by Mike Knaak news@thenewsleaders.com By Election Day, officials estimate about half of Minnesotans will already have voted. As of last week, more than 1.2 million Minnesotans cast ballots. That’s more than twice the total early voting in 2016 and 2018. Stearns County early voting is running more than 324 percent ahead of this point in 2018. In addition to state
School forest opens up natural education
by Mike Knaak news@thenewsleaders.com Just outside the back door of Riverview Intermediate School, students and teachers can roam through 60 acres of woods and prairies in the recently designated school forest. Teachers learned how they can tie that unique natural resource to curriculum during a professional development day led by educators from the Jeffers Foundation on Oct. 14. Riverview serves
Cultural connections: Gift of cultural experience sheds light on diversity fears
Fasalladii waa soo noqdeen. Waxay idinku war galinayaan xarumaha (cultural bridges iyo Central MN adult basic education ABE) ee wax barashada dadka waawayn in dib u bixinayaan fasalladii ingrisiga ahaa oo ku yaala St. Joseph. Gugii lasoo dhaafay waxa hakad galay fasalladii luuqada ingrisiga, xanuunka COVID-19 dartiis. Xagaagii oo dhan waxay ardaydu ku qaateen faslladii habka online ka. Fasalladii waa
Sartell senior earns top ACT score
by Mike Knaak news@thenewsleaders.com When Sartell High School senior Alice Colatrella learned she earned the highest possible score on her ACT test, she thought the rating was wrong. “I had no clue,” Colatrella said. “I definitely wasn’t expecting it.” Alice, 18, is the daughter of Nicholas Colatrella and Stacy Hinkemeyer-Colatrella. Her composite score of 36 places her in the top
Oct. 30 St. Joseph people
Lauren Vouk, daughter of Lisa and Frank Vouk, St. Joseph, recently earned an excellence scholarship to attend Concordia College, Moorhead. She is a graduate of Holdingford High School. Two St. Joseph students recently graduated from Bemidji State University. They and their degree are the following: Margaret Donnay, bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude; and Derek Ertl, bachelor’s degree. Local drivers nominated
Oct. 30 Sartell-St. Stephen people
Help us honor our veterans during the month of November. The Sartell Historical Society and the Sartell Community Center want to display pictures of military members past and present with a connection to Sartell. Bring copies of pictures to Ann at the Sartell Community Center by Nov. 9. Pictures should include name, dates of service if known, branch of service
Election affects environment
Tony Dingmann, Sartell Often times, I shy away from political conversations and debates. However, I do not shy away from being vocal and passionate about the care and preservation of our environment. I want to educate and share information in an effort to create awareness as we look to the future of our environmental conservation here in Minnesota and beyond.
We have not figured out our relationship with animals
Sami Nicholson, Sartell Netflix’s explosive new documentary, “My Octopus Teacher,” chronicles a complex relationship between a man and the world’s most bizarre animal – an octopus. It further testifies to our highly conflicted relationship with non-human animals and the natural world. Most of us treasure our “pets” – dogs, cats, horses. Our allegiance to them transcends that to our own