PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #861
“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper”
Vol. 162, No. 42
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017
KȽlɄy RING OF
Win over Moose Lake ...page 8
Adkins, Frank charged with sex solicitation BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
DULUTH — Two residents of Watab Township are facing charges for allegedly soliciting a 14-year-old Duluth girl for sex. Phillip James Adkins, 34, and Kayla Marie Frank, 33, both of Indian Road NW, Rice, are each charged with one felony count of electronic solicitation of a child. Adkins faces an additional charge of felony solicitation of a child and sexual misconduct. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $5,000 Àne. Adkins and Frank are set to appear in court Feb. 22 and Feb. 15, respectively. According to a complaint Àled in St. Louis County District Court Jan. 31, Duluth investigators learned that Adkins and Frank were engaged in contact with the female through Facebook. During the investigation, authorities were able to gain access to the teenager’s social media account and learned that Adkins and Frank had been exchanging messages with the minor, including lewd photographs Kayla Frank and video. They also learned the couple planned to meet the girl. Adkins and Frank were arrested at a Duluth motel Jan. 27 after authorities Phillip Adkins were alerted to the meeting. Upon arrest and questioning, both Adkins and Frank admitted they had come to Duluth with the intention of having sex with a female they met through Facebook, who they knew to be 14-years of age. The complaint indicated conversations between the adults and minor began Jan. 5 and proceeded over the course of the month. Contact between Adkins and the teenager began with general dialogue and progressed into discussions “extremely sexual” in nature. On Jan. 13, Adkins allegedly suggested he show the girl “how to be sexually intimate with another person” and ultimately sent two photographs and four videos of Frank and himself engaged in sexual acts. The charges state Adkins encouraged the minor to befriend Frank through the social media application. The minor did. Frank continued to have sexually graphic conversations with the 14year old, veriÀed the minor’s age
Solicitation: page 3
Boxing offers physical, mental challenges BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
ST. CLOUD — When Annabel Kelly walked into Downtown Gym & Fitness in St. Cloud at the age of 12 alongside her older sister, she wasn’t looking for anything more than a workout. But the world of boxing ignited her competitive edge. “Cus D’Amato explained it best,” said Matt Lagou, instructor at the gym. “My job as a coach is to Ànd the person with the spark. Once you Ànd the spark, you fan it until it’s a Áame. Then you start feeding it logs until it’s a roaring blaze. That’s what we do as coaches for people who get in this ring. We have to make them feel conÀdent no matter what.” Standing at 5 feet 1 inches tall, with Àery, red hair and a sparkling smile, the Sauk RapidsRice sophomore scarcely resembles a stereotypical boxer. But that image, and the social norm that girls shouldn’t Àght, hasn’t stopped Kelly. She built her skills, conÀdence and began competing in USA Boxing sanctioned events over two years ago. “I joined to get a workout, but I didn’t think I would ever actually
Àght,” said Kelly, now 16. “But I enjoyed it more than just for conditioning. It takes more hard work and discipline than any other sport I’ve ever been involved in.” Although the competitive season takes place from October through December, boxing is a year-round activity. Kelly trains in classes three times a week. She reÀnes her skills during one-onone time with her coaches and continues to exercise individually by working the bag, shadowboxing and running. “There is no off-season in boxing. If you want to stay in shape you train every day,” said Walt Mastey, another instructor. “The boxers’ workout is probably one of the hardest workouts, physically and even mentally. You’re dealing with every part of your body. It
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Sauk Rapids-Rice sophomore Annabel Kelly, 16, competes in USA Boxing sanctioned events. She began training at the age of 12.
takes a lot to throw and dodge punches. You have to think about combinations and react. A lot of times people get tired just standing in the ring because the tension and overthinking wears them out.” Over the two year period, Kelly has had eight Àghts. She competes against girls in her same age bracket and weight class. “She’s doing well. When she Àrst started, she was gaining her skills but not her conÀdence. Once she started seeing her skills working for her, that changed,” Mastey said. Kelly agreed. “I used to be super anxious,
but now I have more conÀdence. I know when I get into the ring, I’m going to put everything I’ve trained for into it,” said Kelly, who weighs in around 120 pounds. Kelly’s skills and assurance began to work in her favor this fall when she won her season’s Àrst two Àghts, but a minor concussion following a November match-up left her suspended for 45 days. “It was a precautionary measure. It must have been a solid punch. She won the Àght and was Àne, but the next day her head
Kelly: page 3
Readers’ Theater shares lessons
Volunteers use inÁection, facial expressions for storytelling BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — Each February, schools across the country celebrate, “I Love to Read Month.” One local group of volunteers shares their fondness for reading year-round. They do so by PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER participating in Readers’ Theater. “Our Readers’ Theater has Readers’ Theater members – Nancy Johnson (from left), Mary Ann Albert, Duane Otremba, Candice Pearson a passion for reading and going and Barb Wilmesmeier – read to students at Rice Elementary Feb. 3. “We are Readers’ Theater,” out into the schools to share that Rapids-Rice School District, this Rice Elementary students Feb. 3. passion,” said Jacquelyn Willis, school year alone. The program “We relay that information in our Johnson told the students. “We special projects coordinator for began over 20 years ago through introduction. Sharing our love for don’t have to have props like in a the Retired and Senior Volunteer an America Reads grant and has reading with young readers is why real play. But when we read, we ask you do a really good job of using Program. “The readers use a lot of Áourished to become a fully- our group members do it.” stand-alone program This particular Friday, your imagination. We’ll tell you voice inÁection and push students funded group included where a story is going to take place to use their imagination. Teachers through RSVP. A select number Johnson’s often say it is a good compliment of group members travel to one volunteers — Mary Ann Albert, and you have to get those pictures to what they are teaching within school building each Thursday Duane Otremba, Candice Pearson in your mind, so it is important you the classroom. It shows students and Friday during the academic and Barb Wilmesmeier. The listen very carefully.” The Àve volunteers, all dressed how when people use their year. They read roughly three women, all retired educators, and imaginations, a story can really stories during a half-hour period to Otremba, a former banker, sat in in cohesive red-knit tops, began grades spanning from kindergarten a half circle on folding chairs at their stories by introducing their take them anywhere.” Readers’ Theater is a through third. From a list of about the front of the Rice Elementary’s characters. Then one-by-one as the volunteer-based reading program 25 choices per grade, teachers music room. As the second-grade story progressed they brought their funded through RSVP. More than are able to request certain scripts students Àled into Room 148 and characters to life through facial and 20 retired, senior volunteers take to coincide with curriculum or took their seats on risers, they vocal expressions. The group read part in the St. Cloud area Readers’ social issues they might be seeing subconsciously Àdgeted with the stories “How the Mosquitoes Theater, spreading their talents in the classroom like bullying or their hands and feet awaiting their Left Kambara,” “The Wrong storytelling experience. But as Way ButterÁy” and “Rosie and across seven school districts in resistance to new students. “We love to read,” said Nancy Readers’ Theater began, they were central Minnesota. The group has Readers’ Theater: page 3 read for 665 students in the Sauk Johnson, a volunteer who read to soon captivated and engaged.