Planning and zoning committee denies property variance
By Sue Sitter - | Jul 17, 2021
The City of Rugby Planning and Zoning Committee denied a variance request for a residential fence at their regular meeting the evening of July 12 at city hall.
Duane Veach presented his request to build an eight-foot high fence around his backyard to the committee. City ordinances place the height limit for residential fencing at six feet.
Veach asked the committee for the variance because he contended his neighbor, Steve Brossart, had added height to his backyard with the addition of fill dirt. The dirt raised the ground level, making the fence between their properties lower and making it easier for Brossart to see in Veach’s yard.
Amtrak depot has weekend break-in
By Sue Sitter - | Jan 30, 2021
Submitted Photo
Cases displaying historical items in the Rugby Amtrak depot sustained damage in a break-in the morning of Jan. 24.
A staffer and volunteer at Rugby’s Amtrak depot discovered a crime scene the morning of Jan. 24 after noticing a smashed door and broken glass on the floor of the waiting area.
Dale Niewoehner, a local business owner who advocates for Amtrak, said he discovered the mess when he visited after the westbound Empire Builder had left the station, about 8 a.m.
“I saw a gentleman waiting for a ride,” Niewoehner related. “He’d gotten off the train in the morning. I walked to the west side of the building and saw yellow police tape. Then, I saw glass on the floor. I looked around a little bit and went around to talk to this guy. I said, ‘What’s going on here?’ He said, ‘The police were here a little bit ago. There was a Burlington-Northern truck here a little bit ago and I