by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com The week of May 13-19 has been proclaimed Police Week in Sartell by the city’s mayor, Ryan Fitzthum. Fitzthum read the proclamation at the May 13 City Council meeting directly after the swearing in of the new deputy police chief, Wayne Schreiner. In his proclamation, the mayor noted some grim data. Last year, there were 60,211
Mary Lou, now 90, is unforgettable
Happy Belated Birthday, Mary Lou Westra! Of the many, many thousands of people I’ve interviewed and written about in my four decades of reporting, there are several standouts. Though there have been so many favorites, three of them often spring to mind. One was singer Tammy Wynette, whom I interviewed sometime in the mid-1980s in her luxury RV between her
City Planner Archambeau to move to Tennessee
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Sartell residents were stunned by surprise May 9 when it was announced that Anita Archambeau, the city’s long-time community development director and assistant city administrator, will resign her job to move to Tennessee this summer. Archambeau was hired by the city in 2000 as a contracted land-use planner and then moved on to a full-time position
Scheels gives ‘substantial’ donation for ice sheet
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com A long-anticipated dream – a second large ice sheet by Bernick’s Arena – will now come true, thanks largely to a corporate donation from Scheels All Sports. The announcement of Scheels’ lead gift was made by the Sartell Youth Recreation Center (SYRC), which has been raising funds for a second ice sheet since 2017. The substantial
Okee Dokees to perform cancer benefit in Sartell
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com In the three years that April Myers was battling brain cancer, her most enthusiastic cheerleader was her little niece, Kylie, who gave her love and support through the surgery, the radiation, the chemotherapy, the occupational therapy, the speech therapy. April and Kylie Myers-Schleif, who was ages 4 to 7 at the time, were known as two
Council votes yes for performance patio
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com A performance patio will be built at the edge of Lake Francis near the Community Center after the Sartell City Council approved the amenity at its April 22 meeting. Ever since the planning began for the center, council members and others had wanted some kind of stage, amphitheater or dock landing to be part of the
Sartell receives raves for city-audit report
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Once again, as in years before, the city of Sartell received rave reviews for it annual audit, which was presented to the city council at its April 22 meeting. The presenter of the 2018 audit report was Steve Wischmann of the auditing firm of BerganKDV. Wischmann used many superlatives during his presentation: the highest level of
Council approves $1.1-million platform truck
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com When the new Public Safety Facility hosts its grand opening in 2020, there will be more than just a brand-new state-of-the art building to wow the visitors. One of the stars of the show will be a spanking-new fire-department platform truck. The Sartell City Council, at its April 22 meeting, approved the purchase of the truck,