Watkins is a town of 962 people located in northern Meeker County along Highway 55 west of Kimball and east of Eden Valley. It was established in the 1870s and has had a post office since 1887.
The city of St. Cloud has made it a priority to revitalize the downtown. St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis joined me on WJON. He says this process is underway but says this type of thing doesn't happen overnight. Kleis says every downtown development expert says downtowns that thrive have a significant housing component.
David Fremo has been on the job for approximately a month as the new President of the St. Cloud Catholic Community Schools. Fremo is a Sartell native, St. John's graduate, a longtime teacher and describes himself as someone who has always loved education.
The annual Catfish Festival on the Chain of Lakes in Richmond has been cancelled this year due to ice conditions. The event was scheduled for February 9-10. The official website for the event indicates fishing tickets will be honored for next year's event.
The Sherburne County Sheriff's Department are reporting a fraud where someone received a phone call claiming to to be a local police department official saying the victim missed a court date and needed to pay fines to avoid facing criminal charges.
Bird watching is gaining in popularity in Central Minnesota. Jerry Carlson is a longtime fan of the outdoors and that includes bird watching. He joined me on WJON to get into detail on the dos and don'ts when it comes to bird watching.
The Twins Caravan is underway throughout Twins Territory and will be making a stop in St. Cloud Monday January 29. Twins Vice President of Communications and Content, Dustin Morse, joined me on WJON.
The St. Cloud Police Department are reporting a stolen vehicle on the 700 block of 4th Street South. Alicia Mages from Tri-County Crimestoppers says the vehicle is a 2010 gray Kia Soul with Minnesota license FDC 656. The vehicle has a broken back window and tail light.
Late January, early February is the typical peak for respiratory illnesses/viruses in Minnesota. Dr. George Morris from CentraCare joined me on WJON. He explains a couple weeks after the holidays is when these illnesses spike and that leads to more people needing hospitalization.
Melrose is a town of 3,598 people in western Stearns County along Interstate 94 and Highway 52. The town was named after Melrose, Scotland because the early settlers were Scottish.