St. Cloud Times
Dankz to change the way customers buy cannabis
One of the biggest surprises for Sid Rosen when he was hiring for Dankz, his new cannabis dispensary in St. Cloud, was the amount of talent in the area. “There’s a lot of excitement about cannabis,” the budding company’s chief operating officer said....
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EZ Buy Bins liquidation store moves treasure hunt
EZ Buy Bins, a liquidation and overstock store, made the move in late September from Waite Park to its new location at Centennial Plaza in St Cloud. Co-owners Maha Alazzawi and Mustafa Ibrahem immigrated to Minnesota from Iraq in 2014. Ibrahem holds a...
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Federal agents search Ilhan Omar’s home
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, decried a federal search of her home as “political intimidation,” saying on social media, “I will not be silenced.” By the morning of Oct. 12, a block in northeast Washington, DC, had been taken over. Federal law...
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Tafoya faces funding hurdle in Senate race
LE SUEUR – Michele Tafoya has TV skills and an opponent saddled with the state’s fraud scandal. What she needs now is money. Polls show Tafoya is in a dead heat with Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, even with significant national political...
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REBRANDING NICOTINE
An ironic development emerging alongside the “Make America Healthy Again” movement is the portrayal of nicotine as a wellness and performance-enhancing product. Across social media, podcasts, wellness communities and tech startups, prominent wellness...
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FALL FLAVORS
Fall is the season for cozy drinks like the famed pumpkin spice latte. Many local shops have their own takes on the fall staple and unique, autumn-inspired drinks. Many roast their beans in house, while others buy from local and other Minnesota-based...
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Cornell rape probe draws expert criticism
Cornell University, campus police and the local prosecutor’s office are all facing intense scrutiny over their investigation into 2024 gang rape allegations, and experts say key changes early in the case could have had a big impact on the...
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O’Brien’s and Metz give shoppers a fun space to explore downtown
According to its founder, O’Brien’s Dry Goods originally began with the idea that downtown St. Cloud needed more reasons for people to walk around and explore. “We also saw an opportunity to create a place where local vendors and collectors could have...
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Minnesota students struggle to reach grade level since COVID-19 pandemic
Alyssa Chen Fewer than half of Minnesota students who take the state’s standardized test are able to read and do math at grade-level expectations, according to data released Wednesday by the state’s education department. Performance on the test,...
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Former St. Joseph wood-fired pizza owners launch new mobile food truck
St. Cloud residents may know Michael and Chelsea Gauthier as the former partnered owners of Birdie’s Pizza and Garden Bar at the House Food and Tap in St. Joseph. But this past December, the two decided to rebrand as a mobile food truck known as XO...
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Avivo launches 48-unit homeless facility in city
ST. CLOUD – Avivo, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit, will begin moving people into its new 48-unit emergency housing facility in St. Cloud beginning the week of Oct. 19. The facility’s ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Friday, Oct. 2, when nearly 200...
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‘GOD WALKS WITH US, WE ARE NOT ALONE’
HAVANA – In the cool darkness of the church’s sacristy, the Rev. Ariel Suárez Jáuregui pulled on his vestments – a white ankle-length robe and bright green stole – and entered the 19th-century sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity Catholic Church. Hints of...
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Why biogas is getting a federal tax break
New Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance confirms that gas extracted from livestock manure qualifies for a federal clean fuel tax credit, paving the way for increased investment in biogas projects. The move comes as farms increasingly turn to...
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Nonprofit B-side Indie Music Cafe to host community art market
B-side Indie Music Café has been rolling along successfully with a mission since opening its doors last summer. In addition to live music and art, it plans to host a large community art market from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 17 at 27 Seventh Ave. N. in...
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‘I really want to hold them accountable’
Rep. Bernie Perryman, R-St. Augusta, said it wasn’t originally on her horizon to run for the Senate, but she knew running for the same House District 14A again would be the easier path. “Sometimes, the easier path is not what I always want to do,” she...
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Putnam on why he’s running for second state Senate term
There are two people who helped persuade state Sen. Aric Putnam, DFLSt. Cloud, to run for office the first time around: his daughter and a Republican. He first ran for the District 14A House seat in 2016. His neighbor at the time was...
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Senate hopeful Flanagan talks to constituents
ST. CLOUD – Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, DFL, made her latest stop in St. Cloud Saturday night for her bid to be Minnesota’s next U.S. senator. She told about 40 people crowded into the front room of the DemocraticFarmer-Labor party office why she...
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Area candidates debate state business mandates
Several St. Cloud-area state House of Representatives’ candidates criticized statewide business mandates, including the Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, during the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce’s candidate forum on Wednesday, Sept....
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Who’s running to represent the St. Cloud area in Congress, State Capitol?
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Incumbent U.S. House Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., is being challenged by Democratic-FarmerLabor candidate Doug Chapin for who will represent the greater St. Cloud area in Washington, D.C. Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District...
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Trump, Xi exchange toasts, gifts at dinner
Wild mushrooms are in their peak season across the United States in late September – and for a second time, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were treated to the fungi at the White House. On the menu for the state dinner hosted by...
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Pumpkins, apples and more
Whether you’re looking for the ideal jack-o’-lantern or just a refreshing day outside the house, there are several pumpkin patches and similar places to enjoy the fall climate across central Minnesota — specifically not far from the St. Cloud area. The...
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Rare Pokémon card leads to new trading card shop
Best friends Hunter Branson and Ben Kotula started RippinItRaw back in 2024 after Kotula convinced Branson to open one of the $500 Pokémon booster packs he had been holding onto. Before opening, they decided to set up the camera and record. Thinking...
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Añejos is back in Sartell
After a three-month hiatus, Sartell’s Mexican restaurant Añejos reopened at the beginning of August. Owned by Ramon and Martha Navarro, the restaurant originally opened in January of 2014. Although they both own the store together, Martha Navarro does...
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Nirvana Wellness and Spa offers laser treatment, facials
Moksh Stoerzinger, owner and founder of the new Nirvana Wellness and Spa on St. Germain Street, said she was about 20 years old when she was introduced to a laser treatment that completely changed her confidence. “Finding skin solutions when I was...
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Affordability at forefront of state Senate forum
One of the top issues everyone agreed on during the Sept. 16 Senate candidate forum hosted by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce was affordability. District 14 incumbent Sen. Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, said regulations may make the issue worse,...
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S
Inca is a cushion-growth UMN mum variety. horter days and cooler nights signal that autumn is right around the corner. Colors shift not only in our trees, but across our gardens. Chrysanthemums, those bright, cheerful fall bloomers, are suddenly...
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Trump to face skeptical world leaders at meeting
WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations a year ago, he touted the U.S. bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites just months earlier as “totally obliterating everything” and said he had brought peace between Israel and...
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St. Cloud’s Bella Vita Salt Spa closes temporarily for expansion
Bella Vita Salt Spa owner Christina Piecek temporarily closed her store Sept. 14, as the St. Cloud business prepares to expand, renovate and prepare for its next chapter. The idea for Bella Vita, which was the first salt cave in Central Minnesota,...
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Tuaolo brings Hawaiian flavors to local stores
After calling The House Food and Tap home for a year, 98 Hawaiian Grill owner Esera Tuaolo is getting ready for his next chapter, but not without sharing appreciation for his time at the food hall. “The experience was incredible. It was one of those...
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Lion’s Fitness owner beat the odds with growing St. Cloud business
ST. CLOUD – Lion’s Fitness owner Jason Peterson refuses to stay complacent and is always looking to improve and grow. It is why his gym has upgraded in size twice in the last seven years since opening in 2019, currently at 4611 Rusan St. off Veteran’s...
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Officials honor fallen heroes at 9/11 remembrance
ST. CLOUD – About 100 people – so many that police had to put out more chairs – crowded into the St. Cloud Police Department’s community room for its 9/11 remembrance event Friday evening. Members of the audience were made up of active and retired...
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Six topics to consider in midterms
Primaries are over, and voters in Minnesota are looking to the November ballot to choose the next few years of Minnesotan leadership. Here’s the St. Cloud Times’ guide to what will be on the ballot and why it matters. Throughout the state, hundreds...
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Niron bringing ‘high-performance’ manufacturing factory to Sartell
Sartell will soon be home to the world’s first high-performance rareearth-free magnet production facility. The “high-performance” aspect, according to Niron Magnetics Vice President of Government Affairs Mark Schramek, means the quality of the...
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SEX-TRAFFICKING CRACKDOWN STALLS
WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has repeatedly said the fight against sex trafficking is one of its top priorities. But investigations have stalled and prosecutions declined because of staffing shortages, funding cuts, immigration enforcement...
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A GENERATION OF AFTERSHOCK
DEditor’s note: Parts of this story were published Sept. 10, 2021 in The St. Cloud Times. evin O’Brien’s uncle Tom Burnett, along with others aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on 9/11, rushed the cockpit, overcame the hijackers and stopped the aircraft...
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Candidates talk fraud, beef at MN State Fair
After 20 consecutive years shaking sweaty hands and waving to babies at the Minnesota State Fair, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her baby blue cottage-style booth is as much a fixture here as greasy cheese curds and costumed llamas. Arriving at the...
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Israeli settlements in West Bank sanctioned
LONDON – The United Kingdom, France and Canada on Sept. 8 moved to block imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, while a wider group of Western countries signaled they may take further steps to defend the two-state solution amid...
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Hey, good lookin’
Somewhere on a porch in rural Tennessee, the late Dolly Parton may have held up a dainty martini glass, sipping away as the orange sun set behind the Great Smokies. And like most things she did in life, she put a special twist on it. As featured in...
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Iran aims to tackle economic issues
DUBAI – Iran said it will step up efforts to tackle problems created by the U.S. sanctions that are crippling its economy, while a senior Iranian official warned of a “painful response” if it comes under further attack. Six months after U.S.-Israeli...
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GRIT, GRACE & GRATITUDE
Jeffrey Coniglio is dressed in white down to his shoes, his daughter Giada in a flowing pale green gown. They are twirling across the dance floor to music from “The Great Showman” when, suddenly, Giada flips head over heels and then swings out into a...
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August jobs report unexpectedly strong
The U.S. economy added a surprising 162,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department estimated Sept. 4, even as economists said a “low-hire, low-fire” dynamic made it difficult for unemployed Americans to find work. The 162,000 estimate for August far...
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Inspiration Space Port to open St. Cloud destination
Inspiration Space Port, a family destination, is headed to St. Cloud. Planning is underway for this yearround family destination that will bring Shuttle Inspiration, a full-scale space shuttle mock-up, to St. Cloud. The shuttle will be housed inside...
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Upscale hotel expected to open this November
Sartell’s new Wyndham Garden Hotel is expected to open Nov. 1. The new hotel will be four stories tall with 86 rooms, located at the intersection of LeSauk Drive and Evergreen Drive — next to the existing AmericInn by Wyndham. Construction on the...
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Food at the fair
More than 30 new menu items – along with an additional nine new vendors – are available at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. The Great Minnesota Get-Together goes through Monday, Sept. 7. In true state fair fashion, many food options are deep fried...
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UMN brings history and innovations to the fair
The University of Minnesota is enhancing its presence at the Minnesota State Fair this year in celebration of its 175th anniversary. Fairgoers will have the opportunity to explore a range of new exhibits and activities that highlight the university’s...
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Minnesota crowns a new Princess Kay of the Milky Way
Jena Hanson, a 20-year-old college student from Owatonna, representing Steele County, was crowned the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony Aug. 26 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Hanson will serve as the official goodwill...
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Cup of care &ambition
In 1973, Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” to soften the blow of leaving her business partner Porter Wagoner after years of producing hit country duets together. Parton was ready to pursue a solo career. So she played the song for Wagoner to...
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Iran urges opposition to new sanctions
DUBAI – Iran condemned the United States’ new economic sanctions on Aug. 28 as “state terrorism” and said other countries were legally obliged not to implement them. The Iranian foreign ministry’s statement came as mediators stepped up efforts to...
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New 1920s-style bodega to open on St. Cloud’s East End
A new 1920s-style convenience store is coming to St. Cloud’s East End. Marla Waseka owns the building under MoXie Ladies, LLC and will operate St. G’s Bodega with her two daughters. Bodega, a term commonly used in large, overcrowded cities, such as...
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Parton’s lasting legacy breaks political divide
In modern political discourse, it’s unusual for Republicans and Democrats to wholeheartedly back a bipartisan cause, and it’s particularly out of the ordinary for President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, to align...
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Trump gets win in mail ballot dispute
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said lower courts moved too soon when they partly paused President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on mail-in ballots before the midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. The court on Aug. 24...
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Festi-Fall returns to East St. Germain Street
East St. Germain Street will close Sept. 20 for a popular annual street fair that brings the community together and raises money to improve the East End neighborhood. The third annual FestiFall will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on East St. Germain...
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Flock cameras stir concerns across U.S.
License plate readers have been shot at in Tennessee, hit with a truck in California, beaten with a baseball bat in Virginia, cut down with a saw in Texas and splattered with paint in New York. And they’ve been regularly blocked by a protester in...
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New research shows lake sturgeon can live 400 years
DETROIT – They’re the mysterious swimming giants of the Great Lakes region. Fossil records show that their ancestors swam the Earth more than 130 million years ago, meaning they existed alongside dinosaurs. And the oldest known specimen, captured at...
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Midterms are key to Social Security’s fate
Odds for Social Security reform may have dimmed after Aug. 11, when one of the program’s biggest champions lost his primary. But advocates say this only highlights the importance of November’s midterm elections. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Connecticut,...
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Families push for ‘hidden homicide’ laws
Families who believe local officials prematurely ruled their loved ones’ deaths suicides or accidents – rather than investigating whether domestic violence played a role – are pushing lawmakers in a growing number of states to require additional...
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Walz order stops mining near Boundary Waters
Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Tuesday banning nonferrous mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in what may prove to be one of the most significant conservation acts in generations. For five decades, mining companies have...
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Mayor looks to increase property tax rates for 2nd year in a row
St. Cloud’s property tax rates could increase for the second year in a row. Mayor Jake Anderson presented his 2027 budget Monday night, asking city council members to increase the property tax rate by 3.75% to finance the proposed $81.7 million...
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Funding crunch threatens lead pipe removal goals
Claire Carlson A cloud of dust drifts behind a compact track loader as it slowly rolls down the street carrying dirt and asphalt from a giant hole about five feet wide. About eight feet below ground, a man in a hard hat is dislodging a 125-year-old...
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Kwik Trip opens two new stores in central Minnesota
Kwik Trip has two new central Minnesota 24-hour locations, one in Ramsey and the other in Alexandria. The location in Ramsey opened on July 23 and had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11. The roughly 9,200square-foot store is similar to most other...
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New owners take over Keystone Design Build in Rice
When the new year began, Sam Kelash and Grant Mumm became coowners of a construction business they long admired and in which they have deep roots. h Kelash’s father, Marc, was the longtime owner of Keystone Design Build, spanning two decades. While...
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Could mysterious object be Amelia Earhart’s plane?
What happened to Amelia Earhart? That question has eluded countless researchers, biographers and devoted enthusiasts for almost 90 years. Over the decades, researchers have scanned swaths of the ocean floor, traversed remote islands and scoured...
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New pediatric therapy clinic opens in St. Cloud
Lydia Halligan, clinic director and speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Sora Pediatric Therapy — part of the Ivy Rehab Network — leads a new therapy clinic serving families in the St. Cloud area. The clinic provides pediatric speech therapy, speech...
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Demuth defeats Trump pick in governor primary
House Speaker Lisa Demuth won the Republican Party’s nomination for governor on Tuesday, beating President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Mike Lindell, as well as Kendall Qualls — the choice of GOP state convention delegates. Demuth, who lives in...
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Critics take aim at Trump vaccine order
bargaining agreement with the teachers unions. “MPS and the union sit on opposite sides of the bargaining table, and the court cannot simply trust that one party to a (collective bargaining agreement) will safeguard the interests of the other party,”...
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Many grocery stores dropping synthetic dyes
The next time you reach for a favorite cereal, drink or box of macaroni and cheese, take a closer look. The package may call attention to the artificial colors that are no longer inside, and the food may appear a little different or even cost...
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Military bases delay toxic PFAS cleanup
It’s been almost five years since Brandi and Brad Hyatt found out the well at their home next to an Army base in Washington is contaminated with “forever chemicals.” They started using bottled water for everything from making coffee to rinsing off...
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Trump open to contempt charges against Fauci
The eNewspaper is an electronic copy of your print newspaper. Enjoy every page by going to sctimes.com/enewspaper or scan this code on your mobile device. You will also find late news and sports in the bonus sections. Check it out today! Joey...
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Reports: U.S. missile supply badly depleted
The war on Iran has severely depleted key U.S. missile stockpiles and left the nation and its allies in a vulnerable position for potentially years to come, several experts and reports say. U.S. missile stockpiles were low before President Donald...
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The Grande Depot closes doors for good
An iconic St. Cloud-area boutique and wine shop has closed its doors. On July 31, The Grande Depot locked its doors for good, folding the pages on an 18-year adventure. The explanation the business gave on its website was that the owner decided to...
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ICE to pay private company $536M to reopen MN prison
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will pay private prison company CoreCivic more than half a billion dollars to reopen a defunct 1,600-bed prison in rural western Minnesota as an immigrant detention center. CoreCivic said in a press release the...
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New hope for MN low-dose THC products
The low-dose THC industry that makes the popular beverages and edibles you see at liquor and convenience stores and breweries got a sliver of hope Sunday in the face of a looming federal prohibition of the key ingredient they need for their...
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For restaurant supplier, all roads go through St. Cloud
There’s a new kitchen supply company in St. Cloud. Zepole Supply Co. opened their first location in Minnesota on July 21 on Crescent Street . Zepole is a family-owned business that provides restaurant supplies and equipment across the U.S. Vice...
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Wetterling documentary to be played in St. Cloud
The documentary “Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling” had its world premiere this spring at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Fest; now it is headed to theaters in central Minnesota, closer to where Jacob lived. Newberry...
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A year after fire, Grand Canyon starts to recover
Ranger Matt Baldwin left two aspiring junior rangers at the information booth window and trotted to a white government pickup to retrieve his signature wide-brimmed hat. h There was no line of visitors behind the kids waiting for his help. Nearly a...
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Attack sparks fears wars could merge
WASHINGTON – Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States insisted that leaders in Kyiv are not playing “a game of chess” with their recent drone strike on an Iranian ship and have no interest in leveraging their conflict with Russia into a wider, global...
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