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TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025 VOL. 43 NO. 20 www.quadcommunitypress.com $1.00
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SPORTS: Cougar wrestler receives state champion title PAGE 10
Centennial Fire District partnership a ‘fantastic success’ BY MADELINE DOLBY EDITOR
CIRCLE PINES — In 2021, the Centennial Fire District (CFD) made the decision to partner with the Spring Lake Park Blaine Mounds View (SBM) Fire Department. According to Centennial Fire District Fire Chief Dan Retka, the partnership has been a success. “To says it’s working well would be an understatement,” Retka said at the most recent Circle Pines City Council meeting. “I think it’s been a fantastic success. I think we’ve got things headed in the right direction, and it’s an absolute priv-
ilege and an honor to be leading these men and women.” CFD has two fire stations. Centennial Fire Station 1 is in Circle Pines. The second station, Centennial Fire Station 3, is located on Main Street in Centerville. When looking at response times, Retka said it is important to look at turnout and response times. Turnout time is measured from the time the tones go off to when someone arrives at the station. The average turnout time for CFD is 2 1/2 minutes. “Our response time is absolutely fantastic,” Retka said. “Our response time is averaging right around that six-min-
ute mark. When we are talking about industry standards, NFPA (The National Fire Protection Association) wants you to be there within nine minutes.” Retka added one of the things the district has done to help with responses times was reestablish the duty officer program. The program is a squad car that is driven by a battalion chief or an officer. The squad car is loaded with medical equipment and other supplies. “There is no turnout time for them. They’re jumping in their squad (car) and going to the scene,” he explained. SEE PARTNERSHIP, PAGE 2
SHANNON GRANHOLM | PRESS PUBLICATIONS
The Centennial Fire District Station 1’s new 2024 Rosenbauer.
Industries brace for impact as proposed tariffs loom BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
dresses were resold for $10 each. Since a wedding dress can be a large part of a wedding budget, the show aimed to make one’s dream dress more accessible. “One of the best memories was when a bride found a never-worn dress in our used dress sale for $10! She was in tears,” Steele said. “What was fun (about the show) was all the volunteers who helped with the dress sale,” added Carter Johnson, publisher of Press Publications.
Industries of all kinds are still trying to wrap their heads around what proposed tariffs might mean for their businesses. President Trump signed two executive orders in February that expanded Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The proposal is to impose an across-the-board tariff of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico, including on lumber, steel and aluminum. Unless delayed, the tariffs are proposed to go into effect this week. “There is a lot of apprehension everywhere; is it going to happen? Is it not? How is it going to impact us?” explained Jeff Andres, group publisher of Northstar Media and Kanabec Publications, a sister publication to Press Publications. After the tariffs were announced, Andres said one worry was that the aluminum used for the plates for printing newsprint would be subject to the tariffs. The aluminum has a special coating on it. The aluminum is a special blend that is poured and rolled into huge rolls in Great Britain and Germany. Kodak imports the rolls and brings them to New York where they are cut into the plates and a special coating is applied. Recently, the National Newspaper Association notified its members that the aluminum printing plates were not included in the tariffs. “We dodged a bullet with that,” Andres said. The bigger impact on the newspaper industry will be the newsprint, as Andres says the company
SEE WEDDING SHOW, PAGE 8
SEE TARIFF IMPACT, PAGE 5
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The 40th Annual Press Publications Wedding Show will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23.
Annual wedding show takes place March 23 Save the date for Press Publication’s annual wedding show, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at the White Bear Country Inn. This year marks the show’s 40th anniversary. To celebrate the 40th anniversary, Press wants to help a couple get hitched during the show. Press will provide the venue, music, officiant, florals and more. Lunch will be provided at Rudy’s. Over the years, Press Publications has done a variety of
different things for brides to experience. In 2019, there was a bridal suite, a special offered by Press. According to Press Publications General Manager Patty Steele, the bride who purchased the suite was able to enter the show half an hour early and walk around to visit the various vendors. The bride and her party also got a special room they could stay in during the show. Previously, there was a discounted wedding dress shop at the show where gently used, donated
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