be a white-line dining experience on the Chestnut Street Plaza near the Stillwater Lift Bridge; tickets are $129 per person. Former Lakeland contract employee given probation for theft from city St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour opens Friday at seven different studios AED installed at Stillwater field where teen nearly died during football practice Stillwater officials sign off on plans for new $400M Lakeview Hospital As temps climb in May, some local splash pads will open early (but not in St. Paul) The price of the dinner includes passed appetizers, salad, bread, dual entrée, dessert, two raffle tickets, two drink tickets and gratuity, Kozlowski said. Drinks from Lift Bridge Brewing, Domacin Wine Bar and Proper Bartender, will be served. Tickets for VIP tables that will seat eight people also are being sold; those include preferred seating, charcuterie board, two bottles of wine, plus an additional raffle ticket and drink ticket per guest. Reservations are encouraged as seating is limited; the reservation deadline is Sunday. For more information, look for 'Dine Here Dance Here' on Facebook.
