To The Crookston Times readers,

It is with regret that CherryRoad Media announces the closing of The Crookston Times

Our company is dedicated to the preservation of community journalism. Since the purchase of our 1st paper in late-2020 to today, we have prided ourselves on our ability to fight the difficult battle that newspapers face in today’s digital society. Unfortunately, that battle cannot always be won.

The Crookston Times has struggled in recent years to find its footing in this community. Since purchasing The Crookston Times, CherryRoad Media has been unable to avoid financial losses every month. The paper was losing money when we bought it, and it continued to do so. We must now come to terms with the fact that we do not have a path forward to sustainability.

And we thank those who have supported us.

March 2022

City Council passes expenditure plan for ARPA funds

After a marathon conversation and presentations by several department heads, Crookston City Council passed a resolution authorizing expenditure of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds totaling $848,467.30. The resolution describes a portion of the obligated funds as "Revenue Recapture Funds" which are restricted to project use as well as identifying projects for IT, Parks & Recreation, Crookston Police Department and waste water that included items like infrastructure/network and data backup/ recovery, mechanical/ HVAC modifications and upgrades at the Crookston Sports Center (CSC), garage and security upgrades at the CPD, plus lift station control systems which have been previously discussed.

Read MoreCity Council passes expenditure plan for ARPA funds

Crookston family speaks up for second time at School Board meeting

A Crookston High School student's mother, Mildred Roosevelt, took the mic for the second time in two months at the School Board's open forum saying her family continues to have the same issues with racism and bullying, and that nothing has changed. On January 31, Roosevelt plead with the board to allow her children to do online learning through the end of the school year but Superintendent Jeremy Olson, who was absent from the January 31 meeting, told the Times on March 28 that he told Roosevelt that would not be an option at this time.

Read MoreCrookston family speaks up for second time at School Board meeting