Coon Rapids Herald

Minnesota Good Works, a Coon Rapids-based nonprofit that supports women who have experienced exploitation or trafficking, opened MGW Outlet in June. The store is located at 11620 Crooked Lake Blvd. NW in Coon Rapids and sells liquidated merchandise from big-box retailers. Proceeds support the nonprofit's programs, according to founder and Executive Director Donna Martin. Martin started Minnesota Good Works in 2021 after working for Anoka County for 12 years.

A $10,729.33 donation from the Coon Rapids Community Strength Foundation is paying for the Coon Rapids Arts Commission's annual summer concert series. The Coon Rapids City Council June 16 accepted the donation for the 2026 concerts, which take place Thursday evenings at the performance pavilion in Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. The nine-concert series began June 4 and runs through Aug.

The Coon Rapids City Council approved the sale of $9.09 million in general obligation bonds June 16 to help finance the city's 2026 street reconstruction and watermain replacement project, with bids coming in better than expected. The council unanimously awarded the bond sale to Raymond James & Associates of St. Petersburg, Florida, which submitted the lowest true interest rate at 3.087%. The rate was below the 3.4% anticipated before the bond sale.

Coon Rapids received a clean audit for 2025, with external auditors finding no issues and city officials saying the city remains in strong financial shape. The Coon Rapids City Council accepted the city's 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report June 2 after meeting in a work session with external auditors from CliftonLarsonAllen LLP. "There were no issues," Finance Director Ashley Hansen said.

Bonds issued in 1996 to partially finance The Willows senior housing development in Ham Lake have been paid off, clearing the way for a new agreement between the city and the Anoka County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. The Willows is a 49-unit, market-rate development for residents 55 and older. It was built on property transferred to the county HRA by the city of Ham Lake through a joint powers agreement approved in March 1996.

By Peter Bodley Contributing writer Two outdoor automated external defibrillator SaveStations will be installed at two of Coon Rapids' busiest parks after donations from the Coon Rapids Fire Department Community Fund and the North Star Lions Club. The Coon Rapids City Council May 19 approved a resolution accepting the contributions to cover the $14,996 cost of the AED cabinets, which will be installed at Sand Creek Athletic Complex and Riverwind Park.

By Jack Wiedner jack.wiedner@apgecm.com A Coon Rapids man has been found guilty of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and multiple gang-related offenses in connection to a 2024 fatal shooting in Brooklyn Park. Marquan Deshaun Tucker, 21, was convicted May 8 on numerous charges related to the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Ramone Blue in the Starlite Center parking lot. Another victim was wounded at the scene.

Coon Rapids homeowners will see modest increases in estimated market value this year, with single-family homes rising an average of 2.54% and the city's overall value climbing to $8.64 billion. The 2026 annual assessment, which sets estimated market values for all properties in the city, was presented April 27 to the Coon Rapids Local Board of Appeal and Equalization. The board comprises the seven members of the Coon Rapids City Council.

Property owners along 22 Coon Rapids street segments will help pay for an $11.5 million reconstruction project after the City Council adopted assessments May 5. The 2026 residential street reconstruction project covers 3.9 miles in two areas of the city.