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This is the fourth installment in an editorial series called The Changing Face of Minnesota. This year, the ECM Publishers Editorial Board is examining demographic changes and disparities in Minnesota that center around race, wealth, age, region and employment.
Job statistics can be mercurial, especially the more often you measure them. One month’s job-loss chill can be followed by a white-hot month of gains.broadstreet.zone(48036);
But the overall trajectory in Minnesota is unmistakable — this state is wide open for business.
In the eight years since the Great Recession officially ended, Minnesota has added 314,261 jobs, an 11.7 percent increase that matches the national rate, according to the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.
A seasonally adjusted gain of 4,400 jobs in June pushed the labor market to new heights. In part because of a weak report last June, year-over-year job gains totaled 77,478, or 2.6 percent — the largest gain since May 1998,

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Dance Tech finished up its season with some big opportunities for some of their dancers. Six of Dance Tech’s competitive dancers finished their season by attending NRG Dance Project’s Nationals in Washington D.C. over the 4th of July, nearly all of them attending the convention and workshop on scholarships they had won earlier in the dance season. In mid-July, two of Dance Tech’s Elite dancers, Brianna Bellanger and Emilee Olson, flew to New York City and attended the summer program at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Both girls were awarded a scholarship for this two-week program at a dance competition earlier in the season. AMDA is recognized throughout the industry for its history and tradition of launching some of the world’s most successful careers in theatre, dance, film and television.broadstreet.zone(48036);
Dance Tech Studio’s owner, Robin Lind, said that even though it didn’t attend nationals as a studio this year, Dance

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Christopher Przybilla of Forest Lake has earned the Eagle Scout Award, the highest advancement rank within the Boy Scouts of America. Przybilla was recognized in ceremonies on Aug. 5 at the Crossroads Church Activity Center in Columbus. A member of Columbus Troop 9414, Przybilla is one of approximately four percent of all Boy Scouts who attain the Eagle rank.
To earn Eagle distinction, each candidate must earn 21 merit badges and successfully complete a significant service project benefitting his community, faith organization, or school that demonstrates leadership. Pryzbilla chose to build a Gaga Dodgeball pit for Columbus Elementary School, which he attended from grades K to 6. The project was built in Oct. 2016 with help from family, friends, and scouts from Troop 9414.
Pryzbilla earned 54 Merit Badges in all. He has served as Senior Patrol Leader and is currently the Junior Assistant Scoutmaster for the troop. He spent his summer

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Loving Mother, Daughter, Sister, Granddaughter, GirlfriendCrystal Olson, age 40 of Wyoming, passed away unexpectedly on August 22, 2017.
Preceded in death by grandfathers, Gerald and Leonard.
Survived by daughter, Gracie; parents, Steve and Kathy; sisters, Lainie (B.J), Erin (Jesse), Elly (Drew); boyfriend, Paul; grandmothers, Marilyn and Helen; four nieces, one nephew, other relatives and many friends.
Crystal was a longtime employee of The Search Appraisal Co., & SRC Inc.
Visitation 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, August 29th at Roberts Family Life Celebration Home, 555 SW Centennial Dr., Forest Lake. A Celebration of Crystal’s Life 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 30th with visitation one hour prior at St. Bridget of Sweden Catholic Church, 13060 Lake Blvd., Lindstrom. Luncheon to follow at the Forest Lake VFW. Memorials preferred to the family.

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Graphic provided The city of Columbus’s commercial industrial zoning district on Lake Drive has been an attractive location for contractors and other businesses for more than a decade.
Lately, Columbus has been getting a lot of local focus on the land and business potential surrounding the State Highway 97/Lake Drive Northeast bridge. Be it excitement for the potential business boon once the bridge over Interstate Highway 35 is replaced, anticipation of a new (now potentially stalled) hotel near Running Aces Casino and Racetrack, or scrutiny over a proposed asphalt plant to be built a couple of miles south, the region has attracted attention as a potential success story for Columbus’s business development hopes.
However, a different area of Columbus has been quietly racking up business successes for years, thanks to the city’s openness to the needs and timelines of “commercial industrial” operators.broadstreet.zone(48036);
The southern stretch of Lake Drive Northeast in the city –

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Letters will be accepted for the Open Forum for publication in the next available issue after receipt. Letters may be sent to Forest Lake Times, 146 N. Lake St., Suite 125, Forest Lake, or by e-mail to ryan.howard@ecm-inc.com. Letters should not exceed 250 words and must be signed with the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Deadline is noon Monday. The newspaper reserves the right to edit letters and assure that rules of libel and good taste are not violated. Letters by the same writer will not be published more than once per calendar month.
A high-flying eventbroadstreet.zone(48036);
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Forest Lake Airport Open House on August 20: Forest Lake Airport Commission and pilots, city of Forest Lake public works and administration staff, EAA Chapter 745 from Benson Airport in White Bear Lake (the EAA Young Eagles sponsor), Civil Air Patrol, North Memorial MEDIVAC,

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