I want to run an idea by you before I build it.

Right now you get one Scoop covering the whole South Metro. I'm thinking about splitting it into a separate email for each city — so you'd sign up for the ones you actually care about.

Live in Apple Valley but want to keep tabs on Lakeville too? You'd sign up for both, and get a focused email for each, your council, your events, your new businesses, city by city.

Just the places that matter to you, nothing else cluttering it up.

Would you want that? Vote below.

What Is Pickle Hall? Apple Valley's 18-Court Pickleball-and-Food-Hall, Explained

Pickle Hall is a two-story, 18-court indoor pickleball complex going up in Central Village with a food hall, 80-tap self-serve beer wall, and rooftop deck. The food lineup is locked in: North Star Deli, El Sazon, Habibi's Halal, and Traveler's Tea Co. Opening target: late summer 2026.

Apple Valley Got $9.1 Million for Its Water & Here's Why Your Bill Might Still Go Up

The state bonding bill gave Apple Valley $9.1 million to treat PFAS in its drinking water—but the full project costs around $100 million, and about half the city's wells have detectable "forever chemicals." A water rate study is coming this year, and rates are expected to rise.

400+ New Homes Are Coming to Apple Valley

Apple Valley has over 400 housing units under construction or wrapping up in 2026, including 135 market-rate apartments at Orchard Place and 144 affordable workforce units at Valley Station near the old MVTA Park & Ride. The city says it's nearly out of undeveloped land.

Donut Star Closing Both Locations Last Sunday - The beloved donut shop announced it's closing both of it’s doors indefinitely on May 24th, citing tough times for small businesses.

True North Fitness Coming to Rosemount This Summer - True North Fitness is setting up shop in Rosemount with a summer 2026 opening. Details are still light, but you can follow along on their Facebook page.

Ivy Lane Boutique Now Open on Kenwood Trail in Lakeville - A new women-owned boutique has opened at 17701 Kenwood Trail, run by Kim Rendall and her three daughters. Ivy Lane offers curated women's clothing, home décor, candles, and gifts—open Tuesday through Saturday.

E+M Company Opens New Downtown Lakeville Location - The women's boutique recently opened at 20730 Holyoke Avenue, Suite 105 in downtown Lakeville, offering clothing and accessories.

7 Brew Coffee Opening Late June in Lakeville - The drive-thru coffee chain hit a major milestone when its pre-built building was craned into place at 15440 English Ave. Crews are finishing landscaping and drive-thru lanes now, with a grand opening planned for late June.

Zarminali Pediatrics Opens in Apple Valley's Cobblestone Lake Center - The Michigan-based pediatric clinic held its ribbon cutting on April 15 at 15676 Pilot Knob Rd., marking its first Apple Valley location. Zarminali operates 28 clinics across eight states and is expanding into 30 more.

Serious Sanji Dumplings & Dim Sum Coming to Apple Valley - A traditional Chinese dim sum restaurant is opening soon next to Warners' Stellian in Time Square Mall—the chain's first Minnesota location. Serious Sanji has spots across Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin, serving dim sum with over 100 years of history.

There's a cemetery on the edge of Hastings that most people don't know exists. No signs point to it. It's tucked near modern residential development, easy to miss entirely.

901 people are buried there. For decades, the graves were marked only by numbers, not names.

THE FOURTH ASYLUM

In 1900, Minnesota opened its fourth state asylum for the mentally ill on a hill overlooking the Vermillion River. They called it the Fourth State Asylum for the Insane.

The architecture was different from earlier institutions. Instead of one massive building, the Hastings campus used the "cottage plan" — a cluster of Tudor Revival brick buildings designed to feel more like a village than a warehouse. The idea was that a home-like atmosphere would help patients heal.

The name changed twice. Hastings State Asylum in 1919. Hastings State Hospital in 1937. Thousands of patients passed through over its 78 years of operation.

WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE

Early on, people were committed for what records called "maladies" — prolonged bouts of sadness and fear, behavior that didn't fit. Treatments of the era included electroshock therapy and lobotomy.

But Hastings also developed a different reputation. It was among the first state hospitals in Minnesota to discontinue physical restraints. It established programs for alcohol and drug dependency. Staff developed occupational therapies — bread making, gardening, work that gave patients something to do with their hands.

The institution was both: reform-minded and harsh, often at the same time.

THE FORGOTTEN

When patients died, families were notified. If no one came to claim the body, hospital staff buried the deceased in a cemetery on the edge of the grounds. The graves got numbers, not names.

Over the decades, 901 patients were buried this way. Many had no living family. Some had families who wanted nothing to do with them.

In the 2000s, a nonprofit called Remembering with Dignity began restoring names to the graves. Using hospital and cemetery records at the Minnesota Historical Society, they identified who was buried where. By 2010, every documented grave had a stone with a name.

The numbers finally became people again.

WHAT REMAINS

Hastings State Hospital closed May 1, 1978. That same year, the state established the Minnesota Veterans Home on the grounds.

Veterans live in the old asylum buildings today, many dating back to the early 1900s. The Tudor Revival cottages are showing their age — state and federal officials have endorsed major redevelopment plans for the campus.

They're still standing. Still housing people, on the same hill where the state once housed people it didn't know what to do with.

WHERE TO GO

Hastings State Hospital Cemetery — Near the Minnesota Veterans Home campus, Hastings. No signage marks the site. 901 graves, now marked with names.

Minnesota Veterans Home — Hastings — 1200 18th Street East, Hastings. The campus occupies the former asylum grounds.

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Spring Concert: Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble & Jazz Ensemble (Burnsville)
An evening of incredible student musicianship at 7pm you won't want to miss. Bravo.

Wild Workouts: Pilates (Apple Valley)
Strengthen your core with Pilates at the Minnesota Zoo at 6:30pm — fitness in the wild. Zoo strong.

Weekly Wheels (Burnsville)
Show off your ride or check out everyone else's at 5pm — cars, trucks, and bikes welcome. Rev it up.

Mahjong 101 Class (Rosemount)
Learn the art of Mahjong at this beginner-friendly class at 6pm on S Robert Trail. Tiles out.

Villa Summer Concert Series: Michael Riddle (Apple Valley)
Kick off the summer concert series at 6:30pm on Garrett Ave with live music outdoors. Summer sounds.

Rambling River Park (Farmington)
Head to the park at 7pm for an evening of outdoor fun and community vibes. Green scene.