At the advent of the new year, Woodbury News Net reflects on this past year by presenting five of our most read stories from our top categories (Business, News, City & County and Schools).
We would like to thank our readers and our newsletter subscribers for a successful year of growth. Each and every one of you is appreciated, truly. And if you ever would like to give back to our community, consider supporting local journalism by donating or volunteering.
Cheers to 2026!
— Editor, Theo Franz
Most Read Article of the Year:
Feast Expects To Open Within Weeks (July 8)
“What was supposed to be a spring debut for a high-end, buffet-style restaurant is now tracking toward a midsummer opening.”
July passed, and the highly anticipated buffet had yet to open its doors. Feast officially opened its doors Sept. 23, two months after the owner’s prediction.
Most Read – Business:
Machine Shed Restaurant In Lake Elmo Closes (Jan. 17)
“The Machine Shed Restaurant – across the Interstate from Woodbury in Lake Elmo – closed Wednesday after 24 years. The location was one of six in the Midwest, offering homestyle food and farm-to-table cooking from scratch.”
In its place came a new restaurant: ParT Barn. The venue touts state-of-the-art golf simulators and opened its doors early November.
Most Read – News:
Woodbury Woman Drowns In White Bear Lake (June 23)
“A Woodbury woman drowned in White Bear Lake Sunday, according to a news release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Beverly Rodriguez, 40, was a sergeant with the Metro Transit Police.
“Rodriguez led the department’s Homeless Action Team, helping ‘countless members of our communities, productively and compassionately.’”
Most Read – City & County:
Woodbury on List of Potential ICE Processing Sites; City Officials Unaware (Dec. 24)
“Woodbury is among the cities reportedly under consideration for a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention or processing facility, according to reporting by the Washington Post.”
Beyond the Post’s initial report, no further development has been confirmed on the ICE processing site at the time of this article’s publication. City council members, congress members and school officials have been made aware of the situation since then, but claim to have no prior knowledge of the federal government’s alleged plans.
Most Read – Schools:
Shocking Arrest Can’t Mar First Day Of Classes At Math & Science Academy (Sept. 3)
“You’d never know it by the mellow back-to-school atmosphere Tuesday morning, but a trusted Woodbury Math and Science Academy teacher who mingled with teenagers here for seven years is now charged with soliciting underage sex online.”
The high school was ranked second in the state (No. 252 nationally) in a Niche report released in October. Currently, the school sits at the No. 5 spot statewide in the US News And World Report rankings.
