The Eagan American Legion post has been named Daniel R. Olsen Post 594, in honor of an Eagan High School graduate who became a Marine and died in Iraq.

The new name was unanimously supported by the post's members, with Olsen's parents also consenting, Commander John Flynn said.

"No American Legion post can be named after a living person," Flynn said. "Most posts that have someone's name are either named after a fallen soldier from WWI or WWII."

Olsen, who graduated from Eagan High in 2005, was killed in action in Iraq's Anbar Province in April 2007. The post will mark its new name at 9 a.m. March 15 at Eagan High, 4185 Braddock Trail.

ERIN ADLER

Ramsey

Developer considers downtown for retail

A developer wants to bring new retail to downtown Ramsey in a proposal that so far has been met with enthusiasm by city officials.

City Council members unanimously approved a nearly $1.4 million purchase agreement last month with developer RGH Ramsey to buy about 4 acres of vacant city-owned land in the downtown development district, called the COR (Center of Ramsey).

Residents have expressed an appetite for more places to eat and shop. "I think Ramsey's reached the tipping point commercially, where additional retailers would like to come into the city," developer Rob Hardy told city officials.

An early concept includes plans for a drug store, restaurant and two free-standing retail businesses. The final site plan will require city approval.

Hannah Covington

Carver County

Carver has fastest growing economy

Carver County has the fastest growing economy among Minnesota counties, reports 24/7 Wall Street, a website that provides rankings and other content to publications.

Using federal data, the website identified the counties in each state that boasted the most booming economies. It found that from 2012 to 2015, Carver County's gross domestic product increased by almost 19 percent, compared with growth of less than 6 percent in Minnesota as a whole.

Last July, 24/7 Wall Street reported that Carver's neighbor, Scott County, has the state's fastest growing population. The 2017 unemployment rate in both counties was 2.9 percent, well below the statewide figure of 3.5 percent.

KATY READ

Washington County

Sheriff's Office K-9s get bulletproof vests

Five K-9 police dogs that work with the Washington County Sheriff's Office will be protected by bulletproof vests, thanks to a couple of donors.

The Sheriff's Office recently received $6,000 from Linda Givens to buy three protective vests for the dogs. The Givens family, owners of FourCrown, Inc., a restaurant management company, allows the Sheriff's Office to use one of their businesses for K-9 unit training and had noticed that not all dogs were wearing the vests.

In December, Keeping K9s in Kevlar donated two vests for K-9 police dogs that work with the county's SWAT team. The vests were embroidered with the names of Joseph Gomm, a correctional officer who was beaten to death by a Stillwater inmate last summer, and Joshua Lynaugh, a St. Paul police officer who died in the line of duty in 2013.

Mara Klecker