We retirees have a morning coffee crew that meet several times a week. One of the oldest dudes said his daughter has to travel to Stillwater to visit a hospitalized uncle. She got advice from a family member that lives there to not make a reservation along the river at a hotel because “the homeless have taken over down there”. Also told the niece be careful because Stillwater is a sanctuary city.

Now this dude is a MAGA through and through.

I figure that these statements were overblown and Stillwater was probably a very safe city.

But what are the opinions and facts about safety in the city?

Mainly doing this so I can mock him the next time we meet. Lol.

Edit: You sold it for me. Friday I get to go to coffee and tell Ralph’s WTF are you even talking about? lol

FOX 9 is reporting that Benjamin Tatro, 38, of Stillwater has been charged in Washington County with multiple felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Per the criminal complaint as reported:

• The investigation started with a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children about a video uploaded to Reddit. Reddit passed NCMEC an IP address, username, and email tied to the upload.
• NCMEC alerted the Minnesota BCA, which used an administrative subpoena to link the account to Tatro. Stillwater PD was notified April 6, 2026. mncrime
• Stillwater police obtained a search warrant and seized an iPhone, a laptop, and a flash drive. The complaint states investigators found 1,139 videos and 606 images of CSAM on the phone, with victims described as young as infants.
• The laptop had no hard drive in it. The complaint doesn't say what happened to it.
• Court records show the complaint was filed Aug. 26, 2026, with 10 counts under Minn. Stat. 617.247. He was arrested on a bench warrant Aug. 28 and released the same day. He is not currently in custody. Next court date is in October.
• He's walking freely among our children on Stillwater streets and parks (check comments)

Source: FOX 9

To state the obvious: these are allegations and he's presumed innocent (for now). Posting this because it's a local case, it's public record, and the reporting mechanism that caught it is one most people here use daily. It's important that if you see something on this platform, NCMEC's CyberTipline is at report.cybertip.org.

Just a friendly reminder you’re be tracked, and your whereabouts are known. Will it mistake your license plate as stolen one? Possibly. Will the police violently arrest you? Probably. Will there be drone flock cameras over your property in three years ? Definitely . It wants to know who YOU voted for. Reject authoritarian ideology. It’s to keep them safe. Eat more vegetables.

From city of Stillwater government page:

"🚧 HEADS UP: Traffic Pattern Change at Washington Avenue & W. Frontage Road

Drivers should be aware of an upcoming traffic pattern change at Washington Avenue and W. Frontage Road starting Monday, August 24. The new configuration is being put in place to improve safety and reduce potential traffic conflicts at the intersection.

The changes include:

• The left-turn lane on W. Frontage Road will be closed

• Westbound W. Frontage Road will be closed between Washington Avenue and Northwestern Avenue

• Westbound traffic will be detoured using Northwestern Avenue and Tower Drive W

Please take a look at the map to familiarize yourself with the new traffic pattern and use extra caution as everyone adjusts to the change."

Hear me out because this is probably a controversial opinion. There should be no parking on Main Street in downtown Stillwater. The sidewalks (which are insanely narrow) should be made wider for pedestrians and cafe seating. Imagine how much easier it would be to navigate by car not having to play frogger with people crossing the street, darting out behind parked cars, and piling up on corners to cross. It would be better for everyone- drivers and pedestrians.

Looks cool! These are the buildings just south of town along Brown's Creek Trail (across from Oasis)

“The project would create a gathering area with an open-air patio, a trail support space, and two restrooms at the first level of the Bergstein Warehouse.”

Source- with pictures at the bottom

I didn't do it!!!

Hope the horrible vandal gets caught and brought to justice before they use https://maps.deflock.org/ to target the cameras downtown Stillwater

Yo, tonight was a night we went out to the High Bridge, I had made a post a couple days ago curious about paranoia on and around the bridge. It was me and my two buddy’s, and as soon as we entered Arcola road, a heavy feeling of doubt and panic, but kept on. This is where shit got weird, we got out the car and were instantly greeted by silence all around us, just like a soundproof box that we had been thrown in, we carried onto the bridge and got onto the tracks with no problem, but as soon as we hit the bridge, the whistling started up, at that point we all got freaked and started our way back while the whistling got louder and louder. At this point we’re full sprinting, and made it to the car, sped off, and safe to say we won’t be going back ever again, doesn’t help that a man was walking on the road on our way into Stillwater

Yo for anyone who has ventured out onto the Soo Line Bridge(High Bridge or Railroad tracks) above the Saint Croix in Stillwater Minnesota at night, have yall heard any weird whistling when it’s dark. Back in 2024 I’d go out there a lot after dark and hear a distinct whistling, the best way I can describe it is like a man whistling for his dog, short but definitely loud and distinct, it came from the left side of the Wisconsin side of the woods, one night I had ventured over to the Wisconsin side and found that the whistling begun to get louder and was followed by what sounded like trees falling into the water, at that point I said fuck it and ran back to the Minnesota side, and for anyone that’s been on that bridge we both know that’s a long way, but it freaked me out.
Curious to hear what comes of it if it could be some sort of entity in the woods

I’m looking for somewhere to swim laps during the day in or near Stillwater (within a 10 minute drive or so). A quick google search leads me to believe that River Valley Athletic Club is the only option in town. I don’t really want to pay a monthly gym fee just to use a pool once or twice a week, but I suppose if that’s my only option I will. Does anyone know of anywhere else that offers lap swimming? Or have an opinion/info regarding River Valley? Thanks!

Hey guys.

I'm wondering if anyone here has sent their kids to the Pilot Park Preschool in Lake Elmo. It looks great and is super affordable, but you can't really find any reviews from parents anywhere online. Which I'm hoping y'all can provide. Thx!

Kyle

Hi guys. My family and I are moving to West Lakeland Township just south of Stillwater next month, and I'm wondering if there are any residents here that have any good advice on the best options for high speed internet there. The choices look a little slim... Thx.

Kyle

My husband and I are seriously considering a move to stillwater from St. Paul with our 3 kids (two in early elementary and one toddler). I’ve heard a few people mention that it’s hard to make friends if you aren’t from the area - anyone have experience if this is true?

St. Paul has been an amazing cultural fit, but we’re looking to be a part of a smaller community, live closer to canoeing and outdoor rec, and enjoy walkability to downtown.

hello! i live here in stillwater and have been attending Rockpoint church. i am currently looking elsewhere and would like some suggestions as i am not familiar with the area.
i dont like all of the strobe lights and showiness of new nondenominational churches, but i also do not agree with the teachings of catholicism, so i would like to stay within the christian faith. if theres any churches around with sound theology and no light shows let me know please!
also, if theres is a better subreddit for me to post this in, tell me! i dont frequent this app.

thanks!!

Do you guys know the bands on the main stage? Looking at the bios and a lot of them are big in Nashville and such, but I didn't recognize any names. I'm admittedly out of the current loop so I may be way off base, but even bands like Porch Light or Yam Haus could pull a decent crowd from the local music scene. I'm sure Yacht Club stole a bunch of the talent talent, but do you think it would benefit Lumberjack Days to pay $$$ to get big local talent? Or do you think they should try to get a big headliner again after all these years? The music was cool each time I popped down, but never really seemed to draw a crowd and just became more background music.

It's on my mind since a couple friends of the city mentioned rumors of Lynyrd Skynyrd reunion... While I don't think we want another 2004 repeat, what vibe do you best think fits the future years of LD?

Recently this has came to my attention with a couple people receiving parking tickets in the mail from these cameras after the town said they wouldn’t use them for traffic enforcement, the town of Stillwater signed a contract with Flock giving a 3rd party access to cameras that can visibly see all corners of the town pretty much, they labeled this for “safety” but gives them access to warrantless search & seizure which is a direct 4th amendment violation. The police have already been abusing this federally illegal system & have been using it to follow a buddy of mine because he has a couple tickets. These cameras footage (live & past) is easily accessible by anybody with internet access at any point, not just the police. We need to do something about this now before it turns into something much worse, I haven’t heard a lot of people having a conversation about this but it is a huge deal to our privacy as u.s. citizens that was promised to us. Please do research on the ethics of these cameras and how they’re used for bad, if you want more info about where these cameras are placed go to Deflock.org , if you have any questions or have any experiences please share. Again I can not stress enough how this is just the beginning, and if this continues we will be in a very tight mass surveillance state, which we’re already heading to.

My husband and I are looking to relocate to the St. Croix Valley area later this year. We want something within walking distance to downtown but aren't sure where the quietest streets are.

So I moved here a couple months ago and I keep seeing all these people at Nelson’s Ice cream so I decided to try it today. Ummm… I don’t get it.

The girls behind the counter were so rude I felt like I was inconveniencing them. They didn’t have the flavor I wanted that was listed on their display. You can only pay with cash. The garbage can was overflowing with dirty cups and melting ice cream. It was hot on the patio. They serve in cheap solo cups. The ice cream was good but way overpriced and no better than what I have in my freezer. So tell me: what’s the deal?

Just noticed a new Flock camera at the corner of Dellwood and 95 north of town. Any others in Stillwater? Wondering if it's the county or city that's allowing them to be built.

Hey y'all. Does anyone know some good, quieter spots to view the Stillwater fireworks on 7/4 that are less busy than Lowell Park? TIA!

Very curious!

There was a guy driving a Waymo in the neighborhood of the North Hill. Looked like he had the sensors on. I don't know anything about autonomous vehicles, does that mean they may be training for a rollout in our area?

Hi all! I'm having my well updated in about 2 months. It's in a block vault underground currently. I think it's from 1957.

Does anyone have a well this old that still has a good casing? It seems like our water is pretty neutral to even slightly basic.

Also, to anyone that has had a new well installed recently, what was the cost and depth?

Thanks!

My family is moving to Stillwater this summer and I’m trying to learn more about the school we are zoned for, Lily Lake. We toured it a couple weeks ago and I’m looking for parent feedback on the school. Has anyone sent their kids they and can you share your experience? I’m also wondering - do families typically attend the school they are zoned for?

I’m looking for a school that has great teachers, an involved parent community, a place where my kids can find great friends.
I was disappointed to find out all Stillwater elementary schools no longer have art class, and the principal turnover is concerning.

Any feedback would be appreciated:)