Redwood Falls official has been making calls for 50 years By Larry Magrath Wayne Cook of Redwood Falls has found his own particular season the last three years. As a sports journalist, umpire and referee, accumulating accolades have graced the life of Cook, a fixture of the state’s baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and gridiron. Wayne Cook of Redwood Falls with a plaque inducting him in the 2024 Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame. Cook has received recognition from multiple

Osakis man has been priest for 65 years By Joe Korkowski , The Church of St. Mary, Alexandria; published in The Central Minnesota Catholic; republished with permission Retired New Ulm priest Father Fink makes his home near Osakis. Fink is still serving in the area at age 90. Contributed photo Father Fred Fink is a thoughtful, kind, caring man who has put in countless hours in an effort to help his fellow man. As of Feb. 25, he has been a Catholic priest for 65 years! When loo

Long Prairie Post Office mural commissioned in 1939 during Great Depression By Tim King For the last nine decades, visitors to the Long Prairie Post Office wishing to do the common task of mailing an envelope have had the uncommon opportunity to view a large mural called “Gathering Wild Rice.” Lucia Wiley paints the 1939 mural “Gathering Wild Rice” at the Long Prairie Post Office. Contributed photo The large mural covers the entire wall above the door labeled POSTMASTER. It p

Boys & men come together for Christian camaraderie By Rachel Barduson A couple of the dad volunteers play guitars as some of the boys listen at a recent Dads and Lads event, held at Jerry McCrery’s woods near Henning. Men have been planning and holding it for 33 years. Contributed photos For 33 years, men in the area have been coming together to plan a unique event called “Dads and Lads,” designed to promote Christian camaraderie among men and boys of all ages. “Dads and La

Waite Park man has an eclectic collection by Bill Vossler Al Barth of Waite Park once bought several books from a cat in Massachusetts. “That was an odd place, a little garage in a small town in Western Massachusetts, where you enter, look at the books, and the proprietor was a cat. If you wanted a book, you put money in a slot in a box. Totally on your honor,” he said. Several collections are shown here, with Al sitting in front of Twins baseball caps, Twins paraphernalia, a

Check out April's stories from all over Minnesota and North Dakota below. All the great local advertisers can be in these full papers, along with the puzzle, jokes, recipes, and more for you and your friends to enjoy. Lindbergh Edition All around Mille Lacs Lake and specially tailored to the areas near Brainerd, St. Cloud, Little Falls, Princeton. From Twins to Tarzan; Next chapter...novelist. Prairie Edition Focusing on Willmar, Marshall, Appleton, and nearby areas. A man of

Check out March's stories from all over Minnesota and North Dakota below. All the great local advertisers can be in these full papers, along with the puzzle, jokes, recipes, and more for you and your friends to enjoy. Lindbergh Edition All around Mille Lacs Lake and specially tailored to the areas near Brainerd, St. Cloud, Little Falls, Princeton. Community hero; One-room memories. Prairie Edition Focusing on Willmar, Marshall, Appleton, and nearby areas. ‘Ye Editor’; Honorin

Charlie Ruckheim of Parkers Prairie captured the soft glow of a winter sunrise peeking through the snowy branches. Maggie Gray of Fairfax showcases the quiet majesty of local wildlife in this beautiful winter portrait. Gail Kloos of Donnelly spotted these two deer staying alert while camouflaged in the late-season brush. John Carr of Monticello caught the sky in its golden hour in this incredible shot of a Maple Lake sunset. This “White Winter Beauty” was documented in Hancoc

Fargo man, 91, finishes writing book a year after suffering a heart attack By Carol Stender Harold “Hal” Hase of Fargo wrote a book at 90. He had actually started it a few years before, but, when he suffered a heart attack, he was spurred to complete the book, “Wartime Soul Sisters: Anne Frank and Audrey Hepburn.” It’s not the first time he has authored a piece. Hase wrote for his college newspaper and book reviews for the Bismarck Tribune. He also authored “Who You Are: A Pe

Holmes City woman has housed nearly 60 hockey players By Rita Kostreba This time of year you would expect a story about a blizzard to be about weather. But this story is not about that, it is about the Blizzard Hockey team, and one woman who shelters and supports them. Sandy Bessingpas with three Blizzard hockey players. The boys include (L to R) Calvin Shrenk, Landon Bird, and Cooper Ness. Bessingpas has opened her home to Blizzard hockey players for several seasons. She gi

Alexandria man part of 50-year old ND cold case that was recently solved By Rachel Barduson Mark and Pat Lindsey at their home in Alexandria. Mark is paging through some newspaper clippings from a North Dakota newspaper that shows a gravestone named “Unknown Male” along with background information on a cold case that was recently resolved. Mark was 28 when he was called to tend to the deceased man when he was working for his family’s funeral home in Page, North Dakota. Photo

Tribute to a small-town weekly newspaper man (and my grandpa) By Lynn Kuehn of Redwood Falls (Formerly Echo) George B. Hughes at age 89, setting type at the Echo Enterprise, a publication in which he served as editor and publisher for 54 years. Contributed photo This is a story about newspapers. Most especially, it is a testimony on small-town weeklies and the legendary generals who headed them. While there were many such newspapers back in the day, Echo Enterprise is the sm

Mankato man is nat’l duck calling champion, four-time state champ By Scott Thoma Anderson has been hunting ducks since he was 8 years old. He and his youngest son, Hunter, had a successful hunting trip last year. Contributed photos A duck call given to him by his father as a youth eventually turned into Mike Anderson of Mankato becoming a world champion duck caller. “A duck call is very much like a woodwind instrument,” Anderson said. “You have to practice a lot to get good

Sauk Rapids man looks back at his small class, one-room school days By Bill Vossler One March, when Curt Ghylin, now of Sauk Rapids, and two classmates were walking on the slough road to his “one-room” childhood school, a skunk popped out of the slough, whipped around and raised its tail. “I said, ‘We have to be careful so it doesn’t spray us.’ But nothing came out. We were surprised and happy. We thought that was quite a deal,” Curt said. Curt Ghylin of Sauk Rapids attended

St. Cloud man has been committed to helping out By Nikki Rajala Curt Hutchens stands in the pit area at the Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Fla, 2023. “Be the one” is the American Legion’s motto for working toward zero veteran suicides each year. Contributed photo Curt Hutchens, 82, of St. Cloud, is an everyday hero. He quietly volunteers for causes from education and veterans to family and faith. The logos on his caps, t-shirts, and conference IDs — American Legio

BUSINESS PROFILE: Bug-Bee Hive Resort Bug-Bee Hive Resort has been creating a buzz on Lake Koronis since 1920 By Scott Thoma Paul and Kella Bugbee have owned and operated Bug-Bee Hive Resort near Paynesville since 2000. Photo by Scott Thoma Looking for a relaxing place to vacation or hold a family reunion that includes numerous amenities and activities, a place to gather with your extended family or quilting club members where you can showcase each other’s talents, a memor

BUSINESS PROFILE: Windmill Ponds, Alexandria Joyful, worry-free, and safe living at Windmill Ponds By Julie Parent Shirley Jacobs said we “Can’t get along without Chris” Mattson who has been the activities director for approximately 15 years. Photo by Julie Parent When you walk into Windmill Ponds, you won’t want to leave. The inviting atmosphere inside is warm and welcoming, and outside, the quiet neighborhood setting near Lake Connie is a peaceful place to relax and watch

Answers provided by Lance Bergstrom, M.D. of Bergstrom Eye and Laser Clinic in Fargo, N.D. What is Macular Degeneration and is there anything I can do for it? Macular degeneration is a condition that affects more than 20 million people globally and is a leading cause of blindness in the US. There are two forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Dry AMD and Wet AMD. In cases of Wet AMD blood vessels grow in the wrong place and leak, making the macula wet and inflame

By Tim King Easter has always been a disappointing time for me. The problem is advertising. Just before Easter comes there are ads showing people dressed in clothes that convince you that the weather will be so soft and mild that you’ll want to roll in the green grass and sniff dandelions. Then, the holiday arrives. You’re decked out in lightweight spring clothing so you can go to grandma’s for baked ham after church. But outside there’s a blizzard howling. Bunnies, dandelion

By Marlys Hagstrom of Hutchinson Mom in front of our house on Dupont Avenue in Hector after the street was plowed out taking pictures of our home after the St. Patrick’s Day blizzard of 1965. Contributed photo Winters in Minnesota can be unpredictable. Not a lot of snow had fallen in the early months of the winter of 1964-1965, but as winter turned the corner in 1965, a series of snowstorms blanketed our area leading to about 45-55 inches of snow on the ground. The forecast