Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 VOL. 120 NO. 25 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Girls basketball wins big at New Richmond. PAGE 10
Concept plan for 301 River Street evolves to include park Tiny home development linked BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Development plans for multifamily housing where the old hospital stands, 301 River Street, have been tweaked with the intention of maintaining the street’s integrity, according to LAD Properties developer Bernie Desmarais. Last week, Desmarais briefed the Osceola Plan Commission on evolving plans for the site. The plan is still in the concept phase. “We’re talking about long range plans and want to give an idea about what we’re thinking and how we can make this property be
SUBMITTED SUZANNE LINDGREN |THE SUN
LAD Properties developer Bernie Desmarais explains a concept drawing for multifamily housing that would replace the old hospital.
the best it can be,” Desmarais said, “as well as some other ideas we think might pose some tax revenue generating
opportunities for the village.” Since unveiling initial designs for a mixed commercial-residential
building on the site, Desmarais said he had returned to concept SEE CONCEPT, PAGE 20
Osceola-raised athlete Rod Anderson has his sights set on qualifying for the Ironman World Championships.
Osceola alum sets sights on Ironman BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
SUZANNE LINDGREN | THE SUN
Progress continues on highway garage
Construction is running ahead of schedule on the county’s Highway Department Building, County Administrator Dana Frey reported last week when county board supervisors met to approve a winter-weather change order to the roofing. Although the changes will not affect performance or warranty, they are expected to save the county $52,700. The savings will offset unexpected expenditures including soil corrections at the site.
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Osceola-raised athlete Rod Anderson is training to qualify for the Ironman World Championships, held in Hawaii every October. Anderson, who grew up just east of Dresser on a farm owned by his parents, Eldred and Mildred Anderson, now lives with his wife, Kathy, in Woodbury. Training for the Ironman World Championships represents a milestone in his athletic career, reports his sister, Sherri Anderson. In 2005 Rod began competing in inline speed skating events from Texas to the Dakotas, winning the Combined National Championship at the North Shore Inline Marathon in Duluth in 2013. His focus shifted to a new goal in 2014 when he was introduced to the three-sport discipline of triathlon: swimming, biking and running. He began competing in short-distance (sprint) triathlons, advanced to Olympic-distance and later to 70.3-mile or half-Iron distance. Finally, he set his sights on the 140.6-mile, full Ironman distance. Since 2005 he has started and finished 126 races — several five, eight and ten-kilometer races, 88 half and SEE IRONMAN, PAGE 12
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