by TaLeiza Calloway news@thenewsleaders.com For many people a birthday can be a day where it is all about them. Some might throw a big party or even request lavish gifts. None of that interests Kenzie Finken. On her eighth birthday – celebrated Feb. 7 – she didn’t think of herself only but of those less fortunate. The second-grader at St.

by TaLeiza Calloway news@thenewsleaders.com A St. Joseph man was uninjured after falling asleep at the wheel and crashing into a Waite Park business last week. Timothy Cooney of St. Joseph crashed his truck into Traut Wells in Waite Park at about 9:19 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20. Traut Wells is located at 141 28th Ave. S in Waite Park. Waite Park

by Cori Hilsgen news@thenewsleaders.com Margaret (Margy) Hughes encourages people to work together and to take pride in their St. Joseph community. She has put a lot of energy into civic projects that welcome people downtown. “In the 11 years I’ve lived in St. Joe, I’ve heard about what people who lived here all their lives have done,” Hughes said. “In

by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Margy Hughes admits Bob Zimmerman got the last laugh. Hughes, a St. Joseph resident, was a member of the Hibbing High School Student Council and gave a thumbs-down when Zimmerman auditioned for the school talent show one year in the late 1950s. “He got up on that stage, stood by the baby-grand piano and just pounded

Staff Report The Sartell Police Department is investigating a robbery that occurred the night of Friday, Feb. 17 at the BP gas station in the city. At 9:11 p.m., a man walked into the station and demanded money from a clerk. He implied he had a weapon on him but did not display the weapon. The man was described to

by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com At the regional Spelling Bee, champion speller Alyssa Franzmeier of Sartell was nervous, but after she spelled “endemic” correctly, she felt a burst of confidence. “I wasn’t really familiar with that word, so when I happened to spell it correctly, I was happy and felt very confident,” she said. Alyssa’s confidence – not to mention her

by Chelsea Olson news@thenewsleaders.com Connie Froehle is one of the lucky people who has spent a lifetime in a career she loved. She began providing licensed in-home daycare services in 1971 after the birth of her first child. Since then she has spent 34 years opening her heart and home to many families of the Sartell community. Recently, some of

by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Three of five top skiers from the Cathedral/Sartell Nordic Ski Team placed in the top 100 finishers in the State Nordic Ski Racing Meet held Feb. 17 at Giants Ridge Resort near Bibwabik in northern Minnesota. There were three events at the meet: a pursuit race, a freestyle race and a classic race. Greta Danielson of