PHOTOS (UPDATED): Fridley Water Main Breaks in Record Heat

A 50-year-old cast-iron pipe cracked as temps rocketed up.

Update (7:15 p.m.): Water service was back to normal—almost—for 1,050 Fridley residences and businesses at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday after a major water main broke near Old Central Avenue NE and 66th Avenue NE. Customers could still see rust-colored water coming out of taps for a day or so, according to City of Fridley Water Supervisor Kory Jorgensen, but iron in the water isn't hazardous—only unsightly. About 15 residences were without water service for part of the afternoon. A city water-system project that the Fridley City Council approved Monday will mean that similar breaks in the future won't cause fluctuation in service, Jorgensen said. It's a new water pipe that will run under Rice Creek at Anoka Street NE. Original post (6 p.m.): Record…

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Fridley in a Frame

Fridley in a Frame: Sprinklers Revive Crop Circles of Grass

Watering at Commons Park is creating circles of green amidst deserts of dormant grass.

Unusually hot, dry weather has withered most unwatered grass in Fridley to a crisp brown. At Commons Park, rotating sprinklers are keeping circles of grass green, creating round oases of lively turf.

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Moms Talk: How to Beat the Heat Wave

Are these the dog days of summer? Because they only seem fit for a dog.

Hot enough for you? It's been nearly a week since Minnesota magically converted to Florida for the summer, and any step outside the house feels like you are drinking the air that surrounds you rather than breathing it. All winter we tried to come up with ways to keep ourselves entertained indoors, longing for summer when we could run to the park or draw on the sidewalk outside our house.  Now, once again, we're trapped in the living room. And if I have to watch Tangled one more time I may start pulling out my own thickly flowing tresses. So: what to do when the heat has you beat. There's only so many videos a family can bear, and sooner or later you need to find another way to pass the time inside. I'd like to say that I have had some …

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Fridley Heat Index Could Hit 117 Monday

Excessive Heat Warning in effect through Wednesday.

The current wave of heat and humidity will give Fridley a heat index as high as 117 Monday afternoon. Much of Minnesota is under an Excessive Heat Warning from the National Weather Service through Wednesday at 9 p.m. Here are some basic precautions to stay safe in the heat:

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The Last Time Fridley Was This Hot ...

Here's some of what was different back in 1988.

Tuesday is the hottest day in the Twin Cities in 23 years—since Aug. 1, 1988. How long ago is that in Fridley terms? Source: Fridley: Its History and People, available through the Fridley Historical Society.

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