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.

School Board approves contract for interim superintendent

Crookston School Board approved the contract for incoming interim Superintendent Dave Kuehn during their May 23 meeting. Three board members, Frank Fee, Mike Theis and Dave Davidson, mentioned they met to work on the contract for the interim superintendent and agreed to a $102,000 salary for the year, 75% work time with Wednesday and Friday afternoons off, plus insurance, cell phone and other standard items - all adding up to a $63,000 savings over what would have been paid out to outgoing superintendent Jeremy Olson.

Flag Retirement Ceremony to be held June 14

A Flag Retirement Ceremony will be held Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. in the south parking lot of the Golden Link Senior Center. The ceremony will be performed by Crookston Boy Scout Troop 41 and complimentary coffee and pie will be served after the ceremony.

2022 CHS Hall of Fame inductees announced

The Crookston High School Hall of Fame recently announced the Class of 2022 inductees which include Dave Davidson, Philip McKenzie, 1988 Boys Basketball Team and Bill Hulst. The ceremony will be held August 20 with a 1 p.m. social and 2 p.m. ceremony.

Polk County: Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The Polk County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all motorists that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As May approaches with warmer temperatures throughout the country, the unofficial start of the summer road travel season begins. Safe riding and driving practices, and cooperation from all road users, will help reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our roads.

DNR: Celebrate Arbor Month by planting a tree

With warmer weather and May being Arbor Month, now is a great time to plant a tree, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Minnesotans across the state can plant trees now to support resilient community forests into the future,” said Jennifer Teegarden, cooperative forest management outreach specialist.

RiverView Health’s Type 2 Diabetes Support Group Resumes June 1

RiverView Health’s Type 2 Diabetes Support Group is back! The group will resume in-person meetings Wednesday, June 1. Meetings will be held from 5 to 6 pm on the first Wednesday of every month (unless otherwise noted) in Conference Room 3 in the main building at 323 S. Minnesota Street, Crookston.

Harley O. Bruun

Harley, 90, died February 22, 2022 at his home in N. St. Paul. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 28 at Sand Hill Lutheran Church in rural Climax. Visitation starts at 10 a.m. with the service at 11 a.m. A light lunch will be served following the burial. Please make memorials to the Sand Hill Lutheran Church cemetery fund.

Up and coming Nashville star has Crookston ties

Clinton Wilkie had never touched an instrument or sang before 2015 and now he's released multiple singles, recorded in Nashville and has a new song debuting Friday, May 27. Plus, he's been nominated for a Josie Music Award in the category of Modern Country and will attend the 8th annual show at the Grand Ole Opry in October.

City Council approves detachment of parcel, discusses clean-up week

At their May 23 meeting, Crookston City Council approved the detachment of a certain portion of land parcel to the Biermaier Family Limited Liability Partnership after the LLP petitioned for the release due to the city "charging taxes on a property for which they provide no services, is rural in nature, and has a natural boundary of the Red Lake River." City ordinances/codes cause "unnecessary" restrictions on this property that limit hunting, trapping, forestry recreation, etc.", the petition added.