Sen. Franken Nominates SLP Student to Naval Academy

U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced Tuesday that he has nominated Hannah Brodersen of St. Louis Park for admission to the U.S. Naval Academy.

(VIDEO) Al Franken Grabs a Hammer for Habitat for Humanity

The U.S. senator was in St. Louis Park Wednesday for Habitat's 2,000th home in Minnesota.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) came home and helped build a home Wednesday in St. Louis Park. Returning to the city where he grew up, the senator helped celebrate Habitat for Humanity's 2,000th home in Minnesota, which is going up in the 3300 block of Texas Avenue and should be finished by October. Franken grabbed a hammer and headed into the home's basement, where he helped other volunteers nail in a few boards. "I was fantastic. I didn't hurt myself (and) I didn't hurt anyone else," the senator said with his typical dry wit. But on a more serious note, he added, "Habitat has a real history now. It's really become a fixture in the effort to make sure people have affordable housing." The home is being built as part of Thrivent Builds, a …

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Obama, DUI Suspect and Barn Swallows Controversy: Pick of Our Patches

This week's selection includes confusion over tornado sirens, a teen's 'survival bracelets,' Franken in Minnetonka and a Maple Grove senior battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Editor’s Note: Every week we will bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. (Click on the headline to read the full story.) Obama Talks About Jobs For Vets While in Twin Cities Obama urged Congress to pass legislation that would create a Veterans Job Corp, an initiative that would help veterans find jobs as police officers and firefighters, and in other service rolls. 'Thrill of a Lifetime' to See Obama The Robbinsdale Cooper Chamber Singers found out late Wednesday they would sing the National Anthem at the event. DUI Suspect Turns Himself In, Tells Police, “Take Me to Jail.” Hopkins police say a…

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Hornettes, Mayor vs. Administrator and Franken: Pick of Our Patches

This week's selection includes Sen. Claire Robling's re-election decision, a date for the Golden Valley DMV's opening and a new iPhone app.

Editor’s Note: Every week we will bring you a sampling of stories from Patch sites in the west metro: Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Richfield, Shakopee, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. (Click on the headline to read the full story.) Proposed Name Change Stirs Up Hornettes Nest A move to unify Edina High School's spirit programs has thousands of local residents upset. GOP State Sen. Claire Robling Will Not Run for Re-election She says it is very difficult to pass common sense measures into law these days. Albertville Mayor Asks for Administrator's Resignation In what city staff and a council member are calling a "shocking" development this week, the mayor of Albertville has asked for that city's top staff…

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Editor's Notebook

Franken Defends Health Care Reform in St. Louis Park

U.S. Senator Al Franken, who is from St. Louis Park, spoke at the Park Nicollet Clinic on Friday.

U.S. Senator and St. Louis Park native Al Franken said Friday that he doesn't feel Republicans in Congress will be able to repeal the health care reform act, and that he thinks parts of the act are showing signs of great success already. Franken gave the talk while touring the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet Clinic. The Democratic senator supported the health care reform act, which became law last year. Following the Republican surge in November's election, there has been a renewed push to repeal the law, which opponents have called an overreaching expansion of the federal government. However, Franken said he doesn't feel Republicans will be able to get enough votes in the Senate to repeal. The senator added that the new law…

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