Forest Lake City Council member Hanna Valento is resigning from the council due to a move to Scandia.

Valento, who has served on the council for almost six years, plans to vacate her seat at the Oct. 12 council meeting.

“It has truly been an honor to serve this community for the past six years,” Valento wrote in her Oct. 2 resignation letter. “I’m incredibly grateful to the residents of Forest Lake who trusted me to represent them, and I’m especially thankful for all the hard work from staff and dedication from the city council and mayor, current and former.”

The council is currently accepting applications for people interested in filling her seat on the council; the deadline for applying is Oct. 16.

“The decision to vacate my position didn’t come lightly,” Valento said during the Sept. 28 council meeting. “Moving on will definitely be bittersweet, as has been mentioned. I’m sad to be leaving the council, but look forward to new chapters and changes with my family, and I hope and anticipate we’ll get a lot of folks interested in the position as we have in the past. And I trust the council will pick a fantastic person to fill this position.”

Valento was first elected to the Forest Lake City Council in 2020 and was re-elected in 2024. She has been designated as the acting mayor and also serves as council liaison to the city’s parks and recreation commission and cable commission.

— Mary Divine

Roseville

Potluck Food Hall closing this month

Potluck Food Hall in Roseville’s Rosedale Center is closing.

Rosedale Center management confirmed via email that the space, which has been open since 2019, will no longer exist as of mid-October. “We cannot confirm our new tenant at this time,” the email said.

Tio’s Tacos posted about the closure recently on Facebook. The statement reads, in part: “While I don’t really understand the ownership’s decision nor do I agree with it, my hands are tied.

“I have a humble request, will you please share my news and if it’s in your heart please stop and support us in these last 50 days. I have 5 employees that are losing their jobs and while I know they can get new jobs nothing is promised.”

According to the website, the current eateries are Boba X, Black Coffee and Waffle Bar, Legendary Spice, OG ZaZa, Smack Shack and Tio’s Tacos.

— Jess Fleming

Town of Hudson, Wis.

Hit-and-run victim ID’d; driver charged

The man who died after he was hit by a driver early Sunday in Town of Hudson, Wis., has been identified as Brian M. Martell.

A passerby found Martell, 67, of Hudson, Wis., lying in the roadway in the 500 block of County Highway N around 4:15 a.m. and called 911, according to St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson. It appeared he had been struck by a vehicle, he said. Emergency personnel tried to save Martell, but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A license plate found at the scene led deputies to a 2022 Toyota Camry at a house in New Richmond, Wis. and the arrest of Angelica Marisela Ann Altena, 20, of New Richmond.

Altena was charged Monday in St. Croix County Circuit Court with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and hit-and-run involving a death. Her next court appearance is set for Nov. 4.

— Mary Divine