February 2022

University of Minnesota Crookston Vice Chancellor John Hoffman is among four finalists named in the search for the next president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College. Other candidates include Allen Bedford, Darrell Kruger and Karla Leeper.

Crookston High School eighth grader Tristan Sundquist has advanced from the Regional Spelling Bee to the Multi-Region Spelling Bee. He made the top four at the Regional in Thief River Falls and will move on to the Multi-Region State Spelling Bee in Fergus Falls on February 22.

Crookston locals, Karen Danielson and Nick Sanders, recently lost their seven-month-old golden doodle, Stella, due to Blastomycosis. Stella had a habit of digging up flower beds, like many dogs do. They brought her to the vet who concluded that she contracted Blasto this last fall from digging.

Minnesota National Guard members from the Crookston area returned home February 9 after an 11-month deployment to the Middle East, also serving in Afghanistan during the Kabul Airport chaos. Parents, spouses, children, siblings, friends, family and well-wishers packed the Crookston National Guard Armory to greet the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion 136th Infantry Bravo Company soldiers as they arrived.

It all started with a mission to cure their dog and blossomed into a business focused on pet's health. PetsPro+ launched in Crookston in January 2022 and has hit the ground running with a variety of products for dogs and cats. Owner Kristi Nelson and her sons, Nick and Josh, along with their dog and mascot, Ryn, have teamed up to provide all-natural, grain-free, fresh, holistic products that are available locally and can be shipped nationally. They even have a storefront on Main Street.