The trees started blooming in April, and there were signs that life is beginning to return to normal in Lowell. The annual CROP Walk, which was held virtually last year, happened under a hybrid format this year, and the Lowell Area Fire Department says their calls are returning to pre-pandemic levels too.
The top stories on Lowell’s First Look last month included a job opening in the city, changes to a local apartment complex and, of course, news from The Lowell Riddler. However, the top story of the month covered what seems to be one of the more polarizing issues in the city: adult use marijuana businesses.
Here’s a look at the most-read articles, based on website views, during April 2021.
5. Public Notice: Police Administrative Records Clerk Position Available
The Lowell Police Department needed a new administrative records clerk after the previous clerk had to retire for family reasons. The public notice of the position was widely read and shared, and the police department has since filled the position. We’ll have details about the person hired for the job next week on Lowell’s First Look.
4. Changes Coming to Birchwood Garden Apartments
Birchwood Garden Apartments was put up for sale by its previous owners, and American Preferred Management Co, Inc. in Cascade bought the property. The company, which has a Lowell connection, says they are excited to join the community. While Birchwood Garden Apartments has long been reserved as low-income housing, it will no longer carry that designation going forward. That means new residents will pay market rates for apartments, but the management company is working with the USDA to ensure monthly payments don’t go up for current renters.
3. The Lowell Riddler: Revealed!
For our April Fools article this year, we decided to “reveal” the person behind the weekly Lowell Riddler clues. For this story, we emailed the actual Riddler to see whom they thought would be a good stand-in for them. They suggested Jeff Daniels, noting his Michigan roots and his apparent love for small-town life. Of course, Jeff Daniels isn’t the Riddler – and neither are we – so you can scratch three people off your list of potential Riddlers. That leaves only about 14,000 other people in the greater Lowell area who could be the mystery man or woman.
2. The Lowell Riddler: Riddle #8 Revealed!
We publish a new riddle or clue from The Lowell Riddler each Saturday morning. They are all well-read, but riddle number eight ended up being the second most read article of the month. That may be because this was a tough riddle to crack, even requiring a second clue before the hidden medallion was found. While this riddle is now solved, you can use this link to easily find the latest Riddler news and clues.
1. City of Lowell Planning Comm Recap: Auto Repair and Adult Use Marijuana
The top article on Lowell’s First Look during April was a recap of a City of Lowell Planning Commission meeting. While there were several items on the commission’s agenda – including a warehouse facility on W. Main Street and a vehicle repair facility on S. Washington – we’d guess most people were reading the article for news about the latest adult use marijuana facility in Lowell. The commission approved an application for Joyology to operate a dispensary on W. Main Street on property next to McDonald’s.
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