The green numbers on the digital clock flip over to 10:00 a.m. Six minutes to go. More than 40 journalists jam a basement meeting room at the Law Enforcement Center and sit in silence waiting for Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson to walk to the podium. It’s been 10,561 days since a man with a history of sexual assaults on
Boys won’t be boys
Like many these days, I am filled with rage. Your rage may vary from mine, but the particular nature of my rage is coming from all the sexual assault stories. The thing that makes me the maddest in these stories is the men in them and the men reacting to them. Men, we need to chat. If you have a
Kids ripped from parents, then and now
The following words should remind us all of an outrage that demands immediate attention: “My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant – before I knew her as my mother. It is a common custom in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very early age
Should sheriffs be elected or appointed?
Twenty-seven men – yes, they’ve all been men – have served as Stearns County sheriff. On Nov. 6, Stearns County voters will elect the 28th sheriff. In recent times they’ve been elected, but the job didn’t start that way. On March 3, 1855, three Stearns County commissioners appointed Luther B. Hammond as the county’s first sheriff. The three commissioners were appointed
All work and no pay makes Jack a dull boy
I’m thinking of adding a third story on to my house. Since I have this column, allow me to solicit anyone who does such work. I’ll also need a bathroom, so not just carpenters and architects, but plumbers too. It’s a really great project, but I don’t have any money. Instead, I’ll let you work on my house and it’ll
Rediscovering the thrill of driving at 19
This past weekend, I was able to head back home for the first time after moving into college almost a month ago. The time has really flown by, and it sometimes still feels odd to have been living in a new place for a while. I didn’t bring a car with to campus, and so my dad picked me up
Visit our website, social media for the latest news
Sometimes the news can’t wait. And readers can’t wait until Friday to get it. That’s why for the past few months we’ve been publishing more news on our website, www.thenewsleaders.com. Daily updates online include significant local news from Sartell, St. Stephen and St. Joseph that readers need to know right away such as actions by local government, election returns and
The Al-Gore-rhythm versus Trump
On the latest season of the brilliant show “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” there’s a moment when roommate Titus is explaining how computers know what you’re searching for to Kimmy. “You know how Al Gore invented the internet? Well, he also invented a rhythm for it. It’s a powerful rhythm. It’s called the Al-Gore-rhythm.” Perhaps that’s how Donald Trump thinks search engines