by Heidi L. Everett news@thenewsleaders.com St. Joseph Catholic School and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Sartell, along with their sister schools in the Catholic Community Schools system, will begin distance learning Nov. 30 with the hopes for a possible return to in-person learning Jan. 19. “We know people will be gathering over the holidays, although hopefully to a lesser
Suspect charged with 6 felonies
by Heidi L. Everett news@thenewsleaders.com A suspect who assaulted a state trooper and spurred a daylong manhunt that locked down St. John’s University and Preparatory School campus Nov. 19 faces six felony charges and one misdemeanor. According to reports from the Minnesota State Patrol, Devan Dajon Wilson, 29, was arrested without incident at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening on the
Families cope with Kennedy online
by Heidi L. Everett news@thenewsleaders.com Holly Zabinski’s initial anger has subsided since the announcement that St. Cloud Area School District will move to distance learning Nov. 30 for preschool and elementary students. “I anticipated it but was still disappointed,” she said. “It seemed like Kennedy wasn’t having as many COVID cases or we weren’t hearing about them. It wasn’t welcome
School board winners react to victories
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com Candidates elected to the St. Cloud School Board are all happy they won and upbeat about serving on the board starting in 2021. The winners include two St. Joseph residents – Scott Andreasen and re-elected incumbent Al Dahlgren. Two other incumbents, Shannon Haws and Monica Segura-Schwartz, were selected by voters from a slate of seven candidates.
‘New’ council to include incumbent, newcomer
by Dennis Dalman news@thenewsleaders.com The “new” St. Joseph City Council will have two recently elected members starting next year – a long-term incumbent and a newcomer. Incumbent Bob Loso and newcomer Kelly Beniek won the election over four other candidates for the two seats on the council. Those contenders were incumbent Troy Goracke, Carmie Mick, Paul Orvis and Mike Osterman.
Bringing joy to the world, one scoop at a time
by Heidi L. Everett news@thenewsleaders.com What’s your favorite ice cream? That’s often one of the first questions David Boyer asks people he meets. Boyer is owner of Jupiter Moon Ice Cream, a new small business in downtown St. Joseph that specializes in hand-crafted, small-batch ice cream. Boyer asks because he appreciates how people light up when they think of their
Local fire teams battle grass fire
by Heidi L. Everett news@thenewsleaders.com Shortly after noon Nov. 6, the St. Joseph Fire Department was called to a grass fire in St. Wendel Township between County Road 2 and Jenny Lane. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Avon Fire Department, Sartell Fire Department, St. Stephen Fire Department and the Minnesota DNR also responded. According to reports, Brent Simon, St. Joseph,
Cultural connection: College scholarship applications open soon
by Tara Durheim Amid the pandemic and the unique challenges it has presented to our area high school seniors, their teachers and their loved ones this year, planning for life after graduation is likely a daunting task. With the fluctuations between in-person, hybrid and remote learning models, it can be hard to think about what possibilities lie ahead. However, if