After hearing from residents concerned about expansion plans at Liberty Classical Academy, May Township officials decided last month to freeze applications for institutional and non-residential uses – and any associated facilities – within the township’s rural-residential zoning district.

Town Board Chairman John Pazlar said the one-year moratorium will give township officials a chance to study and revise the township’s rural-residential district code language, particularly those conditional uses that might be institution or commercial in nature, he said.

The rural township in northern Washington County is zoned one unit per 10 acres, but has been getting applications in recent years “for uses that tend to look institutional or commercial in nature … because of the large amount of undeveloped land out here in proximity to a large metropolitan area,” he said.

The latest application is from Liberty Classical Academy, a private Christian academy, which moved part of its lower-school programming two years ago to the former Withrow Elementary School building in neighboring Hugo.

School officials also bought the neighboring 88-acre Zahler farm for $1.5 million in transactions that occurred in November 2022 and January 2023, according to Washington County property records. Part of the farmland is in Hugo; the rest is in May Township.

Officials from Liberty, which currently splits its students between the former Withrow school and rented space at the Church of St. Pius X in White Bear Lake, plan to build an approximately 33,500-square-foot building addition to the existing school and associated parking on the Withrow property. The Hugo City Council approved the expansion plans, which will effectively double the size of the school building, at its June 3 council meeting.

School officials have asked the May Township Board to approve a conditional-use permit for a sewage treatment system and stormwater management facilities that are proposed to be located on school property in the township.

The proposed sewage treatment system, which will service the existing school and proposed addition, also must be permitted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency since it would have a flow greater than 10,000 gallons per day. The new system is being built to handle up to 10,375 gallons per day, said Rebekah Hagstrom, the school’s founder and headmaster, “which is about the equivalent of 16 to 20 homes.”

Township officials have asked Liberty officials for an extension of the township’s 60-day review period on the school’s conditional-use permit application “to extend our review period to run concurrently with the moratorium,” Pazlar said. If school officials reject the request for an extension, the town board on Thursday night will be “compelled to take action on their permit request,” he said.

School officials believe all conditions of the conditional-use permit application have been met, and they expect the town board to vote on Thursday night, Hagstrom said.

“We were before the town board in May 2023 – a full 14 months ago – and they did not have any concerns at that time other than lighting,” she said. “Putting a moratorium in place in the face of a CUP application that has been well known to them since May 2023 is like changing the rules in the middle of a game, and it certainly isn’t a fair way to treat an applicant who cares about bringing an outstanding educational option to the community and who already owns all of their land and did all of their due diligence ahead of time.”

Neighbor concerns

An architectural rendering of Liberty Classical Academy’s plans for an approximately 33,500-square-foot addition to its existing school in Hugo. The school, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through second grade, is located on the former Withrow Elementary School property. (Courtesy of Liberty Classical Academy)

Neighbors who live in the area have expressed concerns about the school’s plans for future expansion, including an increase in traffic and the proposed subsurface sewage treatment system.

Pazlar, who has served on the town board for 25 years, said the topic has generated considerable public interest.

“We’ve had a volume of emails that I have never seen before and crowds at the town hall that exceed the size of any crowd I’ve seen previously,” he said. “They’re not necessarily opposed to the school, in fact, I think they have found the school to be a good neighbor. For many of them. I think the concern is what’s the right size in a rural-residential area.”

The moratorium, he said, gives township officials an opportunity to study whether that rural-residential zoning aligns with two important things: “One is what are the expectations of our citizens in terms of or what should be allowed in a rural-residential area, and does that code language align with our comprehensive plan?”

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The only piece of land in the township that is zoned commercial is the property owned by the Withrow Ballroom, he said. “That was done a long time ago as an accommodation for a business that had been around for 100 years,” he said.

The Metropolitan Council’s vision for May Township “for decades to come is to remain rural,” he said.

“People will tell you the reason they moved to May Township is its rural character, and they expect the town board to consistently defend that,” he said.

One member of the township’s three-man board, Don Rolf, will abstain from voting on Thursday due to a conflict of interest, said Town Clerk Bobbi Hummel. He works for Pope Design Group, the same firm hired by Liberty Classical Academy, she said.

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As rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy and veteran quarterback Sam Darnold navigate training camp with the Vikings, head coach Kevin O’Connell has made it very clear that he has no interest in talking about the depth chart.

That said, O’Connell confirmed on Tuesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center that McCarthy would indeed get some reps with the first team soon enough, which, even if it were the plan all along, will open to door for speculation about where he stands in comparison to Darnold.

When will it happen?

“We’re moving along on our install, and things are starting to stack,” O’Connell said. “As we get to a place where we figure out that sweet spot for J.J.’s comfort, as well as Sam’s trust and understanding and what we’ve coached up to this point, we can start doing that.”

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws during the team’s minicamp at TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

After turning some heads in the spring, Darnold earned the right to work with the first team when the Vikings reconvened in the summer. He has been up and down in training camp so far, showcasing his incredible arm talent on deep passes downfield, as well as his propensity for turnovers on interceptions over the middle.

Meanwhile, as much as McCarthy struggled through some growing pains in the spring, he has looked noticeably more comfortable in the summer. He has been zipping the ball around the field with confidence, and he hasn’t had any issues relaying the playcalls in the huddle.

You could argue that McCarthy has actually been more impressive than Darnold, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise that O’Connell wasn’t willing to go there.

“As far as rep counts and performances so far, both guys have done a lot of really, really good things,” O’Connell said. “I also think both guys have made some mistakes with the football, learning mistakes, where they’re trying to either see if they can squeeze a ball in over the middle before the safety can step in front, or maybe not taking a chance down the field in a 1 on 1 where maybe that’s our best option.”

In an effort to make sure veteran quarterback Nick Mullens doesn’t get left out, O’Connell, unprompted, praised him for being able to perform at a high level despite a decreased workload.

“You guys have seen him step in, almost cold, and go out and throw a ball over the middle for a big gain,” O’Connell said. “He has already demonstrated his ownership of our system.”

As for McCarthy and Darnold, the most interesting part of the discussion will come in the preseason, with an exhibition game between the Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders coming up in about a week and a half.

Typically, in the past, O’Connell has decided not to play his starters in the preseason. Asked if Darnold would play in the preseason, O’Connell refused to bite, simply replying, “I have a very clear-cut plan of how we’re going to handle the playing time of our entire team.”

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A 20-year-old White Bear Lake man was hospitalized in fair condition Tuesday, four days after being stabbed near his home allegedly at the hands of a neighbor during an altercation.

Jeffrey Thomas Rice (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Mason Fike was brought to St. Paul’s Regions Hospital in critical condition early Saturday with stab wounds to his small intestine, colon, kidney, bladder and spleen. Doctors told his family he could have died from his injuries without quick medical intervention, according to charges against the 19-year-old neighbor.

When officers arrived on scene in the 2100 block of Southwood Drive just before 2 a.m., Fike was on his back in grass near the curb and a 19-year-old woman was applying pressure to a large wound to his lower abdomen.

She told police that she and Fike were on a walk near his home when he yelled at kids riding bikes, telling them it was past their bedtimes. She said a man, who police later identified as Jeffrey Thomas Rice, came outside from a house and began to yell at them, the charges say.

Fike walked back toward the street in front of the house and met Rice at the street. She said Rice threw the first punch at Fike before stabbing him.

Rice’s sister told police she heard yelling and screaming from outside and that her brother “stormed outside” and confronted people about the noise, the complaint says. She said her brother and Fike argued and then fought and that her brother stabbed him with a pocketknife.

Mason Fike, center, of White Bear Lake, suffered serious injuries after being stabbed near his home on July 27, 2024. (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Rice drove off but was stopped by police in White Bear Lake. He had blood on his skin and clothing, but no injuries. Police later found a pocketknife in a yard near the scene of the stabbing.

The complaint does not say whether Rice and Fike knew each other prior to the altercation.

Later, after being booked into jail, Rice was recorded asking someone during a call, “Is that dude all right?” The person on the other end said, “I don’t think so.”

Rice replied that the other person should not “say (expletive)” and that it was “self-defense.” He added, “I do apologize for doing that, though.” Rice claimed that Fike and his girlfriend were drunk and causing a scene.

Rice was charged with first-degree assault and made a first appearance before a Ramsey County district judge on Tuesday. He was released from jail with conditions after posting a $30,000 bond.

A GoFundMe page set up over the weekend to help with Fike’s medical expenses had raised more than $45,000 as of Tuesday night.

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NEW YORK — Randy Dobnak announced his long-awaited return to the big leagues like another sporting legend: with a statement that said just two simple words.

“I’m back,” it read, mirroring the statement that Michael Jordan put out when he returned to the NBA after testing his abilities as a baseball player.

Dobnak posted the statement to his social media account Tuesday morning after being recalled to the major leagues for the first time since the 2021 season.

“It’s been a lot of fun the last few years, but a lot of adversity,” Dobnak said. “A lot of adapting to being a different kind of pitcher than I used to be. A lot of injuries. But it’s good to be back.”

It’s been a long path back for the pitcher, who burst onto the scene in 2019 after being signed out of independent ball and even started a playoff game at Yankee Stadium. Dobnak signed a five-year extension with the Twins ahead of the 2021 season, but much of that season ended up being derailed by finger issues.

He spent most of the next year rehabbing as well and said he had issues with it until after the 2022 season. He then spent the past couple of years remaking himself as a pitcher.

“When my finger was still hurting in 22, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever play again,’ ” Dobnak said. “It got to the point where like, I was playing catch, and I could feel myself flexing my finger like, ‘What is going on with this thing?’ … Once the finger got healthy, I knew it was just a matter of time for me to kind of find myself. My new self, I guess you could say. But everything works out for a reason.”

Dobnak, who last pitched in the majors on Sept. 3, 2021, has been particularly effective in Triple-A of late. Over his last eight games, he has posted a 1.70 earned-run average, giving up just eight runs in 42 1/3 innings.

The 29-year-old has been starting for the Saints, though the Twins have used him as a reliever in the past and plan to do so this time around, as well.

“I think a lot of people around here are really happy to see Randy Dobnak here,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s an exciting thing when you see a guy actually improve himself, come back, meet a challenge and then go pitch great and do his job. That kind of pumps everybody up.”

He takes the roster spot of reliever Josh Staumont, who was designated for assignment to create space on the roster for newly-acquired reliever Trevor Richards, who is expected to join the Twins in New York for the final game of the series.

To create another spot on the 40-man roster, the Twins transferred Alex Kirilloff (back) to the 60-day injured list.

The Twins will need to make a 26-man roster move on Wednesday to add Richards. That is expected to be reliever Brock Stewart, who is once again dealing with a shoulder issue. Stewart returned after nearly three months dealing with shoulder tendinitis on July 24 but felt his shoulder bother him again in Monday’s game.