But Definitely Not St. Ventura

What's in a name? A whole lot, if the residents of St. Augusta, Minnesota, are any indication. Last winter, facing the possibility of being annexed by the neighboring city of St. Cloud, the township of St. Augusta decided to incorporate. Although the original proposal was to call the new municipality Neenah, residents soon realized that they could garner the support of a major political player in Minnesota if they opted to name their city Ventura instead. Governor Jesse Ventura's approval and subsequent visit helped the town win the attention and legitimacy it needed to fend off St. Cloud's annexation move.

Now, the town of 3,100 has decided that it doesn't need Ventura's auspices any longer. Within a month of last May's incorporation, a petition drive to change the city's name had gathered 800 signatures, earning the issue a place on the November ballot. Of the city's 1,360 voters, 946 decided in favor of changing the name back to St. Augusta, which had been the name of the township for more than a century. "The main reason was to reflect the heritage of the area; a lot of people had always identified themselves as being from St. Augusta, even though it was just a township before," said Aaron Anderson, the city's clerk administrator. Augsburg, a name pieced together from the city's two hamlets of St. Augusta and Luxemburg, was also on the ballot and received 263 votes.

The city council voted to approve the change in late November, so it's official: St. Augusta, nee Ventura, will have to order new signs all over again.