By Nancy Huddleston, Correspondent
The Savage City Council unanimously approved a franchise ordinance with Integra Telecom Monday, allowing the company to start providing digital television services to residents this fall.

Initially, Integra will only provide IPTV service within its Public Utilities Commission boundaries, which covers the southern half of Savage. IPTV is a system that delivers digital television services using networking methods over the Internet instead of the traditional cable television format.

By Meryn Fluker, Staff Writer

Kenny Trenda wants to make sure Prior Lake residents know that despite reports to the contrary, Gateway Mall is not a ghost town.

“They’re freaked out because Snyders [Drug Store] is closed and NAPA [Auto Parts] is moving up the street,” said Trenda, owner and operator of Prior Lake Shoe Service. “We’re still here. We’re not going nowhere.”

On Wednesday, NAPA celebrated its move to the new shopping center on the former Crossroads Church site near the corner of Boudin Street and Highway 13.

Village Market owner Dave Chromy, who opened the hometown grocery store in 2004 in the renovated South Lake Village mall, accepted the Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year award Wednesday on behalf of his crew.

“This team of employees is always willing to step up, with a leader we all have known for a very long time. He does what he preaches: get involved in your town and the town will get involved with you,” said Sandi Fleck, the Chamber’s executive director.

By Lori Carlson, Editor
Walgreen Co. announced Tuesday that it will buy out all 25 company-owned Snyders Drug Stores in Minnesota.

Snyders Drug in Prior Lake is included among those in the sale, Snyders rep Michael Morin confirmed. A manager at the store in Prior Lake said Wednesday that Snyders employees are not supposed to discuss the issue publicly.

Mark Bowles and Steve Peplinski of Edelweiss Bakery in Prior Lake created one of the gingerbread structures featured in the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s “Land of Gingerbread” display, which runs through Jan. 3.

Their creation, “Winter Dreaming,” is among 15 gingerbread houses created by top Twin Cities bakeries. They are on display in the Arboretum’s Oswald Visitor Center, the Snyder Building and the Marion Andrus Learning Center.

By Lori Carlson, Editor
O’Malley’s on Main can continue to serve liquor now that the bar’s owners are up to date on their real-estate taxes.

Two weeks ago, Prior Lake City Council members threatened to revoke the downtown bar’s liquor license if owner Paul Yeo didn’t pay the $7,500 in 2009 real-estate taxes that were due Oct. 15.

Yeo had told the council that the bar had “fallen behind” in tax payments due to sharp increases in property taxes and a decline in revenue.

By Lori Carlson, Editor
Times are tough, but everyone still needs to pay their taxes. That’s the message Prior Lake city leaders delivered to a bar owner Monday before giving him a two-week extension on delinquent property taxes.

The city notified O’Malley’s on Main owner Paul Yeo last month that his liquor license would be revoked if he didn’t pay past-due 2008 taxes of $4,600, plus second-half 2009 taxes worth about $7,500.

Two Prior Lake businesses are among nearly 190 establishments on the state Department of Revenue’s September list of tax-delinquent bars and restaurants.

O’Malley’s on Main and the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club were listed as delinquent on taxes – including sales tax and other forms of tax – owed to the state for the month.

Businesses that haven’t paid what they owe cannot buy alcohol from distributors until they pay up. Once they pay, the businesses are removed from the list. A distributor selling alcohol to a business on the list could be fined up to $1,200.

By Lori Carlson, Editor
After months of planning and public meetings, Kwik Trip has pulled out of a planned redevelopment at the former Crossroads Church site on Boudin Street.

Representatives of the gas station and convenience store backed out largely because of limitations the city imposed on hours of operation, as well as requirements for landscaping to screen the station from nearby homes, said Danette Parr, the city’s community development and natural resources director.