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Newsleader Sauk Rapids-Rice
Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 Volume 3, Issue 1 Est. 2015
Town Crier
Farewell, for now
This is the final print edition of the Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader, for now. Publisher Janelle Von Pinnon and staff thank all of our loyal readers as well as those businesses who advertised regularly with us. We hope you enjoyed reading the past 20 months of community news and feature stories as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing them to you. Please continue to visit our website regularly at thenewsleaders.com for community news/advertising. Wishing all of you a healthy and prosperous 2017.
Cabin Fever set Jan. 27 at Pleasantview Elementary
Cabin Fever is set from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 at Pleasantview Elementary School, 1009 Sixth Ave. N., Sauk Rapids. It is a fun-filled event for the whole family. Activities include bingo, cakewalk, crafts, bowling, archery and more. Pizza, cookies and drinks will be available for purchase. Proceeds benefit the Pleasantview PTAC.
Car seat events offer free checks
Make sure your children and grandchildren travel safely in your vehicle. Have car seats checked for correct installation from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 15 or April 19 within the Gold Cross Ambulance garage, 2800 Seventh St. N., St. Cloud. Call 320-656-7021 to make a free appointment. A car seat check is encouraged for those with children ages 12 and younger, including those in booster seats. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Jan. 6 Criers.
Postal Patron
Viral Facebook post finds stolen fish house by Mollie Rushmeyer news@thenewsleader.com
Letting go of a loved one’s belongings after they pass away can be hard to face, but the added pain of having a precious, memory-filled possession stolen is something Meghan Wiebe’s family experienced Dec. 16. After Wiebe’s father, Dennis Arndt, a retired Sauk Rapids teacher, passed away, he left behind a love of the outdoors and a hand-crafted fish house for his family to enjoy at his cabin on Briggs Lake near Clear Lake. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for someone else to admire the craftsmanship as well. On Dec. 16, Wiebe’s husband, Chris, noticed the fish house missing and soon the family knew it had been stolen. “My dad was always saying treasure this, treasure that, trea-
sure the things that are important,” Meghan Wiebe, also of Sauk Rapids, said. “He always had a project going, and after he died we had to let go of many unfinished projects. So, when the fish house was stolen, I knew we couldn’t let go of it without a fight.” At first they thought perhaps Meghan’s brother moved it. But after checking with him, they knew he hadn’t. Chris went to the cabin next door where the neighbor noticed it wasn’t in the driveway Dec. 15. The neighbor across the road said he noticed the fish house there around 10 a.m. the day before. With that information, Meghan took to Facebook with a plea for help in finding her father’s fish house, asking people to be on the lookout. They put up paper notices the oldHouse • page 2
contributed photo
The late Dennis Arndt of Sauk Rapids stands with the fish house he built and intended for his family to use. On Dec. 16 Arndt’s daughter, Meghan Wiebe and husband Chris noticed the fish house missing from his cabin on Briggs Lake near Clear Lake. Thanks to Meghan’s viral Facebook plea, the stolen fish house was returned to the grateful family.
Public submits 1,300 names for new K-9 by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
A 1-year-old German shepherd at the Benton County Sheriff’s Department has lots of well-wishers – 1,300 to be exact. The dog is the department’s new K-9 patrol dog. After he arrived in Benton County from Slovakia in eastern Europe, the
sheriff’s department employees asked the public to submit names for the new recruit. In just a few weeks, the department received the astonishing number of suggestions – 1,300 – and 600 of those are now on a “finals” list. Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck told the Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader that a name for the
of service with handler Deputy Kadlac. The new dog came from the same breeder in Slovakia as the one who provided Ben. In Slovakia, the German shepherd was named “Hoky” (pronounced hockey). “He is very social and has a lot of drive, so we expect him to be a great asset to our office,” K-9 • page 2
2016 Year in Review:
Growth, celebrations, fiscal health
by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
New program to help girls cope with traumas
Project Hope, a therapy group for teen girls who have experienced traumas, is about to form in the greater St. Cloud area. Its first meeting is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 10 at the Village Family Service Center, 4140 Thielman Lane, Suite 303 in St. Cloud. The program for girls ages 12 to 18 will be led by two mental-health clinicians and a counselor. Participants will learn about trauma, how to increase self-esteem and self-empowerment, how to negotiate relationships and how to manage overwhelming feelings and behaviors. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Jan. 6 Criers. For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
new dog will be announced possibly by the end of this week. The name will be chosen by the dog’s handler, Benton County Deputy Brad Kadlac. Heck said he and others in the department were amazed by how many people made name suggestions. The department’s previous K-9 dog, Ben, retired last year after a long, distinguished record
photo by Dennis Dalman
Gannon Petron, 6, of Rice concentrates as he practices holding an automatic screwdriver before getting down to the business of putting together a wood-duck house. The event is sponsored by the Rice Area Sportsmen’s Club, of which Gannon’s dad Jason is a member.
The cities of Sauk Rapids and Rice continued to grow while maintaining fiscal health through the year 2016. An auditing firm praised the Rice City Council and staff for its sound financial management. A highlight of the year was the opening of the interchange at Hwy. 10 right off of Rice’s Main Street. The city also held many festivities throughout the year: Rice Family Fun Day, Halloween on Main Street, the Fire Department/Police Department Open House Day and more. In Sauk Rapids, many major projects began, especially the reconstruction of the “Up-the-Hill” road-and-utilities projects on and near Second Street N. Other no-
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table developments that began or are in the planning stages include more updates or expansions to downtown businesses, a three-story apartment complex to be built in the downtown area near the bridge and the possibility of constructing a field house near the high school largely with the city’s half-cent sales-tax revenue. The city also made progress against urban blight by tearing down unused and decrepit properties in the downtown area, such as a warehouse and old locker-plant building. As in every year, 2016 in Sauk Rapids was a year of family fun. The Sauk Rapids River Days brought huge crowds to the city for many events, such as the Grand Parade and the River Days Food Fest in the river park. Review • page 3
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K-9 from front page
contributed photo
This magnificent German shepherd, the latest recruit to the Benton County Sheriff’s Department, will soon have a new name, chosen from more than 1,300 submitted by the public. The K-9’s partner-inlaw will be Benton County Deputy Brad Kadlac.
People
Brooke Lorentz of Sauk Rapids is the recipient of the Morris Scholarship Endowment – Promise of Tomorrow from the University of
Minnesota, Morris. The scholarship supports full-time students who demonstrate talent, motivation, academic success and promise.
Heartland Security acquires Tri Comm Security Services
Heartland Security of Melrose recently announced its acquisition of Tri Comm Security Services, which has served the St. Cloud area for more than 20 years. “Tri Comm Security Services has built a great reputation for servicing their customers,” said Guy Adams, Heartland Security’s general manager, “and like Heartland Security, selling a variety of security systems including residential, large and small commercial, video surveillance and access control.” Heartland Security has hired local technicians to assist in Heartland Security’s growth and
customer service expectations in the St. Cloud area. Heartland Security is unique to the alarm industry, as the company was created in 1999 by nine local electric cooperatives, including Stearns Electric. Heartland Security is now owned by 14 electric cooperatives and has grown to almost 8,000 customers. A smart security system from Heartland Security lets you view your cameras and control your lights, locks, garage door and thermostat all from one app on your smartphone, giving you anytime, anywhere access to your home or business.
CentraCare Health receives national social media award
CentraCare Health received a silver Best Social Networking e-Healthcare Leadership Award at the 20th annual Healthcare Internet Conference held Nov. 7-9 in Las Vegas. The award recognizes health-care systems for excellence in blogs, chats, Facebook, Twit-
ter, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Second Life and other social-networking channels. An independent panel of individuals familiar with health care and digital communications evaluated each entry. A total of 116 individuals participated as judges.
Blotter
If any readers have tips concerning crimes, they should call the St. Joseph Police Department at 363-8250 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 255-1301 or access its tip site at www.tricountycrimestoppers.org. Crime Stoppers offers rewards up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for crimes. Dec. 22 11:39 a.m. Personal injury. Interstate 94. State Patrol officers investigated a personal injury crash involving three vehicles. The first vehicle, a Minnesota Department of Transportation plow, was pulling a crash cushion and was the second truck blocking the left lane for maintenance. After passing the first warning truck in the right lane, a second vehicle, a Nissan, then moved back to the left lane. Shortly after, the Nissan hit the plow in the left lane. The third vehicle, a Freightliner, then hit the Nissan. The driver in the Nissan was a 55-year-old female from St. Cloud and the driver in the plow was a 38-year-old female from Rice. Both drivers incurred non -life-threatening injuries.
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Heck said. The person who submitted the winning name will have his or her photo taken with the K-9. If the winning name was submitted by multiple people, a drawing will determine which person will meet the dog and have a photo taken. At the end of January, the dog and Kadlac will begin a four-month specialized training course during which the K-9 will learn a variety of workday skills: agility, handler protection, obedience, bite-work, article searches, area and building searches, tracking and how to
House from front page fashioned way at local gas stations and bait shops. Their first lead came from a post-office worker who saw a vehicle pulling the fish house out of the neighborhood Dec. 15. The fish house was more than timber and metal to Wiebe and her family. “Dad built many things,” Wiebe said. “The fish house was his last big project. He took a long time on it, making it perfect. It was intended for the grandchildren. He wanted to pass along the joy of the outdoors.” During his 35-year stretch as a Sauk Rapids fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, he loved to help organize field trips to Deep Portage and his cabin for ice fishing. The post-office worker, who Wiebe says was in the right place at the right time, had a description of the vehicle he saw towing the fish house. The Wiebes gave the description to the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Department as well as adding it to the Facebook post. By Dec. 18, Meghan connected with ice fishermen and ice-fishing equipment groups on Facebook, telling the story. With her own post being shared far and wide and the groups sharing her plea, the news about the stolen fish house started to reach viral status. She said it went from 200 shares early Saturday to 1,000 late Saturday and then to over 8,300 by late Sunday. “We were getting shares as far away as Arizona, Indiana even Florida,” Wiebe said. She laughed, saying they hoped the stolen fish house wouldn’t get as far as Arizona or Florida, and
Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 recognize and alert for narcotics. Heck noted retired K-9 Ben is doing fine after undergoing surgery on an injured knee about two months ago. The surgery was given free by Jeffrey Nelson of Granite City Pet Hospital. That hospital also donated services for the new K-9. “We are very proud of the fact that our K-9 program is fully funded by donations from businesses, residents and community groups,” Heck said. “We would like to thank everyone who has supported this program through donations and attendance at our annual K-9 golf tournament. Without this ongoing support we could not continue this worthwhile program that is a key piece in the mission of keeping Benton County safe.” she didn’t know what they would do with an ice-fishing house in the warmer states. But the family appreciated everyone’s kindness and their willingness to help strangers. Eventually someone who knew the person who stole the fish house saw the posts. The person who knew the thief started by contacting the ice-fishing Facebook group. The group then told the Wiebes, who passed it on to the police. After some consideration, the informant decided to come forward and work with the police firsthand to get the fish house back to the rightful owners. The police did retrieve the fish house from a property near Clearwater, but they are still working to locate the thief. The exterior of the fish house had been spray-painted blue and stripped bare so the family could scarcely recognize the object that had made so many memories. Regardless, they were overjoyed to have Grandpa Dennis’ fish house back. Wiebe said it has changed her perspective on safety. “We need to keep a closer eye on things,” she said. “And yeah, it did dampen our spirits a little.” However, she added: “We had bigger, brighter lessons to learn about our community helping each other, and how they cared about Dad’s memory.” On Jan. 14, they will receive a belated Christmas gift from Miller Auto Center in St. Cloud, which has offered to repaint the fish house back to its original red, free of charge. To the many who helped spread their post and kept vigilant watch for her father’s fish house, Wiebe said this: “I want to express our thanks to all who shared. We are happy to continue his fishing legacy.”
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Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
Review from front page The following are just some of the notable happenings in Sauk Rapids and Rice during the past year as reported in the Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader.
January
Carol Mead is named Sauk Rapids-Rice Teacher of the Year by her colleagues at Mississippi Heights Elementary School. Mead, who teaches kindergarten, said if she is a good teacher, it’s because of the “amazing” colleagues who work hard and teach one another, always with the goal of becoming top-quality teachers. Sauk Rapids-Rice School Superintendent Daniel Bittman attends President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech in the nation’s Capitol. He was invited to the event by U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota’s Sixth District. Emmer invited Bittman for his dedication to educating a new generation of children and because he was named Minnesota Superintendent of the Year for 2016. Bittman said hearing the president talk in person was an “amazing opportunity,” adding he was impressed with the president’s emphasis on the importance of education for the nation. The Gospel of Jesus sparked formation of the Rice Community Church in Rice, founded by Pastor Emil Williams and his wife, Beulah. The Williamses founded the church when its membership was only 11 people. The Sauk Rapids Police Department has a new K-9 pal named Thunder, who is the onduty companion of police officer Matt Bosma. The lovable, intelligent dog replaces the previous K-9, Storm, who recently retired. The Department of Natural Resources is considering, with citizen input, whether to do a three-feet drawdown of Little Rock Lake near Rice, as well as the Mississippi River from north of Rice to Sartell. The drawdown, which would last nearly two months, is expected to improve the water quality and prevent algae blooms caused by too many runoff nutrients. A Baptist church branch, Two Rivers, opens in Rice.
February
Sauk Rapid’s Pleasantview Elementary hosts a well-attended “Family Fun Night” with lots of activities for children. Students at Rice Elementary School read up a storm during “I Love to Read Month.” One of the reading-related activities are guest readers, such as a local radio personality, reading storybooks one day in the school’s media center. Jerry Lang of Sauk Rapids is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Aggregate and Ready Mix Association of
Minnesota. Lang was an innovator in the industry, mainly as a long-time employee of Bauerly Brothers in East St. Cloud. The Sauk Rapids City Council approves funding for its portion of the CR 3 project, an area of roadways that badly need repair because of rapidly increasing traffic throughout the years. Sauk Rapids resident Tammy Wilson writes a book about the trials and tribulations of a Somali girl trying to adapt to a new society, a new culture in the United States. The book, entitled Through My Eyes, receives warm responses for its efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding. Wilson is a principal of Discovery School in Waite Park. The Rice Sportsmen’s Club donates a check for $10,000 to help buy a rescue airboat for the Sauk Rapids Fire Department. Madelyn Adamski, 15, daughter of a Sauk Rapids firefighter, began the fund-raising effort when she overheard Rice firefighters talking about the need for one. The girls’ hockey team at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School heads to state competition. Morgan Paulson, an eighthgrader at Sauk Rapids Middle School, is a top winner at the regional spelling bee, which entitles her to compete in the state contest. Michael Willemsen of Sauk Rapids announces his candidacy for State Senate District 13, now served by Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville). Willemsen hopes to secure the DFL endorsement. A real, live penguin from Hemker Park and Zoo wows adults and children during the “One District One Book Family Night” at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. More than 1,000 people attend the event whose book this year is Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
March
A jam-packed crowd of hundreds of people attend a meeting at Old Village Hall in Rice to hear all about a proposed Little Rock Lake drawdown by the Department of Natural Resources. Eric Altena of DNR Fisheries and Wildlife, Little Falls Office, said the drawdown, planned for summer 2017, would last about eight weeks and help improve the quality of water and other factors in Little Rock Lake near Rice, as well as the stretch of river from north of Rice to Sartell. Several challenges, however, might delay the project. Sandy Dilts, who works at Good Shepherd Community Home in Sauk Rapids, is named statewide Caregiver of the Year by LeadingAge Minnesota at is annual conference in St. Paul. Dilts was honored for the consistent excellence of her work for 45 years at Good Shepherd. Perkins in the Pines in Sauk Rapids closes after 45 years of business. Management said the restaurant was closed because of three straight years of road con-
struction that diminished business, as well as an expiring lease. The management hopes to find another locale in Sauk Rapids where another Perkins can be opened. The Rice City Council hires part-time police officer Brent William Curtis. The Sauk Rapids Council approves plans for remodeling the Sauk Rapids Municipal Liquor Store, a $110,000 project. Sauk Rapids VFW hosts a care-package fundraiser for troops stationed overseas. A pre-spring ritual, birdhouse building by families, takes place again in Rice, thanks to the Rice Area Sportsmen’ Club, who sponsors and funds the popular activity. The color green predominates at the annual Rice Heritage Day Parade in downtown Rice. Irish ancestors but also many others of various ancestries enjoy the event. An auditor praises the City of Rice for having an end-of-year balance of $65,000. The city, he said, handled its revenue and spending wisely in the previous year.
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YEARS SERVING THE COMMUNITY
The Sauk Rapids City Council hears a proposal for an athletic field house as part of an athletic center that could be paid for by half-cent sales-tax revenue to the city. The project could be done in conjunction with the school district and be built adjacent to the high school. Bingo players share lunch and a good time at the annual Immaculate Conception Church fundraiser in Rice. Kathy Conner, an employee of Pine’s Edge Grocery & Liquor, south of Rice, did a double-take when a customer with a long, long beard and wearing black pajamas walked into the store Easter morning. “I knew he was somebody because he had an aura about him, like a rock ‘n’ roll star,” Conner said. Conner’s hunch was correct. The bearded, pajama-clad gent was none other than Billy Gibbons, masterful lead guitarist and singer for the legendary ZZ Top band and, more recently, a TV actor. Gibbons founded ZZ Top nearly 50 years ago, and the power-blues band has been making hit records and touring ever since. Rolling Stone magazine named Gibbons number 32 on a list of the greatest guitarists of all time. The Benton County Snowmobile Club donates ResQ Discs to the Benton County Sheriff’s Department and to the police departments of Sauk Rapids, Rice and Sartell. The discs, thrown out onto water by connective lines, are known to have saved many people who might have drowned. Sauk Rapids-Rice High School presents the classic musical play Once Upon a Mattress. The Sauk Rapids Business Council hosts the first-ever BusiReview • page 4
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Sauk Rapids Middle School students take a leaf-flinging break from raking, one of their community-service projects they did Oct. 28 at the Audrey Philippi residence on River Road in Sauk Rapids. From left to right are eighth-graders Nick Maxwell, Brooklyn Brigmon, Jaden Johnson, Shelby Strassburg (toward front), Micaela Garcia-Walberg and Matthew Trapp.
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May
The staff of the Sauk Rapids/ Rice Newsleader thanks the city, readers and advertisers on the first anniversary of the newspaper, which began publication May 1, 2015. Members of the Rice Area Chamber of Commerce have a good time while visiting Target Field in Minneapolis during a day trip. Schools in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District hold their annual “Walk For Life” event to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. A rural Rice woman, Karla Scapanski, filed for office as a DFL’er to challenge incumbent Rep. Jim Newberger (R-Becker) for the House District 15B seat. Scapanski is a day-care operator. Fifth-graders in Sauk Rapids place in the top 10 in a regional Math Masters competition held at Sartell Middle School. A new Sauk Rapids Farmers’ Market opens in a new location – right downtown in a parking lot
near Manea’s Meats. The weekly Saturday market offers a variety of homegrown foods and homebaked goodies, as well as arts and crafts and sometimes entertainment. Playhouse Child Care Center opens in Sauk Rapids. The center has a new lease on life. Previously, in 1991, it opened at a place near the Sauk Rapids bridge but had to close because of demolition of that bridge. It did not re-open in Sauk Rapids, but now it’s back, at Trinity Lutheran Church on Mayhew Lake Road. Memorial Day ceremonies with speeches, prayers and music take place in Sauk Rapids and Rice, as well as elsewhere in the state and nation.
June
Matthew Crouse, a former U.S. Marine who lives in Sauk Rapids, announces his DFL candidacy to run against Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) for State House District 13B. Four students from the culinary program at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School take honors in the management competition ProStart Invitational. In Minnesota they won the state championship. In Dallas, Texas they earned a fifth-place finish. The winners are Marianna Blair, Kelsey Christenson, Hanna Meyer and Paige Vogt. Head football coach Bill Magnuson resigns from the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District to take a job as science teacher and assistant coach at Pequot Lakes High School. Magnuson taught and coached for 16 years in Sauk Rapids. The Sauk Rapids City Council holds a hearing to examine growth issues surrounding five building projects slated for the coming year.
July
Thousands of residents and out-of-towners have a blast at the annual Rapids River Days. The events include a parade, a food-
fest in the park, a Tanner Team Run-Walk and the coronation of three Sauk Rapids ambassadors – Sydney Burk, Clo Meyer and Allyson Walz. An expansion of Manea’s Meats in downtown Sauk Rapids is approved by the city council. Melissa Brenny of Sauk Rapids is named Mrs. Minnesota America in Bloomington. Brenny and husband Michael are the parents of four young children. Hugs and tears abound at the National Guard Facility at the St. Cloud Airport when 20 soldiers, all members of B Company, are given a warm send-off by family, friends and guest speakers. The men then left for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Big crowds enjoy the annual Immaculate Conception Church Festival in Rice with lots of games, sales, food and socializing. The Rice City Council approves a joint-powers agreement between the city and the law firm of Kelm and Reuter and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for the handling of city-related electronic information. The greater St. Cloud area is named the 12th healthiest area in the nation by 24/7 Wall Street, a Delaware-based analysis company. The Benton County Sheriff’s Department’s K-9 police dog, Ben, retired happily with the family of his long-time officer companion, deputy Brad Kadlac.
August
Many neighborhoods in the Sauk Rapids-Rice area have National Night Out gatherings to promote local safety. The Rice City Council expresses concerns about streetmaintenance costs and ponders the best ways to pay for needed street repairs. At a meeting at the Sauk Rapids City Council, residents share their concerns about an apparent rise in crime and suspicious activities in the Second Avenue N. neighborhood. The council vows
Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 to increase patrol in that area and devise other methods to ensure residents and police can work together to solve the problem. Residents said there are too many break-ins, burglaries and thefts in the neighborhood, leaving adults and children feeling afraid for their safety. Torborg Builders of St. Cloud plans a new five-story apartment building in the downtown area near the bridge. The plan fits in nicely with the city’s wish to have an interactive mix of businesses, recreation and residents in the revitalized downtown area. Former resident NaDean Schroeder is hired to become the new activities director for Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. She herself is a graduate of the school and then worked elsewhere in the field of recreation. She said she is very happy to be back home, doing something she loves. New Sauk Rapids-Rice High School head football coach Phil Klaphake begins a new season with “hope and expectation,” welcoming the challenges he and the players will tackle for months of teamwork that will, hopefully, result in plenty of wins. Melissa Brenny of Sauk Rapids, who was named Mrs. Minnesota America, will compete for the national title in Las Vegas. The Sauk Rapids City Council continues to mull over the possibility of building an athletic field house with school-district cooperation, using half-cent sales-tax revenue. Despite rain, families have a very good time at Rice Family Fun Day in downtown Rice, complete with a parade, games, food and music.
September
Teenager Madelyn Adamski, whose father is a Sauk Rapids firefighter, continues to raise money for a much-needed fan-propeller rescue boat. So far, she has raised an impressive amount – $67,000 for the $75,000 boat. A softball team sponsored by O’Brien’s Pub in Rice and C & L Excavating wins the Minnesota Sports Federation’s 2016 Masters M 35-and-Over Slowpitch State Championship at Bob Cross Field in Sauk Rapids. The gymnasium at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School gets a dazzling renovation, thanks to a gift of $80,000 raised by the Tom Bearson Foundation. Tom Bearson for whom the foundation was named, is the Sartell college student who was slain in the Fargo-Moorhead area three years ago. The crime is yet to be solved. Bearson, a St. Francis Xavier student, played many hours of basketball in that gymnasium and went on to become one of the best basketball players in the history of Sartell High School. Central Minnesota residents – and people far and wide – are stunned to learn the body of Jacob Wetterling has been found buried in a farm grove near
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YEARS IN BUSINESS
contributed photo
Hot-buttered corn on the cob, like the one enjoyed by this girl at last year’s Benton County Fair, will be a popular favorite at the 2016 Benton County Fair, which which was held Aug. 2-7. Paynesville. People expressed a mixture of emotions ranging from horror and sorrow to relief and closure. Jacob, 11 at the time, was abducted and, as it turned out, murdered 27 years ago on a road near his St. Joseph home. Confessed killer Danny Heinrich, whose most recent home was Annandale, led authorities to the body and admitted he kidnapped the boy, molested him and then shot him in the head, killing him and then burying him. Heinrich agreed to a plea deal, to confess the crime and to reveal the body’s location so he would not be charged with murder. Heinrich, however, later received a sentence of 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography at his Annandale home. Heinrich also admitted to kidnapping and sexually assaulting another boy in the Paynesville area about eight months before Jacob’s abduction-murder. A 3-foot drawdown of Little Rock Lake and the river area between Rice and Sartell continues to be touted by the Department of Natural Resources as a way to improve the water quality in both the lake and that part of the Mississippi, but many obstacles remain to be resolved before it could be done. Residents along the river and the lake have attended many DNR-led meetings about the proposal. An investigation continues into the multiple stabbings by a St. Cloud Somali man at Crossroads Mall. The assailant was shot dead by an off-duty Avon police officer who happened to be in the mall at the same time. Fortunately, none of the people who were stabbed in the rampage suffered life-threatening injuries. Authorities believe the man was “inspired” by terrorist propaganda. A community service is held at the College of St. Benedict for Jacob Wetterling and is well-attended by officials, including Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Friends and families eulogize Jacob as a happy-go-lucky – sometimes humorously mischievous – child who had a kind heart for one and all.
October
Legendary pop singer Bobby Vee dies of Alzheimer’s disease. The famed rocker and his family chose to live first in St. Cloud and then in Cold Spring for many years. He and his sons set up a recording studio in the old bank building in St. Joseph. The Vees were known to share their talents, gratis, for many good causes, including fundraisers for years for Cathedral High School (where Vee’s children attended school) and for years at the Fourth of July Joetown Rocks music festival in St. Joseph. Vee, whose fame endured through decades, sang many gold-record hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as Take Good Care of My Baby and Devil or Angel. Michael Maurer, a Vietnam veteran who lives in Sartell, writes a novel entitled Perfume River Nights, a harrowing fictionalized account of his and others’ experiences in that divisive war. Maurer is donating sales proceeds from the book to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Families socialize with firefighters and have a good time at the annual Rice Fire Department’s Open House. A highlight of the event is the landing of the North Memorial Hospital emergency ambulance, always a hit with the kiddies. The Sauk Rapids Police and Fire Department Open House draws huge crowds who interact with the firefighters, play games, eat food and have an all-around good time. Injured Sauk Rapids High School football player Daunte Keller is on the mend from a concussion suffered during a game. His injury caused panic and concern when it happened at an Oct. 7 game. The game was paused for 30 minutes as Keller was placed on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Craig Gondeck of rural Rice is named chairman of the Watab Township Town Board.
November
The Sauk Rapids City Council Review • page 7
Deborah A. Krump An independent agent
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Our View Let’s put our wishes to work for good changes The Newsleaders’ staff members wish all of our readers may enjoy a Happy New Year. After all the depressing news developments in 2016, everyone is due for big bundles of good news, glad tidings. This is what we, the staff, wish for our readers and – for that matter – everyone else in the world: • We wish good health for all. For those who may be ailing, we wish for you to improve and that full health can be restored soon. • We wish for safe, happy and well-loved children (and pets, too). • We wish for continued and/or renewed prosperity by which we mean enough income to live contentedly and stress-free, without the anxietyriddled burdens of bills, especially unforeseen ones like catastrophic medical bills. • We wish for success to those struggling to lose weight, to improve health through regular exercise regimens, a more nutritious diet and lifestyle changes that include such good choices as cessation of smoking. • We wish for frequent respites from electronic dependence, whether it be TVs, cell phones, iPads, computers or other devices that prevent us from communicating head to head, heart to heart, in person. (Sadly, there are some people who actually “communicate” with family members in the same household via digital means.) • We wish more people will begin to celebrate what we all have in common and work toward common goals rather than succumb to forces that divide us. With that spirit in mind, we wish the U.S. Congress finally passes a comprehensive immigration-reform bill, that if Obamacare is repealed, there is a plan to replace it so 20 million Americans who finally gained access to insurance, thanks to Obamacare, will be able to remain insured. We also wish an independent committee unravels how Russia meddled in our democratic process and comes up with ways to prevent it from ever happening again. • Last but not least, we wish the forces of evil, such as ISIS, collapse of their own exhausting atrocities or are eliminated. It’s time the people in such slaughterhouse places in the world can have a measure of peace, safety and security. The neverending suffering and death of innocent people, like those trapped in Aleppo, must end. But, of course, wishes are not enough. Wishes must be put into actions. That’s un-doable some may think as they sink into apathy or despair. The best way to promote kindness and peace is to choose a good cause and learn all you can about it, then contribute what money you can afford and do volunteer work to advance that cause. It could be as local as working with the humane society or tutoring students, or it can be broader efforts such as pressuring legislators to be true public servants or donating to organizations that help relieve suffering and save lives. (Doctors Without Borders is an excellent choice.) The only way to make wishes come true is to engage actively with the world around us, to commit money and/or time and then to take positive actions. So many good people do that already; let them be our daily inspirations. Making the world better is not only do-able; it’s infinitely rewarding.
The ideas expressed in the letters to the editor and of the guest columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Newsleaders. Letters to the editor may be sent to news@thenewsleaders.com or P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374. Deadline is noon Monday. Please include your full name for publication (and address and phone number for verification only.) Letters must be 350 words or less. We reserve the right to edit for space.
Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
Opinion
Time to kill ObamaCare? Whoa! Like hungry wolves, those who have loathed Obamacare from Day One are circling, howling, eager to attack and kill that law once the new president takes office. If it is repealed, will its die-hard enemies replace it with anything? Anything at all? We’d better pay attention because health-care access will again be one of the hottest topics in this new year. Ugly fights about it could well cause the nation to become even more divided. To be sure, the Affordable Care Act – even its proponents have long acknowledged – needs some major tweaking to make it more “affordable” in some cases. Detractors like to pounce on premium increases as a sign of doom. They are happily oblivious of all the good outcomes the ACA has brought to millions of people, including the 20 million Americans who were finally able to get healthcare insurance for the first time. Those who maintain stubbornly and even gleefully that Obamacare is a total disaster are not telling the truth – far from it. The following are facts pertaining to the ACA’s effects in Minnesota as reported in a major study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: • The uninsured rate in Minnesota declined by 51 percent since the ACA started in 2010. That means 250,000 Minnesotans were able to get health coverage who could not in the pre-ACA years. • Most Minnesotans (3,319,000) have coverage through employers. They, along with people covered under Medicaid or Medicare, have benefited directly and indirectly thanks to the ACA. Those changes include no denial of coverage because of pre-existing conditions. More than 2,318,000 Minnesotans have some kind of pre-existing condition, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dennis Dalman Editor Other good changes that affect all Minnesotans with insurance are the following: • No imposition of annual or lifetime caps on coverage. Before the ACA, 2,043,000 Minnesotans were susceptible to those limits, cutting out coverage in dire crises when it would be most needed. • Children can stay on parents’ health plans until age 26. • Certain types of free preventive care are required, including cancer screenings, that can nip medical problems in the bud. Such screenings not only save lives but help prevent huge costs that can happen when treatable problems grow into exacerbated, complicated (and very costly) medical conditions. • We constantly hear from the chorus of naysayers that Obamacare has caused premiums to skyrocket. That is true in some cases, but in most cases premiums are actually lower than the double-digit increases in the years predating the ACA. The average premiums for Minnesotans with employer-sponsored coverage increased an average of 4.0 percent annually from the ACA years of 2010-15. Before that time, those rates averaged a 7.2 percent increase per year in the previous decade. • The 80/20 rule requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 cents of each premium dollar received on health care or related improvements (instead of administrative costs
like salaries or marketing). Those who don’t comply must give refunds to customers. • Thanks to the ACA, thousands of Minnesotans suffering from mental-health problems are now getting care. With improved access to treatment, there are an estimated 3,000 fewer Minnesotans suffering from depression. There is much more to be done, but the ACA has helped start such improvements. • Medicare recipients are benefiting in two major ways due to the ACA. One is lower costs for prescription drugs because the ACA is closing the so-called “drug donut hole,” a period in which drug costs can balloon for a Medicare recipient. According to the HHS report, 73,484 Minnesota seniors saved $72 million on drug-spending in 2015. That’s an average of $981 per beneficiary. Another way Medicare seniors benefit is the free preventive services and elimination of cost-sharing for such things as cancer screenings. Many serious health problems were discovered thanks to such screenings, preventing some catastrophic costs and outcomes later on. • Tax credits now help 47,266 Minnesotans with moderate and middle incomes receive tax credits averaging $203 per month to help them afford premiums for plans accessed via HealthCare.gov. There are many more beneficial outcomes of the ACA too numerous to mention here. To learn more, Google U.S. Department of Human Services and then type in “Affordable Care Act” on its website. Those who learn the facts about Obamacare (not just its problems) will be far less inclined to howl for its demise. They will instead insist on keeping it, with changes; or they will insist those who want to kill it will have something at least as good to put in its place.
Letter to the editor:
Reader says urge legislators to oppose Pruitt as head of EPA William Haider, Sauk Rapids Thank you for your support of the Paris climate accord. “The agreement is vital to preserve the earth for future generations.” (Newsleaders editorial Dec. 15) My family shares your hope for Mr. Trump’s awakening to the reality of climate change. Unfortunately, his appointment of Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency suggests otherwise. EPA’s mission statement says its mission is to ensure “all Americans are protected from significant risks to human health and the environment where they live, learn and work . . . and national efforts to reduce environmental risk are based
on the best available scientific information . . . ” These do not seem to be priorities of Mr. Pruitt, a lawyer, politician and currently attorney general of Oklahoma but not a scientist. As attorney general, he has spent much of his time unsuccessfully challenging EPA clean water and air rules, calling those regulations politically motivated. His 2014 re-election campaign was chaired by the CEO of an oil and gas company, and notoriously he allowed energy industry lobbyists to submit their public comments to the EPA on his attorney-general office stationery. Most disturbing is he believes the jury is still out on climate change and opposes the Obama Clean Power Plan, an essential part of the U.S.
commitment to the Paris accord. This ignorance of climate change and its potential impact is inexcusable at a time when even Exxon Mobil, which previously denied the evidence of its own climate research, is now acknowledging the reality of climate change and supporting a carbon tax. For the future health of our planet and its inhabitants, contact your U.S. senators and tell them Scott Pruitt should not be confirmed as EPA administrator. Sen. Al Franken, 309 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510; 202-224-5641. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 302 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20510; 202-224-3244.
Great films can bring good to lives
A few weeks ago, I was able to see the newest Star Wars movie, which is entitled Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In addition to being the eighth live-action release of the series, it’s also the first standalone of the group, meaning it is not an episode of the beloved George Lucas-helmed feature films. Rogue One continues the success of the Star Wars franchise, starting in 1977 with the original release of Episode IV-A New Hope, which was just called Star Wars back then. The sleeper-hit success of that film has ensured nearly every subsequent production has been highly anticipated since. Following the conclusion of the original trilogy in 1983 and the prequel trilogy beginning in 1999, the series was brought back for another round of movies in 2015. It is now safe to say Star Wars is a multi-generational phenomenon. I have the personal experience of being between two of these generations. On one hand, I’m old enough to remember when Episode Three seemed like the final major Star Wars release. I’m also young enough to be able to look at the newest additions such as The Force Awakens without having too much of a nostalgic bent. Though each new wave of movies has its own particular style and flair, I think they all still capture the essential spirit of Star Wars. What is that spirit, and why do movies cause such a big impact in our everyday lives? This is a question society has pondered since the beginning of cinema. A great film can influence our words, thoughts and even our actions. This can be clearly seen through the large number of movie references and jokes sprinkled throughout our discourse, and many
Connor Kockler Guest Writer of the parallels we can draw to our own lives. A great number of movies provide a quick dose of action or comedy to entertain and help us get away from it all, at least for a few short hours. But the greatest movies are, in my opinion, the ones that make us think. Just like a painting or book, an excellent film will have us pondering its inherent questions long after we leave the theater. It’s these kinds of movies that really show how powerful a medium motion pictures can be. If you’ve ever seen a behind-the-scenes documentary about movie-making, you can see it’s a very involved process. Thousands of actors, writers, crew and other roles work constantly to make everything just right. That one scene you watch on the screen may have taken dozens of takes to work. This is essential to conveying the message. A great movie does everything for a reason. The cast’s lines and expressions, the scene lighting, the background and the music bring everything together. Like a picture being worth a thousand words, a movie scene can contain many ideas; we just need to figure out what they are. Some may not consider Star Wars to be this kind of movie. I believe, however, there is a
great moral to it. From the very beginning, Star Wars has been a fight between good and evil. It’s a battle where the lines are clearly drawn. We can easily tell who is on either side based on their uniform or their demeanor. Our heroes are fighting against impossible odds but still manage to persevere and fight for good. They could have easily given up. Luke Skywalker could have made the choice not to join the Rebellion. Han Solo could have taken off and left the Rebels to fight for themselves. But they each chose to do the right thing. Perhaps this is evocative of the more complicated decisions of everyday life. Our choices are not as black and white as in the movies. One decision can change a life forever, but it can seem extremely overwhelming. This may be another great benefit of movies. They show us that despite the challenges, despite all the roadblocks that may lay ahead, we must always have the strength to break through. This might be strength we didn’t even know we had. The greatest movies challenge us to think about our actions, to believe in ourselves and to make a difference in the world around us. Entertainment doesn’t always have to remain so. If we can translate the positive messages of our favorite films into real-world action, a huge amount of good can be done. Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
Review from page 5 increases the amount of firefighters’ pensions by $200 per firefighter per year, for a new total of $4,500 annually. On Nov. 8, voters have their say-so. Nationally, Donald Trump
Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com is elected as president, winning the most electoral votes but coming in second in popular votes. In Sauk Rapids, the following are elected: Kurt Hunstiger, mayor; Steve Heinen and Nick Sauer (incumbents to city council); Mark Hauck, Tracy Morse, Jan Solarz (incumbents to school board) and Ryan Butkowski (newcomer elected to school board).
In the Rice election, the following win office: Dale Rogholt (incumbent mayor); Christopher Scheel and Bryan Anderson (incumbents to city council).
December
The Rice City Council wrestles, once again, with the question of whether to require city employees receive their pay-
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checks through direct deposit or to allow some to get their checks at city hall so they can cash them themselves. The council members decide to table the topic. At their next meeting, Dec. 5, they decide to table the topic again. Cory Zimpel is named Sauk Rapids Teacher of the Year. Zimpel, who is also a Sauk Rapids firefighter, teaches industrial
technology at the high school. The Sauk Rapids budget for 2017 will increase by 4.3 percent, to $5,437,200, as decided by the city council. To read any of the above stories in their entirety, visit thenewsleaders.com then click on the Archives button mid-way down the home page.
Community Calendar Is your event listed? Send your information to: Newsleader Calendar, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374; fax it to 320-3634195; or, e-mail it to news@thenewsleaders.com. Friday, Jan. 6 Benton County Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org. Moonlight Ski, 6-10 p.m., Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, 1802 CR 137, Waite Park. 320255-6172 or parkinfo@co.stearns. mn.us. Saturday, Jan. 7 Sartell Winter Farmers’ Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N, Sartell. www.marketmonday.org. Sunday, Jan 8 Breakfast, sponsored by St. Joseph Knights of Columbus, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Heritage Hall, St. Joseph Catholic Church, 12 W Minnesota St., St. Joseph. Sno-flyers Vintage Run, noon-5 p.m., SnoFlyers Clubhouse, south of Holdingford on C.R. 9. AU TO M O B I L E S / M OTO RC Y C L E S WANTED MOTORCYCLES: TOP CASH PAID! For Old Motorcycles! 1900-1979. DEAD OR ALIVE! 920-371-0494 (MCN) WANTED TO BUY WANTED TO BUY: Basswood and Birchwood by truckload delivered to Dodgeville,WI. Bark intact, harvested in dormancy, delivered FRESH cut. Pre-arranged purchases only. Call Al Ladd at 608-935-2341 ext.333 (MCN) FOR SALE FRUIT & NUT TREES. Blueberry, Strawberry, Grape, Asparagus, Evergreen & Hardwood Plants & MORE! FREE catalog. WOODSTOCK NURSERY, N1831 Hwy 95, Neillsville, WI 54456. Toll Free 888-8038733 wallace-woodstock.com (MCN) TRAILER Sale: 6’x12’ V-nose ramp Cargo $2.750.00, 7’x16’ V-nose ramp $4,199.00; Skidloader trailers SAVE $600.00 to $700.00, Fuel Trailers, Scissor lift trailers, Snowmobile trailers 2 place & 4-place; 150 trailers, 100’s of trailer PARTS! Trailer Repairs 515-972-4554 www.FortDodgeTrailerWorld.com (MCN) VACATION/TRAVEL Are you getting TIRED of the COLD WINTERS where you are? Why don’t you get in your RV Camper and come to J-5 in Mission TX. We are located in the Rio Grande Valley. Average winter temps are 70 degrees daytime and 50 nighttime. We are a small park in a country setting but have stores and restaurants near by. We have specials for first time visitors. Call us at 956-682-7495 or email info@ j5rvparktexas.com, www.j5rvparktexas.com Tom and Donna Tuttle Managers (MCN) Tired of cold weather? Escape to Llano Grande Resort in South Texas’ Rio Grande
Monday, Jan 9 Benton County Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org. Sauk Rapids City Council, 6 p.m., council chambers, Sauk Rapids Government Center, 250 Summit Ave. N. 320-258-5300. ci.sauk-rapids.mn.us. Rice City Council, 7 p.m., council chambers, Rice City Hall, 205 Main St. E. 320-393-2280. Sauk Rapids Sportsmen’s Club, 8 p.m., Molitor’s Quarry Grill and Bar, 425 35th St. N.E., Sauk Rapids. Tuesday, Jan 10 Sartell Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m., Waters Church, 1227 Pinecone Road. 320-258.6061. info@sartellchamber.com. Sauk Rapids Lions Club, 6:30 p.m., VFW, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. e-clubhouse.org/ sites/saukrapidslionsmn. Sauk Rapids Women of Today, 7 p.m., VFW, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. saukrapidswt@mnwt.org. Holistic Moms Network, Valley! RV sites, cottages, fully furnished rentals available. Enjoy our golf course, heated swimming pools, full schedule of activities, top-notch entertainment, breathtaking sunsets, and endless fun. Ask about our complimentary 30-day stay. 800-656-2638 www.lanogranderesort.com (MCN) Tired of the snow? Become a Winter Texan where the sun meets the gulf. Over 100 RV resorts and retirement communities for you to choose from. RV sites, fully furnished rentals and more. For more information visit www.rgvparks. org. (MCN) EMPLOYMENT/HELP WANTED CLASS-A CDL Regional Driver. Good home time. Great pay and benefits. Matching 401k. Bonuses and newest equipment. No touch freight. Experience needed. Call Scott 507-460-9011. Apply on-line WWW.MCFGTL.COM (MCN) PAID IN ADVANCE! MAKE $1000 Weekly!! Mailing Brochures From Home. Helping home workers since 2001. No Experience Required. Start Immediately! www.centralmailing.net (VOID IN SD, WI) (MCN) Drive with Uber. You’ll need a Smartphone. It’s fun and easy. For more information, call: 1-800-902-9366 (MCN) ADOPTION **ADOPTION:** A Creative Financially Secure Home, Art, Music, LOVE, Laughter, At-Home-Mom, Family awaits 1st baby. Expenses Paid **1-800-362-7842** (MCN) A childless married couple seeks to adopt. Will be hands-on mom & devoted dad. Financial security. Expenses PAID. Call Holly & Tiger. 1-800-790-5260 (ask for Adam) (MCN)
7-8:30 p.m., Good Earth Co-op, 2010 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud. 320-252-2489. National Alliance on Mental Health, 7-8:30 p.m., Calvary Community Church, 1200 Roosevelt Road, St. Cloud. 320259-7101.
Multiples, 7 p.m., VFW Granite Post 428, 9 18th Ave. N., St. Cloud. Friday, Jan. 13 Benton County Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 218 First St. N., Sauk Rapids. 320-253-9614. mnbentonhistory.org.
Wednesday, Jan 11 St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m., St. Joseph Community Fire Hall, 323 Fourth Ave. NE. stjosephchamber.com. Sauk Rapids Recreation Board, 6 p.m., Public Works Building, 360 Summit Ave. N, Sauk Rapids. 320-258-5300. ci. sauk-rapids.mn.us.
Saturday, Jan. 14 Winter Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sartell City Hall, 125 Pinecone Road N. marketmonday. org. 55+ Driving Improvement Program (four-hour refresher
Thursday, Jan 12 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, 520 First St. NE, Sartell. Sartell-Sauk Rapids Moms’ Club, 9-10:30 a.m., Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pinecone Road N., Sartell. Jesus Cares Ministries Class, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Petra Lutheran Church and School, 1049 First Ave. N., Sauk Rapids. St. Cloud Area Mothers of PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 855-390-6047 (Void in IL & IN) (MCN) HEALTH & MEDICAL Chronic Pain? Back or joint pain, arthritis? Recent Medicare/health coverage changes may benefit you! Products are little to NO COST, if qualified. FREE Shipping. Accredited Pain Specialists. CALL 1- 800-950-0213 (MCN) LIVING WITH KNEE OR BACK PAIN? Medicare recipients may qualify to receive a pain relieving brace at little or no cost. Call now! 844-668-4578 (MCN) Stop OVERPAYING for your prescriptions! SAVE! Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy, compare prices and get $25.00 OFF your first prescription! CALL 1-800-263-4059 Promo Code CDC201625 (MCN) DIGITAL HEARING AIDS - Now offering a 45-Day Risk Free Offer! FREE BATTERIES for Life! Call to start your free trial! 855-982-0724 (MCN) OXYGEN - Anytime. Anywhere. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The All-New Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! FREE info kit: 844-852-7448 (MCN) Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace at little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1- 800-604-2613 (MCN) MISCELLANEOUS CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS! 1 DAY PAYMENT & PREPAID shipping. HIGHEST
course), 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Miller Auto Plaza, 2930 Second St. S., St. Cloud. 1-888-234-1294. mnsafetycenter.org. Central Minnesota Chapter of the Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, 12:30 p.m., American Legion, 17 Second Ave. N., Waite Park. Youth Free-Throw Champion-ship, for boys and girls ages 9-14, sponsored by Knights of Columbus, 1:30 p.m., gymnasium, All Saints Academy, 32 W. Minnesota St., St. Joseph.
Paddy is a neutered 1-year-old Chihuahua mix that’s full of energy and very friendly. He loves to be held like a baby and will want to sleep in bed with you. Paddy will let you know when any type of visitor is at the door especially the one who delivers pizzas! He hasn’t had the opportunity to meet other dogs, cats or children, but given his friendly nature, we anticipate that he’d do well with them. “Helping one animal won’t change the world … but it will change the world for that one animal!” Dogs - 8 Puppies - 3
Cats - 36 Kittens - 26
Rabbits - 5
Tri-County Humane Society 735 8th St. NE • PO Box 701 St. Cloud, MN 56302
320-252-0896
www.tricountyhumanesociety.org
Hours: Monday-Thursday Noon-6 p.m., Friday Noon-8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. & Sunday Noon-5 p.m.
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Sauk Rapids-Rice Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
Safe house for victims of sex-trafficking to open by Mollie Rushmeyer news@thenewsleaders.com
With an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people sexually exploited each day in Minnestoa, according to service organization Breaking Free, CeCe Terloux, a long-time advocate of forced-prostitution victims, felt the timing was right to open a shelter and transitional home called Terebinth Refuge, to benefit not only the greater St. Cloud area but much of the state. “I’ve always had a heart for women and girls – and this issue,” said Terloux, the executive director of Terebinth Refuge. Terebinth Refuge is a 501 c(3) non-profit. The safe house is tentatively scheduled to open in early spring 2017 with the motto, “Shelter. Healing. Rest. Growth.” These will be accomplished through short-term shelter beds where sexually exploited women over the age of 18 can stay anywhere from a few days to 90 days, long-term transitional housing, healing care (both physical and emotional), a restful environment, and growth in education, life skills and job-seeking skills. For 24 years, Terloux worked for the Heartland Girl’s Ranch in Benson. While there, she served young girls under the age of 18 who were escaping a life of sex trafficking. Through her work, she saw the issue as not only a “big-city problem” but its prevalence and devastation in every small town across Minnesota and in particular the rural areas surrounding St. Cloud. “St. Cloud is a training ground for the women,” Terloux shared. “There aren’t many resources here for them (the victims), so pimps feel safer than in a bigger
city like Minneapolis. The crowd here is less rough, and they use that to break in the women and girls before shipping them to other areas.” Waite Park Chief of Police Dave Bentrud, a 25-year law-enforcement veteran, and also a Terebinth Refuge board member, added, “For a long time, the traffickers flew under the radar in this area.” It wasn’t until five years ago, when the BCA found a missing female juvenile involved in forced prostitution at a Waite Park motel that Bentrud said eyes were opened to just what a significant problem trafficking had become in this area. “I took it personal,” Bentrud said, adding his first thought was, “Not in my city.” Since then, task forces in the area have made stings on potential “johns” (people attempting to hire a prostitute) as seen in a recent four-man arrest on Nov. 3 last year. Typically the men come from a 50- to 60-mile radius around St. Cloud. Both Terloux and Bentrud have seen a true need for the over-18 age group. Places like the Heartland Girl’s Ranch and Safe Harbor shelters are unable to house anyone over the age of 18. And while there are a couple of programs in the Twin Cities, they are not always available in an emergency and because they are in the metro area, tend to fill fast. “Often the regular shelters don’t want them (the sex-trafficking victims),” Terloux said, saying the shelters aren’t equipped to handle the high level of trauma the women have been through, and they don’t want them recruiting other women to bring back to the pimps. Many times, this leaves
the women with nowhere to go but back to the traffickers who have abused them. “This is a significant problem,” Bentrud said. “We’re looking at getting more investigator time to work on this full time. We need more education for the public and for law enforcement on how to deal with this. We also need to build up victim support, like the Terebinth Refuge. This area really needs safe places for the victims to go.” With all of that in mind, Terloux says she prayerfully went forward with plans to create a safe house for exploited women over 18, with short- and longterm housing and the inclusive approach she always envisioned. “It’s so important,” Terloux said, “that we know all aspects as to how to work with this population. We want to be holistic, address all the issues that go with this.” She said her past foster daughter, who is a survivor of human trafficking, will be on staff to assist when the police call with a woman who has been taken out of a trafficking situation, and she will also be at the house, available to talk with the residents while they stay at Terebinth Refuge. “It’s crucial to have survivors on staff,” she said. “They can see it through a victim’s eyes the way no one else can.” Many of the women have had little to no schooling or job experience and have a criminal background because they were coerced into taking the blame for the pimps’ crimes. Add in the brainwashing from the traffickers to ensure the women feel as though they are incapable of doing anything other than prostitution, and Terloux says, it’s
O’Driscoll appointed as House committee chair by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
State Rep. Tim O’Driscoll (R-Sartell) has been appointed to serve as chair of the House G ove r n m e n t Operations and Elections Policy O’Driscoll Committee for the Minnesota Legislature. He will serve for the 2017-18 legislative session. His district includes Sauk Rapids and Sartell. State House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) announced the appointment in late November. “I’m honored to accept the appointment as chair to this committee and know its subject matter of this committee well,” O’Driscoll said after his appointment. The House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee has policy jurisdiction over state and local government struc-
ture and policy matters, as well as election-policy matters over various election laws and election policy in the state. O’Driscoll will also serve on the Commerce and Regulatory Reform, Rules and Legislative Administration, Veteran Affairs Division and State Government Finance committees. “I want to first thank our community for letting me represent them for another term at the Capitol in St. Paul,” said Rep. O’Driscoll. “I look forward to new opportunities on new committees and different ways to serve our area; we have a lot of work ahead of us.” O’Driscoll was recently elected to his fourth term in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The legislative session began Jan. 3. O’Driscoll, a former Sartell mayor and city-council member, was reelected Nov. 8 for the fourth consecutive time to represent State Legislative District 13B in the legislature. He has served on the Govern-
ment Operations and Elections Policy Committee since he was first elected to the House in 2011. Last year, O’Driscoll served as Pro-Tem of the House. A graduate of Sartell High School, O’Driscoll earned a bachelor-ofscience degree in business education from St. Cloud State University. The 52-year-old has worked in the field of real estate and is a corporate trainer for the Kaplan Professional Schools. He served as Sartell mayor from 2007-11, the year he was first elected to the Minnesota House. From 1993-95 and again from 2002-06, he was a member of the Sartell City Council. In addition, he served as president of the Sartell Economic Development Authority, secretary and executive board member of the St. Cloud Area Planning Organization and as chair of the St. Cloud Joint Planning District. Years before his political career, O’Driscoll was a founding member of Sartell SummerFest, the city’s ever-popular annual summer festival.
contributed photo
CeCe Terloux, executive director for Terebinth Refuge, a sextrafficking safe house set to open in St. Cloud area in the spring, participates in a panel discussion at the award-winning trafficking film, Road to Hope, along with other organizations working to end modern-day slavery. near impossible for the women finalized. As for the name, Terloux says to start fresh and leave this life it’s from the Old Testament Terefor good. That’s why she will make binth trees, and means strong connections with area busi- roots. The trees were places of nesses to provide the residents significance and resting places with internships while they stay of shelter, of which the new in long-term transitional hous- property has many. To make the much-needed ing. It would not take place right away, but when they’re ready. safe house a reality, the TereGrants will pay the business binth Refuge board and Terloux and then also pay the women are asking the area churches, for their work. Terloux hopes to individuals and businesses to see businesses pull together to consider charitable donations. To donate, call CeCe Terloux give the women a chance and help them learn skills to better at 320-204-4881 or send a check made payable to “Terebinth themselves. While for safety and privacy Refuge” to P.O. Box 5035, St. reasons, the exact location can- Cloud, Minn. 56302. For more information, visit not be disclosed, a property has been found that would suit www.terebinthrefuge.org or ethe needs for Terebinth Refuge, mail CeCe Terloux at cece@ though the plans have not been terebinthrefuge.org.
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