Kathy and Mike Butcher chat during the cocktail hour of the North Branch Land Trust Annual Dinner at the Westmoreland Club North Branch Land Trust holds Annual Dinner and Virtual Auction and Thomas Ward converse during the North Branch Land Trust Annual Dinner cocktail hour at the Westmoreland Club Kurt and Sylvia Mass enjoy a cocktail and each other’s company before the North Branch Land Trust Annual Dinner at the Westmoreland Club Margaret Bakker and Rob Lewis provided music during the cocktail hour of the North Branch Land Trust’s Annual Dinner Annette Sheldon of Tunkhannock sips a cocktail before the North Branch Land Trust Annual Dinner at the Westmoreland Club WILKES-BARRE — North Branch Land Trust held its Annual Dinner Wednesday evening at the Westmoreland Club The organization is also hosting its Virtual Auction The auction features over 100 gifts for outdoorsy types To view the auction and for more details, visit https://bit.ly/4cSRT2i The Annual Dinner and Auction is North Branch Land Trust’s largest fundraising event of the year and directly supports its ongoing conservation efforts We are now accepting applications for the NYS Trooper Entrance Exam! Please visit joinstatepolice.ny.gov to learn more troopers out of State Police Narrowsburg responded to a one car motor vehicle collision on County Road 121 in the town of Delaware The preliminary investigation indicates that 2007 Volvo was traveling north on County Route 121 The operator and sole occupant of the vehicle was transported to Westchester Medical Center in critical condition Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police Middletown at (845) 344-5300 and reference case number NY2500365700 DiscoverNEPA is partnering with North Branch Land Trust, a nonprofit that conserves the natural, working and scenic landscapes of NEPA. They’ll provide conservation tips and give us a look at their protected lands. Learn how you can join NBLT and do your part to protect NEPA’s natural resources Have you ever noticed the abundance of birdhouses while hiking in Northeastern Pennsylvania You’ll find them tucked in trees along trails even attached to barns or buildings in your neighborhood aren’t there plenty of trees for birds to nest in many of these birdhouses serve a specific purpose: to support native cavity nesting birds like Eastern Bluebirds such as abandoned woodpecker holes or dead tree trunks for nesting since they cannot create their own nesting cavities with more land being developed and dead trees often removed for safety or aesthetics invasive species like European Starlings and House Sparrows often outcompete the native birds for these limited spaces Birdhouses were originally installed on farms to attract birds to act as natural pest control resulting in the forests reclaiming those areas Natural habitats for birds began to shrink which further diminished natural nesting sites many bird species that once relied on these natural habitats found themselves displaced birds began adapting to the changing environment Rather than relying solely on natural cavities in trees many birds began to seek out man-made structures as alternative nesting sites taking up residence in unwanted places and sometimes becoming a bit of a nuisance Birdhouses came back and became a win-win for us and the birds These structures were designed to provide the birds with safe protecting them from predators and the harsh weather conditions while keeping them from nesting in unwanted areas Keep note that if you notice that a birdhouse needs maintenance or repairs feel free to contact the landowner as it’s important to ensure that these structures remain safe and functional Otherwise try to avoid disturbing the nests all you need to do is grab your binoculars and sit back and enjoy their presence As for keeping your own birdhouses safe and functional remember to clean out old nesting material between seasons to prevent harboring disease-spreading bacteria This also goes for maintaining bird feeders and bird baths too Learn about how North Branch Land Trust conserves habitat and more at nblt.org M&A Seminar on Preparing Your Company for Sale Presented by Maslon LLP and Northborne Partners This retail strip center at 38500 Tanger Drive in North Branch has sold for $7.25 million to a group of investors Just Sold: Buyers to continue North Branch retail refocus Lakeville Court Apartments sold for $6.83M as affordability rules near expiration After a modest $4.5 million debut acquisition in February Buhl Investors’ new income fund has picked up som[...] Two Maple Grove properties sell for $9M following an unsolicited offer including a business center and a manu[...] Peter have struggled for years with its cramped After more than a year of discussions with local business folks and city leaders in New Ulm A small group of private investors has paid $6.85 million for the 65-room Country Inn & Suites-Baxter Sign up for your daily digest of Minnesota News Efforts to reform Minnesota zoning laws fail again as local opposition blocks a bill limiting parkin[...] will break ground this summer on The Dorian a 190-unit apartment complex in Lake Elmo af[...] The University of Minnesota plans to sell 60 acres at UMore Park for $8.1M to North Wind Test for a [...] The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged despite political pressure from Pre[...] The Trump administration is swiftly remaking housing policy as the U.S Department of Housing and Ur[...] construction job openings dropped by 38,000 in March signaling slowing labor demand amid tarif[...] Trump's trade demands stretch beyond tariffs Performance contracting helps governments and schools cut energy costs is now an official city after a local vote Milwaukee Mitchell Airport will start a $95.2M international terminal project this summer after dela[...] Listen here analysis and commentary on Minnesota business We are the only independent daily newspaper dedicated to business reporting Get our free e-alerts & breaking news notifications Subscribe for access to the latest digital and special editions AITKIN — Wyatt Crowther and Isaac Asmus won at No 6-1 for the Aitkin Gobblers in a 4-3 loss to the North Branch Vikings Friday Andrew Hudrlik and Micah Morris earned a doubles victory for the Gobblers 6-1 North Branch Area Public Schools reports classes won’t be held on Thursday due to a power outage The school district is asking that no students or staff arrive at school on Thursday due to the outage adding that their early childhood programs and all other activities would not be held 807 customers are without power in North Branch which supports a population of just over 10,000 people East Central Energy(ECE) currently lists the outage as an “emergency planned outage” for equipment repairs ECE told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the power outage started before 4 a.m when they experienced an equipment failure with broken insulators on multiple poles needing to be replaced have been working early Thursday morning to make the repairs and have been rerouting power to complete the repairs Power to North Branch has been restored according to the ECE outage map Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555 Easterseals NH’s new Gammon Academy facility in Manchester When Easterseals NH looked to build a 27,000-square-foot facility to serve its students it turned to North Branch Construction to ensure that the building fulfilled its vision and met its needs By involving faculty and key stakeholders early in the process North Branch constructed the new Gammon Academy building in Manchester while balancing functionality The company has long been chosen for its experience building nonprofit and educational facilities “Having end-user involvement in the early discussions helped shape the design and construction to ensure that we were building a space that would fit the various needs for the faculty and students,” said Joseph Campbell “So that was really a key point to the success of the project: having the stakeholders involved early on in the process.” Easterseals NH provides high-quality and treatment-oriented educational services to students who may have neurodevelopmental including multipurpose rooms that could be used for parent visits or therapy sessions vocational programming and a special sensory room Campbell said that North Branch was proud of the quality of the facility that students and faculty will get to use “Just seeing the spaces they were coming from they were in desperate need of this,” he said “One of the things that really moved me was the emotions of the faculty and the staff that we witnessed when turning over the new space It reminded us that all our hard work would make a difference for countless youth for many years to come The faculty were drying tears from their eyes Easterseals NH’s Gammon Academy serves students with neurodevelopmental About 30% of North Branch’s projects are for nonprofits or academic buildings Due to the unique behavioral needs of the students at Gammon Academy the building had some features North Branch had not used before “A number of the students have autism and the building was equipped with what we called the sensory room,” Campbell said “A student can go there to cool down or reset themselves It’s not every day you get to build a climbing wall.” To ensure the walls could withstand the wear and tear of an active learning environment the crew tested different materials by simulating real-world conditions Plywood coated with a specialized plaster ultimately proved affordable and durable “We literally threw baseballs at the wall; we kicked the walls with our steel-toed boots; we struck the walls with hammers and whatnot,” Campbell said North Branch also installed tempered glass windows to prevent student injuries in case of breakage the delayed egress system — designed to prevent students from leaving unsupervised — was carefully engineered to balance security with emergency safety protocols The building has door monitoring and a card access system The academic building shares a campus with a residential treatment program North Branch had to take special care to maintain the safety of students living just 40 feet away North Branch assigned all workers a helmet sticker badge number and required that each worker sign in and out of the job site Easterseals NH’s new facility includes a sensory room for students with autism who may seek a place to relax during the day The work site was completely fenced in with two motorized vehicle electric gates Each worker for the site was given a button to open the gate “We had to have something that would close very quickly to ensure that the students remain out of the job site,” Campbell said Part of the funding for the project came from the NH governor’s office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) money dedicated to education recovery following COVID Denron Hall Plumbing and Heating and Longchamps Electric were among the subcontractors on the project Campbell said they worked hard to procure materials early to ensure they arrived when the project needed them JSA Design served as the project’s architect and TFMoran developed the civil and structural engineering long-lead-time items such as the building’s electrical panels and gear specialty storefront systems and mechanical units were identified as problematic with the project schedule,” Campbell said “We were able to provide the governor’s office with backup data and we were granted an extension to the funding completion dates.” North Branch was granted an extension until Dec “I truly believe that one of the reasons the project was such a success was by including the stakeholders and users of the facility into the pre-construction meetings and throughout the construction as well,” Campbell said “It ensured that we were designing and building a facility that met their needs and there was always a balance between needs A committee tasked with reviewing concepts for housing development on Old North Main Street heard from Lakes Region Community Developers discussed the conceptual plan for the development of a 10-acre parcel A 12-unit raised commercial building was pitched in 2024 to replace the shack businesses but that idea was scrapped following public criticism The site will be cleared and equipped with utility service needed for the new units by the end of 2025 with construction scheduled to start in 2026 A developer plans to construct six buildings with a total of 36 housing units could soon see new life as an assisted-living and elderly housing facility The White House wants to eliminate federal support for public media Congress will vote soon on a proposal to slash millions from NHPR and NHPBS’ budgets advocates braved the cold and wind at a public gathering at Bronstein Park in Manchester to take a stand against youth homelessness JCPenney has sued the Steeplegate Mall’s owner which wants to tear down most of Steeplegate and build some 600 apartments as well as businesses such as Costco or perhaps Whole Foods New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald is implementing a hiring freeze and warning of potential layoffs across the judicial branch as the Legislature looks to make deep cuts to the budget The officer who shot and killed a woman in North Branch in June of 2024 will not face criminal charges according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office Officer Duane Southworth of the North Branch Police Department who had two years of experience at the time of the shooting shot and killed 36-year-old Jamie Ann Crabtree on the evening of June 27 after she pointed a gun at law enforcement The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) previously identified North Branch Officer Kyle Miller as the other officer who used force in the altercation A release from the Washington County Attorney’s Office on Monday said that their review of the shooting led to the decision that no criminal charges should be filed against Officers Southworth or Miller As previously reported an investigation into the shooting showed officers responded to a report of a woman walking down Main Street in North Branch with a bottle of alcohol and a gun in a case After Crabtree refused the officers’ orders to drop the gun Officials say that a squad car camera then showed her pointing an object at the officers which is when Southworth fired his gun and hit Crabtree The body-worn camera footage then shows for more than 14 minutes officers trying to get Crabtree to not reach for the gun and to roll away from it — yelling at her dozens of times they could not help until she rolled away.  officers are seen walking behind a squad to approach Crabtree and when they reach her officers are seen handcuffing her and taking a photo for evidence before the video ends.  but she later died at Lakes Region Emergency Medical Services In July of 2024, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS talked with Crabtree’s husband who detailed her struggle with mental illness and alcohol over the last few years and his concerns with how police responded a gun case and rifle cartridge casings at the scene are in danger,” Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said “Many of those decisions must be made when dealing with people who are undergoing a mental health crisis and who are sometimes suicidal When officers make the decision to use lethal force to defend themselves or others Detroit Country Day celebrated winning Tuesday's Division 2 volleyball quarterfinal at St Clair County Community College with cupcakes and cookies 2 Yellowjackets (30-1-0) were excited about qualifying for the state semifinal for the first time in program history but because it was freshman Sici Guerrant's 14th birthday the outside hitter actually having a say in her team's 3-2 comeback victory over fourth-ranked North Branch made the post-match desserts even more enjoyable winners of the past two state championships beat DCDS 25-17 and 25-20 in the opening two sets "I just told them to leave it all out there," 10th-year coach Kim Lockhart said because we've been playing like that all season DCDS had a bounce-back effort in the third set including North Branch (46-11-3) knotting the score at 25 before the Yellowjackets secured the 27-25 victory with the final two points That was a kill on the right side from Guerrant who was quickly mobbed by her teammates after ensuring the match would go to a deciding fifth set More: Detroit Country Day's latest Miss Volleyball nominee was a soccer star first "I just told her after that game that once she made that kill down the line It jumped out to a momentous 8-3 lead thanks to back-to-back aces from Colorado signee Olivia Grenadier, who rebounded from a season-ending injury a year ago to become a Michigan Miss Volleyball candidate as a senior this season And then Elise Hiemstra recorded a timely kill while Morgan Anderson had an ace down the stretch Leah Green tallied the match's final point and Payton Woodruff's hustle to dig balls and set for the offense contributed to the win slamming home a point from off the bench during a late rally but I knew I still had to go out there and play for my team and play for my friends next to me — definitely Olivia," Guerrant said So just coming back and being able to play for the girl next to me I was just excited to get those kills and get those big points." That included the point that saved the match for the Yellowjackets I got the point?'" Guerrant said about her key kill in the fourth set Everybody came over (to celebrate with me) DCDS advanced to Friday's final-four matchup at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek Expect the freshman to continue providing a spark for her teammates when she enters the game "(I like) being able to contribute to the team being able to contribute as a freshman and go in and have a lot of energy," Guerrant said Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter at @folsombrandonj Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAMARILLO Texas (KFDA) - The Amarillo North Branch Library will be closed to the public starting Wednesday in preparation for renovations The Amarillo Public Library says the library will close today to give library staff time to shift books and materials Library staff say the branch will open as soon as possible The Amarillo Public Library’s other four locations will remain open during this time: built in 2012 on 9.4 acres at 38420 Tanger Drive in North Branch (Submitted photo: Performance Brokerage Services) Just Sold: North Branch dealership draws $4.6M Michigan State football continues to build its future depth in the trenches MONEY TALKS: Michigan State athletics hires new NIL guru Jon Dykema away from Detroit Lions 270-pound Bickel projects to be a tackle with his long arms and frame He also wrestles at 285 pounds for North Branch this winter Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari On Thursday, Dylan Robert Simmons, 21, received sentences of 234, 25, 32 and 46 months in prison in Washington County court Simmons was previously convicted of 2nd-degree felony murder criminal vehicular homicide and three counts of 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the July 16 2023 incident that killed 17-year-old Darisha Bailey Vath A bystander was performing chest compressions on Vath in the parking lot when officers arrived at around 1:30 a.m Witnesses told officers that there had been a confrontation between two groups that knew each other earlier The groups were reportedly armed with weapons including baseball bats but Simmons got into his car and intentionally drove toward several people from the opposing group He narrowly missed three bystanders before circling back around eventually striking Vath with the front passenger side of his car The incident was captured on cell phone and surveillance video Simmons later admitted that he was driving the car that struck Bailey Vath “Darisha Bailey Vath’s young life was cut tragically short as the result of this murder,” Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said in a statement “Though no sentence can bring Darisha back to her family we are grateful that this case has concluded with justice for Darisha GoFundMe saying he'd killed the mother of his child which features a swimming beach and splash pad in the venerable Farmers and and Mechanics Savings Bank building was sentenced to 922 months in prison for the 2024 shooting that killed Mohamed Ade was sentenced to 567 months in prison on Wednesday for the deaths of Ali Reed and Tonia Powell was sentenced in Dakota County court Thursday CALLICOON - A Sullivan County man died by electrocution after his car became entangled with downed but charged power lines on Friday Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty said deputies responded to a report of a vehicle fire on county Route 121 They found a 2015 Chrysler 300 which had approached a downed tree across the roadway and then attempted to turn around the vehicle became entangled in electrical wires connected to a nearby utility pole Fatal crash: 22-year-old Florida man killed in Warwick UTV crash on Saturday exited the vehicle and was electrocuted when his foot touched the pavement Pisall was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical technicians The Hortonville and North Branch fire departments Mobile Medic and Sullivan County Coroner Alan Kesten all responded to the scene Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal the leader in dealership buy-sell activity announces the sale of North Branch Chevrolet in Minnesota from Lithia & Driveway (LAD) to Tyler Kadlec of Tom Kadlec Automotive Minnesota to Tyler Kadlec of Tom Kadlec Automotive Lithia & Driveway started from humble beginnings when Walt DeBoer founded a Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge dealership in Ashland transformed the dealership group into Lithia Motors and ranked #1 on the 2024 Automotive News Top 150 Dealership Groups based on 2023 new vehicle retail sales units Director of Network Development for Lithia & Driveway "When we decided to divest of our North Branch Chevrolet store we reached out to Emily Bourne and Matt Willis at Performance Brokerage Services for assistance in finding a qualified buyer they provided exceptional support in finding the right buyer ensuring that the deal stayed on track and allowing us to meet our targeted closing date and the entire team at Performance Brokerage Services again in the future." Performance Brokerage Services has advised on the sale of over 300 dealerships making it the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America Partner of the Texas & Midwest Offices for Performance Brokerage Services were the exclusive sell-side advisors for this transaction "It was an honor to represent Lithia & Driveway in the sale of North Branch Chevrolet to Tyler Kadlec we were able to understand their goals for divesting the store It was exciting to find the perfect buyer in Tyler Kadlec as he expands the Tom Kadlec Automotive footprint in Minnesota It's been a true privilege working alongside the teams at Lithia & Driveway and Tom Kadlec Automotive throughout this process We look forward to continuing our partnership with both Lithia & Driveway and Tom Kadlec Automotive to support future buy-sell transactions." Tom Kadlec Automotive is a family-owned and operated business that has been proudly serving the Rochester they are expanding their reach with the acquisition of North Branch Chevrolet Chief Operating Officer at Tom Kadlec Automotive shared "Acquiring North Branch Chevrolet marked an exciting new chapter for our family and we couldn't have done it without the outstanding support of Emily Bourne and Matt Willis at Performance Brokerage Services Their professionalism and expertise were evident from the start ensuring a smooth and straightforward process What truly stood out was their trustworthiness and always available to answer questions or provide guidance Their unwavering focus on our goals gave us confidence every step of the way We are deeply grateful to Emily and Matt for their hard work and dedication throughout this journey We wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone looking to buy or sell a dealership." North Branch Chevrolet will be renamed Tom Kadlec Chevrolet and will remain at its current location at 38420 Tanger Drive in North Branch About Performance Brokerage Services is North America's highest volume dealership brokerage firm specializing in buy-sell activity for automotive the company's reputation is unmatched and governed by the utmost ethical conduct and integrity The company offers a unique approach by providing complimentary estimates of value with no upfront fees or retainer and paid a success fee only after the transaction closes and supported by 9 regional offices in Utah clients benefit from national exposure with local representation As trusted and respected experts in the field the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related attorneys and longstanding relationships with various vehicle manufacturers For more information about the services offered by Performance Brokerage Services, visit https://performancebrokerageservices.com. Media Contact: Jesse Stopnitzky, Co-Owner(949) 309-2851[email protected] North America's highest volume dealership brokerage firm is pleased to announce the purchase of Martin Kia in.. is pleased to announce the sale of Phillips Hyundai of.. Automotive Transportation, Trucking & Railroad Do not sell or share my personal information: LGI Homes — Minnesota plans to bring 342 single-family lots to a 120-acre site just west of Interstate 35 and north of 400th Street in North Branch This photo shows the site looking east near the southwest corner of the site Developer proposes hundreds of new homes in North Branch Efforts to reform Minnesota zoning laws fail again as local opposition blocks a bill limiting parking mandates[...] Performance contracting helps governments and schools cut energy costs Twin Cities housing starts were up across the board in April on the strength of another solid month for single[...] Greco Properties plans a 20-unit memory care facility on a tough-to-develop Edina lot Rice Creek Commons begins redevelopment with Micro Control HQ marking a major step after years of delays at t[...] proposes 43-unit mixed-use building in Excelsior with a renovation of the historic Dock Cinema