Around Town is the part of Prior Lake Events that follows what the cities, Scott County, the two school districts and the watershed district decide, and what it costs you. It started in September 2026. Here is how it works.

What it covers

Money: levies, fees, rates, bonds, assessments and contracts. Roads: closures, detours and construction. Openings and closings: businesses, parks, buildings. Development: what got approved, denied or tabled. Prior Lake first, then Savage and Shakopee, plus Scott County, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, Shakopee Public Schools and the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District.

What it does not cover

Crime and the police log, court cases, obituaries, sports, profiles, and anything about private individuals. I do not name residents who speak at meetings. Other local outlets do those things well and I am not trying to replace them.

Where it comes from

The public record: agenda packets, minutes, meeting video and transcripts, and official releases. Every item links the document it came from, with the page number when there is one. If the link does not back the item, the item is wrong and I want to know.

How items are made

Software reads the packets and drafts each item, with the numbers and the outcome tied to a quote from the record. I check every draft against that quote before it publishes. Nothing posts on its own. I am one person doing this on the side, so items are short and I will miss things.

Corrections

Email mark@priorlakeevents.com. A corrected item gets an “Updated” line at the top saying what changed. I do not quietly edit.

Disclosures

Prior Lake Events sells weekly sponsor placements to local businesses and organizations. When an item names a current sponsor, the item says so. I also run PriorLake.RealEstate, a real estate site, so items about housing, development and property taxes touch my own business. Around Town itself carries no sponsor.