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 2023

Sharp Rise in Syphilis Cases in Polk and Mahnomen Counties

STI Testing and Prompt Treatment can Prevent Spread Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Community Health Services emphasizes the importance of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) prevention and testing as part of your overall health. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), it is estimated that 1 in 5 people in the United States have an STI, and nearly half of new STI infections occur in young people ages 15-24.

Read MoreSharp Rise in Syphilis Cases in Polk and Mahnomen Counties

UMN Crookston Professor Emeritus Dan Svedarsky receives Professional Award of Merit from Wildlife Society

University of Minnesota Crookston professor emeritus W. Daniel ‘Dan’ Svedarsky, Ph.D., was recently awarded the Professional Award of Merit from the North Central Section of the Wildlife Society at the 83rd Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference in Overland Park, Kansas. The North Central Section covers eight midwestern states and the award presented to Svedarsky was like a lifetime achievement award, says UMN Crookston Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist John Loegering, Ph.D.

Read MoreUMN Crookston Professor Emeritus Dan Svedarsky receives Professional Award of Merit from Wildlife Society

Junior High knowledge bowl hosts meet

Crookston High School hosted their first ever junior high knowledge bowl meet March 2. Eight teams competed with Crookston including Fertile-Beltrami, MCC, Ada-Borup and Bemidji, The Crookston team of Sage Lembke, Kahnen Hansen amd Leah Johanneck placed fifth with the team of Ethan Lanctot, Tucker Lubinski and Jocelyn Johnson placing sixth.

Read MoreJunior High knowledge bowl hosts meet

Carbon Monoxide

Change your clocks, change your batteries! Polk County Public Health and Norman- Mahnomen Public Health encourage community members to change their smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detector batteries when turning ahead the clock on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Smoke and CO detectors save lives every day, but many families do not check their detectors routinely.

Read MoreCarbon Monoxide

Miller Named NSIC Freshman of the Year; Miller and Fox Named to All-NSIC Women’s Basketball Teams

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – University of Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball players Emma Miller (Fr., G, Albertville, Minn.) and Bren Fox (R-Sr., F/C, Norwood Young America, Minn.) were named to the All-NSIC Teams for women’s basketball released Thursday, February 23 by the conference office. Miller was named NSIC Freshman of the Year after a stellar season in which she scored 524 points, the most by any Golden Eagle freshman in school history and the third-most by any Golden Eagle player in program history.

Read MoreMiller Named NSIC Freshman of the Year; Miller and Fox Named to All-NSIC Women’s Basketball Teams

The Pink Thing

The sleepy male bear that was recently extricated from a frozen, roadside culvert near Wannaska, Minnesota by DNR staff and volunteers, was a story that ended well for the bear. The groggy bear was transported to a secluded spot on a nearby state wildlife management area where it could sleep the rest of the winter in peace. The story got me thinking about some of my own stories.

Read MoreThe Pink Thing

Crookston nurse named Caregiver of the Year

Long time Crookston Nurse Cindy Meyer was recently recognized in Minneapolis at the Leading Age of Minnesota Institute and Expo as the “Caregiver of the Year”, an elite award given to one exceptional professional in elder care in Minnesota. Benedictine Living Community-Crookston, formally Villa St. Vincent nominated Meyer for the award after decades of dedicated service as an LPN.

Read MoreCrookston nurse named Caregiver of the Year

Washington School donates to the United Way

The United Way announced the results of Washington School’s Feed the Bear fundraiser 2023. The students, teachers and staff of Washington School brought in their spare change over the course of two weeks in February totaling $747.19, topping last year’s total by more than $300 The preschoolers overflowed their jar and the kindergarteners filled theirs to the very top.

Read MoreWashington School donates to the United Way

Minnesota Crookston Hockey Has Six Players Named to All-WCCHA Squads

The University of Minnesota Crookston hockey team had six student- athletes named to the All-Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association (WCCHA) Teams released Thursday, February 23. Logan Syrup (So., F, Park River, N.D.) and Jake Huska (Jr., D, Snow River, Manitoba) were named All-WCCHA First Team. Tyler Zahradka (Jr., F, Grand Forks, N.D.), Jackson Fuller (So., F, Minneapolis, Minn.), and Casey Kallock (Sr., D, Alvarado, Minn.) were named All-WCCHA Third Team. Jared Aamold (So., G, Breckenridge, Minn.) was selected to the All-WCCHA Honorable Mention squad.

Read MoreMinnesota Crookston Hockey Has Six Players Named to All-WCCHA Squads