Over the past few months, Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Lakeville has agonized over whether or not to leave the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

On Nov. 10, the church made its choice. It’s leaving. The decision comes after a controversial ELCA vote this summer to allow gays in committed, monogamous relationships to serve as leaders in the church. Until the vote, gay and lesbian clergy had been allowed to serve if they remained celibate. See more in Jeff Achen's ThisweekLive story.

The Forest Lake Times has won the top award in the annual ECM Better Newspaper Contest. At Monday night’s shareholder’s meeting in Ham Lake, the paper was honored with the Elmer L. Andersen for General Excellence Award, presented in memory of the company founder and former state governor.

The Forest Lake Times in all won 11 awards in the newspaper competition. See more in Forest Lake Times story.

KleinBank, 3070 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, was robbed Tuesday morning.

Approximately 9:16 a.m. Nov. 17, two males, one of whom was armed with a silver semi-automatic handgun, entered the bank and verbally announced that the bank was being robbed. See more in Editor Peter Bodley's Coon Rapids Herald story.

Ashley Entwistle has been dancing for longer than she can remember. So in January, when she began to have trouble twirling and jumping, she knew something was wrong. In fact, she could not even climb up stairs without losing her breath.

An initial diagnosis of asthma made sense to Ashley, then a sophomore at Forest Lake High School. “I wasn’t really sure what it was,” she says. “It was just trouble breathing. It wasn’t anything else, so it sounded like it could be that. But none of the inhalers or anything helped.”

See more in Clint Riese's Forest Lake Times exclusive.

Forest Lake High School dance team member Ashley Entwistle continues to battle a rare form of cancer. A benefit for Ashley is planned Saturday night at VFW Post 4210 in Forest Lake. (Photo Submitted)

Woodcrest Elementary School and Spring Lake Park High School went into lockdown Nov. 17 after a vehicle theft occurred at Highway 65 and E. Moore Lake Drive, according to Fridley police.

The District 16 schools underwent a perimeter lockdown, meaning the exterior doors were locked to keep students from leaving and to keep anyone from entering the building, while Fridley police searched the area with its canine unit for the suspect, according to Acting Superintendent Jeff Ronneberg. See more in Elyse Kaner's Blaine/Spring Lake Park Life story.

NEWS RELEASE

Saint Paul, MN -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty and First Lady Mary Pawlenty announced the Governor’s Residence, which has been decorated for the holidays, will again open to the public for holiday tours on three Tuesdays in December: Tuesday, Dec. 1, Tuesday, Dec. 8 and Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 1-3 p.m.

“The Governor’s Residence was graciously donated to the state by Olivia Irvine Dodge and Clotilde Irvine Moles and belongs to the people of Minnesota,” Governor Pawlenty said. “The First Lady and I invite all Minnesotans to visit this marvelous place.”

Read more: Governor's Residence holiday open house dates announced

NEWS RELEASE

Blaine, MN -- Tournament officials with the 3M Championship, in Blaine, Minn., announced that the 2009 Champions Tour event was recipient of the Champions Tour Presidents’ Award as best tournament of the Champions Tour’s 25 official events of the 2009 season.

The announcement was made by Champions Tour President Mike Stevens at the annual Champions Tour Tournament Association meetings last week in San Antonio, TX.

Read more: 3M Championship wins award as best tournament of 2009

People crowded at the platform in Anoka on Saturday afternoon, excitedly waiting for their chance to hop on the train.

Approximately 700 were on board for the inaugural public ride of the Northstar Commuter Rail, which went into regular commission on Monday morning. See more including photo gallery by Mandy Moran Froemming, Anoka County Union.

Hundreds file on board the Northstar Commuter Rail during the train's inaugural public run into downtown Minneapolis from Anoka on Saturday. Celebrations were held Saturday at each of the cities with a station along the 40-mile corridor between Big Lake and Minneapolis.  (Photo by Mandy Moran Froemming)

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, regretfully announced today (Wednesday, Nov. 18) that the legislative health care reform tour in northwest Minnesota scheduled to begin later this week has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict.

Lawmakers had planned to hold forums in five cities between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22, including stops in Bemidji, Thief River Falls, Hallock, Warroad, and International Falls.  Sen. Marty said he would work with his colleagues to reschedule the tour, although no specifics have been determined. For more information, contact Barb Jacobs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or 651-296-5645.

Lawmakers comment on Gov. Tim Pawlenty's recent proposal to put before voters a constitutional amendment that would limit state spending. Lawmakers Gardner, Dittrich, Carlson, Scott and Garofalo offer comment. Check out Capitol Reporter T.W. Budig's Capitol Comment podcast.