St. Cloud Times
GOP, DFL have picks for governor
DULUTH – Army veteran and former health care executive Kendall Qualls won the endorsement for governor from Republican activists gathered for the GOP state convention Saturday, beating House Speaker Lisa Demuth after 10 rounds of voting. If nominated,...
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Life after the lab begins anew for rescued beagles
Beagles rescued from Wisconsinbased Ridglan Farms are up for adoption at the Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud, and some have already found their forever homes. The Tri-County Humane Society received 11 beagles in May after breeding facility...
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FISHING SEASON
On the opening day of Minnesota’s fishing season in 1965, the Minnesota Legislature selected walleye as the state’s official fish. While walleyes are neither the state’s biggest fish nor its most abundant, they are consistently ranked as Minnesotans’...
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Potential Iran deal puts Trump in a bind
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump finds himself in a bind as he seeks to end the war against Iran: He is under pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get U.S. gasoline prices down but at the same time faces a potential backlash from Iran hawks...
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Farmers see more bankruptcies as costs rise, crop prices sink
This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Minnesota led the country in farm bankruptcies during the first quarter of...
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New law adds guardrails to social media for minors
Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday signed a bill into law enacting new guardrails for Minnesota children on social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok and SnapChat. The bipartisan law (HF 4138) requires parental consent for Minnesota children under 16...
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Central Minnesota’s lead pipe problem continues
Although a bonding bill passed easily in both the Minnesota House and Senate, coming in at 122-11 in the House and 50-7 in the Senate, funding for some projects did not pass — namely fixing lead pipes. Out of the $100 million requested for the project...
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Feds announce MN’s largest Medicaid fraud case
Top Trump administration officials traveled to Minnesota on Thursday, May 21, to announce 15 federal indictments in what they called the largest Medicaid fraud case ever brought in Minnesota. “We’re going to protect these programs and protect...
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Lawyers shot outside Raleigh courthouse after tense hearing
Court records show a 57-year-old Raleigh woman faces two counts of attempted murder after police say she shot two lawyers following a tense court hearing in North Carolina. The morning of May 22, Gwendolyn White had a civil case hearing in the Wake...
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Universities still hold Native remains, artifacts
Many universities and museums in the United States have long held Native American burial artifacts, other sacred objects and even human remains. Most of these collections were acquired in the late 19th and 20th centuries. They came from grave...
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Pakistani official seeks breakthrough on Iran
WASHINGTON – Iran’s foreign minister met Pakistan’s interior minister on May 22 to discuss proposals to end the U.S.-Israeli war, Iranian media reported, with Tehran and Washington still at odds over Iran’s uranium stockpile and controls on the Strait...
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St. Cloud approves roundabout beautification projects
When St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson campaigned for office in 2024, enhancing the city’s beautification efforts was among his top priorities. One of the projects he discussed on the campaign trail moved ahead Monday night. The city council approved...
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HuHot Mongolian Grill in St. Cloud closing soon
HuHot Mongolian Grill announced on its Facebook page it will be closing its St. Cloud location May 25. It said it will be closing after Memorial Day, which is May 25 this year. HuHot officially took over the old Mongo’s Grill location during fall...
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MN lawmakers pass big bills, miss others
Despite low expectations, including from the Reformer, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned sine die, end of session, on Sunday having passed a significant infrastructure package, property tax and car tab fee relief and a bailout of the state’s critical...
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Princess Kay finalists for MN State Fair named
Ten young women were named as finalists for the 73rd Princess Kay of the Milky Way. This past weekend, dairy princesses from across the state gathered for the annual May Leadership Event, held May 15-16 at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis. Four of the...
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Walz, leaders strike a deal as legislative session ends
Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders announced a deal late Wednesday on the big-ticket items the Legislature plans to pass this session, which ended on Sunday night. They provided few details, but Walz and some legislative leaders were holding press...
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Paranormal Cirque Inferno
Paranormal Cirque Inferno will be in St. Cloud from May 29 to June 1 at The Crossroads Center. h “It’s basically a regular circus with all the cool acrobats and crazy stunts, but it has a scary Halloween vibe,” performer Augusto Gonzalez Malaga said. h...
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Trump leaves Beijing with a few wins
BEIJING – President Donald Trump left China on May 15 with no major breakthroughs on trade or tangible help from Beijing to end the Iran war, despite two days spent heaping praise on his host, Xi Jinping. Trump’s visit to America’s main strategic and...
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National support for Tafoya’s Senate run splits state GOP
A dream candidate for the national Republican Party, former sportscaster Michele Tafoya is finding support from Washington to be a double-edged sword as she seeks to win retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat. Tafoya, 61, is a skilled and mediasavvy...
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Caribou Coffee’s new value menu starts at $2
Caribou Coffee, a coffeehouse known for its handcrafted beverages made with real ingredients, is rolling out a new value menu at participating locations nationwide. Beginning May 7, a company release stated, Caribou Coffee is serving Caribou Everyday...
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‘Courting Harry’
History Theatre will start its run of “Courting Harry” on Thursday. The play is a smart, funny and intriguing look at a 70-year-long friendship between Justice Harry Blackmun and Chief Justice Warren Burger that began in the streets of St. Paul and...
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Somali leaders: Anti-Muslim rhetoric fueling harassment
Following the Friday prayer, leaders of the Somali community gathered at Karmel Mall in Minneapolis to condemn what they described as escalating anti-Somali rhetoric linked to “Operation Metro Surge” and right-wing politicians and media. Community and...
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Find your scoop at 6 St. Cloud sweet spots
Ice cream season is here, and here are six independently owned shops around St. Cloud to check out. Flavors range from mocha caramel latte to bubblegum, pistachio or blueberry cheesecake. There’s also homemade Mexican ice cream available. Jupiter...
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‘It comes down to a fight’
Keith Harvey is CEO of Cook Area Health Services, better known as Scenic Rivers Health, a group of nonprofit medical and dental clinics in the northeast Minnesota hinterlands. Scenic Rivers Health struggles to make the most of a mysterious federal...
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Trump says Iran ceasefire will hold
President Donald Trump is brushing away concerns that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement is finished after the two sides launched strikes on each other that he called a “trifle.” “They trifled with us today. We blew them away. I call that a trifle,”...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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Comedy, music coming to The Ledge Amphitheater
Since it opened five years ago, the Ledge Amphitheater has become an entertainment mecca in central Minnesota, drawing attendees from across the region, country and world. Two new acts were recently announced: comedian Jim Gaffigan and .38 Special. As...
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St. Joseph bakery unveils spring treats
If you’re craving the perfect treat to compliment your spring outings, Flour & Flower Bakery might just have what you’re looking for. The bakery, which is celebrating its sixth anniversary in May, often rotates certain menu items to match the...
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Brad Paisley, Rod Stewart join state fair lineup
The Minnesota State Fair is bringing in lots of top-quality acts this year. Along with Weird Al Yankovic, Bonnie Raitt and Tommy James & The Shondells, Brad Paisley and TLC and Salt-N-Pepa are on in the lineup. Rod Stewart is making an appearance on...
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Gruber leads St. Cloud construction company
Rachel Gruber’s father, Dale, started Dale Gruber Construction out of a home office in 1983. Rachel Gruber has been a key part of the St. Cloud company’s growth and success over the years, especially since Dale Gruber Construction announced her as the...
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Sartell golf course gets fresh start with new restaurant
A few years ago, Brandon Testa envisioned Pine Ridge Golf Course’s future. After more than two decades in the Sartell community, the local entrepreneur saw an opportunity to transform the course into something new, different and built around...
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Prediction markets see explosive rise
Though prediction markets have been legal in the United States for less than 18 months, they can’t stop making news and making money. On prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, users can stake real money on just about anything, from the...
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Gov. Walz delivers final State of the State address
Gov. Tim Walz delivered his eighth and final State of the State address on Tuesday, April 28 — seeking to burnish a nearly completed tenure that’s been marked by crises, including a pandemic, the police killing of George Floyd and resulting civil...
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MAKING AN IMPACT
St. Cloud Times/LocalIQ and Greater St. Cloud held this year’s class of 5 Under 40 reception on Tuesday evening at Granite Partners to honor the five recipients and the community. h The April 28 event featured five outstanding young professionals and...
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Agents raid child care centers looking for evidence of fraud
Federal agents went into around 20 child care centers in Minnesota on Tuesday morning looking for fraud. On April 28, CBS News reported, FBI agents went into child care centers in Minneapolis, with search warrants in hand. According to CBS, no one...
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Man charged in shooting at press gala
WASHINGTON – The suspect accused of opening fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend is being charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is also charged...
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DOJ loosens rules on medical marijuana
Medicinal marijuana products that are legal at the state level will see looser federal regulation under an order the U.S. Department of Justice published Thursday, while a process that could remove the drug in all forms from the federal list of the...
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St. Cloud’s top coffee shops revealed
The St. Cloud area is home to many coffee shops, including lots of locally owned establishments. Several roast the beans in house, while others buy from local roasters. Here are the places Yelp labels the top five coffee shops in central...
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U.S. delegation to meet with Iranian officials
The United States is sending a delegation to Pakistan to meet with Iranian officials, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said April 24, resuming direct talks as both countries accuse each other of violating a ceasefire by seizing and blocking...
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The Ledge Amphitheater reveals its summer lineup
Since opening in July 2021, the Ledge Amphitheater has entertained tens of thousands of attendees from across the region, country and world. With warmer weather finally arriving in our area, The Ledge’s 2026 lineup is shaping up to be among the best...
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‘An amazing young man’
Close to his family and friends, 22-year-old Cody Strong was well-liked, good-natured and generous with his time. Strong was working in St. Joseph and living with his grandparents in St. Cloud. Just before 3 p.m. Friday, April 17, he was heading home...
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Bank eyes St. Cloud’s old media services lot
A potential zoning change could pave the way for a new bank to build in St. Cloud, putting a currently vacant lot on the tax roll. Gate City Bank is in the process of acquiring the old District 742 media services site, 115 13th Ave. S., from the city...
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Minnesota’s congressional races see millions raised
WASHINGTON – The money chase in the most competitive Democratic primary race for a U.S. House seat in Minnesota is nearly a tie. According to filings with the Federal Election Commission, former state Sen. Matthew Little raised nearly $717,000 as of...
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‘5 Under 40’ winners give to central MN nonprofits
Five community leaders are this year’s 5 Under 40 St. Cloud Times/LocalIQ and Greater St. Cloud winners. All five enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community — each in their own way. Each year, the winners of this award are asked which...
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Lawmakers push bill to halt pay during shutdowns
U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., is pushing for a bill that would prohibit federal lawmakers from receiving paychecks during a government shutdown. Fedorchak and Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., along with 18 other freshman members of the House, sent...
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National Mall to get Freedom 250 makeover
WASHINGTON – Livestock competitions, rodeo events and a 110-foot Ferris wheel are coming to the National Mall this summer as part of a White Housebacked, “World’s Fair-style” celebration marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. The 16-day event, dubbed...
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Public defender shortage ripples across legal system
The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5 issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants. Like other states, Oregon must provide...
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Wetterling documentary premieres this weekend
After 10 years of filming, director Chris Newberry is ready to premiere his documentary that follows the 1989 abduction of Jacob Wetterling of St. Joseph, at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival this weekend. The Saturday showing and...
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Kwik Trip’s new six-foot chicken mascot heads to St. Cloud
Kwik Trip has a new mascot – Red. He’s six-feet tall and can cluck and cheer. Central Minnesotan’s can meet Red at Kwik Trip locations at 5:30 p.m. April 23 at 750 15th Ave. SE in St. Cloud and at 5 p.m. April 25 in Clearwater. Along with with hugs,...
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New cafe offers Puerto Rican and Mexican flavors
For Dulce Creations Cafe’s Ana Torres and Norma Ramirez, their love for cooking and baking, as well as their friendship, goes way back. “Norma and I, we are very close friends. [I’ve known her since] 2018. She likes to cook — I love to bake, so we...
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St. Augusta welcomes new city administrator
St. Augusta’s City Council recently hired a new city administrator with vast experience in the region, when they chose Jennifer Nash to help lead the city of nearly 4,000. Nash has worked in government for 20 years, with the past 13 in leadership...
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‘Our company is a growth company’
Before your favorite type of cheese hits the pizza on your plate, Northland Cheese shreds and dices it. The Rice, Minnesota, cheese facility is celebrating nearly half a century in the region; it first opened its doors by 1978 and underwent an...
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Iran sets conditions for further talks with U.S.
Iran vowed on April 10 not to participate in negotiations unless a ceasefire takes hold in Lebanon and Iran’s assets are unfrozen, throwing doubt over highstakes peace talks set to begin the following day in Pakistan. Iran’s parliamentary speaker,...
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7 golf courses to play near St. Cloud this spring
If you squint hard enough, you can witness weather slowly on the upswing across the region, meaning golf season in central Minnesota soon will reach full swing. Similar to other locales across the Northern Plains, the area’s landscape offers several...
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Paynesville revamps parks, eyes downtown project
Paynesville has spent the past five years reshaping itself by investing in projects meant to bring residents back together after the pandemic, Mayor Shawn Reinke said, and position the city as a place developers want to build. Efforts to enhance...
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House of Pizza is back in Sartell
A local pizza spot has returned to Sartell. House of Pizza, through a collaboration with Coborn’s, opened a new location in the grocery store off Pine Cone Road in March. The new spot offers a full-service restaurant with in-store dining, take-out...
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New art studio to hold grand opening in May
St. Cloud artist Paige LaDue Henry has one goal for her new art studio at the Crossroads Center: to inspire and create community. “We live in times that aren’t so fun, and everybody is responding to what’s going on in the world in different ways. Art...
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What to eat at Kwik Trip on your next MN road trip
As warmer temperatures creep into the picture, Minnesotans prepare for summer drives north to Duluth or east to the Wisconsin Dells or west to Mount Rushmore. These drives can take time, and for many, stops at gas station stores provide more than...
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St. Cloud Times recognizes 5 Under 40 St. Cloud-area leaders
The St. Cloud Times/ Greater St. Cloud class of 2025 5 Under 40 recipients are, from left, Ashley Green, Cody Hauser, Jake Krippner, Anna Gruber and Megan Pflipsen. St. Cloud Times/LocalIQ and Greater St. Cloud has announced this year’s class of 5...
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1 rescued after U.S. jet downed over Iran
One crew member of a U.S. F-15E fighter jet that went down over Iran on April 3 has been rescued, according to a U.S. official. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the jet, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement...
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St. Cloud offers historic venues to film producers
Minnesota is trying to make itself appeal to filmmakers in hopes of generating tax revenue and economic growth. These efforts are able to help local communities, according to Nell Lawrenz-Wareham, deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film. This was...
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Meat market plans to open store in Sartell
Von Hanson’s Meat Market is expanding in central Minnesota. It’s opening the company’s 24th location in Sartell, according to Matt Murray, the owner and manager of Waite Park’s Von Hanson. Despite the projected 2028 opening date, Murray, who will also...
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Community saves St. Cloud wine shop
The Grande Depot, considered one of Central Minnesota’s top destinations for a unique blend of home décor, gourmet foods, fine wines and culinary apparatuses, is overcoming hurdles and pushing forward with help from the community. Earlier this year,...
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Minnesota’s ‘No Kings’ protest draws thousands
Tens of thousands gathered at the Capitol in St. Paul on Saturday as part of the national “No Kings” day of protest, with speakers and singers decrying the Trump administration’s policies. Gov. Tim Walz took the stage dressed in flannel on a blustery...
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A unique way to get your energy back
It’s a combination of acupressure, compression work and stretching altogether. h That’s how Thai Yoga Bodywork practitioner Kate Meemken describes her discipline. h “That’s kind of the three main things that happen during a session, but you come...
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‘I just fell in love with the work’
If you’ve been to a production of “The Wizard of Oz” at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, chances are you’ve seen St. John’s University alumnus Dean Holt as Hunk and Scarecrow. h The 1994 graduate, who has called the theater home for over 30...
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Trump delays strikes on Iran power plants
The Pentagon is weighing sending an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East as the war with Iran rages, multiple news outlets reported. It remained unclear when a decision will be made on whether to send the additional combat soldiers, according...
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St. Cloud Restaurant Week offers new flavors and prizes
St. Cloud’s weeklong restaurant celebration will return in May. Visit Greater St. Cloud announced in a release the 5th Annual Greater St. Cloud Restaurant Week, running from May 10-16, 2026. This weeklong event celebrates the vibrant flavors and...
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Fight over Medicaid funds in MN continues
Minnesota vs. Trump administration on Medicaid: Your questions, answered. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Minnesota’s plan to strengthen oversight over certain Medicaid services, which would pause the Trump administration’s...
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A year long investigation is coming to a close
Tyrah Davis’ stay at the Sherburne County Jail only lasted a few days. It ended with her body being taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office. An autopsy states she wore bright green pants and two gray socks when she took her final breath. The...
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Holdingford Feed Mill fire leads to rebuilding plans
HOLDINGFORD — Jeff and Sue Burg were sitting in their living room watching television Sunday, Feb. 15, when their phone rang. On the other end was their nephew, who told them he thinks the Holdingford Feed Mill was on fire. Jeff Burg remembers rushing...
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Could startups help city’s economic development?
As St. Cloud looks to bring economic development to the region, local experts aren’t just considering large companies. Economic development organization Greater St. Cloud also wants to create opportunities for startups. In an interview with the St....
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‘The Quarry Girls’ author tours central Minnesota
Growing up, Minnesota author Jess Lourey understands the pain of keeping secrets. Not only was she in St. Cloud when the Reker sisters were abducted, but she lived in Paynesville when a series of boys were kidnapped as well. h The former St. Cloud and...
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Troops deployed to Middle East region
Despite promises of the war with Iran ending soon and broad disapproval of further U.S. involvement, the White House is signaling more is coming on the front in the Middle East. The U.S. military is deploying thousands of additional troops, including...
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Audit: State DHS failed to probe autism kickbacks
The Minnesota Department of Human Services has said that until a 2025 change in the law, the agency was limited in how it investigated so-called kickback schemes in human services, which is when a provider pays someone to sign up for their...
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‘LIFELONG PASSION’
St. Cloud native Tom Sales will take his band — Mel Tepid & Them Soul-Ska Farmers — to Germany in April for some shows and recordings at the legendary Hansa Studio in Berlin. Now called the “godfather of Minnesota ska” music, due to his lengthy...
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