Two Fugitives Collared in Oakdale After Ramming Hudson Squad Car, Fleeing

The St. Croix County Sheriff's Office, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Hudson Police and Minnesota State Patrol pursued two fugitives who fled after U.S. Marshals attempted to apprehend them at a hotel in Hudson.

St. Croix County and Washington County deputies along with U.S. Marshals, Minnesota State Patrol and Hudson Police officers apprehended two fugitives who fled after Mashals attempted to aprehend them just before 9 a.m. today at a Hudson hotel.  According to a Hudson Police press release, a white SUV rammed a Hudson Police squad car at Carmichael Road and Crestview Drive before getting on the freeway.  The suspects went west on I-94 out of Wisconsin and north on I-694 before exiting at Highway 5 in Oakdale, according to Washington County Sheriff's Office Communications Coordinator Tom Frazer. The fugitives stopped at the LA Fitness parking lot where they both exited the vehicle. One was caught in the parking lot while the other escaped. …

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Where to Sweat in Oakdale

Oakdale Patch gives you the rundown on the city's different gyms.

There are few things more pleasant than a walk, run, hike or bike ride on a perfect Minnesota day. However, even during the six or so months of the year when there’s not snow on the ground, those perfect days are few and far between. Fortunately, Oakdale is home to a variety of  climate-controlled, bug-free places to work out (a.k.a. gyms). In case you're trying to decide which gym in Oakdale might be best for you, here's the rundown: LA Fitness LA Fitness is Oakdale’s full-service club, offering a wealth of choices for virtually any fitness regimen. A health assessment/orientation session comes with new memberships; additional personal training is also available. Do you like to exercise in a group? LA Fitness offers classes such as Zumba…

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KEEPING YOUR RESOLUTIONS — LOCAL EXPERTS' TIPS

Make Small Changes to Keep Resolution to Lose Weight, Oakdale Expert Says

A local expert gives tips on how to follow through on a resolution to lose weight.

If you are like most people, your top resolution for 2011 is to lose weight and get fit. With two out of three Americans now classified as overweight, it's no wonder we all put this resolution on the top of our list. Losing weight has been my New Year's resolution each year since my daughter was born seven years ago, and each year it falls by the wayside after only a few weeks. This year I vowed to take a different approach, so I talked to Amber Johnson, a fitness expert at Oakdale's L.A. Fitness, and asked her to give me some tips to make this resolution something I can stick with. Oakdale Patch: Why is it so hard for people to keep the "lose weight" resolution? Amber Johnson: When people decide to lose weight, they usually go at the …

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Number of Oakdale Jobs, Businesses Down, but so is Unemployment

Oakdale has fewer jobs and businesses than it did in 2007, but the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 22 months.

There are fewer jobs and businesses in Oakdale now than there were before the recession started, but the city's unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 22 months, according to Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development statistics. Oakdale had about 50 fewer establishments, and about 150 fewer jobs in the second quarter of 2010 than it did at the same point in 2007, Rachel Vilsack, a regional labor market analyst told the Oakdale Economic Development Commission at its meeting last Wednesday. Economic Development Commission Chair Mark Landis said he suspects the reduction in jobs is due to employers waiting to make sure the demand is high enough to warrant hiring, and in the meantime chosing not to replace workers …