Regional Roundup: New Strain of Swine Flu Identified in Dakota County

You can't be in front of your computer 24 hours a day, so each weekend, Patch reviews the top stories of the past week. Here's a look at recent events and developments, which first appeared on this site or those of our neighbors, that may interest you or have an impact on your life.

To review the full stories, click on the headline links.

Dakota County

• New Case of Pig Flu Pops Up in Dakota County - State officials say that a man in his 20's has contracted swine flu, a new strain called H3N2, the second case reported in Dakota County.
• Hurricane Issac Triggers Spike in Gas Prices - Analysts are predicting anywhere from a 10 to 25 cent increase in the coming weeks.

Apple Valley-Rosemount

• 1 Family, 3 National Champs: Siblings Give Top Performances in National Speech Tournament - Ishanaa, Akshar and Ashesh Rambachan—who have gone through Eastview High School—became the first trio of siblings in the history of the National Forensic League to win a national speech title in the same category.
• Rosemount Man Charged with Stabbing His Mother to Death - Police have charged Chad Matthew Pulju with second-degree murder after the death of his mother, 68-year-old Geraldine Delores Bennett.

Burnsville

• Fairview Embarks on Building Blitz - Officials at Fairview Health Services are hoping to cash in on $54 million in bonds, which will kick off a construction boom across the health giant's holdings, including the hospital in Burnsville.

Eagan

• Eagan's 2013 Park Plan Includes New Park, Trail and Playground Upgrades - The 2013 Capital Improvement Plan calls for the preliminary development of a new city park and plenty of upgrades to existing park facilities.
• Plans for New Office and Data Complex in Eagan Move Forward - The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission unanimously recommended approving a proposal to build a roughly 60,000-square-foot facility in the Boulder Lakes Business Park.

Inver Grove Heights

• Simley Grad Gets Invite to 'The Price is Right' 40th Anniversary Show - Nancy Tepley-Mimbach, who has been in the "Price is Right" audience a dozen times, got to "come on down" during her first visit to the show in 1994.
•  - If convicted of the charges against them, boyfriend/girlfriend duo Eric Christopher Ransom and Amber Nicole Waldera are facing up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
• IGH City Councilman Flip-Flops, DNR Gun Safety Program Gets Green Light - City Administrator Joe Lynch confirmed that Bill Klein wanted to reconsider his Aug. 13 vote.

Lakeville

• Former Lakeville Mayor's Husband Pleads Guilty to Swindling Banks - Kevin A. Dahl pleaded guilty to swindling four banks to the tune of $1.4 million in fraudulently obtained loans. He'll be sentenced at a later hearing, but could face 30 years in prison.
• Lakeville North Rips Lakeville South, 47-24, in Football Opener - South opened the scoring in the first quarter, but it was all North after that in the epic beginning of the season.

Mendota Heights

• St. Thomas Academy Pool Repair Complete - St. Thomas Academy is celebrating the restoration of their pool building, just in time for the school year and Convent of the Visitation's fall swim season.