Adam Jukkola

A local group of actors and actresses wants us to “move it, move it!”
Stages Theatre Co. is putting on a musical adaptation of the DreamWorks animated movie “Madagascar.”
“Everything that goes into the show, the lighting, the costume pieces, the set pieces, just bring the show together. It’s just super fun to be in and super fun from an audience perspective to watch,” said Layla Traufler, who plays Marty the Zebra.
The show offers dancing, creative costumes and some important life lessons.
“Mart...

Capping off a saga that dates back years, city leaders and developers celebrated that grand opening of a new apartment complex in Brooklyn Center on Dec. 12.
Wangstad Commons — a four-story, 54-unit complex — opened its doors at 61st Avenue and Brooklyn Boulevard. 
“We wanted to honor this community by making sure that we could provide a place where folks can live, families can live and be proud of where they live, regardless of one’s economics,” said Johnny Opara, the project’s developer.
The $...

On the local theater scene, a popular fantasy adventure is making its way to the stage.
Stages Theatre Co. is performing its version of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.”
Based on the best-selling book, the story is about a teenager tasked with preventing a war among the gods. To do that he must find Zeus’ missing lightning bolt.
The musical features on-stage combat, which challenged the performers to learn.
“It’s similar to choreography in a normal dance way, but it’s different i...

Art enthusiasts have a good reason to visit the Hopkins Center for the Arts this month. The 28th annual Arts North International Juried Exhibit is now on display.
The exhibit features more than 150 pieces of art created by artists from all across the globe. The artists hail from 30 Minnesota communities but also from around the U.S. and countries as far away as Japan.
“It’s a terrific snapshot of art being done in our local community, but also in a broader sense,” said Jim Clark, visual arts man...

Multimedia JournalistAdam is happy to have joined the CCX Media News team.  He has lived in Minnesota since October of 2016.
Adam was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but raised in the tiny town of Newell, South Dakota where he got to learn firsthand about his Finnish heritage by living on the original Jukkola family homestead. 
Adam has been working in television news in various roles since October of 1999. He began his career as a studio production assistant at the NBC affiliate in Rapid City, Sout...

The Maple Grove Government Center is filled with art thanks to students in the Osseo School District.
The exhibit features dozens of works by students of all grades. The Maple Grove Arts Center helped put on the display, which includes a variety of paintings, sculptures and photographs. In addition, 11 Osseo district students are vying for the Jacob Beneke Scholarship.
“The Jacob Beneke Scholarship award is awarded to a 12th grader who is intending to go onto college or another further education...