Minnesota state Sen. Bruce Anderson died at age 75 on Monday, the Senate Republican Caucus confirmed.

Anderson, a Republican from Buffalo representing District 29, served four terms in the Senate and nine terms in the House, a total of three decades and 11,159 days in the state Legislature, according to legislative records.

Undated courtesy photo from the 2025-26 legislative session of Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo. (Courtesy of the Minnesota Senate)

Senate Republicans confirmed his passing Monday afternoon and said his family is asking for privacy at this time.

“I’m saddened to learn Senator Bruce Anderson passed unexpectedly today,” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said in a statement Monday. “Bruce was a dedicated public servant, loving family man, and dear friend to many at the Capitol and in Buffalo. We offer our condolences and prayers for comfort for the entire Anderson family.”

Anderson chaired the veterans committees in the House from 2011 to 2012 and again in the Senate from 2017 to 2020. He focused on issues including agriculture, energy, rural economic development, broadband access and public safety, Senate Republicans said in the release.

“I served with Bruce in both the House and Senate, and will fondly remember him for the way he approached this work and treated his colleagues,” Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said in a statement Monday. “He was a decent, kind colleague, and a dedicated family man, and I feel fortunate to have known and worked with him.”

Before entering politics, Anderson served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and in the Minnesota Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserves. He was raised on a dairy farm in Minnesota and was the eldest of eight children, according to the legislative reference library.

“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and colleague, Senator Bruce Anderson,” Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, said in a statement Monday. “As a U.S. Navy veteran and a longtime member of the Minnesota Legislature, Bruce was a steady, principled voice in our work as elected officials. I had the honor of working with him on agriculture and veterans issues, where his dedication and humility stood out. His kindness and deep commitment to service will be missed by all of us in the Senate and by the people of Minnesota.”

Anderson’s death will prompt a special election to fill his seat in the Minnesota Senate, which will comprise 33 Democrats and 32 Republicans, pending the official resignation of Sen. Nicole Mitchell.

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Invasive zebra mussels have been confirmed in DeMontroville and Olson Lakes in Lake Elmo and in Long Lake in Pine Springs, located in the northeast corner of Interstate 694 and Minnesota Highway 36.

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Monday that a contracted surveyor in October observed adult zebra mussels during a lake-bottom sediment survey in Long Lake. Recent follow-up water sampling detected zebra mussel larvae, called veligers, in Long Lake and DeMontreville and Olson Lakes, officials said.

State law requires boaters, anglers and waterfront property owners to take a variety of actions to prevent the spread of zebra mussels, regardless of whether a lake has an infestation, according to the DNR.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if they believe they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species not already known to be in the water body.

Zebra mussels can compete with native species for food and habitat, cut the feet of swimmers, reduce the performance of boat motors and damage water-intake pipes.

More information is available at dnr.state.mn.us/ais.

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Jason Zimmerman, interim community development director in Stillwater, is dropping the “interim” from his title.

Zimmerman, who has served as the city’s part-time interim community development director since February, has been hired for the permanent position.

Jason Zimmerman (Courtesy of Jason Zimmerman)

He will be transitioning to the new position during the rest of July and August and will start full-time Sept. 2. His salary will be $158,538.

Zimmerman, 52, of Minneapolis, has worked as a planner for HKGi since January 2024. He previously worked as the planning manager and as a planner for Golden Valley.

Stillwater City Administrator Joe Kohlmann said Zimmerman impressed officials with his “can-do attitude” and ability to “address issues head-on.”

“Jason is an articulate professional who has demonstrated a strong commitment to the betterment of Stillwater,” Kohlmann said. “He gets along very well with coworkers, elected officials, and members of the public.”

Zimmerman grew up in Waconia, Minn., a rural community west of Minneapolis, and said “Stillwater has that same small-town feel, but with an oversized impact on the surrounding area due to its history and draw for visitors.”

“I’m looking forward to helping capture that enthusiasm and sense of pride as we work to update and improve policies, procedures, and a shared vision for the future,” he said. “Stillwater seems poised to cement itself as a premiere city, and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Zimmerman has a master’s degree in city planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton College.

In his spare time, he enjoys running ultra-marathons — “50 miles, 100 miles and even some that are over 100 miles,” he said. “The longest distance I’ve ever run at one time is 180 miles. That was in Moab, Utah. That took a little more than four days. There was some sleep sprinkled in there.”

He and his wife, Amie DeHarpporte, have four children and numerous household pets.

Tim Gladhill, who previously held the position, left Stillwater in August 2024 to become community development director in Brooklyn Park.

Danette Parr, the community development director in Maplewood, was hired in November to do the job; she resigned effective Dec. 31. Parr, who returned to her job in Maplewood, said Monday that Stillwater “wasn’t the fit (she) was looking for and, unfortunately, sometimes you just don’t know that until you get there.”

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A group including First Avenue CEO Dayna Frank has purchased the downtown Minneapolis property containing the Fine Line music venue.

The purchase was led by JoAnna Hicks of Element Commercial Real Estate, Frank confirmed. The property includes not just the Fine Line but also the adjoining six-story Consortium Building, which includes offices and Gidi Bar & Lounge.

The 650-capacity venue, which typically hosts indie artists, opened in 1987. Entrepreneur and former state politician Dario Anselmo bought the property and the venue in 1993 and has continued to own the property since then, though he sold the venue itself in 2013 to Entourage Events Group. First Avenue took over the venue in 2018.

In addition to owning or managing other venues, including St. Paul spots like the Turf Club and Palace Theatre, First Avenue also runs a pair of restaurants: The Depot, adjacent to the flagship venue and 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, and the new Palace Pub downtown.

Frank did not address an emailed question regarding the future of the Gidi Bar & Lounge or whether First Avenue plans to open a restaurant of its own near the Fine Line.

Hicks also did not respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.

The property was purchased for $3.2 million, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, which first reported the sale.

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