Still debating wood vs. composite for your deck?

Wood costs less upfront but you're staining and sealing it every couple years. Composite costs more upfront and you basically never touch it again. Destination Decks builds both across the South and East Metro. They'll help you figure out which one actually makes sense for your situation.

❄ South Metro School Closings Today

Here's the quick rundown: District 196 (Eagan, Apple Valley, Rosemount) is canceled. Lakeville Area Schools (ISD 194) is a snow day. Farmington is going flex learning. Prior Lake/Savage, and Hastings haven't announced anything yet.

This is as of Sunday at 6 PM — things could still change overnight.

Down seven with five minutes left. Then back-to-back threes, a buzzer-beating block, and a 63-62 final over top-seeded Hopkins.

48,000 square feet, seven apparatus bays, full-time dorm rooms — and yes, a fire pole. Planning commission approved it unanimously.

A new indoor playground, senior fitness space, unified entrance, and a full building merger — all part of the 2023 parks referendum.

April's Prairie Letter closes Thursday.

Each month I put together a hand-assembled letter with Zone 4 seeds, the story behind each one, and a simple seasonal ritual — designed specifically for Minnesota growers. It's $12.99/month and arrives quietly in your mailbox.

If spring has you thinking about your garden, this is a good place to start.

THERE'S AN INVISIBLE LINE running through Savage, Prior Lake, and Shakopee.

On one side: tallgrass prairie. Grass 8 feet tall, bison herds, fire sweeping across the landscape every few years.

On the other side: dense forest. Maple, basswood, elm so thick settlers said you could walk for days without seeing sunlight. They called it the Big Woods.

Your city exists on the exact line where these two worlds met. And that's not an accident.

For thousands of years, fire decided everything.

Lightning strikes and Native American burns swept across the prairie regularly. These fires kept trees from invading. Tallgrass prairie plants survived because their roots went 15 feet underground. Trees? They burned.

To the east, the landscape was wetter, more protected. Fires couldn't spread as easily. The Big Woods took hold.

But right in the middle? A war zone. The prairie expanding east. The forest expanding west. Fire was the weapon.

One tree figured out how to live in both worlds.

Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) has bark up to 2 inches thick - cork-like, fire-resistant, basically armor. While maples and basswood burned, bur oaks survived.

Along that fire line, you got something unique: oak savanna. Scattered bur oaks standing alone in prairie grass, some living 300, 400 years. These trees marked the boundary.

That's exactly where your cities are.

People have been settling on this line for 10,000 years.

The prairie-forest edge had the best of both worlds: deer in the forest, bison on the prairie, both within walking distance. Forest for winter shelter, prairie for summer. Easier to clear than dense woods.

When European settlers arrived in the 1850s, they made the same choice. Savage, Prior Lake, Shakopee, Lakeville? All on that prairie-forest boundary.

Your subdivision sits on the same spot Indigenous peoples chose for the same reasons.

Minnesota had about 5 million acres of oak savanna before European settlement. Today? Less than 0.1% remains.

But some ancient bur oaks survived.

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve in Savage has old bur oaks - some 200+ years old, standing since before Minnesota was a state.

Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan has remnant oak woodland with massive trees that marked the prairie-forest edge.

Look for the signs: huge, spreading bur oaks with gnarly, thick bark and wide crowns. Broader, more horizontal branches because they grew in open savanna, not dense forest.

Those trees are living witnesses to the fire line.

11715 177th St W, Lakeville

➡️ 5 bed, 4.5 bath, 0.58 acres
➡️ 3-car insulated garage, walkout basement & 3 fireplaces
➡️ Sauna, sun room, exercise room & hardwood floors throughout
➡️ 5,620 sq ft in Lake Villa Golf Estates, minutes from Lake Marion

Price: $849,900

MLS #7023868

ADD AN EVENT

FEATURE AN EVENT

Paint Dollop of Daisies (Hastings)
All supplies included for $35 at The Confluence Hotel at 6:30pm, you'll paint a gorgeous daisy canvas and sip something delicious while you do it. Get creative.

March Tin Shed Tavern Sun Catchers (Savage)
Craft your own sun catcher at 6pm while sipping drinks at Tin Shed Tavern, it's the kind of creative night out you didn't know you needed. Get crafty.

PFAs Water Contamination Meeting (Apple Valley)
City officials give an update on PFAS forever chemical contamination and mitigation plans at Dakota County Galaxie Library at 4:30pm, this one matters. Stay informed.

One Night of Queen (Burnsville)
All the iconic Queen hits performed live at Ames Center at 8pm, this tribute show is the real deal and you will rock out. We will rock you.

Books & Beyond: What We Wear (Farmington)
Free stories, activities, and crafts about clothing at Farmington Library at 10:30am, perfect for the little ones. Read on.

Paint Like Matisse: Anemone and Mirror (Prior Lake)
Channel your inner artist at 6pm with this Matisse-inspired painting class at Prior Lake-Savage Community Ed, no experience needed. Brushstrokes.

Denny McGovern is Back at the OMNI (Rosemount)
Catch Denny McGovern live at OMNI Brewery at 6pm for a laid-back night of great music and local brews. Cheers up.