🌱 What Jim Swenson’s decision means for North Branch’s county representation

Hey there, North Branch! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• What Jim Swenson’s decision means for North Branch’s county representation
• See which North Branch Viking athletes brought home winter honors
• Why North Branch’s senator is fighting a new vaccine exemption bill

Also on today's calendar: A Year in the Life of Honeybees: 7-Month Training Course for Beginning Beekeepers and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the inventor of the knock-knock joke win? 🤔 (Answer below!)

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From our Partner
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Weather forecast:

• Friday: A gusty t-storm in the p.m., with a high of 69 and low of 28 degrees.
• Saturday: Cloudy, windy and much colder, temps: high: 44, low: 24.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 47 and low of 24 degrees.

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📰 News we're reading

• North Branch county commissioner not filing for re-election (chisagocountypress.com) — North Branch residents will see a change in county representation as Chisago County District 1 Commissioner and former North Branch mayor Jim Swenson says he won’t seek re-election, though he’ll serve through 2026. Swenson, whose district now fully covers the city, plans to keep advocating for North Branch while pursuing new goals after recent health challenges.
   

• Viking athletes take home multiple winter awards (hometownsource.com) — North Branch Area High School student-athletes earned a long list of winter honors, from All-Conference to Academic All-Conference and even All-State in several sports. Local Vikings were recognized in boys and girls hockey, gymnastics, basketball, wrestling, and dance, highlighting both their athletic achievements and strong classroom performance.
   

• Koran rallies for parental rights at the State Capitol (hometownsource.com) — North Branch’s state senator, Mark Koran, joined hundreds at the State Capitol to rally for what organizers call health and parental rights, including school choice and vaccine decision-making. The event responded to Senate File 3439, which would remove Minnesota’s conscientious-belief exemption for the MMR vaccine and shift those objections into a stricter framework.
   

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📸 Around North Branch

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

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🗓 Upcoming Events in North Branch

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday April 18

• Home Cannabis Cultivation
  Women's Environmental Institute, 15715 River Rd, North Branch
  1:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

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Other local events

Sunday April 19

• A Year in the Life of Honeybees: 7-Month Training Course for Beginning Beekeepers
  Women's Environmental Institute , 15715 River Rd , North Branch
  12:30 pm
• A Year in the Life of Honeybees: A 7-Session Training Course for Beginning Beekeepers
  Women's Environmental Institute , 15715 River Rd , North Branch
  12:30 pm

Monday April 20

• Double Pathways Perks Points
  Family Pathways , 6413 Oak St , North Branch

Wednesday April 22

• 75% off Yellow Tags
  Family Pathways , 6413 Oak St , North Branch

Thursday April 23

• Wine, Women and Wellness
  North Ridge Winery , 7750 Hwy 95 NE , North Branch
  6:00 pm

Friday April 24

• Critical Ecofeminism Book Retreat: A Guided Weekend of Discussion and Community
  Women's Environmental Institute , 15715 River Rd , North Branch
  6:00 pm

Saturday April 25

• Edible Landscaping and Gardening with Nature
  Women's Environmental Institute , 15715 River Rd , North Branch
  1:00 pm

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📣 North Branch Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Friday April 17

• Baseball: V
  Ogilvie High School
  4:30 pm
• Softball: G/V
  Ogilvie High School
  4:30 pm
• Softball: G/JH
  Rush City High School
  4:30 pm
• Baseball: JH
  Rush City Public School District , Schlagel Fields , Rush City
  4:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

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🗞 Nearby News

Rush City

• Tiger student-athletes recognized for efforts this past winter (hometownsource.com)

Cambridge

• Highway 95 roadwork in Cambridge begins April 20 (hometownsource.com)
• Brooks Sherman on Diversified Energy Storage: Planning Beyond Lithium-Ion Batteries (ritzherald.com)

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Ok North Branch! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: The NO-BELL prize (Thank you Gina M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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