Girls hockey page 21
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Same Local Coverage Since 1 8 5 4 .
Vol. 164, No. 34
Deadline for council appointment application approaching BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – The deadline for letters of interest seeking the vacant seat on Sauk Rapids City Council is approaching. Applications must be turned into city hall no later than 4:30 p.m. Dec. 21. A term of less than two years will be filled by appointment following the Sauk Rapids City Council’s selection. Council member Steve Heinen’s seat will be open as of Jan. 1, 2019 as Heinen was elected to serve on the Benton County Board of Commissioners. Heinen will replace commissioner Jim McMahon who is retiring from his role. The council plans on reviewing letters, interviewing selected candidates and choosing an appointee from that pool. The number of candidates interviewed will be based upon the number of applicants received. Letters can be mailed to the Sauk Rapids Government Center, 250 Summit Ave. N., Sauk Rapids, MN 56379. Additional information regarding application procedures is available at http:// www.ci.sauk-rapids.mn.us or by contacting Dana Furman, administrative services coordinator, at 320-258-5303.
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Elf Payton Trimbo (from left), Keyvonte Harris, 9, and Davian Harris, 4, join Santa and Mrs. Claus Dec. 1 in Sauk Rapids. The Harris family visited from St. Cloud. Family Fun Day page 12
Public safety in snow motion Benton County plow drivers perform well in competition BY JAKE DOETKOTT STAFF WRITER
FOLEY – Winter roadways starkly contrast the serene mornings and cozy holiday scenes the snow otherwise brings. Operating engineers of Benton County stand watch – salt loaded and plows ready for winter weather events. Comprised of three drivers, the snowplow crew is small, but their dedication is colossal. “I want to commend Terry Thorsten, Kenny Gill and Josh Brenny’s commitment as snowplow operators,” said Mark Ebnet, 16-year Benton County Highway Superintendent. “We sleep with one eye open and one foot out of bed to secure winter road safety.” The crew is wellseasoned. Thorsten and Gill have worked for the county for over 20 years. Brenny is approaching his second year. The three, along with
OBITUARIES • Philip A. Saldana • Julie Zimmer
PHOTO BY JAKE DOETKOTT
Benton County Public Works employees – Mark Ebnet (from left), Kenny Gill, Terry Thorsten and Josh Brenny prepare snowplows Nov. 26 in Foley. Highway maintenance, road safety and snowplowing are the crew’s top priorities.
two other county employees, performed well at the annual Minnesota Fall Maintenance Expo Oct. 3-4 in St. Cloud. The Minnesota expo’s snowplow roadeo event welcomed 92 city and county workers to test their driving abilities, mechanical
PUBLIC NOTICES
knowledge and plowing prowess. Drivers maneuvered through an obstacle course, packed with tight turns, roundabouts and distancejudgment tests. They were tasked with identifying issues with a problem vehicle, too.
“MnDOT says a real inspection should take 15 minutes, but it was five minutes in competition, and the vehicle was chalk-full of issues,” Brenny said. “I enjoyed testing my know-
Plow drivers page 2
• Amendment to Assumed Name - Velvet Rasputin - pg. 15 • Assumed Name - GoldPay Enterpriseses - pg. 15 • Assumed Name - Inspired Seniors - pg. 15 • Assumed Name - FWS Laser - pg. 15 • Benton County Notice of Public Hearing - pg. 15 • Benton County Meeting Minutes - pg. 14