Amber Kispert-Smith
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Amber Kispert-Smith has been the schools and Afton reporter at the Woodbury Bulletin since 2008. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota. She previously worked as a reporter for Press Publications in White Bear Lake.
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In front of a packed house, Afton City Council approved a conditional-use permit for a new Islamic center during its April 19 meeting. The Islamic Society of Woodbury-East Metro plans to build a 10,800-square-foot Islamic center, which will include a 4,200-square-foot multipurpose hall, which will be used for religious services, educational events, youth activities and social services. Services are typically attended by 150 to 200 people and weekend events typically serve the same size crowd, but not all the same people.
A former Hudson man has a dream that is out of this world. Woodbury resident Jackson Kisling, 38, is one of 663 people from around the world who are semifinalists for a mission to Mars in 2024, by Netherlands-based Mars One organization, in hopes of establishing a colony on the Red Planet. “I thought it seemed like a perfect thing for me to try and get into because I believe very deeply that we need to expand our presence out into the galaxy,” said Kisling, a native of Hudson. He graduated from Hudson High School in 1994.
Walking into the re-opened Selma's Ice Cream Parlour is like walking back in time. Last Friday, Becky and Paul Nickerson of Houlton opened Selma's after three years of the ice cream shop sitting vacant, but the restaurant has hardly aged a day. "We wanted it to look like the oldest ice cream parlor in Minnesota," Becky said.
Denise Minea grew up around music, as her family was a very musical one. Ever since she was a young girl, she has been singing in church choirs, too. Now Minea, a Woodbury resident, is hoping to reach others with her debut album of Christian folk music, "In This Life: Reflections on Birch Point." "It won't be everybody's cup of tea, but it will definitely speak to some people," Minea said.
Greg and Heidi Case of Woodbury were like any expectant parents -- thrilled and excited for their bundle of joy to arrive. But when Heidi was 30 weeks into her pregnancy, she had a premonition something was wrong. "I just felt like something's not right and 'I just don't feel comfortable,'" she said. Heidi was right. Their baby girl, Ellery, had too much fluid in her chest cavity. There could have been a number of reasons for this, but one thing for sure was that it was serious and it needed to be addressed immediately.