St. Stephen to hold winter extravaganza
The City of St. Stephen Winter Extravaganza will be held Sunday, Dec. 11. Santa and Mrs. Claus will visit with children from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Reindeer will pull sleigh rides around City Hall. In lieu of admission, bring a food shelf item or unwrapped toy.
Fare For All to sell holiday packs
Fare For All will sell holiday packs for $30 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12 at Resurrection Lutheran Church, 610 C.R. 2, St. Joseph. Each pack includes a 7-pound spiral cut ham, a whole chicken, chicken strips, two packages of ground beef, two bags of mixed vegetables and an apple pie. All are welcome. Holiday packs make great gifts for employees, those in need and families.
Sartell Senior Connection hosts annual sing-a-long
Get in the spirit of the season with a concert of Christmas favorites. Join the Sartell Senior Connection as they welcome the St. Cloud Area Fun Singers for their annual Christmas sing-a-long at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Celebration Lutheran Church, 1500 Pinecone Road N. Cookies, coffee and cider served. Free and open to everyone.
Christmas program hosted by Salem Community Church
The historic Salem Community Church will present its Old-Fashioned Christmas at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. Reindeer sleigh rides will occur from 3-4:15 p.m. with the Christmas program following at 4:30 p.m. Homemade cookies and refreshments will be served. Salem Community Church is located at 28547 220th St., four miles north of Paynesville.
Opportunity Matters looking for carolers
Opportunity Matters is looking for a group of Christmas carolers to sing at an upcoming holiday cookie-decorating event from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12 in Sartell. Opportunity Matters is an organization that provides residential services, social opportunities, transitional education options, adult day services and direct care to individuals with disabilities. Contact Brenda Eggerth, Opportunity Matters volunteer and communications manager, at 320-240-1900.
Opportunity for citizens to serve on county committees
Stearns County is recruiting for appointments to be filled in January. Openings exist on the Planning Commission, Park Commission, Board of Adjustment, Community Corrections Advisory Board, Emergency Planning Advisory Committee, Extension Committee, Great River Regional Library Board, Human Services Advisory Committee, Board of Appeal and Equalization, Dairy Advisory Committee, HRA, Social Services Task Force, Mental Health Task Force, Feedlot Review Committee, Noxious Weeds Appeal Committee, and the Delinquent Refuse/Environmental Services Fee Appeals Panel. Interested applicants can check out the list of vacancies and any specific requirements and apply for a committee position online. There is also a description of each committee, meeting dates and times, and contact information. In addition, citizens can sign-up to receive an email to be notified whenever there’s a board or committee vacancy. The application deadline is Monday, Dec. 12 to be considered for an appointment that begins in January 2017. Serving on one of these committees is a great opportunity for citizens to get involved with their local government and give their input on important county issues. Any questions can be directed to Stearns County Administration at 320-656-3602 or information@co.stearns.mn.us.
Jolly Trolley food drive runs through Saturday
St. Cloud Metro Bus, Royal Tire and Townsquare Media are hosting the Jolly Trolley food drive at participating Coborn’s, Cash Wise, Lunds + Byerly’s and Walmart stores to help area families this holiday season. The annual drive, formally known as the “Fill the Flyer” food drive, benefits local food shelves in the Metro Bus service area. This year’s drive will use the Metro Bus trolley bus as a collection vehicle, hence the name change. Also new this year is the addition of supporting the Promise Neighborhood food shelf along with the food shelves at the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities Emergency Services. Look for the Jolly Trolley at these locations: 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8: Coborn’s, Sauk Rapids; 4-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9: Coborn’s, located on Pinecone Avenue, Sartell; and 10 a.m. -1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10: Walmart, Sartell.
St. Cloud Tech College to host express enrollment
St. Cloud Technical & Community College will host Express Enrollment from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 allowing applicants to walk in, apply to SCTCC and enroll in one day. Those interested are encouraged to drop in any time during the event. During Express Enrollment, applicants will apply to SCTCC, take the Accuplacer test, meet with an academic advisor and register for classes. Financial Aid advisors will also be available. Applicants are encouraged to file their Free Application for Student Aid as soon as possible using the SCTCC school code 005534. In addition, there will be assistance available at Express Enrollment for those who need help filling out the FAFSA. If applicants have any previous college credit at a non-Minnesota State institution (formerly MnSCU), they are encouraged to bring a copy of the transcript for review. Express Enrollment is a great way to accomplish at once everything needed for a spring semester start at SCTCC. Spring semester classes begin on Monday, Jan. 9. Any questions can be directed to the SCTCC Admissions office at 320-308-5089 or enroll@sctcc.edu. For more information and any updates, visit sctcc.edu/express.
Red Cross urges those who can to give blood
It can’t be wrapped or placed under a tree, but the perfect gift can help save patient lives this holiday season. The American Red Cross urges eligible donors to give the lifesaving gift of a blood donation in December, a time when donations decline but the needs of patients remain steady. Barbara Coger will never forget the donors that gave the blood her husband received during the holidays. “I have been donating blood for some time, but really started encouraging others to do so after my husband received a donation on Christmas Eve,” she said. “He had not been doing well and would not survive much longer, but with that extra boost, he was able to share a big smile with me on Christmas morning, something I will always cherish.” Donors of all blood types are needed this holiday season to help ensure a sufficient supply for hospital patients. To encourage donations, all those who come to donate Thursday, Dec. 22 through Sunday, Jan. 8 will receive a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time when donating.
Public invited to learn about plans to reconstruct and redesign Hwy. 4 through Lake Henry in 2018
Motorists and area residents who travel Hwy. 4 through Lake Henry are encouraged to attend an open house to learn about a proposed project that will reconstruct Highway 4 through downtown Lake Henry in 2018. The open house will be held will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8 at Lake Henry City Hall. Those attending the open house will be able to see the latest project layout showing the proposed design and learn details about the project, including how the project may affect traffic and adjacent properties. MnDOT staff will be available to answer questions. The open house format is informal, and attendees may arrive at any time during open house hours. The project as proposed will resurface the roadway and replace sidewalks, storm sewer and curb and gutter along Highway 4 in Lake Henry. The new design will reduce the roadway’s parking lane width by five feet on each side of the highway, and repurpose that space to improve accessibility and safety along the roadway and provide a functional boulevard to protect utilities and provide space for snow storage. Questions and comments about the open house or project may be directed to Claudia Dumont, MnDOT project manager, at claudia.dumont@state.mn.us or 320-223-6530. To request an ASL or foreign-language interpreter, call 651-366-4720. To request other reasonable accommodations, call 651-366-4718; the Minnesota Relay service toll-free at 1-800-627-3529) TTY, Voice or ASCII) or 711, or email your request to adarequest.dot@state.mn.us.