iPads are likely in the future for Farmington students

There are almost certainly iPads in the future for at least some students in Farmington schools. School board members heard a report at their Monday night board meeting from a group that described the Apple-made tablet computers as vital tools for the kind of customized education superintendent Jay Haugen has preached since he interviewed for the job last year.

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City will take a big-picture look at liquor store operations

Rather than moving its downtown liquor store to a new location, the Farmington City Council plans to take a step back and decide whether to stay in the liquor business at all.

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Saturday's Community Expo will be bigger than ever

Farmington businesses and community groups will fill the Farmington High School commons Saturday with information about what's going on in Farmington and opportunities to sign up for activities.

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School district will update its strategic plan this year

The Farmington School District is going to take a fresh look at its future. The Farmington School Board voted Monday to launch a strategic planning process that will set goals and strategies for the next five years. It will be the first major update to the district’s strategic plan since the current plan was approved in December of 2006.

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A song for any occasion

Clark Bledsoe would like to sing Happy Birthday for you. Or maybe help you wish a special someone a happy anniversary. Or even say you’re sorry. Basically, if you’ve got a special occasion, Bledsoe believes he has a song to make it just a little more special.

• Photo: Juliograms
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Farmington father and son both face drug charges

Most kids grow up with chores to do around the house, but police say one Farmington father had his son doing the kind of work that could lead to jail time. The father and son both face felony drug charges this week after police found more than a pound of marijuana in their home.

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'Let's go to jail,' driver told police; so they did

When Kevin Williams suggested deputies take him to jail last July, they were happy to oblige.

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Your weekend: Community Expo highlights a busy weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend in Farmington? You've got plenty of choices, from movies geared for kids and a cupcake contest for teens Friday at the library to a songwriter showcase Friday night at Dunn Bros. to the big event of the weekend, Saturday's Farmington Community Expo, which is expected to bring a few thousand people to Farmington High School. Read on to see what else is happening.

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Editorial: Liquor stores provide valuable funding

In the span of a week, the city of Farmington has progressed from a discussion about whether to relocate one of its liquor stores to a much bigger-picture examination of whether it should be in the liquor business in the first place.

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Letter: Legislation's real goal is busting unions

State Senator Dave Thompson of Lakeville posted on Facebook and Twitter earlier this week that he intends to introduce what he is calling an “Employee Freedom Bill” as an amendment to the Minnesota’s Constitution. This type of legislation has been in the works across America for decades, and is more commonly referred to as “Right-to-Work” legislation. But don’t let the phrases “Employee Freedom” and “Right-to-Work” fool you.

Swimming: Tigers take 12th at True Team State

Despite a second straight 12th-place finish, Farmington head coach Ryan Hamen said the True Team State Meet is a great experience for his swimmers.

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Girls basketball: Tiger streak past Stars, Raiders for first two-game win streak

Apparently the Farmington girls basketball team didn’t dwell on its season-low 30 points in a recent home loss to Shakopee. Instead, the Tigers doubled that total with their best shooting night of the season as they picked up Missota Conference win No. 1 with a 60-51 victory over Holy Angels last Tuesday in Richfield.

• Photo: Girls basketball
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Boys basketball: Tigers turn things around

The Tigers used a big offensive night to secure their first Missota Conference win of the season last Tuesday in Tiger Gym, putting four players in double figures in a 70-67 triumph over Holy Angels. Three nights later, it was the team’s defense that stepped up in a 58-47 road win at rival Northfield.

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Gymnastics: Beckett leads short-handed Tigers to win at Red Wing

Competing without three of its top scorers due to illness or injury — including all-state performers Nadia Lorencz and Kiana Lord — the Farmington gymnastics team still managed to hang on for its second Missota Conference road win of the week Friday in Red Wing.

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Do you have an idea for a story?

We at the Independent work hard to find the most interesting and most important stories to bring to our readers. But that doesn't mean we couldn't use a little help. If you see something around Farmington you think is worth a story, if you have questions about something going on in town or if you have any other suggestions for something you'd like to see in the paper, we want to hear it.

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Owners no longer trying to sell Southern Hills Golf Course

The owners of Southern Hills Golf Course are taking their property off the market. Minneapolis-based Newman Golf, which owns Southern Hills and another golf course in Chippewa Falls, Wis., announced Monday that it is no longer trying to sell either property.

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Students put their spelling skills to the test

A collective sigh of relief passed through the choir room at Dodge Middle School around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. They had made it this far. They’d go on to Thursday’s competition.

• Photo: Spelling bee
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Fire breaks out at Starr Automotive Friday

Fires seem to get put out pretty quickly when a firefighter is on the scene before they start. Farmington Fire Station 1 captain Adam Fischer was at Starr Automotive – owned by his dad, Ed Fischer – when a fire broke out Friday morning in the attic, near a chimney on the south side of the building.

• Photo: Starr Automotive fire

Inmate from Farmington charged with property damage at jail

An Farmington man has been charged with criminal damage to property while an inmate at the Dakota County Jail in Hastings. Robert Alan Young, 19, has been charged with one count of first-degree criminal damage to property after he apparently damaged the sprinkler head in his cell Jan. 12.

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New fitness system adapts class schedules to your schedule

Kyle Henning has seen the usual January rush of visitors at the Anytime Fitness he owns in Farmington. He’s hoping the newest addition to the club will keep those newcomers coming back. Called Fitness on Request, the system combines a computer kiosk, a projector and a 180-inch drop-down screen to allow club members to take nearly any fitness class they want, nearly any time they want.

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• Photo: Fitness on Request