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Saturday, March 6, 2021
Township elections Tuesday Annual meetings follow voting March 9 BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE – Township residents are invited to the polls Tuesday, March 9. Much like municipal elections that take place in November, township elections take place across the state on Township Day – the second Tuesday of March. In addition to casting their ballots for supervisor and treasurer positions this year, residents have the opportunity to take part in government at the townships’ annual meetings. Residents in attendance will vote directly on their jurisdiction’s 2022 tax levy at the meeting and will discuss and vote on other items as well. Most meetings take place after polls close, so check with your township clerk for more information on voting and meeting times and places. There are two races in Benton County this year. In Alberta Township, Mike Walcheski and Tim Winter compete for one supervisor term, and in Granite Ledge Township, Fred Lentner and incumbent Troy Lupke are vying for one supervisor seat.
Elections page 4
Same Local Coverage Since 1854. 2 Second Ave. S., Suite 135, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
Vol. 166, No. 48
Rogers, Ziegler
named SRR teachers of the year Science, early childhood educators advance to state competition BY ELLARRY PRENTICE STAFF WRITER
Mike Rogers and Louise Ziegler were named Sauk Rapids-Rice School District’s 202021 teachers of the year. Rogers, an eighth-grade science teacher, is the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. “It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by my colleagues and by the Sauk Rapids-Rice district,” Rogers said. “Our district is filled with amazing educators, so to be honored with the Secondary Teacher of the Year award is something very special to me.” Ziegler, an early childhood special education teacher at Hillside school, is the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year.
“I feel extremely honored to have received this nomination,” Ziegler said. Both teachers will move on to the state competition for Minnesota Teacher of the Year. In its 57th year, the recognition program celebrates the tradition of excellence in teaching in Minnesota. The winner will be chosen from a field of 75 candidates. Finalists will be announced in March, and the winner will be announced in May. (The banquet may be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.) Rogers has been in school classrooms for 26 years. A science teacher since 1994, he has taught eighth-grade Earth science at Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School since 2010. “Teaching at Sauk RapidsRice is a genuine pleasure,” Rog-
Louise Ziegler Elementary Teacher of the Year work teachers do. “Our community is very supportive of our work here at school, and that makes all of our jobs – especially Mike Rogers in the middle Secondary Teacher of a pandemic – of the Year that much more fulfilling,” he said. Sauk Rapids-Rice ers said. “I feel that Sauk RapidsRice really puts the whole child students are resilient and flexfront and center, caring not just ible during these turbulent times, about the academics, but also the Rogers noted. He also comdevelopment of other skills such mended district staff. “My colleagues put their as collaboration, curiosity, creative and critical thinking, and heart and soul into what they do, raising everyone’s game,” Rogempathy.” Rogers considers himself ers said. fortunate to be doing a job he loves in a community and disTeachers page 3 trict that supports and values the
COVID-19: One year later
Virus that spread through world leaves impact locally BY JAKOB KOUNKEL | STAFF WRITER
FOLEY – About a year ago, on March 16, 2020, the virus that touched every corner of the world was confirmed for the first time in Benton County. The disease that became known as COVID-19 continues to leave its mark locally. As of March 4, 34 cases in the county are active. Throughout the year, Benton County experienced 4,477 total cases, 79
deaths and 214 individuals hospitalized. The most confirmed cases were concentrated in Sauk Rapids, about 2,100 in total. Foley has had 838 cases confirmed, Rice has had 657, the Benton County portion of St. Cloud has had 582, Sartell has had 221 and Oak Park has had 80. Even though the virus made its way through Benton County and continues to be prevalent, Benton County Public Health and CentraCare providers are boasting the
PUBLIC NOTICES
The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
• Sauk Rapids Township Notice of Annual Meeting and Election - pg. 13 • Mayhew Lake Township Notice of Annual Meeting and Election - pg. 8 • Benton County Notice of Expiration of Redemption - pg. 13 • City of Sauk Rapids Public Hearing Notice - pg. 13 • City of Sauk Rapids/Sauk Rapids Township Joint Planning Board of Public Hearing - pg. 13
resilient nature of Benton County residents and the business community. “Looking back at the whole year, I would focus on change and how well our communities and our people have done with change,” said Dr. George Morris, incident commander for CentraCare’s COVID-19 response.
• Benton County Board of Commissioners Reg. Minutes, Feb. 16 - pg. 6C • Benton County Board of Adjustment Public Hearing - pg. 13 • Benton County Board of Commissioners Public Hearing - pg. 4C • Assumed Name - A Clean Slate Painting - pg. 8 • Assumed Name - Create Good MN - pg. 4C • City of Sauk Rapids Advertisement for Bids - pg. 8
COVID-19 page 7
OBITUARIES • Marilyn “Lynn” P. Borgert • Eugene “Gene” J. Borgert • Joyce I. (Reberg) Horton