Sauk Rapids Herald - October 7, 2023

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Benton County Board approves cannabis use ordinance

Commissioners limit jurisdiction, but increase fines to $300

BY TIM HENNAGIR STAFF WRITER

Benton County has adopted a long-awaited ordinance preventing cannabis use in public places.

Board members approved the ordinance on a 4-1 vote Oct. 3 after conducting a short public hearing.

Commissioner Steve Heinen voted against the ordinance, stating he wanted the county to consider a border-to-border approach regarding jurisdiction.

Heinen said he did support an increased ne for ordinance violators.

Cannabis page 4

legacy Leaving a

BY TOM FENTON | STAFF WRITER

The Sauk Rapids-Rice Board of Education is going to have to nd a new treats-provider.

Longtime board director Jan Solarz, who often brought snacks and candy to help fellow board members and attendees get through sometimes long and tedious meetings, announced her retirement Sept. 25. Her duty with the board is at the next meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, in Rice.

Solarz has lled several roles on the board, including chair, vice-chair, treasurer and clerk, since starting her tenure Jan. 1, 1997. Despite her passion for the district she served for 26 years, she said it was simply time to move on.

“I can’t believe how many people have reached out with positive comments,” said Solarz, a lifelong Rice resident. “It’s been unbelievable. There have been lots of hugs. People don’t seem excited I’m leaving, but they seem happy they might get to see me a little more. I’m a person who loves to build relationships.

That’s very important in any job and I think I do that rather well.”

Solarz page 3

Moulding in a small town

BY MORGAN EGGERT | STAFF WRITER

Ferche.

In the millworking business, not many companies are known by name, but Ferche Millwork, located in Rice, is not only known around the state but also around the nation.

“We are known as the highest quality manufacturer of this stuff,” said Cory Hollenhorst, chief executive of cer of the business. “We have a national reputation as the best guys. We’re not the cheapest guys and we cost a little more, but our name precedes us. When we go out in the market, people know it’s us.”

October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota and across the nation. Ferche Millwork is just one of the many businesses that make up the manufacturing industry in Benton County.

Ferche page 2

Ferche Millwork reaches around nation

PHOTO BY TOM FENTON

Longtime Sauk Rapids-Rice School District’s Board of Education member Jan Solarz announced her retirement after 26 years. She has been on the board since Jan. 1, 1997.

(Inset) Jan Solarz keeps many items related to her service on the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District’s Board of Education, including the flier for her original campaign. Solarz served several roles during her tenure, including board chair and vice-chair.

PHOTO BY MORGAN EGGERT

Product is organized in what is known as the moulder room during August at Ferche Millwork in Rice. This area of the manufacturing facility is where wood is shaped before being packaged into kits for customers.

Ferche from front

In 1958, Ferche Millwork was founded by Bob Ferche and sold in 1988 to a private eq-

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The Candidate must be dependable, energetic individual with a Property Management background and good communication skills. Duties include Leasing the Units, Rent Collection, Tenant relations, Vendor relations, scheduling the maintenance and the caretaking team. Affordable Property Management, Project based Section 8 /Tax credits a plus. Salary is determined by experience. This Position is eligible for Paid time off, Health, Life , Vision, and Dental Insurance and 401K Match.

uity rm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally focusing on traditional mouldings, Ferche Millwork has expanded and works on residential hardwood moulding, commercial door frames, re-rated wood, and industrial or at millwork styles.

“It grew steadily over the years, and through innovation and expansion our footprint got wider and the geography grew,” Hollenhorst said. “With their investment, there was expansion through equipment and more buildings over the years.”

The manufacturing facility’s work can be viewed across the country.

Human Resources Department

SEND RESUMES TO: We offer a competitive salary along with a full benefits package.

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PO Box 399 St. Cloud, MN 56302

Fax: (320) 529-2808

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www.brutgerequities.com | EOE

Seeking substitute custodians for multiple shifts.

For more information or to apply, please visit the Careers page on our website at www.isd47.org/start-your-career

Additional job opportunities are also available via this site.

“We’ve done Google campuses, Amazon campuses and most of the highest high rises in New York City,” Hollenhorst said. “We’re a pretty big player on a national scale, and we’re one of the largest manufacturers of hardwood mouldings in the United States.”

Ferche Lumber, located in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, harvests oak

and cottonwood trees from the Appalachian Mountains for the Rice location. Before shipping to Minnesota, the lumber division dries the wood in kilns to obtain the right moisture content for Ferche Millwork’s needs.

“The rest of the wood comes from wherever in the world it grows,” Hollenhorst said. … “Mahogany and some of that fancier wood comes out of South America and Africa. Maple, cherry, and walnut come from the northern part of the country.”

Once Ferche Mill-

work receives the lumber, they cut it and shape it.

“The lumber comes in and has random widths and lengths, and we have to get it down to materials that are exactly the right size to make whatever the nished product is,” Hollenhorst said.

With expanding from one shed to a 25-acre landscape, the business employs about 100 people.

In addition to lumber and buildings, the company has invested in equipment.

“We have a bunch

of modern technology and time-tested technology,” Hollenhorst said. “Really good industrial equipment still requires good human involvement as far as quality control and inspection.

… Our folks know how to do that. We’ve got a ton of experience. There are a lot of long-tenured employees, and we really appreciate that loyalty to the company and longevity of most of our staff.”

After products are manufactured, they are shipped to locations where they will eventually be sold and installed. Ferche Millwork owns two curtain-sided trailers, and the company contracts with a shipping partner to deliver products farther across the Midwest.

R40-1B-RB

Immediate openings in St. Cloud , MN

Food Safety and Quality Assurance Technician & Machine Operator

EOE/Minorities/Females/Vets/Disabled Encouraged to Apply

For more information please contact: Jo-Ann Ross • Joann.Ross@sysco.com

We’re hiring!

Transportation Director

Royalton Public Schools is seeking a Transportation Director for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year and beyond. This position is posted as a full-time position with the number of duty days to be negotiated. Candidates should have the ability to work as a team in planning and coordinating the needs of the Transportation Department, as well as excellent verbal and written communication skills. We believe in supporting staff growth and program success.

Candidates will be expected to possess or obtain a CDL license with a School Bus Endorsement.

A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

– Plan, manage, and direct the district’s transportation services effectively and efficiently, assuring that students are safely transported to and from school.

– Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate all transportation staff.

– Assure all drivers are in compliance with regulations and have met all licensing requirements.

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– Verify and approve timesheets, leave requests, and vacations for transportation employees.

– Arrange substitutes for transportation staff.

– Comply with applicable personnel and union contract policies.

– Ensure appropriate documentation is included in the personnel files in the district office.

– Prepare and implement bus routes and schedules, determine the number of buses needed and the number of students per bus

“Our products are available in the Midwest, probably through every lumberyard,” Hollenhorst said. “You can get our residential products that are readily available and widely sold throughout the northern half of the country.”

Ferche Millwork is focusing on continuing to grow its commercial business and continue to be an industry leader in manufacturing.

– Notify students, parents, schools, and drivers of any changes in bus routes and schedules

– Prepare, possess, and maintain documents required to verify safety certification of drug and alcohol testing of transportation personnel.

– Complete required reports.

– Assist in the transportation budget preparation.

– Oversee transportation budget.

– Develop schedules for vehicle replacement, recommending purchases or equipment to administration.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

– High school diploma or GED certificate required.

– Two-year management certificate or previous supervisory/management experience preferred.

– Experience in transportation operations is a plus.

– Demonstrated computer skills and working knowledge of software applications preferred.

For more information or to apply, please visit our Employment OpportunitiesCustodial/Food Service/Transportation section on the Human Resources page of our website at www.royaltonpublicschools.org

PHOTO SUBMITTED

The original Ferche Millwork building stands in Rice in 1958. The manufacturing facility is located on the same property that it began business on 65 years ago, but has grown from one building to many on its 25-acre parcel.

PHOTO BY MORGAN EGGERT

The original Ferche Millwork building stands in Rice in 1958. The manufacturing facility is located on the same property that it began business on 65 years ago, but has grown from one building to many on its 25-acre parcel.

Knowing Solarz’s love of the Rice community, the timing of her retirement announcement makes sense. The board takes a once-a-year road trip north for a meeting at Rice Elementary School, and that is where she wanted to put a cap on her service.

from front The next Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Rice Elementary School, 200 NE Third Ave., Rice. Following the meeting, there will be a reception for Jan Solarz, beginning approximately at 6:45 p.m.

Solarz was part of the rst class at Rice Elementary School as a rst-grader in 1958. She jokes she was smart enough to skip kindergarten while also admitting there was no kindergarten option at the time.

“I wanted to have my last meeting be in Rice because that building is pretty special to me,” Solarz said. “I decided that would be the perfect time and place to retire. I always have felt Rice feels a bit left out.”

The communities have both been a huge part of life for Solarz. After missing a lot of school days due to heart surgery when she was 12, she chose to attend school in Sauk Rapids as an eighth grader.

In 1969, Rice Elementary School became a part of the then Sauk Rapids School District.

Solarz graduated in 1970 then watched her four children — James, Jill, Jennifer and Jeffrey — get their education in the district.

It was because of her children that she decided she wanted to help in district-wide decisions both big and small.

“It’s really important for parents to get involved,” Solarz said. “I was a stay-at-home mom, and getting involved with the school is a big part of who I am. I enjoyed everything about being there. My kids grew up to be great kids, but I also knew they’ll be living next to some other kids that might not have the same opportunities and I wanted them to have the best education possible, too.”

Though recognition was not why Solarz wanted to serve, she has received plenty of it. She was named to the All-State School Board in 2006, and received the Governor’s Volunteer Award in 1996, among others.

Solarz said playing instrumental roles in getting the playground built at Rice Elementary School and helping along the process of getting a new Sauk Rapids-Rice High School built in 2003 after two failed referendums as two of her most cherished accomplishments.

“Jan was committed to listening and hearing all perspectives” said Bradley Bergstrom, district superintendent. “She has been, and I suspect always will be, a champion for all things Sauk Rapids-Rice. She has always been visible and everyone knows her. She is kind, caring, approachable and, most importantly, such a genuine person. She embodies what it means to be an effective school board member and will no doubt be missed.”

There were dif cult times, too, such as closing the Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School pool due to severe budget cuts in 2008.

“Closing the middle school pool was a tough one for me, but, for me, it was ‘Do we lose teachers or lose the pool?’” Solarz said. “So, that was kind of a no-brainer. We need teachers.”

Solarz was on the stage when current board chair Ryan Butkowski received his diploma from SRRHS in 1997. He has sat next to Solarz during meetings in recent years, playfully reminding her to keep her often-thorough committee reports brief.

Little did Butkowski know the profound effect she would have on his own service to the district. He said her history of the district and relationships, in addition to dogged advocacy for issues such as school lunch prices, transportation and student-achievement, will be missed.

“I have learned so much from her in my short tenure on the board,” Butkowski said. “I have made a commitment to Jan that we will carry on her legacy through listening to the community, student advocacy and, of course, being approachable out in the community.”

Solarz also will be giving up her post on the board of the Benton Stearns Education District but will hold onto her post on the Resource Training & Solutions board for two more years. She will enjoy more time with husband of 45 years, Jerry, but added she will not disappear from the schools completely and likely will return to occasionally read to the kids.

“It’s been amazing working with a great bunch of people,” Solarz said. “This has been very humbling and I wanted to go out on top.”

90TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

John Heintze

There will be an open house 90th birthday celebration for John Heintze of Sauk Rapids from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Sauk Rapids VFW. The celebration will be hosted by his daughters Kim Friend and Lynn Holmgren. R-39-2P

Join Us in Worship

SAUK

700 18th St. NW (320) 251-5767 discoverychurchmn.com

HARVEST

CHURCH

Saturday, Oct. 7, 8-11 a.m.

— Watab-Langola Community Clean-Up Day.

Acceptable items (with applicable fees) include tires, appliances, screened electronics, mattresses, furniture, roadside litter, scrap iron, garden hoses and more. Pines Edge Grocery parking lot, 1490 110th St. NW, Rice.

Saturday, Oct. 7, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. — 14th annual Volleyball Bash for a Cure. All proceeds benefit the Coborn Cancer Center. O’Brien’s Pub, 10 Main St. E., Rice.

Sunday, Oct. 8, 1-4 p.m.

— Rice Fire Department Open House. Meet volunteer firefighters, see equipment and learn fire prevention tips. Rice Fire Hall, 205 E. Main St., Rice.

Monday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Free Fresh Produce. While supplies last. CARE parking lot, 321 Sixth Ave., Foley.

Monday, Oct. 9 — Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day

Monday, Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m.

– Nordic Walking Group Meets every Monday. Some poles available. Municipal Park, Sauk Rapids.

Monday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. –

Rice American Legion Post 473 Meeting. Legion meets the second Monday of each month. Pine Country Bank Community Room, 750 County Road 21, Rice.

Monday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m. –Rice American Legion Auxiliary Unit 473 Meeting. Auxiliary meets the second Monday of each month. American Legion Post 473, 80 N. Division St., Rice.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m. –Sauk Rapids City Council Meeting. Sauk Rapids Government Center, 250 Summit Ave. N., Sauk Rapids.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 p.m. – Sauk Rapids Lions Membership Meeting Second Tuesday of every month. Sauk Rapids VFW Post 6992, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. –Watab Township Supervisors Meeting. Watab Town Hall, 660 75th St. NW, Sauk Rapids.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 7-9 p.m. – St. Cloud Area Singing Saints Men’s Acapella Chorus Practice. Meets every Tuesday. New participants welcome. Good Shepherd Community Chapel, 325 11th St. N., Sauk Rapids.

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 1 p.m. — League of Women Voters St. Cloud Area Monthly Meeting. Featuring John Houston, Ph.D., with “Artificial Intelligence: An Evolving Technology Too Big to Regulate?”

Great River Regional Library, 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud.

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 1-3 p.m. – Cribbage Wednesdays. Hosted by Helping Hands Outreach. Lions Building, 101 Fourth Ave. NW, Rice.

PETRA LUTHERAN CHURCH 1049 1st Ave. N (320) 252-0120 petralutheran.com

Sale Dates: Monday, Oct. 9th - Sunday, Oct. 22nd 750 ml OCTOBER Michelob Ultra Bogle Wines 24 pk. cans & bottles All Varieties LIQUOR Sauk Rapids Sauk Monday-Thursday 9am-10pm • Friday-Saturday 8am-10pm • Sunday 11am-6 pm DEALS OF THE MONTH $899 $2399 R40-2B-TV Busch Light 24 pack cans & bottles $19 Michelob Golden Light 24 pack, 16 oz. cans $222299 99 YOUR FULL SERVICE LIQUOR STORE « 312 BENTON DRIVE N. « 320-251-4185 WINE LIQUOR Gallo Wines 1.5 L. $699 Windsor Whisky 1.75 L. $1599 New Amsterdam Vodka 1.75 L. $1699 Ron Diaz Rum 1.75 L. $1399 Jose Cuervo Tequila 1.75 L. $2999 Hamm’s 30 pack cans $151599 99 Keystone Light 24 pack cans $171799 99 c & bottles 99 GllWi

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to noon – Living Waters Lutheran Church Food Shelf Distribution. Living Waters Lutheran Church, 1911 Fourth Ave. N., Sauk Rapids. If in need of emergency food assistance, call 320-255-1135.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 12:301:30 p.m. – Exercise Tuesdays. Hosted by Helping Hands Outreach. Lions Building, 101 Fourth Ave. NW, Rice. Call 320-3934467 for more information.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 3 p.m.

— Central Minnesota Civil War Round Table Monthly Meeting. October’s session is “My Great-Great-Grandfather’s Final Resting Place: Salisbury Prison” with Beth Moll. Stearns County History Museum, 235 33rd Ave. S., St. Cloud. For more information, contact aditlevson@gmail.com.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m. –Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board Meeting. Rice Elementary School, 200 Third Ave. NE, Rice.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Job Seekers Open House Hosted by Career Solutions. Workshops about resumes, interview preparation and computer basics as well as education about career training and planning. Career Solutions, 1542 Northway Drive, St. Cloud. Park in Lot B. Enter Door No. 2. Find more information at www.careeersolutionsjobs.org or by calling 320-308-5320.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 3-6 p.m. — Sauk Rapids Market Last market of the season. Parking lot at Coborn’s, 110 First St. S., Sauk Rapids.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. –Sauk Rapids Legion Post 254 Monthly Meeting Legion meets the second Thursday of each month at the Sauk Rapids VFW Post 6992, 901 N. Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. –Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting. Meets weekly. Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church, 1950 125th St. NW, Rice. For more information, call 320-2939213.

Sauk Rapids-Rice School Board seeking candidates

SAUK RAPIDS — Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools is seeking district residents interested in becoming a member of the Board of Education to submit a statement of interest. Board of Education Director Jan Solarz announced her retirement, effective Oct. 10.

State statute requires the district appoint a new board member to the open position. The appointed board member will ll the seat until Dec. 31, 2024.

Statements of interest, as well as any additional pertinent information applicants wish to share, must be dropped off or mailed to the district of ce (Attention: Christie Young), or emailed to christie.young@ isd47.org and received by 4 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 11.

The remaining seated board members will review the statements of interest the week of Oct. 16. Following the review, the board intends to interview selected applicants in forum style Oct. 25. The interview will be open to the public.

The applicant selected to ful ll the open seat will be announced at the Nov. 6 board meeting and will serve at the board table beginning Nov. 27.

Information regarding the application procedures is available on the district’s website at www.isd47. org or by contacting Christie Young, executive administrative assistant to the board and superintendent, at 320-258-1809.

APO developing safe routes to Sauk Rapids schools

ST. CLOUD — The St. Cloud APO was awarded a planning assistance grant to help develop Safe Routes to School plans for three Sauk Rapids schools.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has assigned a consulting rm to work with APO staff to create site-speci c SRTS plans for Pleasantview Elementary School, Mississippi Heights Elementary School and Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School during the 2023-24 school year.

Once completed, the plans will provide guidance and recommendations for improving walking, biking and rolling for Sauk Rapids-Rice students in kindergarten through eighth grades.

If you are a Sauk Rapids resident (or parent) and would like to get involved in the process, visit the Sauk Rapids School District’s Safe Route to School Plan website (https://bit.ly/3PJfHM7) or contact APO Associate Transportation Planner Alex McKenzie at mckenzie@stcloudapo.org for more details.

Submit ideas for state ag

ST. PAUL — Minnesotans can now of cially submit their ideas for the next state ag and seal. The State Emblems Redesign Commission is accepting public submissions on its website at www.mnhs.org/

Sauk Rapids Police Department

Sept. 25, 11:23 a.m. — The Sauk Rapids Police Department school resource of cer witnessed a physical assault that occurred in the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School cafeteria. Other of cers responded to assist, and the situation was de-escalated. The school resource of cer assisted school administration in speaking with the students and parents.

Sept. 28, 12:44 p.m. — Law enforcement received several complaints of a male on the 100 block of First Street South approaching customers and making comments about having a permit to carry a hand gun. The store manager was aware of the situation and issued the man a trespassing notice.

Sept. 30, 6:49 a.m. — Of cers were dispatched to the zero block of River Avenue North for a report of a man attempting to break into a park building. An of cer spoke with the male who said he had used the restroom and quickly left, realizing his personal belongings were locked inside. An of cer unlocked the building and allowed the man to retrieve his items.

Incidents: Medical calls 30, miscellaneous calls 20, assists 13, suspicious activity reports 13, traf c stops 13, welfare checks 11, disturbances 9, animal complaints 8, extra patrols 8, child calls 6, police proactive visits 6, harassment calls 5, human services reports 5, civil complaints 4, agency assists 3, alarms 3, driving

serc.

The State Emblems Redesign Commission was established in the 2023 legislative session to develop and adopt a new design for the of cial state seal and a new design for the of cial state ag no later than Jan. 1, 2024. As outlined in state legislation, the Minnesota Historical Society is providing administrative support to the State Emblems Redesign Commission.

All entries must be original and follow guidelines outlined by the State Emblems Redesign Commission. Participants must be 18 years of age or older or have their submissions entered by a parent or legal guardian. Each eligible person can submit up to three designs each for the state ag and state seal.

Public submissions will be accepted online and via U.S. mail and must be submitted or postmarked by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 30. Mail submissions can be sent to the address listed at www.mnhs.org/serc.

Five submissions for each the new state seal and state ag will be selected for nal consideration by the commission. The commission will select one design (or a modi ed version) to be utilized as the basis for each emblem.

Fight national blood shortage

MINNEAPOLIS — The American Red Cross continues to experience a national blood shortage and asks the public to book a time to give as soon as possible.

Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets. The Red Cross offers three ways to make a donation appointment that can help save lives: download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit RedCrossBlood. org or call 1-800-733-2767.

The Red Cross experienced a signi cant blood and platelet donation shortfall in August, contributing to the current blood shortage. To ensure the blood supply recovers, the Red Cross must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month to meet hospital and patient needs.

The Red Cross has seen a nearly 40% drop in annual donations since prior to the coronavirus pandemic. This, coupled with an active disaster season, is challenging the organization’s ability to collect a sufcient amount of blood products to meet the needs of hospitals across the country.

How to donate blood

A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identi cation are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.

High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Rose J. Pollard

A celebration of life was Oct. 5 at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids for Rose J. Pollard, age 74, who passed away Sept. 28, 2023, at St. Benedict’s Senior Community in St. Cloud. There was a prayer service Thursday at the funeral home. Burial was at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Duelm Oct. 6.

Rose was born April 27, 1949, in St. Cloud to Ted and Betty (Stoneberg) Pollard. She was raised in Duelm and lived in Sauk Rapids most of her life. Rose was a caregiver for a couple of years and worked at Opportunity Training Center. She enjoyed spending time with family, talking to others, diamond arts, quilting, adult coloring books, jigsaw puzzles and crafting. Rose loved numbers and always remembered everyone’s birthday and anniversary. She was loving, independent, strong-willed, determined and always rolled with the punches. Rose was very proud of her family.

Survivors include her sisters and brothers, Lois (Dan) Pollard-Wilson of Sauk Rapids, Louise Crowe

of Sauk Rapids, Ted (Julie) Pollard of St. Cloud, and David (Marcy) Pollard of Clear Lake; sister-in-law, Paulette Parker of Deer River; and many nieces and nephews. Rose was preceded in death by her parents; signi cant other, Frank Long; siblings, Victor Pollard, Ricky Parker, Joey Pollard, and Albert Parker; and brothers-in-law, Art Crowe and Tom Hawkinson.

A special thank you to Steve Dilts, and the staffs at The Sanctuary, Carefree Living, St. Benedict’s, and CentraCare Hospice. Obituary, guest book and video tribute available online at www.williamsdingmann.com

Chad L. Diederich

Mass of Christian Burial was Oct. 5 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Rice for Chad L. Diederich, age 47, who passed away Sept. 28, 2023, at his residence surrounded by his family. The Rev. Gregory Sauer of ciated and burial will be at a later date. Visitation was Wednesday at Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in Sauk Rapids and one hour prior to the services Thursday at the church.

calls 3, theft calls 3, ordinance calls 2, property complaints 2, terroristic threats 2, traf c accidents 2 and unwanted calls 2.

Rice Police Department

Sept. 28, 6:06 p.m. — While on routine patrol, an of cer observed a motorcycle traveling at a high rate of speed near the intersection of County Road 2 and County Road 73. The of cer activated his front radar and clocked the cyclist at 78 mph in a 55 mph zone. The cyclist slowed and remained steady at 75 mph. The of cer conducted a traf c stop and issued a citation for 65 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Incidents: Traf c stops 12, miscellaneous calls 9 and suspicious activity reports 2.

Chad was born Oct. 2, 1975, in St. Cloud to Alvin and Linda (McKenzie) Diederich. He lived in the Rice area all of his life, was a welder for Polar Manufacturing, and worked as a union laborer in water and sewer. Chad was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and Local Laborers Union 563. He enjoyed hunting, shing, and spending time and guiding his family. Chad was a loving, supportive, kind, and caring person. He was very proud of his children. He always put others rst, and would do anything for anyone.

Survivors include his children, Brittany Diederich of Rice, Destiny Diederich of Waite Park and Hunter Diederich of Rice; step-children, Kayla Manthey of Grand Rapids and Danyell Wong of Eden Valley; step-grandchildren, Alyanna and Oaklynn; mother, Linda of Rice; sister, Jennifer (Brian) Shields of Maple Lake; nephews, Ryan and Brandon; great niece, Brinley; and great nephew, Grayson.

Chad was preceded in death by his father, Alvin on May 17, 1997; and his grandparents. Obituary, guest book and video tribute available online at www.williamsdingmann.com R-40-1B

320.266.3949

Rose J. Pollard

Chad L. Diederich

What is blooming now?

There are annual owers that have bloomed all summer such as marigolds and asters, which have been blooming for a month. And, there are perennials that wait until fall to bloom and provide color this late in the season.

Patterns of grace

Down in the dumps? You don’t have to fake like you’re not.

It’s what you choose to do while you’re downcast that can make or break you. In other words, what you choose to do can give you joy despite your circumstance.

“I’m so sick and tired of being sick and tired,” the weary soul proclaims.

to obey what Jesus has commanded us. It is in the power of the Lord of hosts’ might that we need only to be strong. What if we looked at moments of joy as patterns of grace instead of moments of discouragement as attacks from the devil? Both can be true, so what would the point be in shifting our gaze?

BY LINDA G. TENNESON

Sedum is in bloom now. This is a succulent perennial that does well in full sun or partial shade. Its owers feed butter ies and bees that are still active. The blooms are white, pink, red or purple. Autum Joy is a popular variety that has red blooms. Sedum, also called stonecrop, is drought tolerant. The stems and leaves may be left standing after frost for winter interest. Once established, this plant is easy to grow. There are three types. Creeping sedum which is a ground cover that can sprawl up to 3 feet in width and blooms earlier than the other varieties. Tall sedum can grow to 2 feet tall with blooms at the very top of the stems. And there is trailing sedum which is used in hanging baskets or allowed to spread over rock walls. All varieties are hardy to Zone 3. They are usually deer resistant because the leaves have a bitter taste. However, deer will eat or sample many plants if they are hungry enough. Because of their unusual leaves, sedum makes a contrast to other perennials in the garden.

Hardy geraniums, also called cranesbills, have been blooming for several weeks and will continue until frost. The blooms may be blue, lavender, pink, purple or white. The large blue blooms of the hardy geraniums in my garden show up well against the green leaves of plants that have nished their bloom for the season. Many varieties bloom in summer and continue until fall. This plant may range from 6 inches to several feet tall and spread to several feet wide. This plant prefers full sun but will bloom in partial shade. It survives drought well and is not particular about its soil. There are 300 types including pure species and hybrids. Hardy geraniums may be dug up and divided by cutting the root ball into sections. Divisions should be kept well-watered until they are established as separate plants. A large hardy geranium plant may have a dead section in the middle which is a sign the plant needs to be divided. They also self-seed providing the gardener with plants to share.

Turtle head, botanical name Chelone, has blooms that may be white, pink or red. This perennial began blooming a few weeks ago and may have a few days left before it begins to form seed pods. The name comes from the appearance of the ower bud which looks like the head of a turtle. It prefers full sun but will grow in partial shade. Pinching in mid-summer will produce a bushier plant but is not necessary. It prefers moist soil but will tolerate drought for short periods. The seed pods may be collected when ripe to provide new plants but do need a cold period to germinate. Germination may take longer than other plants. The foliage is dark green while the blooms are various shades of red and pink, some quite dark.

Linda G. Tenneson is a University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener and Tree Care Advisor.

We can all have enough of our crummy circumstances. When things are going seemingly swell for a time, sometimes we squawk at the rst disappointment that comes our way. Other times, with many trials in a row, we can entirely give up. But bringing others down around you, pushing everyone away or throwing in the towel for wanting to do anything good is exactly what the devil is aiming for us to do.

LIFE BY FAITH

BY MERCY NYGAARD

We know by Romans 12:2 that we must renew our minds, so we do not conform to the patterns of this world. Perspective can change our viewpoint. If our viewpoint is crummy about multiple discouragements, by intentionally searching for patterns of grace, we possibly could be lled with more gratitude and joy instead of weariness and discontent.

Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the armor of God, so that we may stand against the wiles of the devil.

There are limitless attempts that Satan and his evil ones use to discourage us. Schemes from the adversary are meant to destroy us since the rst man and woman disobeyed God. Sin and suffering became a part of the world as a result of their disobedience. We are not given a force eld from it, but an armor to stand against the enemy using tricks to destroy us.

Let’s highlight a few things about this truth. The armor is from God. He is above heaven and earth, and Jesus is the Lord of hosts, Lord of the heavenly armies. Why would God give a gift if he didn’t intend for us to use it?

Therefore, we can expect battles.

We do not have to be strong in and of ourselves or in the power of our might. Jesus sends us into the world to make disciples, teaching them

I am learning this through a dif cult season. Every time I get refreshed by looking to Jesus and not my circumstance, more discouragement comes my way. But this is the world lled with sin and suffering, so every time I get my head above the clouds of discouragement and moments of goodness come through, these are patterns of God’s favor, unearned by me. The moments of goodness may look like time in God’s word, love from God through my family and friends, or an encouraging song.

We do not have to fake that our circumstances are always rosy. By putting on the full armor of God and with every step of obedience, God grants us more understanding and joy. He gives us joy upon our obedience as he promises that his joy may be full in us. This allows us to to encourage others in Jesus despite our circumstance. This is a pattern throughout our lives, not of our own doing but of grace.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Community support drives progress

By Jakub Tolar, MD, PHD, dean of University of Minnesota Medical School and Ken Holmen, MD, president and CEO of CentraCare

On behalf of CentraCare and the University of Minnesota Medical School, we want to say thank you. Our organizations have been working for the past two years to bring a regional medical school campus to St. Cloud, and the progress we’ve achieved is largely because of our remarkable physicians, staff and the support of our communities.

The vision to expand the UMMS’s footprint to central Minnesota is a bold idea to address a growing healthcare crisis. Rural Americans are at greater risk of death from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic respiratory disease and stroke. One contributing factor is access to care. While 20% of the U.S. population lives in rural communities, only 11% of physicians practice in these areas. Greater Minnesota residents nd it more dif cult to get appropriate care in a timely manner close to home.

We want to change that.

And based on the community support we’ve received from people across Minnesota, we know you

want to see change also. More than 150 businesses across the region formally expressed support for this concept — a clear recognition that health and wellness is foundational to communities’ ability to thrive.

What makes this situation even more urgent is Minnesota’s rural physicians are retiring faster than they can be replaced. That’s why we’re looking for the next generation of physicians. And the best way to attract new physicians to rural Minnesota is to train them in rural Minnesota.

This innovative collaboration is an investment in the future health of our region. Developing a medical campus in St. Cloud will be the rst expansion of the University’s Medical School in 52 years and comes at a time when this region’s growing population needs better access to healthcare.

The next milestone for this effort occurs in mid-October, when the University of Minnesota Board of Regents votes on nal approval. Once approved, we’ll work toward the goal of welcoming our rst class of medical students in fall 2025.

As we continue this journey, it is gratifying to know our communities are as eager for the outcome as are our two organizations.

GREEN AND GROWING IN BENTON COUNTY

School attendance

As we move into October, and it feels like most of us are getting into the routine of school, I cannot help but notice there continues to be a number of students who have already missed more than two days of school.

Why does this matter?

SAUK RAPIDS-RICE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

STORM CORNER

Simply put, attendance is critical for your child to gain content, con dence and build social skills with their peers.

In our current world, children are spending more and more time on devices and in front of screens. This has caused a shift in the way we structure our learning day at school. We have adjusted our teaching to be less of a sit and get delivery and more of an interactive, collaborative environment. This type of learning requires students to be present and participating every day. So, if your child is missing school even two times a month, they are missing out on more than ever before.

What can you do?

Attendance Works offers the following suggestions to develop strong attendance:

— Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

— Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

— Keep your child healthy (enough sleep, healthy nutrition, exercise, etc.)

— Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up, call on a family member, a neighbor or another parent.

— Try to schedule medical appointments and extended trips when school isn’t in session.

— If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors and other school personnel on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.

— If you are concerned your child may be sick, call your school for guidance.

If you are concerned about your child missing school, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s school of ce for support. We are here to help and want to partner with you to support your child throughout their school experience.

September weather, phenology in review

Weather:The high and low averages were about the same as last year at 75.1 and 51.6 degrees. The rst four days were uncomfortable with two days above 90. The warmest day, Sept. 3, was 96 degrees with a lot of humidity. The coldest day at 34 degrees Sept. 13 saw jackets come out of the closet.

Precipitation? It was a very dry month. From Sept. 1-23, only .13 of an inch fell here. Not much rain this summer; green things are suffering. Only 1.44 inches of rain this month brings the year total to 18.42 inches. Well below where we should be. The most rain fell Sept. 24 when I recorded .55 of an-inch.

FROM THE NORTH SHORE OF LITTLE ROCK LAKE

Local weather records:As we can see, we now have the possibility of snow and freezing rain. The record low was 18 degrees in 1942 while the high was a sweltering 106 degrees in 1931. Wow! What a difference. The most rain, 10.72 inches, fell in 1926. And yes, .2 of an inch of snow fell in 1995. I recorded a trace of snow here Sept. 21. 1995.

Phenology: Green things rst. Late summer plants in bloom are New England aster, mums, sedum, a few hosta, black-eyed Susan, yarrow, spotted joe-pye weed in the last stages of bloom and cat mint.

It’s been a tough year for lawns. Fall colors came on fast. The area is not in full color yet, but ground cover like sumac is really red. A lot of leaves are starting to come down.

Was it the dry month that brought on the fast fall colors? Every bush and tree are just loaded with berries and acorns. My mountain ash is really hanging low due to all the berries. Usually, robins are eating the fruit. Robins were scarce and are now gone. Cedar waxwings, if they show up, will have a feast. Both common and swamp milkweed seeds are in the wind.

The last northern oriole left on the Sept. 3. Hummingbirds were all gone Sept. 17. Swallows are gone too. At the feeders and on the ground were three species of woodpeckers, nuthatch, blue jay, several species of sparrow, mourning and Eurasian collared-doves, northern icker, gold nch, a bald eagle near shore and lots of gulls. And, lest I forget, three great-horned owls have been hooting very loudly in the woods behind the house. They had quite a conversation Sept. 21. When will the rst

Sauk Rapids opts for $443,700 tax increase

City likely to have lowest tax rate in urban area

BY NATASHA BARBER | STAFF WRITER

After two years of double-digit levy percentage increases, Sauk Rapids dropped below 10% and settled on an 8.21% increase when it approved its preliminary tax levy Sept. 25.

Sauk Rapids City Council members voted unanimously to approve the proposal which equates to a $443,700 increase over 2023.

The city will collect a total of $5,849,400 from resident taxpayers in 2024.

The roughly $5.85 million levy includes a nearly $140,000 reduction in debt service allocation, as the city paid off a bond in 2023, as well as a collective $105,000 increase in improvement funds for buildings, equipment and other assets.

dark-eyed junco show up? There were about 20 turkey vultures circling over Benton County Road 2; they probably found a dead deer.

Don Weyer, our pocket gopher king, has only trapped 45 so far this year compared to 145 normally. Dry weather the culprit?

Bunny numbers are down. Are greathorned owls doing the damage?

Roxie Saldana reported six otters are feasting on sh and clams in her pond. A stray cat has cut down the number of chipmunks.

Little Rock Lake:Lake levels remained stable. The lake seemed to be about a foot low all summer. Water temperature at the beginning of the month was 68 and ended at 60 degrees. Water clarity was poor all month. No blue-green algae, though. Many folks had trouble getting pontoons off their lifts due to low water. Some neighbors planted softstem bullrushes and they are doing very well. Jim Larson was the rst to get his pontoon out of the lake Sept. 30. What’s ahead: Maybe some snow. Time to ensure snow removal equipment is in good working order. Suet feeders can come out. Furnace check-up. Cut the lawn shorter and put the fall fertilizer in. After the rst hard freeze, I’ll cut back plants. For us senior folks, remember the dreaded task of removing screens and putting on storm windows? I’m dating myself.

In addition to “hefty increases” in wages and salaries, according to city nance director Jack Kahlahmer, the city is also preparing for the upcoming year with six-month wages set aside to train both a nance clerk and police of cer before anticipated retirements.

Sauk Rapids has also allotted an additional $40,000 to help pay for the three elections scheduled in 2024. The city is responsible for public notices that coincide with each elections as well as labor and equipment costs among other things.

With a net tax capacity increase of about $1.9 million, the city’s tax rate will decrease from 41.11% in 2022 to 38.68% in 2023.

Kahlhamer said that although the city’s tax rate will decrease, property owners may see increases on the city portion of tax statements due to home values increasing.

“So, all in all, I’m estimating anywhere from a $50 to $150 increase for homes, depending on values,” he said.

According to Kahlhamer’s calculations, a residential property valued at $250,000 in 2023, with a market value increase of 15% in 2024, could see an increase of about $100 on the tax statement.

Kahlhamer did not have nalized numbers at the meeting but said he estimated Sauk Rapids would remain as the city with the lowest tax rate for the second consecutive year when compared to Sartell, St. Joseph, St. Cloud and Waite Park.

“Outside of that, I don’t have a lot of new information,” Kahlhamer said. “Eight percent is not a great number to look at, but it isn’t unusual either.”

Kahlhamer said in ation effects have not diminished for the city and he expects some effects are yet to come.

Preliminary levies are certi ed with Minnesota counties prior to the end of September each year. Sauk Rapids may decrease the preliminary levy before its Truth in Taxation meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 11, but it can no longer increase the amount for 2024.

We will again be publishing the Veterans Special Edition.

Veterans name Branch of

military Years of service Town in which you reside

BY JIM HOVDA

Worth the wait

Storm rally past Elk River in suspended game

BY TOM FENTON STAFF WRITER

Program-de ning. Other than calling it a “signature win,” which seems a bit trite and overused, there is perhaps no other way to describe the signi cance of the Sauk Rapids-Rice football team’s come-from-behind 30-28 victory over Elk River Sept. 30 at Jerry Schempf Field in Elk River.

The Storm slept on an 8-6 de cit as Elk River’s homecoming game was suspended when lightning and rain moved in. What happened once play resumed the next morning can be summed up as wild, crazy and overwhelmingly satisfying for a seventh-ranked Storm team that improved to 5-0 for the third consecutive

season.

Senior running back Shaun Walrath scored on an 18-yard fourth-quarter run as the Storm stunned the defending Class 5A champions. Walrath also had a 1-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening drive and added a 53-yard touchdown on a

fumble return, stripping quarterback Owen Van Drehle and then recovering it, in his team’s 20-point second quarter.

Walrath also keyed a much-improved ground game with a season-best 155 yards on 26 carries.

Elk River fell to 1-4 overall with each loss

coming against teams ranked in the top 10 in Class 5A.

“We felt great pride, excitement and a great sense of accomplishment,” Walrath said. “A lot of people didn’t think we were a legit football team, but I think we proved that with this win. I was proud of this team, especially our linemen who stayed in for the whole game because it was hot.”

Junior receiver Hudson Omoke was a huge part of the game plan, which is far from unusual. Five of his 11 catches came on the game’s opening drive, and the scoreboard could have showed more had a likely touchdown reception not fallen through his hands in the rst quarter.

Through ve games, Omoke already is re-writing the program’s receiving record book. His 43 receptions broke the school record of 40 set by Andrew Harren last season. Omoke’s 700 receiving yards are 18 shy over the season receiving yard mark set by Soctt Massman in 1992.

“If Hudson has any doubt about his hands,

something’s wrong,” Klaphake said. “He drops that one and he’s mad about it, but he’s not worried about the next one being a drop. That rst drive, it just worked out that way for him to be that involved. We don’t have a play that’s specifically designed to go to him, but he might be the No. 1 option on a lot of them.”

Omoke more than redeemed himself, nishing with 138 yards receiving

including second-quarter touchdowns of 15 and 45 yards from quarterback Spencer Ackerman. Ackerman completed 15 of 24 passes for 194 yards while nding a way to rally from two interceptions — one of which was returned 77 yards for an Elks third-quarter touchdown.

“I love Spencer’s con dence and that he thinks he can make every throw all the time and that he wants to,” Klaphake said. “As he grows and matures as a football player and as a kid, he’ll get a better understanding of when and why to make throws, so the next time he won’t make that mistake.”

The Storm defense mostly contained the high-powered Elk River rushing attack, giving up 293 total yards while mostly limiting big plays. Long drives by the SRR offense, something Klaphake mentioned would be crucial if his team was going to defeat Elk River, helped keep the Elks offense on the sidelines.

PHOTO BY TOM FENTON

Storm senior running back Shaun Walrath leaps over the goal line behind the block of Dillon Miller (21) for the game’s opening touchdown Sept. 29 in Elk River. Walrath scored three touchdowns, leading Sauk Rapids-Rice to a 30-28 victory over the defending Class 5A champions.

PHOTO BY TOM FENTON

Junior receiver Mason Sabraski is dragged down by Elk River defender Logan Bunker after making a 25-yard first-quarter reception Sept. 29 in Elk River. The seventhranked Storm improved to 5-0 with a 30-28 win over the Elks.

struggles sink Granite City

Lumberjacks swept by West Bend

BY EVAN MICHEALSON STAFF WRITER

The Granite City Lumberjacks were all over the ice against the West Bend Power Sept. 30.

The reigning NA3HL champions recorded at least 10 shots on goal in every period, stringing offensive possessions together and transitioning through the neutral zone and into the West Bend zone effectively.

However, for the second night in a row, Granite City’s shots of all speeds and length were denied before reaching the net, The Lumberjacks fell 2-1 at Kettle Moraine Ice Center in West Bend, Wisconsin.

“Both games, we controlled the majority of the play,” said D.J. Vold, associate head coach. “We’ve got a group right now struggling to get the puck in the net. It’s tough to win when you only score one.”

Thirteen of West

Bend’s 21 shots came in the opening period, with the Power burying the rst goal of the game with 4 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the period. However, Granite City’s defense in its own zone in front of goaltender Sam Schowalter was mostly clean, as evidenced by the Power’s eight shots from the beginning of the second period on.

“Sam’s been great,” Vold said. “We’ve had a good chance to win every time he’s played. Defensively, we’re slowly and steadily playing better and better. I’m happy with everything but our goal production, and that’s something that will come over time.”

Granite City pushed the pace all evening but yielded little in the way of goal-scoring, ring 37 shots at West Bend netminder Adam Prokop, who reeled in 36 saves against a talented group of Lumberjack forwards.

The Lumberjacks failed to score on a pow-

er-play opportunity in the closing minutes of the second period but stayed vigilant. Granite City won a puck battle in a pile and kept its offense moving, with Ashton Ericksen ring home his rst goal of the campaign.

“It was a good combination of working until the end of the power play and nding the open guy,” Vold said.

West Bend would take the lead once more with Connor O’Neal’s fourth tally of the season at 2:09 in the third period and hold on from there, improving to a perfect 5-0 on the season. Granite City, meanwhile, dropped to 2-2-1 with the tough loss.

“It’s good for us to get a taste of what other divisions have to offer,” Vold said.

Granite City began a three-game weekend against the Minnesota Loons Oct. 6 and will start a two-game series with the Mason City Toros at 7:10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Mason City Arena in Ma-

son City, Iowa.

Second period: 2. Ericksen (Carson Strapon, Nolan Widman) 15:49. Goalie: Schowalter 19 saves of 21 shots on goal.

West Bend 3, Granite City 2

A battle of potential Fraser Cup contenders turned sour for the Lumberjacks in the shootout, as the Power came away with a determined 3-2 win Sept. 29 at Kettle Moraine Ice Center.

Parker Mitchell scored at 12:30 in the second period to tie the game, while Jack Marske’s second goal of the season gave Granite City its rst lead. However, West Bend struck for the equalizer with 3:16 remaining in the third period and scored on two attempts in a row to win the shootout.

Ericksen and Jack Louko were successful in scoring on the shootout, with each squad taking six shots at the opposing net.

GCL 0 1 1 0-2

WB 1 0 1 1-3

Second period: 2. Mitchell (Tommy Woods, Strapon) 12:30. Third period: 3. Marske (Finn Greeley, Woods) 8:09. Goalie: Anyon Bennett 26-28.

Season 2 in books

SRR finishes with 4 victories

BY TOM FENTON STAFF WRITER

Wins were not expected to pile up for the Sauk Rapids-Rice girls tennis team this season. The Storm are in their second year as their own program, and the building process includes many layers.

SRR added a few bricks in the construction process this season, winning four matches in a campaign that came to a close with a 7-0 loss to Annandale in the rst round of the South Sub-Section 8AA tournament Oct. 3 in Annandale. The Cardinals are the No. 1 seed in the sub-section.

“While we did not get as many wins as we would have liked, our team still had some success,” said Val Martin, rst year head coach for the Storm. “Brielle Karasch set a goal of six wins, and she made that goal. Some girls had

a goal to play a varsity match, and that goal was achieved for many players.”

Annandale won six of seven matches in straight sets to advance to the quarter nals. Storm senior Erica Poganski dropped her No. 4 singles match in a thirdset super-tiebreaker.

“This team was also much more than just playing tennis as a lot of friendships were made,” Martin said. “Team-bonding was made a priority, and many girls stepped into leadership roles. All girls improved their tennis game in some way. As a new head coach, I

learned that having high organizational skills is very important. I also really appreciate what the other coaches brought to the season. I feel like we made a great team and had different strengths to bring to the girls.”

The South Sub-Section 8AA individual tournament started Oct. 6 and concludes Saturday, Oct. 7, under the bubble at Sta-Fit in Sartell. In the singles draw for SRR are junior Sydney Entner and senior Erica Poganski. Doubles teams are sophomores Leah Roesch and Karasch along with senior Piper Froiland and sophomore CeCe Heneke.

“In the off-season, I would love to see all of the girls do some sort of hitting and strength training,” Martin said. “Tennis is a game that to get better, you have to keep hitting. This summer, many hitting opportunities and tournaments will be made available to girls, and I hope they all take advantage. We will get stronger and better. We just have to keep swinging.” Annandale 7, SRR 0

Singles: No. 1 — Entner lost 6-1, 6-1. No. 2 — Roesch lost 6-2, 6-0. No. 3 — Karasch lost 6-1, 6-1. No. 4 — Poganski lost 3-6, 6-0, (10-5). Doubles: No. 1 — Froiland-Heneke lost 6-0, 6-2. No. 2 — Kaitlyn Burski-Miah Boos lost 6-1, 6-1. No. 3 — Allison Lundebrek-Maya Strand lost 6-1, 6-1.

CONTEST RULES

1. Anyone can enter except employees of this newspaper.

2. Contest judges are the newspaper staff

3. Winners will be announced in next week’s Sauk Rapids Herald.

4. Entries due at office by 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Sauk Rapids Herald

2 Second Ave. S., Suite 135, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

5. Prize will be mailed to the winner after their name is announced in this paper.

6. Only one entry per person per week. Two entries per address per week.

7. In case of a tie, a random drawing will be held.

8. Contestants with the most season picks will win a grand prize of $200 cash.

Twins sweep Blue Jays in wild card playoff series

The streak is nally over! After 18 consecutive playoff losses over a period of 6,937 days, the longest playoff slump in the history of American professional sports has mercifully ended. The Minnesota Twins nally won a playoff game with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Oct. 3, and they followed it up with another 2-0 win Oct. 4 to advance to a divisional round matchup with the defending champion Houston Astros.

SPORTS COLUMNIST

BY ANDY THAYER

The Twins’ pitching was absolutely dynamite throughout the two-game series. The Blue Jays have a legitimate, playoff-caliber lineup, and the Twins pitchers repeatedly overpowered them. Pablo Lopez showed up to Target Field Tuesday in a Johan Santana jersey (a tribute to a fellow Venezuelan who just happened to be the last Twins starter to win a playoff game) and delivered 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Sonny Gray was even better in game two, pitching ve shutout innings and striking out six. The Twins bullpen dominated both games, pitching a combined 7 1/3 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. Jhoan Duran closed out both games with authority, striking out ve batters in his two innings and completely blowing away most

PUBLIC NOTICES

CERTIFICATE OF ASSUMED NAME Minnesota Statutes Chapter 333

ASSUMED NAME: Accelerate Integrative Family Wellness.

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: STE 101, 1257

2ND ST N, SAUK RAPIDS, MN 56379-2672 USA.

NAMEHOLDER(S): ERIKA YANCEY, STE 101, 1257

2ND ST N, SAUK RAPIDS, MN 56379-2672.

(4) By typing my name, I, the undersigned, certify that I am signing this document as the person whose signature is required, or as agent of the person(s) whose signature would be required who has authorized me to sign this document on his/ her behalf, or in both capacities. I further certify that I have completed all required elds, and that the information in this document is true and correct and in compliance with the applicable chapter of Minnesota Statutes. I understand that by signing this document I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Section 609.48 as if I had signed this document under oath.

/s/ Erika Yancey 09/22/2023

File Number: 1411857900025

R-39-2P

The Sauk Rapids-Rice Board of Education is seeking Statements of Interest from individuals wishing to ll the upcoming School Board Director vacancy on the Sauk Rapids-Rice Board of Education. Statements of Interest must be received at the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District Of ce located at 1833 Osauka Road NE, Sauk Rapids by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. Statements of interest can be dropped off, mailed to the district of ce (Attention Christie Young), or emailed to christie.young@isd47.org.

The Board of Education will interview selected applicants in forum style on Wednesday, October 25, 2023. The interview process will be open to the public to attend. The applicant selected to ful ll the open seat will be announced at the November 6, 2023 Board meeting and will serve at the Board table beginning November 27, 2023.

Information regarding the application procedures is available on the district’s website (www.isd47.org) or by contacting Christie Young, Executive Administrative Assistant to the Board of Education and Superintendent, at 320-258-1809.

R-40-1B

Due at office by Wed., Oct. 11 at 12 p.m.

of the overmatched Jays hitters.

This isn’t the type of pitching staff longtime Twins fans are used to seeing. The 2023 Twins aren’t going out there with the same “pitch to contact” stuff as the pitchers who were carried to the playoffs by the M&M boys or the Bomba squad over the past two decades. This is a amethrowing staff that led the major leagues in strikeouts. The Twins pitchers straight-up dominate hitters, and the ability to do that is even more valuable in the playoffs when a team often needs a timely punchout to escape a jam without damage.

I’d be remiss in not mentioning the heroics of rookie slugger Royce Lewis in game one, where he became just the third player in MLB history to launch home runs in his rst two postseason at-bats (joining Evan Longoria and former Twin Gary Gaetti). The three runs that Lewis drove in with his bombs were all the Twins needed Tuesday, and they showed that the playoff spotlight isn’t too bright for the budding star. Playoff veteran Carlos Correa also deserves some credit. Playing with plantar fasciitis, he made electric defensive plays in both games that saved runs and got Twins pitchers out of jams. He also went 3-for7 and drove in a big run in Wednesdays’ game, and it appears that the “October Correa” that often paced the Astros during their deep playoff runs of recent years is still very much a thing.

The Twins were also clearly the more mentally prepared team in this series. They capitalized on huge baserunning gaffes by the Blue Jays to get critical outs, including a second base pickoff of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Wednesday that ended the Blue Jays’ last real chance to score. Coach Rocco Baldelli deserves credit for having his guys ready to go. He also did a great job of managing the bullpen and working platoon splits to his advantage when the Twins were batting.

The red-hot Twins will begin their divisional series matchup Saturday, Oct. 7, in Houston, and they will likely face either Justin Verlander or Framber Valdez. It’s wild to think the Twins might have the pitching edge in such a series, but this is the world we live in, Twins fans.

All I can say is the Astros had better not take the Twins lightly. After a strong second half of the season and a dominant wild card round performance, this Twins team appears to be peaking at the right time.

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Benton County Board of Adjustment will conduct a public hearing on October 26th, 2023, in the Commissioner’s Room, Benton County Government Center, Foley, and beginning at 7:00 p.m. The Board of Adjustment will hear the following:

1. Ross Thyen requesting a variance to construct a storage structure 25ft from the right of way of a township road (30ft required), 80ft from a river (100ft required) and 25ft from a bluff (30ft required) in the R-3 Residential District. Pursuant to Sections 7.6.6(B)(1)(a), 7.14.5(C)(1) & (2) and 11.5 of the Development Code. The affected property is described as follows: Lot 3, Block 1, Barthelemy’s Nature Park, Section 14, West Langola Township. The on-site inspection of this property will be made at approximately 1:30 p.m. on October 26th, 2023.

ANYONE with comments regarding the above will be heard at this meeting.

FR-40-1B

Depth keys victory

Storm start, finish strong against Rocori

BY TOM FENTON | STAFF WRITER

The Sauk Rapids-Rice girls swimming and diving team showed the importance of a deep lineup Sept. 28.

The Storm placed rst in only three events but yet left Cold Spring with a 108-78 Central Lakes Conference victory over Rocori at Rocori High School.

“We knew that the meet could be close if both teams put up a great lineup and the girls were competing at the level they had been,” Storm head coach Julia Wallace said. “Thankfully, it did not come down to the last relay this time.”

SRR used a 1-2-3 sweep in the 200-yard freestyle as Ally Lucas, Grace Thompson and Olivia Schaap claimed the top three spots. A 2-3-4 nish in the 200 individual medley from Kate Walz, Ava Erdmann and Adalyn Godfrey also helped spark the victory.

“Getting off to a start like that was really great for the team to see that, ‘Yeah, we can do this,’” Wallace said.

Senior Sophia Markfelder’s diving dominance continued as she placed rst with a personal-best score of 212.2 points. It was nearly 10 points better than her previous best and puts her 13th all-time in program history. Esme Grabinski broke her personal record with a 194.05 to get on the school’s top 20 six-dive list at No. 18.

The Storm also nished strong, taking the top two slots in the 400 freestyle relay as Erdmann, Layla Wolvert, Lily Gregerson and Madi Miller took rst with Kendra Carlson, Walz, Josie Dubbin and Godrey placing second.

SRR faced Brainerd in a CLC dual Oct. 5 at home and also will host Sartell Thursday, Oct. 12, at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in Sauk Rapids. They will travel to Brainerd for the true team section meet Saturday, Oct. 14. SRR 108, Rocori 78

SRR results (top 5): 200 MR: 2. Lucas, Schaap, Sam Haaf and Rhema Knudson 2 minutes, 5.79 seconds; 3. Godfrey, Hayden Reinert, Wolvert and Thompson 2:11.05; and 5. Kendra Carlson, Gregerson, Daniela Flores-Bonilla and Dubbin 2:22.26. 200 FS: 1. Lucas 2:10.35, 2. Thompson 2:17.26 and 3. Schaap 2:17.97. 200 IM: 2. Walz 2:30.58, 3. Erdmann 2:35.5 and 4. Godfrey 2:42.98.

SAUK RAPIDS-RICE SCHOOL PUBLIC NOTICE

BENTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES BENTON COUNTY BOARDROOM SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

The Benton County Board of Commissioners met in special session on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at the Benton County Boardroom in Foley, MN. Call to order by Chair Scott Johnson was at 8:27 AM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the ag. A roll call showed Commissioners Beth Schlangen, Scott Johnson, Steve Heinen, Jared Gapinski and Ed Popp present.

County Administrator Montgomery Headley requested the County Board to adopt a proposed 2024 property tax levy and County budget. Headley summarized the major factors in the proposed 2024 Budget and Levy which include:

o The proposed 2024 levy increases 5.56%, or $1,255,040 from 2023, to a total property tax levy of $23,840,162 (“gross” percentage increase partially offset by expected 1.17% growth from new construction)

o With this proposed change for 2024, the 10-year average levy change for Benton County is a 1.9% increase

o The proposed levy increase falls below the 16.6% expected growth in the County’s payable 2024 net tax capacity, which translates into a reduced County tax rate in 2024; the estimated 2024 County tax rate will fall from 48.27% to 43.71% of tax capacity (down from a peak of 77.74% in 2013)

o Based on a median house value of $272,910 (up 16.6% from payable 2023’s median value of $234,752), a homeowner’s County property taxes would increase $81.95 in 2024, or $6.83 per month

o The proposed 2024 operating budget totals $54,498,783, a decrease of $7,863,676, or a 12.6% decrease from 2023; most of the reduction is due to a substantially smaller 2024 road construction program

o The proposed levy increase is comprised of the following major elements:

• Employee compensation and bene ts

• Increased interest earnings on idle cash

o The proposed budget includes the following “Policy Issues” from County Board action:

• A Staff Appraiser position to allow the County to perform more property valuation work internally (and reduce its reliance on contracted local assessors)

• A Public Safety Dispatcher to increase the amount of time at least two dispatchers are on duty

• In Human Services, an Eligibility Specialist for the resumption of medical assistance eligibility redetermination (offset by one-time state funding exhausted); and a Social Worker for MNCHOICE assessments, also fully offset by state/federal funding

• The proposed budget eliminates three full-time positions – the HR/Safety position in Administration, a Social Worker in Human Services and an Engineering Technician in Highway (all three positions are currently vacant)

o Employee compensation and bene ts comprise of the largest single item in the 2024 levy increase; the proposed 2024 budget funds general wage adjustments and step increases. Also, the proposed 2024 budget includes a 13% increase in employee health insurance contributions

o The County’s General Revenue fund balance at the end of 2022 stood at 5.2 months of expenditure coverage, versus a goal standard of 5 months expenditure coverage; the Human Services fund balance equaled 6.3 months of expenditure coverage at December 2022; with the Revenue Fund balance approaching the goal standard, no further Revenue fund balance usage is re ected in the proposed budget; the proposed budget uses $500,000 from the Human Services Fund to support capital projects, given that fund’s solid position.

Headley also addressed the summary of funding to outside agencies. Popp added that he is not in favor of not using the County Program Aid that was provided to Benton County from the State Legislature to help lower the County levy. It was noted that once the levy is set, we can discuss ways to lower the levy, however we cannot increase the levy once it is set. There will be future discussion on the nal County levy.

Motion by Heinen and seconded by Gapinski to approve a Resolution setting the proposed 2024 levy at $23,840,162. Motion carried unanimously.

Motion by Heinen and seconded by Gapinski to approve a Resolution establishing the proposed 2024 Benton County budget as presented. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Headley requested the County Board to announce the date and time of the Truth in Taxation Public Meeting. Johnson announced that the Truth in Taxation Meeting will be held on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 6:00 PM in the County Boardroom in Foley.

Headley requested to reschedule the Committee of the Whole meeting on October 9, 2023 to Monday, October 30, 2023 at 8:30 AM in the Boardroom.

Chair Johnson adjourned the Special Board Meeting at 8:41 AM. Scott Johnson, Chair Benton County Board of Commissioners

ATTEST: Montgomery Headley, Benton County Administrator

R-40-1B

STARPUBLICATIONS,LLC522SINCLAIRLEWISAVE,SAUKCENTRE,MN56378-1246 NATASHABARBER2216THAVESWUNIT122,RICE,MN56367-4630 JOYCEFRERICKS1208PARKLN,SAUKCENTRE,MN56378-1822 MARKKLAPHAKE41835COUNTYROAD184,SAUKCENTRE,MN56378-8183 NANCYPOWELL70110THSTS,SAUKCENTRE,MN56378-1736 AMANDATHOOFT11162251STAVE,SAUKCENTRE,MN56378-4826 MELISSATRAEGER919LAKESHOREDR,SAUKCENTRE,MN56378-1043 TIMOTHYVOS35704STATEHIGHWAY238,ALBANY,MN56307-9679

A COUNTY OF BENTON ORDINANCE LIMITING

THE USE OF CANNABIS IN PUBLIC PLACES ORDINANCE NO. 489

Be it ordained by the Benton County Board of Commissioners, Benton County, Minnesota:

I

STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION

This ordinance is adopted pursuant to the authorization contained in Minn. Stat. Ch. 342 or successor statute chapter, Minn. Stat. §§ 145A.04 and 145A.05 or successor statute, Minn. Stat. § 144.414 or successor statute, and Minn. Stat. § 152.0263or successor statute, that allows County Boards to limit the use of cannabis ower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products in a public place.

II INTENT

A. It is the purpose of the Board of County Commissioners of Benton County, Minnesota, to regulate the use of cannabis ower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products in a public place in order that the health, safety and welfare of all persons in Benton County, residents and visitors alike, may be protected.

B. Benton County recognizes the risks of cannabis use especially for youth. According to the Mayo Clinic, “marijuana use among adolescents and young adults can affect normal brain development, leading to problems learning, memory, coordination, reaction time and judgment.” In addition to use by youth, “excessive and frequent use of marijuana is associated with hallucinations, paranoia, and a range of emotional problems.”

C. According to the CDC, “secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke and contains some of those chemicals in higher amounts.” “Those chemicals associated with secondhand tobacco smoke are associated with risks to hearts and lungs.” “Secondhand marijuana smoke also contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound responsible for most of marijuana’s psychoactive effects (or the “high”). THC can be passed to infants and children through secondhand smoke, and people exposed to secondhand smoke can experience psychoactive effects, such as feeling high.”

D. The Benton County Community Health Board has the duty to promote healthy communities and healthy behavior, to promote positive health and prevent adverse health, to protect against environmental health hazards, and to reduce exposure to environmental health risks and promote healthy environments.

E. It is the County’s goal to be consistent with Minnesota Statute. Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 342,09, an individual may not:

(1) Vaporize or smoke cannabis ower, cannabis products, arti cially derived cannabinoids, or hemp-derived consumer products in any location where the smoke, aerosol or vapor would be inhaled by a minor, or

(2) In a manner that involves the inhalation of smoke, aerosol, or vapor at any location where smoking is prohibited under section 144.414, the Clean Indoor Air Act.

F. State legislation authorizes enforcement of local government ordinances which are more stringent than state law in protecting individuals from secondhand smoke or from involuntary exposure to aerosol or vapor from electronic delivery

devices, including in areas outside of restaurants and bars. See Minn. Stat. 144.417, subd. 4.

G. Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 145A.05, subd.1, a county board may adopt ordinances for all or part of its jurisdiction to regulate actual or potential threats to public health. Pursuant to Minn. Stat. 152.0236, local units of government are authorized to adopt ordinances regulating the use of cannabis ower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products in public places. Cities in Benton County have adopted public use ordinances or are in the process of adopting ordinances and/or resolutions addressing public use in their own jurisdictions. As a result, Benton County chooses at this time, to limit the jurisdiction of this ordinance to the unincorporated areas of the County, County leased and owned property, and County parks.

H. It is the intent of this Board that all sections and provisions of this ordinance have an independent existence; and, should any section or provision be declared invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, it is the intent of this Board that any section or provision so declared shall be severable from and shall not affect the validity of the remainder of the ordinance.

III COORDINATION WITH CITY AND TOWN ORDINANCES

This ordinance shall regulate the unincorporated areas of the County. This ordinance will also regulate any Benton County owned or leased property and Benton County parks regardless of any local government adopted ordinance in a city or town. A town that is subject to this ordinance may adopt its own ordinance, but it must not be in con ict with or be less restrictive than this ordinance.

IV DEFINITIONS

A. As used in this ordinance:

1. “Board” means the Benton County Board of Commissioners.

2. “County” means the County of Benton.

3. “Person” means any individual natural human being, partnership, corporation, rm, company, association, society, or group.

4.“Cannabis Flower” shall have the same meaning as dened in Minn. Stat. §342.01, subd. 16, or successor statute

5. “Cannabis Products” shall have the same meaning as de ned in Minn. Stat. §342.01, subd. 20, or successor statute.

6. “Hemp-derived consumer products” shall have the same meaning as de ned in Minn. Stat. §342.01, subd. 37, or successor statute.

7. “Lower-potency hemp edibles” shall have the same meaning as de ned in Minn. Stat. §342.01, subd. 50, or successor statute.

8. “Park” shall mean:

(a) any park, parkway, zoological or horticultural garden, recreation open space, lake or other waters, golf course, swimming pool, athletic eld, trails and pathways, or

(b) any other area owned, improved, maintained, operated or otherwise controlled by the County of Benton for recreation and natural resource preservation purposes.

9. “Place of Public Accommodation” means a business or a refreshment, entertainment, recreation or transportation facility of any kind, whose goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations are extended, offered, sold or

NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN, that default has occurred in conditions of the following described

mortgage:

DATE OF MORTGAGE:

November 30, 2020

MORTGAGOR: Home Builder Construction and Consulting, Inc.

MORTGAGEE: Alliant Finance, LLC

DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: Recorded

December 4, 2020, in the of ce of the Benton County Recorder, Document No. 447891.

ASSIGNMENTS OF

MORTGAGE: NONE.

TRANSACTION

AGENT: NONE.

TRANSACTION

AGENT’S MORTGAGE

IDENTIFICATION

NUMBER ON MORTGAGE:

NONE.

LENDER OR BROKER AND MORTGAGE

ORIGINATOR STATED ON MORTGAGE: Alliant Finance, LLC

RESIDENTIAL

MORTGAGE SERVICER:

N/A

MORTGAGED

PROPERTY ADDRESSES:

3343 Old Stone Way NE;

3173 Old Stone Way NE; 3177 Old Stone Way NE;

3187 Old Stone Way NE; 3189 Old Stone Way NE; 3301 Old Stone Way NE; 3311 Old Stone Way NE, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379.

TAX PARCEL I.D.s #: 190453100; 190491100; 190491200; 190491300; 190491400; 190493100; 190493200

LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: Lot 7, Block 2, Villages of Creek Side, according to the plat and survey thereof on le and of record in the of ce of the County Recorder in and for Benton County, Minnesota; AND Lots 3, 4, 5, and 6, Block 1, Villages of Creek Side Plat

6, according to the plat and survey thereof on le and of record in the of ce of the County Recorder in and for Benton County, Minnesota; AND Lots 2 and 3, Block 3, Villages of Creek Side Plat 6, according to the plat and survey thereof on le and of record in the of ce of the County Recorder in and for Benton County, Minnesota.

PARTIAL RELEASE:

Lots 5 and 6, Block 1, Villages of Creek Side Plat 2; Lots 1 and

2, Block 1, and Lot 4, Block

3, Villages of Creek Side Plat

6, Benton County, Minnesota

were previously released from the above-described mortgage and are not included in this foreclosure sale.

COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED:

Benton

ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $225,000.00

AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $174,275.62

That this mortgage foreclosure is being conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions of a Voluntary Mortgage Foreclosure Agreement dated September 21, 2023, by and between Mortgagor and Mortgagee.

That prior to the commencement of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements as required by statute and conditions precedent; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;

PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be

otherwise made available to the public.

10. “Public Place” means:

(a) Any outdoor area or indoor area, whether privately or publicly owned, to which the public have access by right of invitation, expressed or implied. This includes but is not limited to theaters, restaurants, bars, food establishments and their decks, places licensed to sell intoxicating liquor, wine, or malt beverages, retail businesses, gyms, common areas in buildings, public shopping areas, auditoriums, arenas, or other places of public accommodation.

(b) Any Park or Public Recreation Area,

(c) Any County owned or leased property.

(d) A “Public Place” does not include the following:

(1) a private residence, including the person’s curtilage or yard;

(2) private property not generally accessible by the public, unless the person is explicitly prohibited from consuming regulated products on the property by the owner of the property; or

(3) the premises of an establishment or event licensed to permit on-site consumption.

11. “Regulated Products” means cannabis ower, cannabis products, lower-potency hemp edibles, or hemp-derived consumer products.

12. Smoking. “Smoking” means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, pipe, or any other lighted or heated product containing cannabis ower, cannabis products, arti cially derived cannabinoids, or hemp-derived consumer products. Smoking includes carrying or using an activated electronic delivery device for human consumption through inhalation of aerosol or vapor from the product. V

RESTRICTION OF USE OF REGULATED PRODUCTS

A. A Person shall not use regulated products in a Public Place.

B. A Person shall not vaporize or smoke cannabis ower, cannabis products, arti cially derived cannabinoids, or hemp-derived consumer products in any location where the smoke, aerosol or vapor would be inhaled by a minor.

VI

CRIMINAL PENALTY

Violation of this Ordinance shall be a petty misdemeanor. A ne of $300.00 shall be imposed.

VII

SEVERABILITY

The provision of this ordinance shall be severable and should any court of competent jurisdiction adjudge any provision of this ordinance to be invalid, such judgement shall not affect any other provisions of this ordinance not speci cally included in said judgement.

Approved and adopted by the Benton County Board of Commissioners this 3rd day of October in the year of 2023. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publications as required by law.

Scott Johnson, Chair Benton County Board of Commissioners

sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:

DATE AND TIME OF SALE: November 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM PLACE OF SALE: Benton County Sheriff’s Of ce, 581 Highway 23, Foley, MN 56329 to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, and taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys’ fees allowed by law subject to redemption within two (2) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s) their personal representatives or assigns. Each holder of a junior lien may redeem in the order and manner provided in Minnesota Statutes Section 582.32, Subd. 9, beginning after the expiration of the mortgagor’s redemption period.

Dated: September 22, 2023

Alliant Finance, LLC Mortgagee LIEBO, WEINGARDEN, DOBIE & BARBEE P.L.L.P. Attorneys for Mortgagee 4500 Park Glen Road #300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 (952) 925-6888

84-23-005116 FC R-39-4B

ATTEST:

Montgomery Headley

Benton County Administrator R-40-1B

PROBATE NOTICE STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF STEARNS

SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DISTRICT COURT

PROBATE DIVISION

Court File No: 73-PR-23-7559

NOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR FORMAL ADJUDICATION OF INTESTACY, DETERMINATION OF HEIRSHIP, APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of William M. Maleska, aka

William Matthew Maleska, Decedent.

It is Ordered and Notice is given that on November 3, 2023, at 8:45 a.m., a hearing will be held in this Court at 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, Minnesota, for the adjudication of intestacy and determination of heirship of the Decedent, and for the appointment of Ronald B. Maleska, whose address is 37013 Co. Road #2, St. Joseph, MN 56374 and Dorothy Bromenshenkel, whose address is 105 Hickman Drive, Sauk Centre, MN 56378 as Personal Representatives of the Estate

of the Decedent in an UNSUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be led with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are led or raised, the Personal Representatives will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate, including the power to collect all assets, to pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and personal property, and to do all necessary acts for the Estate.

Notice is also given that (subject to Minnesota Statutes section 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the Personal Representatives or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred.

BY THE COURT

Dated: September 22, 2023

/s/ Shan C. Wang Judge of District Court Attorney for Petitioner

Peter Vogel Rosenmeier Law Of ce,

210 Second Street NE

Little Falls, MN 56345

LLC

Attorney License No: 113037

Telephone: (320) 632-5458

Email: p.vogel@littlefallslaw. com

Honey ‘resi’due list

AG BENTON

farming flowers flowers

University of MN Extension

by Tyler Rice

Crop residue, by de nition, is the vegetative material left behind after harvesting and often includes leaves, stalks, straw, pods, cobs and roots. Like many things in the agricultural world, nding the sweet spot between too little and too much can be a challenge. Residue management on crop elds after the duration of the growing season is one of those things.

Healthy amounts of residue are helpful in reducing impact of falling raindrops on bare soil, reduction of soil erosion by damming concentrated ows and protecting the soil surface from wind. Residue is also known to reduce soil crusting, decrease evaporation and improve water in ltration. In the winter, residue can help reduce snow drift, helping to maintain even distribution for later soil moisture reserves.

‘Resi’due page 2B

Smude sunflower enterprise grows through challenges

BY LAURA GRIMM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This month Tom and Jenni Smude will begin transforming their elds of sun owers into useable products including sun ower oil and sun ower meal.

The company, which operates on a farm just outside Pierz, distributes their Smude’s Sun ower Oil to local stores, cooperatives throughout Minnesota, the shelves of major grocery chains in the country and online stores that ship to all 50 states.

Each week, the Smudes produce around 750 bottles of retail sun ower oil. They also sell bulk sun ower oil through their sister company, Midwest Processors, averaging a total of 1,000 gallons produced each day. Their daughter Katelyn is the marketing manager for the Smudes’ various enterprises.

“Because our business revolves around an agricultural commodity — sun owers — Mother Nature is oftentimes our biggest challenge,” Katelyn said. “As all farmers know, the best-laid plans hinge entirely upon the weather.”

This year’s drought has been very dif cult even for a drought-tolerant

crop like sun owers. The Smudes are expecting the yield to be 75% lower this year than usual. This affects their output of product offerings and cattle feed, meaning they need to plan carefully for next year.

Careful planning starts at the soil level.

According to Tom, they are proud, not only of their products, but also of being good stewards of the land.

“Proper crop rotation is critical to soil health, and sun owers are the perfect complement to Minnesota’s two major crops: corn and soybeans,” Tom said.

Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023

Serving rural Benton, Morrison, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties

Smude page 3B

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY KATELYN SMUDE

Tom (from left), Katelyn, Mitchell and Jenni Smude gather in their sunflower field on their farm outside Pierz. The family works together to grow, process and market sunflower oil products through their company, Smude’s Sunflower Oil.

COVER CROP of the month

Cover crops improve soil health, even on a small scale

May be used in gardens when main crops are not growing

BY NATALIE HOIDAL University of Minnesota Extension Educator

Have you ever felt like you want to invest in soil health, but it is hard to know how to apply soil health concepts on a small scale? Cover crops are an important tool to improve soil health.

While many of the resources available to help growers navigate cover crops are aimed at larger farms, cover crops can be applied at any scale.

Barley

Producers may know that cover crops benefit the soil and agricultural operations, but do they know the benefits of each species? Each month a different cover crop species will be highlighted to provide producers with information needed to successfully grow cover crops or alternative forages on their operation.

Barley is a member of the grass family and was one of the first grains to be cultivated over 10,000 years ago. It originated in the area of Eurasia but has since become widespread. Barley is commonly grown as a grain crop that has many different uses. Beyond being used as a grain crop, barley can also be used as a cover crop or as a forage.

As a cover crop, barley’s large fibrous root system is excellent at reducing soil erosion caused by wind and water. The root system is also great for nutrient scavenging making barley a good green manure crop. Barley’s large amounts of biomass help suppress weeds by competing with light, nutrients and water. Although, barley competes with weeds, it is not as competitive as other small grains and can be used as a nurse crop for many crop species.

Barley should be planted at a depth of 1-1.5 inches between July 15 to Sept. 15 for the best growth. Rates of seeding will vary based on the intended use and if in a mix. When planted alone the minimum seeding rate should be 50 pounds an acre of pure live seed.

Information provided by the Morrison County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Soil health thrives when living roots are kept in the soil. Living roots help maintain nutrients in the upper soil; they support a diversity of soil microorganisms and they can help the soil retain water. Cover crops also build soil organic matter when they are broken down and reincorporated into the soil, and, depending on the species, they can provide pollinator habitat and x nitrogen.

In Minnesota, we typically only grow crops for a couple of months, leaving the soil bare the rest of the time. Any time a primary crop is not growing, a person can grow a cover crop. Common windows include before planting main crops, in between crops, and after harvest.

Here are three example scenarios:

— If tomatoes or pumpkins are planted in mid-June, a cool-season cover crop could be planted in early May and then worked it into the soil in June before planting the main crop.

— If a bed is used to grow an early-season crop like lettuce, harvest may happen in May or June, and then the bed is planted again later in summer. A fast-growing cover crop could be sown in the window between plantings.

— Some crops like cucumber and zucchini get pulled around early August, leaving the soil bare for the remainder of the season. Plant a cover crop after harvesting the main crop, and either allow it to die over the winter or cut it and work it into the soil the following spring.

Cover crops can be grown during the main season in areas that are not being used. A common example is planting clover between rows instead of mulching.

There are three main things to think about when choosing a cover crop: Will the cover crop die over winter? What bene t to the soil is wanted? When will the crop

‘Resi’due

Ultimately, crop residue returns plant nutrients to the soil while feeding a vast army of soil macro and microorganisms. The bright side is the “trash” we leave behind is worthy of our due diligence. The alternative is that lack of residue management following a harvest can sidetrack future cropping plans and result in unevenness in crop performance.

The rst steps begin with harvest. Leaving as much residue as possible and spreading it evenly across the eld will provide the most bene t. This is, of course, dependent on the crop and the end purpose of the crop. For example, harvesting a corn crop as silage instead of grain is going to change the amount of residue left on the eld. This year, many elds that would have been harvested for grain have been harvested instead, for forage, and producers will need to be mindful when planning for subsequent crops. This is especially true as it relates to forward-crediting nutrients. Even distribution of residue

be planted?

Most cover crops will naturally die over winter. Others, like winter rye, survive the winter and need to be killed and worked into the soil. In a small garden, a species that will die over winter is easier to manage.

Farmers who use cover crops that overwinter have equipment to get rid of the crop. People can do this with a machete or a very tough lawnmower, but if trying a cover crop for the rst time, a winter-killed species will be less work.

Make sure to choose a legume — like peas, vetch, clover or beans — if the cover crop is intended to x nitrogen de ciencies in the soil.

Choose a owering crop like buckwheat, phacelia or clover if planning to provide food for pollinators, and make sure to read the seed label in order to plant it with enough time for it to ower before the rst freeze.

When a grower intends to plant a cover crop will limit options. The Midwest Cover Crop Council has an excellent decision-making tool with a long list of cover crops and planting windows

often means adjusting your combine to ensure the maximum “trash” distribution width. This can sometimes be a challenge when harvest heads are very wide, greatly exceeding the width of rear discharge. To overcome this challenge chaff spreaders will better spread out the material on the backend. Choppers can also assist with wider material distribution, but the size of residue particles will in uence how effective residue on the eld performs benecial soil enriching and soil stabilizing purposes.

Small particles are more likely than large particles to move easily by wind and water. Another way to in uence crop residue distribution is to leave as much of the plant material intact and rooted to the soil as physically possible. Finally established cover crops will act as a second line of defense in holding residue in place.

Fall tillage will determine how much or how little residue is left on the soil surface and how quickly residue will be broken down.

Conservation tillage is often de ned by a system that leaves greater than 30% of the eld surface covered by residue. This amount of cover is proven to reduce soil erosion by

counties.

Many garden stores sell cover crop seeds as do vegetable seed catalogs. The seed company should list the recommended number of seed for the area. Most cover crops should be planted fairly densely, more like a crop eld than a vegetable garden.

If the area is smaller and can be seeded by hand, one simple trick that mid-size growers use is drilling seed-sized holes in a 5-gallon bucket, lling the bucket with seed, and walking up and down the eld shaking the bucket for even seeding.

For best results, start with a weed-free seedbed and make sure to fertilize the cover crop.

One of the goals when using a cover crop is to establish as much biomass as possible, which can then be worked back into the soil as organic matter. If a crop is adequately fertilized, it will be more likely to produce a healthy amount of biomass.

For more information, visit extension. umn.edu/managing-soil-and-nutrients/ cover-crops-and-greenmanures.

at least 50% compared to clean till soil.

Producers can and will often remove certain amounts of residue for various purposes including fall grazing, animal bedding, for use in a ration or for feedstock in biofuel production. University of Minnesota researchers suggest that corn with an estimated stover yield of seven bales total will sustain soil organic carbon levels when removing 1.3 bales in conventional tillage systems and 3.1 bales in a conservation tillage system. Assuming dry residue and a 1,200-pound bale of stover, nutrients retained in each bale will be removing approximately 3.5 pounds of phosphate, 19.2 pounds of potassium oxide, a varying amount of nitrogen as well as a host of other nutrients.

As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

My collecting tendencies tell me accumulating things that will be useful in the future is not a bad thing but the organization and ling away of these things will also be useful in the future. The same could be said of crop residues. How high is crop residue management on your priority list?

AG BRIEFS

Ag transportation handbooks available

EAGAN — The Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation in partnership with the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and Compeer Financial has updated the Agriculture Transportation Handbook with state and federal statutes, rules and exemptions for transporting agricultural goods on highways.

“The Agriculture Transportation Handbook is a valuable resource, especially during fall

Smude

from page 1B

“By incorporating sun owers into our crop rotation, we’re able to naturally optimize our soil health and minimize the need for fertilizer and other inputs.”

Another way the Smudes address challenges on the farm is by using a sustainable model, optimizing each bloom.

“We also pride ourselves on being a zero-waste farm and facility,” Tom said. “We use every single part of the sun ower.”

The Smudes have learned from previous challenges. In fact, drought is what started the company in the rst place.

Tom and Jenni initially purchased the farm in 1998 and raised Angus beef cattle, growing crops to feed their animals. A decade later when they were faced with two years of drought-induced crop devastation, they looked for ways to diversify. In 2006, they planted 60 acres of drought-tolerant sun owers. Initially they envisioned pressing the sun ower seeds into oil, using the resulting sun ower meal as cattle feed and selling the byproduct sun ower oil in bulk. But, when bulk oil prices fell, they opted to pivot to retail-sized bottles.

Now, harvest begins every October, and they monitor for the right moisture content to maximize the oil produced.

First, they dehull the sun ower seeds to use for cattle bedding. Then

harvest,” said Ruth Meirick, foundation director. “Understanding state and federal transportation laws and regulations helps ensure safe transportation of agricultural goods.”

Copies of the handbook are available free of charge through the foundation. Call 651-7682100 or email info@fbmn.org to receive your copy or stop by the Farm Bureau of ce at 3080 Eagandale Place, Eagan. For a downloadable PDF version, visit https://fbmn.org/In-Action/ Ag-Transportation-Handbook.

Fall acreage report due Nov. 15

Farmers who plant any crop for grain that is intended to be harvested in 2024 are reminded that they must report the crop and planting date before Nov. 15. Crops such as rye and winter wheat are the most common in our area.

Farm Service Agency News

the sun ower seeds are pressed, creating sun ower oil and sun ower meal. The sun ower meal is a high-quality source of protein and healthy fats, so it is fed to their herd of more than 300 cattle.

The sun ower oil is then ltered and bottled — or turned into one of Smude’s other products. Over the years, Smude’s Brand expanded its offerings. One of their biggest hits is microwave popcorn, launched in 2017.

The Smude family and their customers enjoyed using the sun ower oil to make popcorn, but they were looking for a more convenient option. The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute provided the Smudes with an opportunity to attend Farmfest, and Jenni said it set them on the path toward microwave popcorn.

“While at Farmfest, we were fortunate to meet a group of engineers who

said they could help us build a machine to make our own microwave popcorn — so we took the gamble,” Jenni said. “It was a real challenge because sun ower oil is a liquid, but we were able to gure it out.”

Not all of Smude’s products are edible, though. They also partner with B and B Farmco, a local company in Crosslake, to make health and beauty products with goat milk and Smude sun ower oil. The product line includes soap, lotion and lip balm.

In addition to establishing partnerships with local businesses, Katelyn said the Smude family engages with their customers to generate feedback for new ideas.

“Usually when we’re thinking of adding a new avor, we put it out on social media for our customers to let us know what they want,” Katelyn said. “We then use that as inspiration to see if we can develop it into a viable product that customers will be happy to buy.”

Smude’s Sun ower Oil is offered in nine avors as part of their infused line, Jenni’s favorite product line. Katelyn’s favorite avor, garlic pepper, is one of their top sellers, along with their Mediterranean infused oil.

The Smudes also

offer recipe ideas on their website for ways to use their products — often with their popular infused oils.

“One of our favorite ways to add a ‘Smude air’ to a recipe is by using one of our infused oils to add more avor to the dish,” Katelyn said. “A particular favorite is to use our Mediterranean Infused Oil in place of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches.”

According to Katelyn, Smude’s brand began from adversity. However, they have overcome all the challenges they have faced to provide allnatural products to their loyal customers — and they plan to continue doing so.

In order to maintain program eligibility and benets, producers must le timely acreage reports. Failure to le an acreage report by the crop acreage reporting deadline may cause ineligibility for future program bene ts. Farm Service Agency will not accept acreage reports provided more than a year after the acreage reporting deadline.

by Ryan Brunn, executive director for Benton and Mille Lacs counties

Producers are encouraged to le their acreage reports as soon as planting is completed.

For more information, contact the United States Department of Agriculture Service Center for Benton and Mille Lacs counties at 320-9685300, ext. 2.

Farm Transition and Estate Planning Webinars

The University of Minnesota Extension is presenting four webinars on introductory farm transition and estate planning. Webinars will be Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon, beginning Oct. 4. There is no cost to attendees. Attend one or attend all four.

Transferring the farm has many challenges and each situation is unique. David Bau, Nathan Hulinsky and Susanne Hinricks, extension educators in agriculture business management, will discuss several issues and ideas for farm transition and estate planning.

Attendees will receive a link to materials from each session. Participants can register at z.umn.edu/farm-transition-and-estate-planning23.

Remaining topics for each session are as follows:

— Oct. 11 is All Things Tax: Gifting, Selling and Transferring.

— Oct. 25 is Wills, Trusts, Ownership Titling; What Does it all Mean?

— Nov. 8 is Putting the Basics Together: Estate, Retirement, Healthcare and Business Transfer Planning.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY KATELYN SMUDE Smude’s Sunflower Oil started selling microwave popcorn in 2017, and they now carry three flavors. The popcorn bags contain sunflower oil as the popping agent.

The Smude family originally planned to sell bulk sunflower oil, but now they sell a full lineup of retailsized bottles for customers. Sunflower oil is offered in nine different flavors as part of their infused line.

THE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in conditions of the following described mortgage:

DATE OF MORTGAGE:

January 5, 2002

MORTGAGOR: Jeffrey Ralph Millner, a single person.

MORTGAGEE: Homeland Mortgage, LLC.

DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: Recorded January 18, 2002 Benton County Recorder, Document No. 282046.

ASSIGNMENTS OF MORTGAGE: Assigned to: First Federal Savings Bank.

Dated January 10, 2002

Recorded January 18, 2002, as Document No. 282047. And thereafter assigned to: Washington Mutual Bank, FA. Dated January 10, 2002

Recorded January 18, 2002,

as Document No. 282048. And thereafter assigned to: Wells Fargo Bank, NA. Dated April 7, 2007 Recorded April 17, 2007, as Document No. A347525. And thereafter assigned to: Specialized Loan Servicing LLC. Dated January 25, 2019 Recorded January 25, 2019, as Document No. 433959. And thereafter assigned to: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, as trustee for the bene t of the Freddie Mac Seasoned Loans Structured Transaction Trust, Series 2019-3. Dated March

3, 2020 Recorded March

5, 2020, as Document No. 441612.

TRANSACTION

AGENT: NONE

TRANSACTION AGENT’S MORTGAGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ON MORTGAGE: NONE

LENDER OR BROKER AND MORTGAGE ORIGINATOR STATED ON MORTGAGE: Homeland Mortgage, LLC

RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE SERVICER:

BENTON AG PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE

Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc.

MORTGAGED

PROPERTY ADDRESS: 264 Birch Drive, Foley, MN 56329 TAX PARCEL I.D. #: 13.00648.00

LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: LOT TWENTY-ONE (21), BLOCK SIX (6), FOLEY DEVELOPMENT PLAT IN THE CITY OF FOLEY; COUNTY OF BENTON, STATE OF MINNESOTA.

COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Benton ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $115,000.00

AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $92,702.68

That prior to the commencement of this mortgage foreclosure proceeding Mortgagee/ Assignee of Mortgagee complied with all notice requirements as required by

statute; That no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;

PURSUANT to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:

DATE AND TIME OF SALE: November 16, 2023 at 10:00 AM

PLACE OF SALE: Benton County Sheriff’s Of ce, 581 Highway 23 Northeast Foley, MN to pay the debt then secured by said Mortgage, and taxes, if any, on said premises, and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys’ fees allowed by law subject to redemption within six (6) months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s), their personal representatives or assigns unless reduced to Five (5) weeks under MN Stat. §580.07.

TIME AND DATE TO VACATE PROPERTY: If the real estate is an owner-

occupied, single-family dwelling, unless otherwise provided by law, the date on or before which the mortgagor(s) must vacate the property if the mortgage is not reinstated under section 580.30 or the property is not redeemed under section 580.23 is 11:59 p.m. on May 16, 2024, unless that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, in which case it is the next weekday, and unless the redemption period is reduced to 5 weeks under MN Stat. Secs. 580.07 or 582.032.

MORTGAGOR(S)

RELEASED FROM FINANCIAL OBLIGATION ON MORTGAGE: None

“THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 582.032, DETERMINING,

AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN FIVE UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.”

Dated: September 11, 2023 Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, as trustee Mortgagee/Assignee of Mortgagee LIEBO, WEINGARDEN, DOBIE & BARBEE, P.L.L.P. Attorneys for Mortgagee/ Assignee of Mortgagee 4500 Park Glen Road #300 Minneapolis, MN 55416 (952) 925-6888 38 - 23-005114 FC IN THE EVENT REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW: THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR R-37-6B

BENTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

The Benton County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on September 19, 2023, in the Benton County Board Room in Foley, MN. Call to order by Chair Scott Johnson was at 9:00 AM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the ag. A roll call showed Commissioners Beth Schlangen, Steve Heinen, Scott Johnson, and Ed Popp present. Commissioner Jared Gapinski was absent. Chair Johnson noted the absence excused.

There were two additions to the agenda: 1) to add the 4-H Proclamation by the Extension Of ce as the second item under County Administrator Montgomery Headley at 9:05 AM; and 2) to add the discussion of a communication with the City of St. Cloud regarding the homeless encampment and homeless shelters as the last item under County Administrator Montgomery Headley at 9:05 AM. Headley also added an update to the construction manager project that has been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney. This item is currently on the agenda but did not have the County Attorney’s signature before the agenda was published. Motion by Popp and seconded by Heinen to approve the amended agenda. Motion carried unanimously.

There was no one present to speak under Open Forum.

Motion by Heinen and seconded by Schlangen to approve Consent Agenda items 1 – 6: 1) approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of September 5, 2023 and authorize the Chair to sign; 2) approve the Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes of September 6, 2023 and authorize the Chair to sign; 3) approve the Management Representation Letter related to the Audit of the Benton County Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2022 and authorize the Chair to sign; 4) accept and le the County Administrator’s Monthly Financial Report through July 31, 2023; 5) approve the Resolution for Victim Services Grant and authorize the Chair to sign; 6) accept and le the Veterans Service Of cer Quarterly Report for the period of May 1, 2023 through August 31, 2023. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Human Services Director Robert Cornelius presented a Retirement Award to Social Services Administrative Aide Sandy Block in appreciation for 48 years of loyal and distinguished service to Benton County. Block’s retirement is effective September 28, 2023.

Next, Benton County Extension Educator Ann Olson requested the County Board consider proclaiming the week of October 1 – 7, 2023 as National 4-H Week. Students Katherine Mersinger, Claudia Schlough, Brady Roberts, Ashley Betker, Monica Schlough, and Johnathan Mersinger spoke on how 4-H has positively impacted their lives. Motion by Popp and seconded Johnson to approve the Proclamation recognizing the week of October 1 – 7, 2023 as National 4-H Week. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Sheriff Troy Heck and County Attorney Karl Schmidt requested the County Board to consider approving a proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is a pervasive issue that affects far too many individuals in Benton County and across our country. Law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and advocacy all play critical roles in building a culture of ending domestic violence. Building this culture includes of cial recognition of the issue and the work being done. Anna Marie’s Alliance Executive Director Charles Hempeck reiterated what Heck and Schmidt shared with the County Board regarding domestic violence and requested Board approval of the proclamation. Motion by Heinen and seconded by Schlangen to approve the proclamation recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Benton County. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Headley requested the County Board to consider an agreement with a construction manager for the government center project. Headley noted that the County received ve responses to its Request for Proposals. Of those ve, the County Board interviewed three on August 28th. The Board reached a consensus to contract with Contegrity and directed Headley to check references. Headley contacted counties that had used Contegrity’s services. All reported excellent service from Contegrity and had no reservations about recommending Contegrity. Based on the foregoing, Headley recommends entering into an agreement with Contegrity to serve as construction manager (CM) for the County’s government center project. Headley further recommends a “CM as Agent” type agreement. Contegrity has proposed $22,000 for pre-construction services, a CM fee of 1.95% of construction cost and site expenses of $445,545. On a $20 million project, the CM fee would be $473,000. Total CM cost would be $830,545. Site expenses consist primarily of the Site Superintendent and other personnel dedicated to the site. Headley noted that the contract has been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney. Motion by Popp and seconded by Heinen to approve an agreement with Contegrity to serve as construction manager for the County’s government center project. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Headley requested the County Board consider the reorganization of the Application Data Services Manager position. The Applications Data Services Manager position currently resides in Human Services (and was formerly known as the Data Analyst position). The proposed reorganization would move this position to the County Administrator’s Of ce as a countywide function. The position is currently held by Brenton Marshik. Motion by Heinen and seconded by Johnson to move the Applications Data Services position to the County Administrator’s Of ce; incumbent employee placed at a salary of $90,000; incumbent employee shall be eligible for general wage adjustments as provided to non-union employees each January 1st. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Headley requested the County Board to consider a communication with the City of St. Cloud regarding the homeless encampment and homeless shelters. This letter was initially prompted by the August 18th relocation of homeless individuals from encampments near the East St. Germain bridge over the Mississippi River. The letter refers to the event, as well as addressing the broader issue of homelessness in the St. Cloud region and inviting the cities and counties to come together to discuss regional strategies. Human Services Deputy Director Sandi Shoberg was recommended to be the staff lead on the homeless issue. Motion by Heinen and seconded by Schlangen to approve the letter and authorize the Board Chair to sign, and identi ed Social Services Deputy Director Sandi Shoberg as the staff lead on the homeless issue. Motion carried unanimously.

Next, Cornelius requested the County Board consider step advancement for Nicole Knowles, Social Services Supervisor. Knowles was promoted to Social Service Supervisor on 6/21/2021 and has been performing her duties as a Social Services Supervisor well. Per policy, upon promotion Knowles was given a 5.5% salary raise. Had Knowles not been promoted to supervisor, she would have been promoted to Senior Social Worker in July of 2022 (this position did not exist prior to February of 2022). Several of the Social Workers promoted at that time had less seniority than Knowles, but because of the timing of her promotion, their hourly rate is more than Knowles’ hourly rate as a supervisor with less seniority. Cornelius recommends that the County Board approve to move Knowles from Grade 13, Step 6 ($41.80) to Grade 13, Step 7 ($43.11) effective 9/09/2023. Motion by Heinen and seconded by Schlangen to approve the Step Advancement for Nicole Knowles, Social Services Supervisor effective 9/09/2023.

Motion carried unanimously.

The Regular County Board meeting was recessed at 9:45 AM to conduct a Human Services Board Meeting.

The Regular Board meeting reconvened at 9:45 AM. Next, Board members reported on recent meetings they attended on behalf of Benton County.

Under Comments by Commissioners, Commissioner Popp stated that he is not in favor of not using the County Program Aid that was provided to Benton County from the State Legislature to help lower the County levy. Popp stated that by sitting on the funds to be used towards the upcoming government center project does not show constituents that we are using the funds to help with the levy increase. Johnson added that once the levy is set on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, we can discuss ways to lower the levy, however we cannot increase the levy once it is set.

Heinen/Popp to set the Committee of the Whole Meetings:

Thursday, September 21, 2023 Benton County Association of Township Of cers Meeting, St. George Town Hall, 1310 105th Ave NE, Foley, MN 56329, 7:00 PM; Tuesday, September 26, 2023, GLT Architects Government Center project, use of one- time Public Safety Aid, and allocation of remaining ARPA funds, Benton County Boardroom, Foley, 8:30 AM;

Wednesday, September 27, 2023 Public Meeting/Open House for CSAH 7 Reconstruction Project, County Boardroom, Foley, 4:00 PM; Monday, October 9, 2023 Tobacco Ordinance revisions, Foster Care provider assistance, Dental Clinic, opioid discussion, homeless strategies discussion, Benton County Boardroom, Foley, 8:30 AM; Monday, October 16, 2023 Association of Minnesota Counties District 5 Meeting at Stearns County West Service Center at 3301 County Road 138, Waite Park, MN, 8:00 AM. Motion carried unanimously.

Chair Johnson adjourned the Regular Board Meeting at 10:04 AM.

ATTEST:

Scott Johnson, Chair Benton County Board of Commissioners

Montgomery Headley

Benton County Administrator R-40-1B

2023 County “SCORE” Grants Available for Solid Waste Abatement, Recycling Projects, and Tire Recycling

Are you looking for a way to positively impact your community but don’t have the funds to bring your idea to life?

Benton County is seeking to enhance existing or promote new solid waste abatement and recycling activities/ programs through our SCORE grant application process. Examples of recently funded projects include recycled material playground equipment, composting, and educational plays at schools. These grants are open to the individuals, public and private sectors.

NEW! Benton County Tire Recycling Program. This grant is now open for applications.

For more information about either grant program and to obtain application forms, please access the Benton County Web site at www.co.benton.mn.us or contact the Benton County Planning & Zoning at: Benton County Government Center, 531 Dewey Street, P.O. Box 129 Foley, MN 563290129, (320) 968-5065. Applications must be received by November 13th, 2023 at the above address.

Summer’s end, new beginnings

For most folks, the summer ended when students went back to school, and typically, that would be the same for us, but not this year. Our summer ended with the wedding of our oldest son, and it was beautiful.

Though there were many decisions, the couple had chosen to have the ceremony on our farm, making the whole event so much more special. We have a small lake on our property, and our son spent hours mowing the pasture and cutting brush.

RUMINATIONS WITH MARY MARY BARRON-TRAUT

On Friday evening, the wedding party and immediate family gathered for the rehearsal. Before we departed the spot for the dinner, my hubby gave a speech welcoming our new daughter-in-law-tobe, spoke of his pride for our son and talked about how special it was to have the ceremony in this spot because it already held so many happy memories.

The weather forecast for Saturday was a bit concerning at 65% rain, but fates looked kindly upon us and it held off until later in the evening.

On Saturday morning, while my hubby nished chores, I skedaddled off to get my hair done; gosh, the stylist did a beautiful job and it held throughout the day.

When I arrived back home, a whirlwind began because I discovered none of my men were ready, and the groomsmen were due to arrive at any moment for pictures at the farm. Once everyone was ready, I helped straighten ties and pin on boutonnieres; it was dif cult holding back tears as I pinned the owers to my son’s suit.

The photo shoot on the farm with the men was a blast. All of our John Deere tractors and a few other favorites had been lined up on the lawn, and the photographer, who had never had a photo session on a farm before, enjoyed creatively lining everyone up. The barn, of course, was perfect back drop for the guys as was the corn and alfalfa elds. The most unique backdrop was suggested by one of the groomsmen — the grain bins curved stairway.

Eventually, our son had to leave for the rstlook photos of his bride-to-be, and the guys gathered on our deck to wait for the ceremony. It was here that I discovered my rst mistake: I’d forgotten about feeding all these guys. Fortunately, a local favorite pizza place was available to prepare several pies and make a quick delivery.

Finally, it was time for the ceremony. A few friends and immediate family gathered on covered straw bales and shed tears of happiness for the couple as they shared their vows. The joy and love in their eyes as they held hands while speaking made my heart sing.

After family photos were taken, it was off to the reception. They chose to host the celebration in a brother-in-law’s brand-new shed, and it was decorated beautifully. White lights were strung all across the ceiling and hung down illuminating the pristine white walls. Stained wood had been used as a complement to the white adding an earthy feeling to the venue.

My new daughter-in-law had been planning the

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A food truck had been hired for the event, and guests could choose from chicken wings with many sauces, mac and cheese, corn dogs, coleslaw, potato salad, and falafels. Along with the pop and an adult beverage selection, a coffee truck had been secured for the evening providing a tasty selection of brews.

The night was lled with lively conversation, much laughter and a lot of dancing. I was happy I had remembered to bring an extra pair of comfy shoes to change into.

The evening culminated with a performance by re dancers. With a night sky lled with a light rain and a bit of lightning, it was a memorable sight. Finally, the couple was sent off with twinkling sparklers held by the remaining guests.

The summer is now completely closed for us, and our sights turn to fall and the cold weather to come, but the memories of that day will bring warmth enough to last for years.

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