To place an obituary, please send the required information listed in the obituary checklist below via email to obits@pioneerpress.com. Currently, there is no option to place obituaries through our website. For any questions, feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263.
**General Information Required:**
– Your full name
– Address (City, State, Zip Code)
– Phone number
– Alternate phone number (if any)
**Obituary Specifications:**
– Name of deceased
– Obituary text
– A photo in a JPEG or PDF file is preferable; TIF and other formats are also accepted. We will contact you if there are any issues with the photo.
– Ad run dates
There is a discount for running the obituary more than one day; however, this must be scheduled at the time of the first run to apply. If a photo is included, the same photo must be used on all run dates for the discount. Contact us for more information.
**Policies:**
*Verification of Death:*
To publish an obituary, we require the name and phone number of the funeral home or cremation society handling the arrangements. We must contact them during business hours to verify the death. If the deceased’s body has been donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program or a similar program, that program’s phone number is required for verification. Please allow enough time for this verification process, especially during limited weekend hours.
Alternatively, a death certificate can be submitted for verification. Only one of these verification methods is necessary.
*Guestbook and Outside Websites:*
We do not allow references to other media sources that host guestbooks or obituaries when placing an obituary in print and online. Instead, we may include a website for the funeral home or a family email address for contact. Please contact us with any questions regarding this policy.
**Obituary Process:**
Once you submit your obituary, we will fax or email a proof for your review before publication. This proof includes the price and scheduled run dates. Please review it carefully and notify us of any errors or changes before publication deadlines. We cannot be responsible for errors after final proof approval.
For changes to an online obituary after publication, please contact the obituary desk.
**Payment Procedure:**
Pre-payment is required before publication by the specified deadline. After you approve the proof, call 651-228-5263 with your payment information.
Payment options:
– Credit Card (phone payment only due to PCI regulations)
– Electronic Fund Transfer (via phone, providing routing and account numbers)
**Rates:**
– Minimum charge: $162 for the first 12 lines.
– Each additional line: $12.
– If ad is under 12 lines, $162 minimum applies.
– Obituaries longer than 40 lines receive a 7.5% discount per line.
– A 20% discount applies to both first and second placements if a second run date is scheduled.
– If three obituaries are placed, the third is free of charge.
– Photo charge: $125 per day per photo. For example, two photos over two days total $500.
**Deadlines:**
Please adhere strictly to deadlines to ensure timely publication.
**Memoriam (Non-Obituary) Requests:**
Memoriam ads are remembrances of loved ones and have different rates than obituaries. For information, please call 651-228-5280 or email memoriams@pioneerpress.com.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closed weekends and holidays).
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**Election Wins Set Stage for Record Number of Special Elections in Minnesota**
Tuesday’s election victories for two state representatives signal that Minnesota is on track to break its record for most special elections in one year.
Reps. Kaohly Her, who was elected St. Paul mayor, and Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, who won a Senate seat, have left two open House seats in St. Paul and Woodbury, respectively. This will bring the total number of special elections in 2025 to eight, surpassing the state’s previous record of six set in 1994.
This year’s six special elections were triggered by events including the resignation of Sen. Nicole Mitchell, the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson, the assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, the resignation of former Sen. Justin Eichorn, a residency dispute involving Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson, and the death of former Sen. Kari Dziedzic.
While these two open seats have the potential to change the House’s 67-67 tie, the districts have historically favored the DFL: Her won District 64A with 83% of the vote in 2024, and Hemmingsen-Jaeger secured District 47A with 61%.
House DFL Leader Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) expressed confidence in retaining both seats after special elections are called by Governor Tim Walz. “The House DFL Caucus is full of talent, and I am pleased the voters of St. Paul, Maplewood and Woodbury recognized that,” he said. “The two vacant seats are in strong DFL areas where Kamala Harris defeated Donald Trump by 70 and 25 points, respectively. We take nothing for granted and will run vigorous campaigns, but at the end of the day we will retain both seats.”
With the House evenly split, legislation must have bipartisan support to pass. If Republicans flip just one DFL seat in St. Paul or Woodbury, they would gain a House majority, enabling them to advance their legislative priorities, negotiate with more leverage, and potentially deny quorum as was done by House Democrats early in the 2025 session.
However, bills passed by House Republicans would still need approval from the DFL-controlled Senate and Governor Walz to become law.
Looking ahead to 2026, lawmakers have already proposed significant legislation, including gun control measures and efforts to bar transgender women and girls from female sports, following the recent passage of a state budget and bonding bill in the 2025 session.
https://www.twincities.com/2025/11/06/two-more-special-elections-coming-to-minnesota-capitol/