Reaching EVERYbody!
Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid St. Joseph Newsleader St. Joseph, MN 56374 Permit No. 21 ECRWSS Postal Customer
Newsleader Sartell-St. Stephen
Postal Patron
CELLslip helps decrease distracted driving
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 Volume 22, Issue 2 Est. 1995
Town Crier
by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com
St. Ben’s hosts Girls, Women in Sports Day
The College of St. Benedict will host a celebration for National Girls and Women in Sports Day at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. The community is invited to join us for this celebration and the CSB basketball game vs. St. Olaf. The 2017 Breaking Barriers Award honoree Marcia Mahlum will be honored at halftime along with a performance by the CSB dance team. Player autographs will be available after the game. All girls and women wearing a sports jersey will receive free admission to this event. For more information visit csbblazers.com.
Be a friendly visitor
Develop a special friendship with a resident of Country Manor by visiting with them regularly. You can visit in their room, the lounges, the bird aviary or, when the weather permits, you could take the resident outside the facility to one of our gardens and/or ponds for your visit. The residents have very interesting stories and insights to share about their lives. Please take some time to listen to a piece of their history and life experiences. Some residents also enjoy being read to during visits. You will learn so much about the generation that has been here long before this website. For more information on this and other United Way volunteer opportunities, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Jan. 13 Criers.
‘Mindfulness’ course set Tuesdays at CentraCare
A course on meditation as a stress-reducer will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 24-March 14 in the lower level of CentraCare Health Plaza, 1900 CentraCare Circle, St. Cloud. The name of the course is “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction,” which is designed to help people cope with anxiety, depression, attention deficits, chronic pain or illness, cardiac disease, life transitions and feelings of emptiness. Learning the meditative process called “mindfulness” can help restore balance to life. For more information, visit thenewsleaders.com and click on Jan. 6 Criers. For additional criers, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Criers.
contributed photos
Above: Sartell resident Mitch Bain was even more motivated to get their product, the CELLslip, out to consumers after his wife and children were hit by a distracted driver while he was designing the product. The Bain family is pictured (left to right) Lochlan, Savanna, Carter, Emirsyn, Weston and Mitch. Above: Bain recently invented the CELLslip, a device that blocks all incoming and outgoing cell signals when the cell phone is inside the product. It’s his family’s mission to help prevent distracted driving. They have partnered with the Minnesota Safety Council.
How many drivers feel the urge to answer their cellular phone when they hear it ring or ping while they are driving, even though they know it will distract them? If you are one of the many drivers who are tempted by their cell phones, than Sartell resident Mitch Bain might have a solution to help you focus more on the road. Bain has designed a product that can help decrease distracted driving. The bright red CELLslip pouch blocks all incoming and outgoing cell signals when a cell phone is inside of the product. Because many cell-phone
users have a difficult time not answering text messages, mobile software application notifications, telephone calls and more when they receive them, the physical barrier between the user and the phone the CELLslip provides can help decrease the urge to continuously check a cell phone. By blocking the signals, the CELLslip helps decrease user anxiety of the cell phone when it is out of sight. The bright color of the product is also a visual reminder of the dangers of distracted driving. When a phone is removed from the CELLslip, text messages, voicemails and more will reappear in seconds. According to the Minnesota Cell • page 3
Chisum, Fitzthum welcomed to city council
by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
Two new Sartell City Council members – Mike Chisum and Ryan Fitzthum – took the oath of office Jan. Chisum 9 at the first council meeting of the new year. Both men were elected to the council in the Nov. 8 general
election. The Jan. 9 meeting was Chisum’s first, although Fitzthum was welcomed to the council in November to fill in for the seat left vacated by Amy Braig-Lindstrom, who resigned from the council because her family moved to St. Joseph. Chisum replaces the seat held by Steve Hennes, whose council seat was up and who decided not to file for re-election. Toward the end of the Jan. 8 council meeting, Chisum addressed his fellow council mem-
bers, thanking the voters. “It’s a very humbling thing to have that kind of honor placed upon you,” Chisum said. He added everyone at the city level has been “incredibly helpful” in helping him adjust in the new job. For their unstinting help, he praised Mary Degiovanni, city administrator and financial director; Anita Archambeau, city planner and development director; Jim Hughes, police chief; John Kothenbeutel, public-works di-
rector; and Becky Wicklund, Internet technology director. “I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the next four years,” Chisum said. “I’m ready to get to work.” Council member Ryan Fitzthum expressed similar thanks, gratitude and sentiments at earlier meetings. The other council members – Mayor Sarah Jane Nicoll, Pat Lynch, David Peterson – gave Chisum and Fitzthum words of warm welcome.
2016 Year in Review Part 2:
Growth, fiscal health, exciting developments
(This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Part 1 was published Jan. 6.)
July
Krista Durrwachter resigns from the school board because she is about to launch a career that could give rise to questions of conflicts of interest. Durrwachter is a staff attorney for the St. Cloud-based Stinson Leonard Street Law Firm. She served on the board since January 2013. Lesa Kramer, a former board member, was appointed to fill in the position until it can be decided by voters in the next election. The Movies in the Park se-
ries continues at Pinecone Central Park in Sartell, with The Notebook and The Good Dinosaur among the free offerings for movies under the stars. 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 sendoff by family, friends and guest speakers. The men then left for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Sartell unveils its updated, detailed, in-depth comprehensive plan that will help guide policies and developments for many years. At a public hearing on the plan, library supporters Review • page 4
contributed photo
Children play inside St. Francis Xavier School’s recently-renovated gymnasium where the late Tom Bearson often played basketball. The Tom Bearson Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the murdered teen’s memory, paid for the $80,000 renovation project, which was completed in June.
www.thenewsleaders.com
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
2
Death notice
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 11 a.m.noon Friday, Jan. 13 at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral
Home in Sauk Rapids for Karen R. Dewey, age 63, of Sartell who passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017.
Jacob Lieberg of Sartell was recently named to the fall dean’s list at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Students must maintain a minimum 3.5 grade-point average to qualify for this honor. Lieberg is majoring in pharmacy and allied health professions.
meteorology; Ashlee DesMarais, travel and tourism; Kyle Driesse, pre-medicine; Kayla Ferraro, early childhood education; Cole Fischer, finance; Arielle Gapinski, psychology; Gabrielle Hagen, mass communications; Haley Hanson, communication sciences and disorders; Jacob Heun, mass communications; Alexis Kaas, communication arts and literature; Taylor Kruse, elementary/K-6 education; Anna Lindell, nursing; Alex Mayer, finance; Natalie McIntire, biomedical sciences; Alexis Mollner, accounting; Christen Neil, medical laboratory science; Stacy Nelson, accounting; Dylan Noehring, general studies; Hannah Rodness, communication sciences and disorders; Clare Rueter, elementary/K-6 education; Jenna Runge, English; Holli Sauerer, elementary/K-6 education; Alexa Secord, accounting; Tessa Sondrol, nursing; Darek Stachowski, athletic training; Ann Stang, music; Bradlee Stevens, mechanical engineering; Mikayla Stockinger, social work; Zachary Stodolka, marketing; Robert Tancre, mechanical engineering; Jenna Turner, elementary/K-6 education.
People
Breanna Midas of Sartell was recently named to the fall president’s list at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Staples. Students must maintain a minimum 3.75 grade-point average to qualify for this honor. Alexis Cottrell of Sartell was recently named to the fall dean’s list at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Staples. Students must maintain a minimum 3.25 grade-point average to qualify for this honor. Bradley Blommel of Sartell was recently named to the fall president’s list at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls. Students must earn a minimum 3.5 grade-point average to qualify for this honor. Thirty-six Sartell students were recently named to the dean’s list at St. Cloud State University. They and their majors are as follows: Kallie Belling, community psychology; Thomas Bevans, biomedical sciences; Daniel Bloom, mass communications; Jessica Chan, communication studies; Jessica Condon, social studies education; Brian Hoff Dauer,
ARLINGTON PLACE ASSISTED LIVING in St. Joseph POSITIONS AVAILABLE
John Howeison, who drives for Brenny Specialized in St. Joseph, was among the drivers nominated by the National Association of Small Trucking Cos., which represents more than 7,000 trucking companies in the United States and Canada that employ more than 91,000 drivers collectively. Howeison has driven for Brenny Specialized for more than seven years, has been a professional driver for more than 17 years and has driven more than 3.5-million accident-free miles.
HOME HEALTH AIDE 7 a.m.-1 p.m. 3-4 days/week
including every other weekend/holiday
Duties include: daily personal care, grooming, dressing, light meal prep, medication administration and light to moderate housekeeping.
Afterschool VEX robotics program receives grant Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education, partnering with our schools, recently received a grant to support an afterschool IQ VEX Robotics program for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders. Classes began in October and finished up before the winter break. In the three schools, 60 fourth- and fifth-grade students were able to take the robotics classes. Beginning in January, new classes will be offered in the area of programming, beginning robotics for third- and fourth-graders and advanced robotics. New classes will be featured in the Sartell-St. Stephen Community Education Catalog which came out Dec. 27. Sartell-St Stephen Community Education, along with Oak Ridge PTO representatives, partnered on a VEX IQ Robotics program for third- and fourth-graders in the
late spring of 2015. The goal was to provide STEM programming in the area of robotics after school for as many students as possible at Oak Ridge. The first class had 48 students, one instructor, PTO volunteers, and community education support staff. Soon after, multiple classes were offered throughout the 2015-16 school year, serving more than 80 students. With the success of the ORE model, school district staff, community education and representatives from the PTO put together a proposal to the Sartell-St. Stephen Education Foundation to duplicate the Afterschool VEX Robotics Program for third- and fourthgraders at Pine Meadow Elementary and for fifth-graders at the Sartell Middle School. After receiving funding to purchase 20 kits, the task at hand was to find qualified instructors. Paul
Moe, the instructional technology specialist at Oak Ridge Elementary, has taken the lead at Oak Ridge and has been a great mentor throughout the program. At Pine Meadow, Ron Klein has filled the role as instructor. Klein is the lead instructor for the Stearns County 4H Vex Robotics program and works with robots at WoodCraft. The middle school instructor is Sartell-St. Stephen graduate Jacob Ferguson, who student taught in the science department at Sartell Middle School this past fall and was very excited to see a robotics program for the fifth-graders. As the Afterschool VEX Robotics Program continues to grow, we hope to purchase more equipment to serve more students as well as game pieces that will provide students the opportunity to possibly compete in area tournaments.
If you have a tip concerning a crime, call the St. Joseph Police Department at 320-363-8250 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 320-255-1301, 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 a crime.
dence. Officers arrived on scene and checked the perimeter of the home. Officers didn’t locate any footprints in the snow or any signs of forced entry. Officers entered the home and didn’t locate any unwanted persons. 2:05 a.m. DWI. 600 block of Pinecone Road S. Officers were dispatched for a possibly intoxicated driver, headed north on CR 1. Officers arrived in the area and located numerous tire tracks in the snow indicating someone had driven off the road and was possibly impaired. Officers also located downed signs around the roundabout and pieces of a plastic bumper. Officers checked the area but didn’t locate the vehicle.
in the checkout line. Officers were able to resolve the issue peacefully.
Dec. 16 1:28 a.m. Intoxicated person. 311 Second St. S. Officers were dispatched for an intoxicated male in a Sartell Bar who had fallen and was unable to care for himself. Officers arrived on scene and located the male attempting to leave in his vehicle. Officers were able to get a hold of his girlfriend. She arrived on scene and transported him home. 10:33 a.m. Driving complaint. Seventh St. N. Officers were dispatched for a vehicle that was driving unsafely for the winter road conditions and was tailgating other motorists. Officers contacted the registered owner of the vehicle who stated his son was most likely the driver of the vehicle in question. A school resource officer met with the juvenile to discuss the issue. Dec. 17 12:05 a.m. Burglary. High Drive. Officers were dispatched for a possible burglary in progress. The caller stated she could hear someone moving around in the upstairs portion of her resi-
If interested please stop by for an application or call Karen Hennessy at (320) 363-1313. 21 16th Ave. SE St. Joseph, MN 56374
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
Blotter
Dec. 18 11:23 a.m. Suicidal person. Seventh Ave. S. Officers were advised of a female who lives in Sartell and was having suicidal thoughts. Officers contacted the complainant to get additional information. Officers then made contact with the suicidal female. Officers were able to talk to her by phone and discovered her location was in St. Cloud. Officers passed this information onto the St. Cloud Police Department. 5:29 p.m. Disorderly person. 1090 Second St. S. Officers were dispatched to a Sartell business for a female party causing a disturbance. The store manager was reporting the female had thrown things off shelves and taken some clothing off. Officers arrived on scene and located the female party
Dec. 19 8:51 a.m. Property damage. Trentwood Drive. An officer spoke with a Charter employee by phone regarding a utility box that was hit by a car. No vehicle evidence was found at the scene and officers were unable to tell when the crash took place. Officers wrote a report on the issue and provided the employee with a case number for insurance purposes. 8:24 p.m. Medical. 311 Second St. S. Officers were dispatched for a 34-year-old female lying on the floor of a Sartell bar, having difficulty breathing. Officers arrived on scene and located the woman on the ground, awake and breathing. It appeared to officers the female had a panic attack. Officers provided the woman with oxygen and monitored her condition until Gold Cross Ambulance arrived on scene. Dec. 20 8:53 a.m. Vandalism to vehicle. Lowell Lane. An officer was dispatched to speak with the registered owner of a vehicle in reference to damage done to his vehicle. The officer arrived on scene and observed the vehicle to have flat tires. The complainant stated he believed his tires were slashed sometime during the night prior. The officer took a report and photos of the damage for insurance purposes.
Published each Friday by Von Meyer Publishing Inc.
Newsstands Coborn’s - Riverside Country Store & Pharmacy Hardee’s Holiday - Riverside House of Pizza
Little Dukes - Pinecone Sartell City Hall School District Offices SuperAmerica Walgreens
www.thenewsleaders.com
Publisher/Owner Janelle Von Pinnon
Editor Dennis Dalman
Operations Assistant Rajahna Schneekloth
Operations Director Tara Wiese
Assignment Editor Frank Lee
Delivery Bruce Probach
Newsleader staff members have the responsibility to report news fairly and accurately and are accountable to the public. Readers who feel we’ve fallen short of these standards are urged to call the Newsleader office at 363-7741. If matters cannot be resolved locally, readers are encouraged to take complaints to the Minnesota News Council, an independent agency designed to improve relationships between the public and the media and resolve conflicts. The council office may be reached at 612-341-9357.
P.O. Box 324 • 32 1st Ave. N.W. • St. Joseph, Minn. 56374 Phone: (320) 363-7741 • Fax: (320) 363-4195 • E-mail: news@thenewsleaders.com POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ST. JOSEPH NEWSLEADER, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374.
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
3
Bourbon auction to benefit Catholic Charities food shelf by Frank Lee operations@thenewsleaders.com
One premium bottle of bourbon may help feed local families in need once it’s auctioned off and used Dietz to purchase groceries for those who receive assistance from Catholic Charities’ food shelf. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud won a contest for charities in which winners received one of 200 collectible bottles of bourbon valued at $10,000 each. To win, the diocesan staff had to tell Buffalo Trace Distillery
Cell from front page Department of Public Safety, distracted or inattentive driving factors into one in four crashes and results in at least 70 deaths each year. According to the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, six out of 10 teen crashes involve some type of distracted driving, including using cell phones, talking with other passengers, looking at something in the vehicle, looking at something outside the vehicle, singing or dancing to music, grooming and reaching for objects. Even after drivers put down their phones or stop using other distracted behaviors, there is a lag time of an average of 27 seconds before drivers are fully engaged with driving again. Bain first began working with cell-phone usage addiction two years ago when he invented a product called OSOMbox, a storage device which was designed to decrease cell-phone addiction in homes. Hoping to encourage families to spend more time interacting without using their cell phones, he said the product was not very successful. Through his work, Bain said he realized many people recognize cell-phone usage in their homes can be addictive but are also reluctant to change their habits.
the reason Catholic Charities deserved to win a bottle. “Catholic Charities won a national contest,” said Trina Dietz, a Sartell resident, who is the communications coordinator for Catholic Charities. “Our prize is a $10,000 collectible bottle of 1980 Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey.” Buffalo Trace Distillery, which crafts premium bourbon whiskey and other spirits, had not intended to offer up for sale the 200 collectible bottles – vintage 1980, 1982 and 1983 – but rather made them the prize in a contest that was featured in a national trade publication. Mike Holmstrom of Coborn’s Liquor saw the ad in the publication and reached out
to staff at Catholic Charities. He suggested they enter the contest, according to Dietz. Catholic Charities serves the 16 counties of the Diocese of St. Cloud with more than 40 programs of service. “It seemed like a long shot, but Catholic Charities staff knew a $10,000 bottle of bourbon could be auctioned at Mardi Gras to buy $40,000-worth of groceries for hungry families,” Dietz stated, after Catholic Charities was notified by e-mail that it was one of the 200 winners. The winning bottle from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky will be displayed at Catholic Charities Mardi Gras, an annual fundraiser
that will take place Jan. 28, with the online auction ending at 7:30 p.m. that evening. The auction for the 1980 bottle of collectible bourbon whiskey has already begun online. Bidders are asked to register a credit card, then bid a minimum of $7,000 on the bottle. Maximum bids are also accepted, like the bidding process used on eBay. “With our buying power, a $10,000 bid on this bottle of bourbon will mean $40,000 to $90,000 worth of groceries for hungry people in our community,” said Penny Casavant, Catholic Charities Director of Organizational Advancement. “This is truly an amazing gift.” Coborn’s has been in-
volved in the Catholic Charities Mardi Gras celebration for several years. Mardi Gras is a benefit for Catholic Charities’ Emergency Services Food Shelf and Domus Transitional Housing. Catholic Charities is a non -profit organization whose goals are to “build communities, promote family life and enhance human dignity by providing quality services to meet the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals and families of all faiths and beliefs.” To purchase tickets to the Mardi Gras fundraiser or to bid online on the bottle of bourbon, visit www.CcStCloud.org/MardiGras.
While he was working on the OSOMbox, his wife, Savanna, mentioned to him that if it saved a life, people would listen better. That prompted Bain to start doing more research about distracted-driving statistics. “We have an epidemic that the majority of America is participating in, and there really wasn’t a solution outside of 50 mobile apps,” Bain said. “The problem with apps is they break, they are usually only for one operating system and it’s very easy to get distracted turning them on, but those distractions don’t stop the person from putting their car in drive.” Bain then designed the prototype for the CELLslip, found a manufacturer that had access to the conductive fabric which blocks the cell phone signals and began making his prototypes. In July, when Bain was about six months into creating the CELLslip, something happened to motivate him to get the product to the public even faster. His wife and their three youngest children were in an accident, hit by a distracted driver. The other driver hit them at the Division Street and Highway 15 intersection when the light for the distracted driver was red. Fortunately, his children were all in three-point-harness child car seats and were not injured in the accident. “The moment brought an emotion and passion to the
project I hadn’t had before, and I knew I had to get the product live,” Bain said. The Bains want the CELLslip in the hands of as many drivers as possible and believe it will help save lives. Mitch said he had begun the process of developing the CELLslip at the end of his not-so-successful OSOMbox, but because he was somewhat burned out, he waited six months before he started on the CELLslip project. It took him about one-and-a-half years from the original idea to market the product. The product was launched at the “Towards Zero Death” conference held Nov. 16-17 in Duluth, in partnership with the American Automobile Association. The AAA logo was printed on the CELLslip, which was distributed as a promotional gift, while Mitch and Savanna answered questions at the conference. “To say they were a hit would be an understatement,” Bain said. “We had leaders in the traffic-safety industry coming by the booth and standing in line to get multiple CELLslips. In just two weeks, we sold over 10,000 CELLslips and have been in talks with other large companies and safety organizations.” He said they have partnered with the Minnesota Safety Council and also have been contacted by other businesses across the country who are interested in partnering with them.
“(The year) 2017 is looking very positive toward our mission to decrease distracted driving,” he said. Mitch and Savanna are the parents of four children – Lochlan, Carter, Emirsyn and Weston. The two met when they were attending St. Cloud State University. Savanna, who grew up in Sartell, has an early-childhood education degree, and Mitch has degrees in advertising and public relations, and a minor in information media. He currently works as the director of sales for Tarmac.io, which specializes in
software engineering (building mobile and web apps for startup and Fortune 500 companies). Bain is working on a second product with the help of the Minnesota State Patrol but cannot discuss specifics yet because they are only in the prototype stage of the project. The Bains own their business – Emcasa West, LLC. The CELLslip can be personally customized with business logos and can be purchased at www.CELLslip.com. The cost of the product is one for $15, three for $30 or five for $45.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY AUTO BODY REPAIR Auto Body 2000
(behind Coborn’s in the Industrial Park)
St. Joseph • 320-363-1116
PUBLISHING Von Meyer Publishing 32 1st Ave. NW St. Joseph • 320-363-7741 www.thenewsleaders.com
TRUCKING Brenny Transportation, Inc. Global Transportation Service St. Joseph • 320-363-6999 www.brennytransportation.com
Call the Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader at 320-363-7741 if you would like to be in the Business Directory.
Administrative Aid The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is looking to hire an administrative aid who will provide support to the Chamber members and Board of Directors, including communication, membership recruitment and retention, event planning and administrative services. It is a contract position consisting of approximately 40-60 hours per month. Please contact Leslie Lane at 1-888-330-8482, ext. 1701, if interested.
Great Northern Theatre Company Proudly Presents “Musical version of the funniest play in the English Language!”
Ernest in Love by Anne Croswell
Friday & Saturday Feb. 10 & 11 (evening) Sunday, Feb. 12 (matinee) Tuesday, Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day - Invite your sweetie! (evening) Thursday, Friday & Saturday Feb. 16-18 (evening) Show times: Social Hour 5:30 p.m., Dinner 6:30 p.m., Show 7:30 p.m. Matinee: Social Hour Noon, Dinner 1 p.m., Show 2 p.m.
Held at The Great Blue Heron, Cold Spring Meal choices: Chicken Romano or Roast Beef Special needs, call ticket line.
Ticket Price $38 (ticket, meal & gratuity) Visit www.gntc1.com. Call 320-241-GNTC(4682) to order tickets.
4
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
contributed photo
At left: Lori Traut (left), Sartell, enjoys a boat ride on the Mississippi near Sauk Rapids with grandson Logan Edl, 8, and Brooklyn Edl, 3. photo by Dennis Dalman
At right: Henry Patterson, 9, of Sartell puts together a birdhouse with the help of Mike Voz, a member of the St. Stephen Area Sportsmen’s Club. Patterson and his family were one of many families who enjoyed “Take a Day Off” July 30 at the Mississippi River north of Sartell.
Review from front page criticize the plan because it all but ignores plans for a future library other than a brief mention of “monitoring” options for library service in the future. The Sartell Muskies and Stone Poneys baseball teams get ready to host the first invitational tournament at Champion Field in Sartell. The greater St. Cloud area is named the 12th healthiest area in the nation by 24/7 Wall Street, a Delaware-based analysis company.
August
About 700 volunteers, many of them from Sartell, gather in St. Cloud to pack 220,000 meal kits for food shelves, churches and other places that distribute food to the economically-strapped in central Minnesota. Sartell students excel, once again, on the Minnesota Comprehensive test, surpassing on average their statewide peers. Families gather for the annual “Take a Day Off at the
Mississippi,” north of Sartell, a family-oriented day that combines fun games, recreation and learning experiences about the river and related eco-systems. St. Stephen hosts a National Night Out event to promote neighborhood safety. The 11th annual Sartell Chamber of Commerce Rock ‘n’ Block party, this year sponsored by BankVista, kicks off the fun with a triple-whammy of musical talent, including the perennially popular The Fabulous Armadillos. The city council proceeds with plans to construct a parking lot in the big field just east of the Bernick’s Arena in Pinecone Regional Park. People gather for a good time at the three-day St. Francis Festival, dubbed “Franny Fest,” on the church grounds. The event includes games, food, music, auctions and drawings. Funds raised help good causes undertaken by the church and school. Terry Niehaus, Sartell postmaster who worked for 30 years in the postal service, 18 of them in Sartell, decides to retire and says she will miss many good Sartell customers whom she had come to know so well and
enjoy so much. Overflow crowds attend the grand opening of Chateau Waters, a luxury apartment complex for senior citizens in the Town Square development area in south Sartell. The City of Sartell will be one of the subscribers to a “solar garden” after it is constructed in central Sartell. According to estimates, by subscribing to solar power for part of its energy needs, the city just might save as much as $428,000 during the next 25 years.
September
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 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. Sartell students score very well on American College Testing tests, bettering their statewide peers. 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. The Sartell City Council votes
3-2 in favor of a partial library service in the community center once it’s built. The service would involve the St. Cloudbased Great River Regional Library System delivering ordered books or other library items to a locked locker system in the center where customers living in Sartell could pick them up and then return them. The Sartell Friends of the Library and other library supporters are not happy with the plan, which they called a measure far from what voters voted twice for – an inclusion of a bona-fide branch library in Sartell to be paid for by half-cent sales-tax revenue. 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. The LeSauk Lions Club donates $5,000 to be used for any amenities the city sees fit in the Sartell Community Center, now under construction. 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
$3,000 Sign-on bonus!
Schwans Hiring Event! Open interviews available to those interested in route driving and sales opportunities!
Monday, Jan. 16 from noon-7 p.m. 4655 Heatherwood Road, St. Cloud
This position is responsible for safely providing world-class customer service and selling frozen foods to customers within an assigned route territory. Safely service all assigned customer commitments according to the day and time.
Please call 952-832-4463 or email Tou at tou.yang@schwans.com with questions about hiring event or position. To apply, please visit www.schwansjobs.com.
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
5
photos courtesy of Wetterling website
At left: Patty Wetterling at the memorial service for her son speaks to the audience right after 11 candles were lit to honor Jacob. contributed photo
At right: Now that she’s retiring, Terry Niehaus will have more time doing what she loves to do, which includes spending quality time with her granddaughters, Lila Michaelis (left) and her sister, Hailey. This photo was taken in St. Cloud’s Munsinger Gardens. Jacob as a happy-go-lucky – sometimes humorously mischievous – child who had a kind heart for one and all.
October
Ground is broken in south Sartell for the $11-million community center, which will include three gyms, an elevated walking track, a senior-citizen meeting place, a public meeting place, a kitchen, kids’ play area, a library pick-up and drop-off materials area and a learning area. 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 his 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
Visit Saint John’s Prep for
Discovery Day Monday, Jan. 16 Students in grades 5-11 are invited to visit Prep! Call 320-363-3315 to RSVP and reserve your space.
www.sjprep.net
Fund. The St. Stephen Fire Department hosts its annual open house, and families have a good time talking with firefighters and checking out the firefighting rigs.
November
Headlines Spa and Salon in Sartell gives free haircuts for many homeless people. The staff also gives the recipients a buffet luncheon and gift bags. Tim Broda, an investigator for the Sartell Police Department, is hoping to start a support group for younger people and their loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Broda’s wife, Jane, developed the disease at a young age and is now in an Alzheimer’s care unit. Jane’s mother died of the disease. On Nov. 8, voters have their say-so. Nationally, Donald Trump is elected as president, winning the most electoral votes but coming in second in popular votes. In Sartell, the following are elected: Mike Chisum and Ryan Fitzthum (newcomers to city council); and Lesa Kramer, Jason Nies, Pam Raden (incumbents to school board). The Sartell Dog Park in Pinecone Central Park is honored with a “Best” award from the St. Cloud Times “Best Of” contest. The Sartell-St. Stephen “Farm to School” program is praised highly by a group from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that toured the schools re-
cently. Farm to School is an effort to use fresh, locally grown products in school luncheons, which boosts nutritional value and helps local growers.
December
Randy and Tami Kruzel are named Sartell Citizens of the Year by the Sartell Area Chamber of Commerce at its annual awards banquet. The Kruzels are parents of BriAnna Kruzel, who died unexpectedly and suddenly of natural causes three years ago in her home. The Kruzels set up a foundation to raise funds for the good causes their daughter was so passionate about as a volunteer, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, education and the dance program. The Kruzels also raised funds to install an Angle of Hope monument in the Town Square area
of Sartell. Other Chamber honors were given to Roger and Jan Farley as Sartell Senior Volunteers of the Year; Blackberry Ridge Golf Course as Business of the Year; and Logan Payne as Student Volunteer of the Year. The Sartell tax rate for 2017 will remain basically “flat” from what it was in 2016. The city budget for 2017 is $6.2 million, which is a slight decline ($25,000) from that of 2016. Sartell City Council member Steve Hennes says farewell to the council after serving for 10 years on the council.
The hopes of residents of Sartell Mobile Home Park were dashed when they could not secure a loan and/or grant to redo the park’s sewer-and-water infrastructure, which would have cost $1.5 million. Many of the residents formed their own corporation almost a year ago with the hopes of buying the park from its company owner and then operating it themselves. Now, the owner is free to put the park up for sale once again. 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 center on track, on budget by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
The Sartell Community Center is on track, on budget and well on the way to its anticipated opening next August. A memo, dated Jan. 2, was presented to the Sartell City Council by Bob Strack of Strack Construction, which is doing the $11-million project. A long-time dream of Sartell residents, the community center is being built in the Town Square area of south Sartell. It will consist of three gyms, locker rooms, an elevated walking track, a large public meeting area, kitchen-
serving facilities, a senior-citizen area, a kids’ play area and learning-innovation areas. The center will not house a branch library, as many had long hoped for and had voted for, but it’s expected to contain a drop-off and pickup facility provided by the Great River Regional Library system. Pre-cast concrete panels for the center are supposed to arrive in mid-January. After that, the facility can be sealed off so it can be heated and work can proceed inside. So far, the foundation and footings have been 100-percent completed, as have all the rough grading, almost all
of the curb and gutter, the base of bituminous outside and from 15 to 20 percent of the masonry, plumbing and electrical work. The structural-steel work is about 75-percent completed. The rest of the work will go much faster once the building is able to be closed off from the elements and heated. The project, Strack noted, is on schedule and on budget with no anticipated problems forthcoming. The center is being paid for with a bond that will be repaid over time with revenue from Sartell’s portion of the half-cent regional sales tax.
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
6
Our View
History will rate Obama as very good president The Barack Obama presidency, despite eight years of irrational and vicious clamor from his detractors, will likely get good marks in the pages of history. First of all, he inherited an economy on the brink of catastrophe caused mainly by reckless, greedy investors (let’s use the proper name – “crooks”) on Wall Street. In his economic-recovery plan, Obama insisted on bailing out the banks, despite howls of what seemed like justified outrage. But that, along with other emergency measures, worked, and the banks paid back the money. He also saved America’s car industry from virtual collapse. In what was the worst recession since the 1930s, the Obama administration saved not only America’s economy but indirectly also the world economy. Yes, the road to recovery was slow, but in Obama’s eight years in office, 11.3 million jobs were created. The unemployment rate fell from close to 10 percent to below 5 percent. Too bad, though, the crooks didn’t go to prison where they belong. Second, Obama brought us the Affordable Care Act, the first bill passed toward the goal of universal health-insurance coverage in American history. Thanks to the ACA, there are now at least 20 million more people insured who couldn’t access health insurance before. Millions more just recently signed up. The law also brought scores of other guarantees, such as no denial for pre-existing conditions, no discrimination in women’s health policies and children being able to stay on their parents’ policy until age 26. Contrary to the uproar from its critics who only want to howl about the ACA’s drawbacks (and yes, it needs to be improved), the ACA has been a success, overall, not a “train wreck.” Even if ACA enemies repeal the law, it will stand as a landmark for future forms of health-care policies, such as a one-payer system, which the United States is going to have to adopt, like it or not, in the not-too-distant future, just as all other civilized nations have. As promised, Obama also drew down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Osama bin Laden was killed under his watch and orders; he enhanced fuel-efficiency standards; he increased supports for returning veterans; he tightened sanctions on Iran and a deal to compel that country to quit its nuclear-bomb production; he improved the foodsafety program; he expanded and protected wilderness and watershed protection; he improved school nutrition, he expanded hate-crimes protections; he helped push for legalizing same-sex marriage, and allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military; he boosted the size of AmericCorps, the national-service program; he pushed for greenenergy programs and tirelessly worked for an international recognition that man-made climate-change is, in fact, happening, which is now recognized via a treaty by almost every country on Earth. Those are just some of the Obama achievements created by him or led by him during his years in office. What’s so discouraging is all of those accomplishments have gone unnoticed by so many Americans because of all the nonsense, noise, lies and propaganda perpetrated by the Obama-haters who were so obsessively determined to deny him any credit at all – for anything at all. Last but not least, President Obama, his wonderful wife Michelle and their two intelligent, lovely daughters brought constant grace and dignity to what was a refreshingly scandal-free eight-year residence in the White House.
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. 13, 2017
Opinion
China ivory ban might save elephants Some very good news for the new year: China announced Dec. 30 it will ban all commerce in ivory by the end of 2017. That move will – hopefully – shut down the worlds’ largest ivory market (China) and strike a blow to the vile practice of the poaching of elephants in Africa. Like so many of the creatures we share this planet with, the magnificent elephant is teetering toward extinction because of the vicious killers who shoot them and then hack their husks out of their faces to sell on foreign markets or illegally through criminal channels. China’s commendable decision follows action by the United States last year to stop the domestic ivory trade. China and the United States have long been the biggest markets for ivory and ivory products. An estimated 30,000 to 35,000 elephants are slaughtered each year, and at least 100,000 have been killed in Africa in the past decade, which was one third of their total population. On average, one elephant is killed every 15 minutes. Some of these poachers, so aggressively vicious, not only kill the elephants but also murder the conservation officials who are paid and trained to protect them. That happens despite an international ban on ivory trade approved 15 years ago. With the new orders to shut down all marketing of ivory in whatever form, especially in China and the United States, killer-poachers will find it less lucrative to perpetrate their disgusting butchery. There’s long been a debate about “raw” ivory fresh from the tusks of killed elephants and “older” ivory in the form of knick-knacks
Dennis Dalman Editor and art works, some of them carved hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Some “raw” ivory can be concealed to look like “old” ivory, and that blurred definition opens the floodgates for the criminal trade. Up to 70 percent of smuggled ivory ends up in Chinese markets, mainly in its many ivory-carving shops. The Chinese State Council said it will shut down all ivory processing and sales outlets in stages throughout this year. The good news is at least partly the result of negotiations last year between the United States and China. Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a visit to Washington, D.C., met President Obama, and both agreed their nations should impose total bans on ivory imports and exports. What’s really encouraging is so many animal conservationist groups such as Save the Elephants and the International Fund for Animal Welfare are convinced China is sincere and serious about shutting down the ivory trade once and for all. In central Africa, poachers and rebel groups work together, killing thousands of elephants, so they can sell the ivory to buy weapons for their never-ending conflicts. As usual, innocent animals, along with innocent civilians, are the victims caught be-
tween the barbaric butchery of rebel factions. Allowing the legal sales of ivory not only condones the massacre of elephants, it also complicity allows those vicious rebel groups to get their weapons. It’s time shame and good conscience put a stop to such violence. Until recently, many nations’ ivory markets were regulated rather than shut down. Even though international trade in ivory was banned, there were exceptions that made possible the sale and purchase of carved antique ivory pieces. Well, imagine the glaring loopholes. There are so many good people fighting to protect elephants. But, unfortunately, as we know all too well, a relatively small number of “bad guys” can cause widespread pain, misery and death to people and animals. One of the “good guys” is James Baker III, who was U.S. Secretary of State under President George H.W. Bush from 1988 to 1992. Baker and Bush both actively fought for the 1989 ban on ivory trade, which helped result later in a unilateral ban on ivory imports. There are thousands of conservationists like Baker and scores of wildlife-protection agencies. That fact brings hope the hideous practice of slaughtering elephants can be reversed, and halted once and for all. Make an effort to learn about elephants and their terrible plight. There are many good websites dedicated to elephants and other endangered species. Google “elephant protection,” and you will find a wealth of good information and ways to help. These international pressures really work, especially if all of us stand up to support the work of the “good guys.”
Letter to the editor:
Reader urges contacting President-elect Trump about ICE arrests
Jim Graeve, St. Joseph On Nov. 25, in the USA section of the St. Cloud Times, an article appeared stating the new President-elect Donald Trump and his advisors were considering the use of local law enforcement, police and sheriff to assist in arresting undocumented immigrants. Immigration laws are a federal requirement under the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency, commonly referred to as ICE. St. Cloud Times column writer Pia Lopez on Dec. 27 wrote an excellent column on
immigration stating as early as 1842 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled states are not required to carry out duties of the national government. Lopez goes on to encourage all central Minnesota citizens to make our community a place of welcome for all our residents. There are several reasons why ICE actions are harmful to area residents, such as: 1) Stop-and-frisk has been declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. 2) Such ICE activities send a chilling effect through minority communities. 3) Such ICE actions make it more difficult for all law-enforcement
agencies to establish a trusting relationship with migrant/minority communities. 4) Such actions by ICE would strongly diminish the good results of the community responses to the Sept. 17 stabbing and shooting at the mall at Crossroads Shopping Center. Let us citizens of central Minnesota contact President-elect Donald Trump informing him we do not wish any additional burdens be placed on our law-enforcement agencies and our minority communities. Presidentelect Donald Trump can be reached by phone at 646-736-1779 or trump@realdonaldtrump.
Print news remains a major standard News media is a very important part of society. Without it, we would have to rely on person-to-person interaction to find out what is happening outside of our immediate environment. For years, newspapers were the dominant source of this information. With the advent of television and the Internet, however, it has become a different story. While many benefits can be argued for these new methods, many web and television outlets use print stories and local reports as a basis for their programming. If print media continues to decline, the entire news sector will also feel the pinch. With the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, people no longer had to rely on word-of-mouth for their information. Books and other writings could be replicated at a speed never heard of before. The first newspapers sprung up shortly afterward, and the modern press was born. Through many centuries, print journalism grew and developed in Europe, America and the rest of the world. Most settled cities had their own local papers, which became an essential part of each town’s culture. Even more astonishing is the sheer amount of information to which people then had access. One copy of a major newspaper could contain more information within it than a person in years past had ever been exposed to in a lifetime. This was revolutionary, and it helped to dramatically increase participation and awareness of topics such as politics and global events. Everyone could be conscious of happenings in ways only royalty could before. That trend continued with the advent of radio and later television. Now not only could local news be covered and national news brought in from other places, but events could
Connor Kockler Guest Writer be covered live and sent to the entire country in seconds. People in New York could hear and later see what was happening at that very second in California or vice versa. That was later expanded with the creation of television stations solely devoted to news. While many channels had nightly or morning news programs, some stations such as CNN would do news reporting 24/7. The Internet would increase the expansion even further. Thousands of new websites and blogs popped up, offering articles or commentary on events. Newspapers and television stations also shifted to this new frontier by setting up digital versions of their content. Social media and related sites provided a further medium for information. Over time, newspapers have provided a smaller and smaller share of total news consumption. A Pew Research Center survey in February 2016 asked adults in the United States about the media they used to find information, specifically the presidential election. They found 78 percent of Americans used television, 65 percent digital, 44 percent radio, and 36 percent print (These numbers do not add up to 100 due to overlap.) Print’s share is substantially lower in younger age groups. Lost in this discussion however is the basis for other reporting that print newspapers
provide. How many times have you heard a news story on television or the Internet cite a print source? In my own experience, it has been often. The larger an area an organization has to reach, such as a national media outlet, the harder it is to use exclusively their own reporters or information. For example, it would be very time-consuming for the national news to cover the weather of each area of the country in detail, so that’s done by local stations. Blogs and Internet-media outlets may have no reporter staff at all and run by analyzing information collected from other sources. Without local print and broadcast media to relay events up to the national level, television channels would have to invest many more resources into on-the-ground reporting and information gathering. Local newspapers are also part of our cities. The reporters and editors are our friends and neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances. To lose local media would be to lose the personal feel added by having a news source that covers just our area, that has the time and the print space for the stories that are closest to home. While national sources can cover the events happening on a wider scale, a local newspaper is the most effective way to communicate the events that affect us most, those in our cities and rural areas. While appreciating the benefits new technology has brought to us, I would also encourage people young and old to look at, use and support local print media. Our awareness, our local neighborhoods and the world will be better for it. Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
Traffic blitz reveals texting dangers
by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
Inattentive driving is definitely a widespread problem, according to a recent four-day saturation patrol by law enforcement of the Hwy. 15 section connecting south Sartell and north St. Cloud. Sartell Police Chief Jim Hughes told the Sartell City Council at its Jan. 9 meeting that the most common infractions by drivers during the four-day patrol were for texting while driving, using
some other kind of electronic device while driving and running red lights. People not paying attention seems to be causing a lot of accidents, Hughes noted. “It’s a pretty good indication of why we’re having so many crashes out on our highways,” Hughes told the council, adding that enforcement against inattentive driving will continue. “We obviously don’t want to see any more fatalities or serious injuries as we’ve already had in
the past few months.” Hughes said “several hundred” drivers were stopped during the saturation-coverage enforcement blitz. It occurred on Hwy. 15 from Benton CR 29 S. through the Hwy. 10 area of north St. Cloud. The law-enforcement agencies that participated in the effort were the police departments from Sartell, Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud; deputies from the Stearns and Benton sheriff’s departments; and members of the State Patrol.
fast, American Legion Auxiliary, 8 a.m.-noon, American Legion, 17 Second Ave. N., Waite Park. 320-2515498.
320-656-7021 to make an appointment.
Community Calendar
Is your event listed? Send your information to: Newsleader Calendar, P.O. Box 324, St. Joseph, MN 56374; fax it to 320-363-4195; or, e-mail it to news@thenewsleaders.com.
Friday, Jan. 13 Tae Guk Kwon Do, 3-4 p.m., Independent Lifestyles, 215 N Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. 320-267-7717. Saturday, Jan. 14 55+ Driving Improvement Program (four-hour refresher course), 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Miller Auto Plaza, 2930 Second St. S., St. Cloud. 1-888-2341294. 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 Championship, 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. Malaysian Cultural Night, 6 p.m., Atwood Ballroom, St. Cloud State University. Sunday, Jan 15 Build-your-own-omelette BreakAU 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 608-9352341 ext.333 (MCN) VACATION/TRAVEL 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) Tired of cold weather? Escape to Llano Grande Resort in South Texas’ Rio Grande 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) 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) FOR SALE FRUIT & NUT TREES. Blueberry, Straw-
Monday, Jan. 16 St. John’s Preparatory Discovery Day, Collegeville. 320-363-3315. Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, 1-2:30 p.m., Independent Lifestyles, 215 N Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. 320-529-9000. Fare For All, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran Church, 610 CR 2, St. Joseph. 1-800-582-4291.fareforall. org. St. Joseph Rod and Gun Club, 7 p.m., American Legion, 101 W Minnesota St., St. Joseph. Tuesday, Jan. 17 St. Cloud Area Genealogists, 7 p.m., Stearns History Museum, 235 33rd Ave. S., St. Cloud. stearns-museum.org. Wednesday, Jan. 18 Rice Chamber of Commerce, noon, Rice City Hall, 205 Main St. E. Free Car Seat Safety Checks, 3-6 p.m., Gold Cross Ambulance Garage, 2800 Seventh St. N., St. Cloud. Call berry, Grape, Asparagus, Evergreen & Hardwood Plants & MORE! FREE catalog. WOODSTOCK NURSERY, N1831 Hwy 95, Neillsville, WI 54456. Toll Free 888-8038733 wallace-woodstock.com (MCN) Great Sleep = Great Health! Save now on a new mattress delivered fast! We guarantee you’ll love sleeping on a SnoozeCubeBed.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; Dump trailers, 100’s of trailer PARTS! Trailer Repairs 515972-4554. www.FortDodgeTrailerWorld. com (MCN) ADOPTION **ADOPTION:** A Creative Financially Secure Home, Art, Music, LOVE, Laughter, At-Home-Mom, Family awaits 1st baby. Expenses Paid **1-800-3627842** (MCN)
Thursday, Jan. 19 Coffee and Conversation, a senior discussion group, 9 a.m., Country Manor, 520 First St. NE, Sartell. ‘Selma,’ part of the Cultural Cafe Film Festival, 5:30 p.m., Hoppe Auditorium, St. Cloud Hospital. Rice Lions Club, 8 p.m., Lions Building, Westside Park, 101 4th St. NW. Friday, Jan. 20 Tae Guk Kwon Do, 3-4 p.m., Independent Lifestyles, 215 N Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids. 320-267-7717. St. Joseph Farmers’ Market, 3-6 p.m., Resurrection Lutheran Church fellowship hall, 610 CR 2. St. Cloud Singles Club Dance, 8 p.m.-midnight, American Legion, 17 Second Ave. S., Waite Park. 320-3394533. stcloudsingles.net. Saturday, Jan. 21 Community Meal, 11:30 a.m.12:45 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1107 Pinecone Road S., Sartell. phone. It’s fun and easy. For more information, call: 1-800-902-9366 (MCN) MAKE $1,000 WEEKLY! Paid in advance! Mailing Brochures at Home! Easy pleasant work. Begin Immediately! Age unimportant! www.homemoney77.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) HEALTH & MEDICAL 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)
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)
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)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES $20 PER REFERRAL! WWW.REFERRALS4CASH.COM (MCN)
OXYGEN - Anytime. Anywhere. No tanks to refill. No deliveries. The AllNew Inogen One G4 is only 2.8 pounds! FAA approved! FREE info kit: 844-8527448 (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)
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)
Drive with Uber. You’ll need a Smart-
MISCELLANEOUS CASH PAID for unexpired, sealed DIA-
7 LEGAL NOTICES
CITY OF ST. STEPHEN ORDINANCE REVIEW SPECIAL MEETING The St. Stephen City Council will of City Hall at 2 Sixth Ave. SE. meet with the City’s Planning The public is welcome to attend Commission at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the meeting. The only topic of disJan, 24, 2017. The Council and cussion will be city ordinances. Planning Commission will review ordinances before publication. /s/ Cris M Drais, City Clerk The meeting will take place in the Fire Department Business Office
Dated: Jan. 10, 2017 Publish: Jan. 13, 2017
SARTELL-ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL DISTRICT 748 CALL FOR QUOTE PROPOSALS TEMPERATURE CONTROLS CONTRACTORS The Sartell-St. Stephen Independent School District 748 is pre-qualifying a list of Temperature Controls Contractors (TCC) for upcoming projects that will require Building Automation System (BAS) HVAC temperature controls. The goal of this RFQ process is to systematically identify a short list of qualified TCCs. After review, the final three qualified TCCs will
then be listed in the project-specification manual for competitive bidding. Qualifications proposal deadline is at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. To receive a copy of the complete RFQ, please contact Chris Schaefer at crs@designtreeengineering.com. Publish: Jan. 13 and 20, 2017
SARTELL-ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL DISTRICT SECTION 001113 - CALL FOR BIDS The Administration recommends School on at 2:30 p.m. Thursday the Board of Education authorize a Jan. 11, 2017. The pre-bid meeting Call for Bids for Sartell-St. Stephen will begin at Oak Ridge Elementary School District – Pine Meadow El- at 2:30 p.m., Pine Meadow at apementary Remodel, Existing Mid- proximately 3:15 p.m. and Sartell dle School Remodel, Oak Ridge Middle School at 4:30 p.m. Elementary HVAC Upgrades. Sartell-St. Stephen School District will Types of Bidding include but are receive sealed bids at the district not limited to: Concrete, Masonry, office at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Structural Steel/Misc. Metals, 2017. Plan availability on or after Rough Carpentry, Finish Carpentry, Jan. 6, 2017. Contact the offices of Doors/Frames/Hardware, AlumiWinkelman Building Corp. for ac- num Framed Entrances / Windows / cess. 320-253-2411. Storefronts, Gypsum Systems, Tile Work, Acoustical Ceilings, Floor A non-mandatory pre-bid meet- Coverings, Painting, Accessories, ing will be held for the Sartell-St. Casework, Countertops, Fire SupStephen School District ISD 748 pression System, Plumbing System, School Remodel projects at Oak HVAC Systems, Electrical System. Ridge Elementary, Pine Meadow Elementary and Sartell Middle Publish: Jan. 6, 13 & 20 BETIC TEST STRIPS! 1 DAY PAYMENT & PREPAID shipping. HIGHEST PRICES! Call 1-888-389-0695. www.cash4diabeticsupplies.com (MCN) FAST Internet! HughesNet Satellite Internet. High-Speed. Available Anywhere! Speeds to 15 mbps. Starting at $59.99/mp. Call for Limited Time Price! 844-292-0678 (MCN) Spectrum Triple Play: TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. We buy your existing contract up to $500! 1-800-919-3588 (MCN) Exede satellite internet. Affordable, high speed broadband satellite internet anywhere in the U.S. Order now and save $100. Plans start at $39.99/month. Call 1-800-712-9365 (MCN) DISH TV – BEST DEAL EVER! Only $39.99/mo. Plus $14.99/mo Internet (where avail.) FREE Streaming. FREE Install (up to 6 rooms.) FREE HD-DVR. Call 1-800-390-3140 (MCN) A PLACE FOR MOM. The nation’s largest senior living referral service. Contact our trusted, local experts today! Our service is FREE/no obligation. CALL 1-800-442-5148 (MCN) ALL THINGS BASEMENTY! Basement Systems Inc. Call us for all of your basement needs! Waterproofing, Finishing, Structural Repairs, Humidity and Mold Control. FREE ESTIMATES! Call 1-800640-8195 (MCN) GET HELP NOW! One Button Senior Medical Alert. Falls, Fires & Emergencies happen. 24/7 Protection. Only $14.99/ mo. Call NOW 1-888-840-7541 (MCN) ADT Security protects your home & family from “what if” scenarios. Fire,
flood, burglary or carbon monoxide, ADT provides 24/7 security. Don’t wait! Call Now! 1-888-607-9294 (MCN) CABLE AND INTERNET $29.99/month each! We are your local installers for ALL Brands! Comcast, Charter, Time Warner, DirecTV, Dish, Cox, xfinity, Verizon fios and MORE! Call NOW for Super deals! 1-888-858-0282 MCN) DISH NETWORK 2017 SPECIAL OFFER! $39.99/mo. 2 Year Price Lock. Free Installation, Free HD/DVR. Plus $100 Gift Card. Call 1-855-746-2422 (MCN) PERSONALS MEET SINGLES RIGHT NOW! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now: 800-357-4970 (MCN) AUTOMOBILES DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY. Receive maximum value of write off for your taxes. Running or not! All conditions accepted. Free pickup. Call for details. 855-752-6680 (MCN) DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT TO HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 1-800-283-0205 (MCN) FINANCIAL Are you in BIG trouble with the IRS? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 888-606-6673 (MCN) STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS got you down? We can help reduce payments and get finances under control, call: 866-871-1626 (MCN)
8
Sartell-St. Stephen Newsleader • www.thenewsleaders.com
Friday, Jan. 13, 2017
Cause of man’s death determined accidental by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
A man found dead Dec. 7 in a ditch along Hwy. 10 several miles north of Sartell was determined to have died of “environmental cold exposure with ethanol intoxication as a significant condition,” said a medical examiner. The death was ruled accidental, according to a report from the Benton County Sheriff’s De-
partment. The man who died was Seth Taylor Juedes, 22, of St. Cloud, whose home town was Andover. On the evening of Dec. 6, Juedes was out with friends, according to his girlfriend who called the police the next day, worried because he had not returned home. Investigative officers determined he had last been seen walking alone at about 2:10 a.m.
Sartell set for salt against Old Man Winter by Dennis Dalman editor@thenewsleaders.com
As Old Man Winter continues to rage, Sartell is set for salt, with 600 tons of the stuff ordered right after the first of the year. Kothenbeutel The salt is now mixed in a new salt-and-water mixing machine and applied to roads as a brine solution, said Public-Works Director John Kothenbeutel to the council during its Jan. 9 meeting. “It seems to be working really good right now,” he said of the new brine-application method. The 23-percent watery salt brine
is applied to roads, and once on the road surface, it doesn’t let falling snow stick to the roads. That way, the snow just “peels” right off when the snowplows get to work on it, he noted. Generally, when three or more inches of snow fall, the public-works department puts all snow-removal equipment to work, but there are exceptions, Kothenbeutel noted. There are no two snowflakes alike, they say, and the same is true of snowfalls, Kothenbeutel said. Snowfalls vary widely in duration of fall, moisture content and so many other factors. In some cases, if snow falls in start-and-stop waves, it’s not wise to plow all the snow, only to have to plow the same streets over again a few hours later, he noted.
Dec. 7 in the parking lot of a nightclub on Hwy. 10 north of CR 33 and its junction with Hwy. 10. A visual search of the area located Juedes’ body in the ditch near that intersection. According to the investigation, Juedes was with his friends that night but decided to get a ride with some other males from a bar and drive to the nightclub along Hwy. 10. When they arrived, they learned the place had
Drive Carefully! School is in Session
Country Manor Extended Services Community Homecare
SIGN-ON BONUS!!!
Are you interested in building meaningful relationships and enriching the lives of seniors within your community?
Homecare Opportunities: Community-based Home Health Aides & LPNs Country Manor offers competitive wages, shift differentials, benefits and opportunities to grow. We’ll pay for your CNA class if you are not registered!
www.countrymanorcampus.org 320-253-3343 AA/EOE
just closed. His new acquaintances urged Juedes to get back in the car but instead he walked away from them. That fact was established partly with the help of video evidence from outside the nightclub. The place where Juedes’ body was found is about one mile south of that nightclub. The sheriff’s report stated the following: “Juedes’ family indicated Seth
Juedes was normally a responsible young man who made good decisions that kept him out of harm’s way. The family stated it’s their hope others who hear of the tragic result of the few unfortunate decisions made in the early morning hours of Dec. 7 will learn from this tragedy and consistently make good decisions, so as to spare their families the grief and pain of the loss of a loved one.”
Associated Montessori Schools, Inc. www.MontessoriMN.com
Inspire a lifetime of discovery in your child! Come see the Enriched Environments for children at our Christian schools! Register now for Summer, Fall! • Pre-School • Kindergarten • Extended Day
Phonics, reading, math, science, music, geography, independence, courtesy, love of learning. Established 1968
Call for a visit today!
Montessori School of St. Cloud
Montessori School of Sauk Rapids
2410 1st Street N., St. Cloud
1911 4th Avenue N., Sauk Rapids
320-253-4719
320-255-8855
A
MONTESSORI S