The Forest Lake Area School Board has picked a firm to lead the search for a new superintendent and is reopening its search for a new board member.

After not reaching agreement on any of the 11 applicants who applied to fill the vacancy that was created in October when Luke Hagglund resigned, the board voted Thursday night to undergo another search.

The deadline for applying is 4 p.m. March 16; applicant review by the board will take place at the March 19 board meeting.

The board also decided to hire Minneapolis-based Ray & Associates to conduct its search for a new superintendent. Applications for those interested in applying for the superintendent position were due Dec. 3. Superintendent Steve Massey announced in October that he plans to resign June 30.

Board chairman Curt Rebelein said working with a search firm would be valuable for the board, which has been mostly deadlocked 3-3 since Hagglund’s resignation.

“I think it will bring a much needed unity, some cohesiveness, and rebuild some trust,” Rebelein said. “There’s obvious trust issues that we all have with one another in one capacity or another, so I see tremendous value there, not just in picking the next executive to lead the district and work with us to do that, but in making this unit a little bit more functional, a little bit more productive and being able to get some work done rather than failing on these 3-to-3 votes all the time.”

Being deadlocked “causes damage to the district … and (is) ultimately going to cause damage to the students and their experience, and I don’t want to see that happen,” Rebelein said.

Although some board members said they were in favor of the Minnesota School Board Association leading the search, the board voted unanimously to hire Ray & Associates.

FYI

The deadline for applying for the open seat on the Forest Lake Area School Board is 4 p.m. March 16. Information about the school board and the vacancy application is available by contacting Joy Mouch at jmouch@flaschools.org or 651-982-8104. Applications also may be picked up at the school district office during business hours. Questions can be directed to board members at schoolboard@flaschools.org or at 651-982-8104.

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By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump said “it’s incredible” to see her white and black-trimmed inaugural ball gown on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

It’s the second inaugural gown she has turned over to the First Ladies Collection at the museum, following the donation of her 2017 gown.

On Friday, Melania Trump continued the long-standing tradition of first ladies donating their inaugural gowns when she handed over the strapless white and black-trimmed sheath and a black neckpiece adorned with a reproduction of a Harry Winston diamond brooch she wore on the night of Jan. 20, 2025. The ensemble was on display on a mannequin on stage.

She gave brief remarks about the gown, its meaning and her love of fashion design, and described it as more than a dress.

“This is more than 50 years of education, experience, and wisdom realized with each thread, each stitch, each sharp edge,” she said. “The meticulously formed black shape ‘Z’ on the front bodice summons decades of my early memories, life experiences, and influences. And, all of these stories are tucked deep within its crisp, strong seams — forever.”

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The first lady, a former fashion model, said fashion design is another form of creative expression and that the black and white in the gown “sets a mood rich with emotion.”

“This dress speaks with a distinct point of view, a modern silhouette, bold and dignified, and ruthlessly chic,” she said.

After a short program, the mannequin was taken upstairs and added to the first ladies’ exhibit, which features more than two dozen of their gowns. Melania Trump and Herve Pierre, her longtime stylist and the designer of both of her gowns, came to see the gown in its see-through case.

“It’s incredible. It’s a historic moment,” she said when a reporter asked how it felt to see the gown on display. The museum was reopening to the public Friday afternoon.

If you happened to catch a glimpse of a giant loon morphing into an MNUFC banner over Allianz Field in St. Paul on Thursday night, you weren’t seeing things.

Minnesota’s professional soccer team launched an elaborate, multi-colored drone show over the stadium a week ahead of its home opener against FC Cincinnati, and the team has scheduled an encore performance for Friday night.

There’s no price to swing by and see the show in person from the Great Lawn outside the stadium. The lawn opens at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 12-minute drone show at 7 p.m. and another at 9 p.m. Expect lights, music, interactive games and a visit from PK the Loons mascot to fill the space in between. Light snacks, including hot chocolate and coffee, will be served. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.

DGS United will be collecting hygiene and personal care donations to benefit Keystone Community Services, which provides grocery delivery and food distribution to those in need.

This is Minnesota United’s 10th year as an active member of Major League Soccer, having played its first game within MLS in 2017. Allianz Field opened in 2019.

More information is online at mnufc.com.

A stationary barge used for storage and boat maintenance sits tipped on its side in the Mississippi River near Robert Street and Fillmore Avenue outside downtown St. Paul.

The barge, which appears to be resting on the bottom of the river with its far end about five feet under water, is owned by Upper River Services, the St. Paul harbor operator. The structure, which tipped on Monday, has been secured with cables to the barge wall to keep it from shifting further, and supplies from its maintenance depot have been removed.

Harbor officials called the situation more irksome than worrisome, noting booking a diving operation to assist with surfacing the structure could take a week or more.

Barge traffic on the river, which is seasonal, isn’t expected to resume for another month.

“This has been stationary for decades,” said Lee Nelson, president of Upper River Services, on Friday. “We don’t know what happened other than with the warm up there was plenty of ice flowing. We assume something hit something. We aren’t sure because we haven’t gotten it up yet. We’ve dealt with any potential issues. We’ll bring in a dive team when they’re available and we’ll get it back up again. … Right now we’re hoping the end of next week maybe.”

The last Mississippi River barge of 2025 departed St. Paul in November, ending that year’s Upper Mississippi shipping season. The 2026 season is expected to resume March 15.

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