Mathias Baden reports:

“A ways out there, but an appealing combination of pastoral and urban.”

Sound familiar, like someone is mentioning a little town you might have in mind?

In the July edition of Mpls St Paul magazine, Brian Lambert, Shawn Gilliam, and Sarah Howard combined to write an article about the best places to live in the Twin Cities, and Jordan made the list of 20 “great neighborhoods.”

The writers took into account crime statistics, school quality ratings, subjective insights of real estate industry professionals, and historical home sales.

Here's what's been going on in and around Belle Plaine lately, according to the Belle Plaine Herald:

- A "fried squirrel" made the front page of the June 18 issue of the Herald. The animal "made a fatal mistake," the article said, when it touched electrical switches at a substation and shorted out power for more than 1,000 Xcel Energy customers.

- The Belle Plaine City Council hired a firm to design a proposed building for the city's public works department.

Thirty years ago, Hope Lutheran Church held the first worship service in its new church building.

For more information, read the Looking Back column in the July 3 issue of the Jordan Independent. Read it online in the Print Edition section, or subscribe by going to www.jordannews.com/subscribe.

Fifty years ago, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church celebrated its 100-year anniversary as a congregation. The tireless kitchen served a ham and beef dinner for 1,100.

For more information, read the Looking Back column in the July 3 issue of the Jordan Independent. Read it online in the Print Edition section, or subscribe by going to www.jordannews.com/subscribe.

Kyle Crimi is continuing to blog while he travels the world. His latest can be seen here: http://kylecrimi.theworldrace.org/index.asp?filename=just-a-guy.

Ten years ago, 17 sixth-graders graduated from St. John the Baptist Catholic School.

For more information, read the Looking Back column in the June 19 issue of the Jordan Independent. Read it online in the Print Edition section, or subscribe by going to www.jordannews.com/subscribe.