News Story

Staff Recognized During National Corrections Officers Week

The first week of May is set aside as National Corrections Officers Week to honor the brave men and women who work in this field. The board commended all corrections employees who work for the Sheriff’s Office and Community Corrections and adopted a resolution recognizing them for their contributions to public safety. Dylan Warkentin, Anoka County director of Community Corrections, and Anoka County Sheriff Brad Wise spoke to the board about the service of the county’s corrections staff. To watch the video on this item, click HERE. 

Peace Officers Recognized During National Peace Officers Week

May 12-18 is National Peace Officers Week across the country –– the board adopted a resolution recognizing this week and took some time to laud all law enforcement agencies in the county. Sheriff Brad Wise and Chief Deputy Bill Jacobson spoke about the contributions of those who work in law enforcement for the county. To watch the video on this item, click HERE.

April 30 Designated Therapy Animal Day in Anoka County

The board selected April 30 as Therapy Animal Day in Anoka County to celebrate therapy animals and their human handlers. Present at the meeting were therapy dog Deano, who works with crime victims in the Anoka County Attorney’s Office, Victim Witness Services Manager Holly Lammers, and Victim Witness Specialist Andrea Kohner. Lammers and Kohner spoke about how Deano has helped dozens of victims in the Attorney’s Office since his arrival in 2023. To watch the video on this item, click HERE. 

Roundabout to be Constructed on Centerville Rd., Ash St. 

The board adopted a resolution authorizing the preparation of highway right-of-way for improvements to the intersection of Centerville Road and Ash Street, in the City of Lino Lakes –– this project will include the construction of a single-lane roundabout. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2025. For more information on this item, click HERE. 

 Roundabout to be Constructed at 125th and Sunset Avenues

The board approved a contract between the county and Forest Lake Contracting for the construction of a roundabout at 125th and Sunset avenues, in the cities of Blaine and Lino Lakes. This intersection has been rated as the highest crash intersection on any of Anoka County’s county roads. The roundabout will improve safety and help with congestion. To watch the video on this item, click HERE. 

Ground broken on Coon Lake Maintenance Shop 

Project partners and officials from several Anoka County departments celebrated the groundbreaking of a new maintenance shop April 18 that will meet the growing needs of the Anoka County Highway Department, Parks Department, and Sheriff’s Office by providing much-needed maintenance and storage space. The project, anticipated to be complete in fall of this year, will replace the current nearly 60-year-old building that is nearing the end of its useful life. The new facility will be large enough to support up to six plow trucks and adequately house staff from both the Parks Department and Sheriff’s Office, including all equipment needed to support them. To watch the video on this item, click HERE. To read the news release, click HERE. 

Purchases Made to Increase Data Security

The board approved the purchase of Security Information and Event Management (SEIM) and Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) systems that will help correlate potential security events and in some cases automatically invoke incident responses to deal with data security issues. For more information on this item, click HERE. 

Donation Accepted from Scott Mehl

The board accepted a donation of ammunition from resident Scott Mehl for Anoka County Sheriff’s Office firearms training. For more information on this item, click HERE. 

Tax Abatement for Blaine Sports Center Project Approved

The board adopted a resolution approving a property tax abatement and a tax abatement pledge agreement with the City of Blaine. The abatement is in relation to a project that will include the construction and installation of certain improvements at the National Sports Center in Blaine, including approximately 10 synthetic turf fields and associated lighting. This project is anticipated to spur significant economic development around the campus. For more information on this item, click HERE. To watch the video, click HERE. 

To watch the full board meeting, click HERE.