Recent content from Jenny Berg
Former Hubbard County official, who was a school bus driver, gets six-year sentence for sex crimes against students
Daniel J. Stacey pleaded guilty to four felony counts as part of a plea deal.
What happened to St. Cloud State University?
The college has struggled to find its footing after years of steep enrollment declines, big projects that didn't always pay off and turnover among leadership.
St. Cloud mayor interviews his potential replacement for all to see
Dave Kleis recorded interviews with candidates for mayor and St. Cloud City Council — 21 in all — ahead of the primary and posted them to the city website.
Central Minnesota man gets 3.5 years in prison for crash that launched passenger into traffic
Aler L. Gomez-Lucas pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal vehicular homicide in March.
Gustavus Adolphus teammate charged with reckless driving in crash that killed hockey player
Gianna K. Gasparini was reportedly speeding and missed a stop sign before the Grace Township crash that killed goaltender Jori Jones.
Mother won't be charged after investigators ID baby girl left in box in Sherburne County in 1989
Authorities said Thursday the case is now closed.
Man who held hostages at a St. Cloud bank sentenced to 6.5 years in federal prison
Ray Reco McNeary, who was arrested following a nine-hour standoff at a Wells Fargo, pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery earlier this year.
St. Cloud City Council members Jake Anderson, Mike Conway to face off in November mayor race
Six of the 16 council candidates moving on to November include incumbent George Hontos and two Somali Americans: Hudda Ibrahim and Omar Abdullahi Podi.
Charges: DFL House candidate from Alexandria and wife stole hundreds of yard signs
Judd and Wendy Hoff are facing felony charges after officers found more than 240 signs at their Alexandria house.
Meet the candidates running for St. Cloud City Council
The pool of 16 candidates — the most in half a century — will be narrowed to six in the Aug. 13 primary.
Where is the real Lake Wobegon?
Garrison Keillor's famous fictional town took inspiration from central Minnesota — including some businesses that remain open today.
Meet the candidates vying to be St. Cloud mayor
Here's your voters' guide ahead of the Aug. 13 primary, when six mayoral candidates vie to replace longtime mayor Dave Kleis.
St. Cloud repeals 'No Mow May' ordinance after tall grass wreaks havoc
The ordinance, enacted by St. Cloud City Council last year, was meant to protect pollinators in the spring.
Melrose cleans up after tornado crumples buildings, scatters debris
No one was hurt, but several buildings were damaged as a supercell thunderstorm moved through Stearns County on Saturday night.
Jury finds St. Cloud man guilty for fatally shooting co-worker who rebuffed advances
Michael J. Carpenter will be sentenced in September for the murder of Nicole M. Hammond of St. Cloud.
At central Minnesota diner, JD Vance says the state is 'ready to turn red'
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's running mate ate breakfast with his family in Waite Park a day after a rally in St. Cloud.
Donald Trump, JD Vance go after Harris for capacity crowd at first joint rally in Minnesota
More than 8,000 supporters packed the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center; hundreds more didn't get in.
Safety 'top priority' for Saturday's Trump campaign rally in St. Cloud
Republican Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance plan a rally Saturday in central Minnesota, just two weeks after the assassination attempt on the former president. Security is at top of mind.
Sartell man dies after being pinned under crane
Dylan Barthel, 38, was crushed by a section of the machinery at a Waite Park business.
18-year-old driver dies, passenger injured in rural Stearns County crash
Ellie Wittstruck of Sartell died at the scene and Gracie Grams was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
'Educated participation': St. Cloud will ask voters to move city elections to odd years
The city is recommending moving municipal elections away from even years, when they are overshadowed by national and statewide races.
Family of man who died by suicide in Sherburne County jail reaches $1.5M settlement
Justice L. White, 23, hanged himself inside the same cell where another inmate died by suicide three years earlier.
St. Cloud man gets 16 years for role in May 2022 homicide
Paul Coleman and Alphonso Cotto were charged following the death of Michael Batsche.
Interim SCSU president starts term with eye to razing several buildings, revamping campus
Larry Dietz says St. Cloud State University's future is "very bright" as long as the institution lives within its means.
Authorities ID 17-year-old who drowned after jumping off cliff near St. Cloud
Emmanuel Seward of Brooklyn Center jumped off a 10-foot cliff at Quarry Park and never resurfaced.
17-year-old drowns after jumping from rock cliff near St. Cloud
It's the third drowning at Quarry Park in recent years.
Motorcyclist killed in collision with other bike in St. Cloud
19-year-old Kaden Johnson of Waite Park was declared dead at the scene.
Minnesota's Redhead Creamery is now in the liquor business
The popular cheesemaker makes araga, a spirit that's incredibly rare because its key ingredient, whey, isn't available to many distillers.
A decade after his death, a St. Cloud exchange student is still fostering connections
Alex Voigt died in a fiery plane crash shortly before he was to return to Germany — but not before he left an indelible mark on those around him.
St. Cloud man identified as victim in grass fire death investigation
Police say there was no foul play.
Sartell school board approves employee contracts — but not without a fight
The board had one last chance Friday to approve the contracts before they expired and the employees lost their jobs.
Sartell school contracts still in limbo after 3 board members are no-shows
If the board doesn't approve 21 contracts by July 1, the employees will be out of a job, the superintendent says.
Very oversized load: Space shuttle replica touches down in St. Cloud
A weeklong trek carried the 25-ton fuselage from the replica "Inspiration" from Florida to Minnesota.
Superintendent: A vendetta against one employee threatens 21 other jobs in Sartell
After months of bickering, the Sartell-St. Stephen school board will meet again Tuesday to consider approving contracts for several employees.
St. Cloud AI summit calls for changes to curriculum, state standards
Local and national educators, business leaders and lawmakers gathered Monday to talk about how to best prepare students for a rapidly changing world.
Stearns County officials finally pin down site for new justice center — sort of
Just five months before a sales tax question goes to voters, commissioners voted to move the jail out of downtown St. Cloud to an undetermined site.
Charges: St. Cloud man poured rubbing alcohol on woman's car, lit it on fire
James Lund randomly targeted a vehicle in the Walgreens pharmacy drive-thru, court documents state.
Two new 'COP Houses' to open in St. Cloud
"We've talked about replicating it in all neighborhoods," said St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis.
Man accused of attacking woman walking on Cedar Lake trail and raping her at knifepoint
Minneapolis man was arrested after a search near a rest stop on Interstate 94 in Otter Tail County.
St. Cloud State expands online cannabis training
Three new courses are designed to give students job-specific skills in cultivation, retail and extraction.
St. Cloud State guts music department as cuts finalized
Acting President Larry Lee on Tuesday approved the reduction of 42 majors, including physics, economics and sociology.
St. Cloud aims to revitalize downtown by 'copying what Fargo did'
The North Dakota city doubled its downtown housing stock over 25 years in a "lesson in persistence" that could be a model for revitalizing St. Cloud's city center.
St. Cloud sees largest City Council candidate pool in decades
Six people filed to fill the seat left vacant by Mayor Dave Kleis, who is not running again, and 16 people are vying for three at-large seats on the council.
St. Cloud man sentenced to 4 years for raping girl in high school bathroom
A Stearns County judge also ordered Robert S. Epps Jr. to register as a predatory offender.
Suit: For 5 hours before death, Stearns County Jail inmate complained he couldn't breathe
Court documents claim a Stearns County corrections officer conducted a well-being check eight minutes after Norberg died and didn't notice he was dead.
St. Cloud man charged with rape of 14-year-old girl he met near park
Austin N. Ouellette, 26, faces two felony counts of criminal sexual conduct in Stearns County court.
Police seize 32 lbs of illegal THC gummies from St. Cloud smoke shop
Some products had 120 times the legal limit per serving.
More turmoil at St. Cloud State as acting president resigns
Larry Lee, who was named acting president when Robbyn Wacker abruptly left in early May, is leaving to become president at another college.
Fort Ripley man gets four years for backing vehicle into wife, leaving her to die
Tony McClelland's attorney said he accidentally killed his wife while he was extremely intoxicated.
'Lilac labyrinth' near Cold Spring open to the public
In the past three years, guests have traveled from across the state and Midwest to experience the maze of fragrant purple flowers.
St. Cloud police recruit crime prevention experts: Dog walkers
Participants in a new yearlong program will learn how to identify and report suspicious behavior.
Widower sues Ulta, claiming salon denied late wife use of her service dog
Lanie Zimney worked as a hair stylist at Ulta in St. Cloud in 2019. She died by suicide in 2020.
White Earth tribal member charged with felony cannabis possession after raid on tobacco shop
His Mahnomen business sold marijuana without a license.
St. Cloud City Council member to run for mayor
Mike Conway joins two others in the race for the seat held by Dave Kleis, who said he won't run again in November.
St. Cloud State to eliminate nearly 100 programs, 57 faculty in latest cuts
The reductions are part of a five-year plan to balance what was a projected $24 million budget deficit at the beginning of last year.
St. Cloud man gets 23 years for May 2022 homicide
Police found a 38-year-old man shot in the head at his southside home in May 2022.
SCSU president leaves abruptly; cuts expected in weeks ahead
Minnesota State Chancellor Scott Olson appointed St. Cloud State's vice president of finance as acting president effective May 5.
Barely any venture capital makes it to greater Minnesota. Meet the folks trying to change that.
Over the last decade, less than 4% of venture capital invested in the state went outside the Twin Cities.
As longtime Hutchinson, Litchfield papers close, 2 newspapers launch to take their place
The Leader and Independent Review published their final editions this week but CherryRoad Media announced Friday it plans to open new papers in May.
Longtime St. Cloud City Council member Carol Lewis to run for mayor
Last week, Mayor Dave Kleis said he would not run for a sixth term in November.
Dave Kleis says he won't run for sixth term as St. Cloud mayor
He's also proposing a charter change to move elections to odd years so they don't compete with national and state elections.
One of St. Cloud's high schools is a model of innovation. The other has been left behind.
Five years after Tech High School opened, district officials are in talks to hold a referendum to renovate Apollo High School.
St. Cloud woman who stabbed 3-month-old child sentenced to 22 years
The 29-year-old woman was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis following the 2021 incident.
Police: St. Cloud man shot woman multiple times, then fatally shot himself
The 34-year-old woman is in serious but stable condition, officials say.
Charges: Willmar man under observation at hospital stabbed employee multiple times
The 53-year-old female employee is recovering from surgery following Monday's incident at Rice Memorial.
With slow fire response times, St. Cloud will ask voters to fund new fire station
Mayor Dave Kleis announced the referendum, along with a new oil recycling program, at his annual State of the City address.
Man who held hostages at a St. Cloud Wells Fargo branch pleads guilty
Waite Park resident Ray Reco McNeary has been in federal custody since the May 2021 robbery.
Minnesota State names two finalists who could lead St. Cloud State through cuts, layoffs
SCSU President Robbyn Wacker announced last fall she is stepping down in June after six years at the helm.
St. Cloud looks to land space shuttle for its downtown
The owner of a full-size orbiter replica, who lives in St. Cloud, needs to move the shuttle from Florida ASAP.
Sartell student recovering after possible opioid overdose from vape
A school resource officer administered naloxone to the male high school student on Thursday, police say.
St. Cloud man pleads guilty to raping girl in high school bathroom
Robert Epps Jr., now 22, agreed to a plea deal that also wraps up additional sexual assault cases involving him.
Annandale sisters, born deaf, win contest with cochlear implant idea
Abigail and Zoey Voigt will travel to Austria this summer after winning a contest on proposed improvements to their cochlear implants.
Supreme Court affirms decision to vacate Stearns County man's conviction for fatally shaking baby
The Minnesota Supreme Court found Robert Kaiser's conviction was based on false evidence.
Minnesota Republicans push to put new state flag up to a statewide vote
The proposal is part of a package of bills to address the new flag and state seal.
