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VOL. 17 NO. 12 readthecitizen.com $1.00
COPING WITH ASSAULT: Virtual help offered PAGE 2
Hugo arsonist sentenced BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
HUGO FIRE AND RESCUE | SUBMITTED
Centerville house fire total loss
At 12:59 p.m. Sunday, May 31, the Centennial Fire District (CFD) was dispatched to a house fire in the 6700 block of Beaver Pond Way in Centerville. The residents were not home at the time of the fire, and no rescue personnel were injured on the call. CFD received mutual aid from Lino Lakes Fire, Hugo Fire and SBM Fire. Although firefighters remained on the scene until around 4 p.m., they had to return a couple times as hot spots arose. See more photos on page 7.
HUGO — Over a year ago, the Hugo Fire Department (HFD) responded to a structure fire at a home on 141st Street N. in Hugo. Two firefighters were injured, and the house was declared a total loss. Daniel Joe Lewandowski, 40, of New Richmond, Wisconsin, was convicted of felony first-degree arson of a dwelling and sentenced to 95 months in prison. His court appearance fell during National Arson Week last month. He is required to pay a $50 fine and $1,000 in restitution. Currently, he is incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud. “We respond to many different calls for service. Oftentimes it can be a house fire and more often than not, it is just something that someone never intended to do. They made a mistake, they had a bad day, it was an accident, it was not intentional,” explained HFD Chief Kevin Colvard. “When we respond, SEE HUGO ARSONIST, PAGE 8
State Fair vendors ‘weather pandemic storm’ BY SHANNON GRANHOLM LEAD EDITOR
Although there will not be a State Fair this year, local vendors are trying to stay positive and come back bigger and better for 2021.
Pitchfork Sausage This year would have marked the eighth year Lino Lakes residents Brendan and Melissa Szala have brought Pitchfork Sausage to the fair. When they first heard the news that the big get-together would not happen this year, they were relieved. “We feel that the State Fair is doing a tremendous job of being socially responsible. We don’t know what is going to happen with this virus;
OOF NEW R S! NT DISCOU
day to day, everything changes. Things that were a fact a week ago are not a fact anymore,” Melissa said. “All we want is everybody to thrive, be safe, be happy and healthy. In our current environment we can’t ensure everyone’s safety, and that is a huge concern.” Brendan added that if the fair did go on as planned, many people would not be able to attend. “That is something that the fair is based on, being accessible for everybody,” he said. “You have the elderly and immune-compromised individuals that wouldn’t have been able to be at the fair.” As a fair vendor, Melissa says they have become adept at being able to predict turnout based on the SUBMITTED
SEE STATE FAIR, PAGE 14
Pitchfork Sausage will not be able to sell at the State Fair this year.
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