Here are three new and informative articles for readers this week.   - Ice Out: Welcoming Spring to Lake Minnetonka   - Xcel Energy site   - Ash Borer: A Fatal Invitation

Most South Lake residents don’t know that the South Lake Minnetonka Police Department uses automated license-plate-reader across all four Joint Powers Agreement cities: Shorewood, Excelsior, Greenwood, and Tonka Bay.   Learn more about the uses, questions and concerns surrounding this technology.

Mill Street trail construction has started as part of a larger Hennepin County job. Shorewood owns a segment of the trail. As is now common with recent Shorewood projects, the council agreed it made sense to install the pipe.   But, the real question remains: Who pays and when?

This article describes how a handful of vocal residents disrupted the existence of a Flock surveillance system they initially knew nothing about—and, once they understood it, firmly opposed.

Based on Shorewood’s 2025 Long Range Financial Plan and 10 Year Capital Improvement Plan , over the next 6 years, the estimated charges from engineering firm Bolton & Menk are projected to total $7.5M.   Or, Shorewood could hire four internal staff engineers and save taxpayers $600k per year.

Upon hearing resident Barry Brown’s speech during the city council meeting of March 23, 2026 we requested Mr. Brown to provide his documentation to SCA for a follow-up story.   Here’s what you need to know, in his words:

Long time Shorewood resident Greg Larson raises concerns about the significant amount of money Shorewood spends for engineering consultants.    This topic will be discussed at a council work session at 6:00 on Monday, Mar. 23, at Shorewood City Hall.

  $34.5M Debt!   117% Tax Increase!   Shorewood is headed for a tsunami of debt. Based on city council’s approval of the 2026 Long-Term Financial Management and Capital Improvement Plans the city is continuing an unprecedented spending spree never seen before.

We watch so you don’t have to. Fresh eyes on every meeting, sharper reporting, and fast analysis—plus the links you actually need when you want to dig deeper.   Here are the simplified highlights of the council actions.

- Facts about robins   - Hummingbird migration. Facts and map.   - Eagle cam!