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WHITE BEAR LAKE: Council, police chief discuss impact of federal enforcement PAGE 8
1 year later, Wendy Jo Shaffer’s legacy lives on BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR
If you ask anyone who knew Wendy Jo Shaffer (Wigstrom) what they remember about her, they won’t start with her resume or her lengthy list of accomplishments; they’ll tell you how she made them feel with her positive attitude, leadership and kindness. One year after her tragic death, that feeling hasn’t faded.
It’s multiplied, as Wendy’s spirit and legacy lives on through the people she loved and a new opportunity for mentorship and scholarship. Wendy, 35, was one of 67 people killed on board American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, when it collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 29, 2025. She was traveling home from a work trip. “She was the happiest person.
She was very joyful and so insanely driven,” said Wendy’s younger sister, Emily Wigstrom. “She had that perfectionist mindset. She was so good at everything, so it was hard to keep up. As a big sister, she wanted me to tag along … She shared everything. She wanted me to be with her friends, copy everything she did, and I did.” Emily, who is only 16 months
CONTRIBUTED
This is one of the last photos the family has together before the tragic passing of Wendy Jo Shaffer (Wigstrom).
SEE WENDY JO SHAFFER, PAGE 7
Signs of life germinate on blighted corner BY LORETTA HARDING CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Much concern has been expressed about the prime piece of commercial real estate on the southeast corner of Century Avenue and Long Lake Road in Mahtomedi, as tumbleweeds have bounced around on that vacant property year after year. Seeds of a viable commercial enterprise moving into that empty lot at 3122 Century Avenue have sprouted. It’s not a five-star restaurant, but a car wash. But there are still traffic flow logistics to be worked out at that difficult intersection. In the meantime, the Mahtomedi City Council has moved the project forward under nine original conditions and an added 10th condition. Specifically, the council has approved the site plan application, the conditional use permit (CUP) application to develop a car wash, and a setback variance to move the proposed parking lot closer to the city-owned right of way near the eastern border of the property. Council members expressed delight at the prospect of having a commercial enterprise return to the former BP site. At the same time, council was not prepared to approve a gap through the proposed median to allow access for traffic from the car wash. Although no median currently exists just east of the nearby intersection, Washington County plans to install a median at that location for safety reasons during its 2028 reconstruction of Century Avenue.
Tee off on ice at the BEAR’ly Open
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The BEAR’ly Open, an official event of the 2026 Saint Paul Winter Carnival, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 7 on the frozen shores of White Bear Lake. A shotgun start will kick things off at 11:15 a.m. followed by tee times of 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the White Bear Area Food Shelf. For more information, visit https://bearlyopen.org.
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