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SPORTS: Amery youth wrestlers qualify for state PAGE 21
Five charged in Polk County break-ins
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, DE 2222 BY JESSICA LA CRUZ
Serving Marine-on-St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
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SENTINEL BURNETT COUNTY
JESSICA DE LA CRUZ|AMERY FREE PRESS
As part of Amery’s Youth Apprenticeship Program, Amery Senior Samantha Otis works at Saturday morning shift at Amery’s WestConsin Credit Union. Samantha also helps run the high school branch of the credit union, and counsel her peers on finance releated issues.
Putting Warriors to Work
Amery’s Youth Apprentice program sets a regional standard BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
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happened if it hadn’t been for a little prodding by Amery teacher, Ramona Lockwood, who heads up Amery High School’s locally recognized Youth Apprenticeship program. “She’s the queen of YA,” says CESA 11’s Brenda Kretzschmar. Of all the CESA 11 schools run-
ning Youth Apprenticeship programs, Brenda says no one is doing it better than Amery. Not by a long shot. The program is simple. Find kids that want to work, and match them with employers that want to hire them. Students earn a pay
COUNTY ST
Working at WestConsin Credit Union on Saturday mornings isn’t just “a job” for Amery Seniors Nathan Thompson and Samantha Otis, it’s been a learning experience. And one that might not have
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Four Polk County residents and a Cottage Grove, Minnesota man have been charged in connection with at least six burglaries that took place in Polk County between August and September of 2015. Five of the burglaries were reported in Luck, and one in Amery, and involved a variety stolen power tools, guns, power equipment, electronics, sporting goods equipment, and a J. Vezina dirt bike—many of which were traced as having been pawned THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222 at locations throughout the Twin Cities. VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00 complaints, JoshAccording to the criminal ua D. Vezina, 28 of Milltown is charged with six counts of felony burglary, felony theft, criminal damage to property, and receiving or concealing stolen property. Vezina was also convicted of drug-related charges in Ramsey County in June of M. Vezina 2015, and has violated bond conditions on three separate cases by being charged with a new crime, and as such, he also faces eighteen additional
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After late meeting, ATVs and Model Ts back in Gandy Dancer Trail plan BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
twice each summer and, for the sake of balance, also permitting two special events for non-motorized vehicles each winter (when the trail is open to snowmobiles). Both amendments had been struck two weeks before by the committee in charge of changing the master plan, the Conservation, Development, Recreation and Education (CDRE) Committee.
The re-addition was possibly a result of 15 residents, including local Assembly Representative Adam Jarchow, who appealed to the board to allow the veterans ride. Only three who spoke at the meeting asked board members to keep motorized vehicles off the trail altogether. Two weeks prior, however, the scale of opinion had tipped in the opposite direction at
THE SUN The annual veterans ATV ride and Ford Model T tour are back in the running for a day on the Gandy Dancer Trail each summer. Tues., March 15, the Polk County Board re-added and approved amendments allowing motorized vehicles on the trail by special permit
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lic I wouldn’t care much for (the board adding the amendments back in).” Johnson also pointed out that the veterans had not been directed to other trails on which they could hold their ATV ride, a step the board or CDRE Committee should have taken. Even so, said Johnson, the county’s veterans services officer had told him SEE GANDY PAGE TWO
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the CDRE Committee’s public hearing, when more than 50 people asked to keep motors off the trail, either through verbal or written comment. Only 16 advocated for some form of motorized use. “The CDRE made their recommendation based on that hearing,” said Supervisor William Johnson, who staunchly opposed motors on the trail. “If I were a member of the pub-
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