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

by TaLeiza Calloway news@thenewsleaders.com The St. Joseph City Council voted 4-1 to move forward with hiring a lobbyist to assist area cities, despite a lack of support from all neighboring communities. At a Feb. 2 meeting, city officials agreed the cost to hire a lobbyist should not exceed $10,000 and that St. Joseph’s participation is contingent upon all six cities

by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Walter Hudson, the chairman of the North Star Tea Party Patriots, will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Michael’s Restaurant in East St. Cloud. Hudson, who lives in the Twin Cities, has been a radio commentator and is the editor of Sons of Liberty Media, as well as a contributor to PJ Media, True