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“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper”
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Check out the Vol. 162, No. 43
BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — The Watab Township Board joined the Rice City Council Monday evening to ask the city to consider omitting emergency medical service from their Àre contract. The contract was due for renewal as of the Àrst of the year, but was granted an extension through March 30 while negotiations continue. According to Watab Township Clerk Pat Spence and Deputy Clerk Maureen Graber, the township is not required by state statute to provide medical services to its residents and it can no longer afford to do so. The township believes it is duplicating services by providing both emergency medical service and ambulance service and feels response from Gold Cross Ambulance Service alone is sufÀcient coverage. According to the presentation, Watab Township paid over $44,000 to the city of Rice in 2016 for Àre, rescue and medical calls. Of the total 62 calls, 51 or 82 percent were medical response calls. Watab claims $10,830 has been written off by the township in the last year and an even larger amount has been turned over to collection agencies. “That’s an issue for us,” said Graber. “And we really feel that Gold Cross Ambulance can get out to Watab because we are much farther south than other townships.” Spence told the council that residents in Watab Township sections one through 12 voted two years ago to drop the emergency medical service. The township had requested this change at that time but the motion failed 3-2 at the Rice City Council. “There is no legal responsibility for a township, even an urban township, to provide Àre, rescue or medical. We want the Àre and rescue. You’ve done a great job with it. We absolutely cannot afford the Àrst responder medical service, and if we are forced into it, I can tell you our board is going to go a different route with our contract,” said Spence. The Rice City Council plans to discuss the presented contract March 6 at 6 p.m. before their regularly scheduled meeting. In
Rice: page 3
Ellering appointed to Sauk Rapids council BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS — The Sauk Rapids has a full council, once again, following Monday’s meeting. Jason Ellering was appointed Feb. 13 to fulÀll the remainder of a less than two year term which was left vacant when former council member Kurt Hunstiger took his position as mayor at the beginning of 2017. Ellering will serve through 2019. Nine applicants expressed letters of interest in the vacant council position. The full council interviewed Àve — William Bard, Jason Ellering, Joe Foster, Merle Gales and Tim Wilcox — during a public meeting Feb. 1. Ellering was appointed Monday, but will be ofÀcially sworn in as a member of the council at the next regularly scheduled council meeting Monday, Feb. 27. Ellering brieÁy introduced himself to the council and community. He has lived in Sauk Rapids since 2014 and is a husband and father to four young children. Ellering is employed as a sales representative and project manager for St. Cloud Refrigeration, Inc. In other council news: • During pre-election campaigning, Hunstiger spoke of recognizing citizens for their efforts within the community. He followed through on the idea and presented his Àrst-ever Extra Mile Award to
Sauk Rapids: page 5
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017
Taking the Klehr jumps for son, goddaughter BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
RICE — Sarah Klehr, an employee at Swine Services Unlimited, Inc. in Rice, had talked about participating in the Polar Plunge with her son Ben on numerous occasions. But it was only after her son took his own life this past October, that Klehr quit resisting the event and began opening her heart to new opportunities. “Ben and I always said, ‘It’s not about how much we give, but how much love we put into giving,’” Klehr said. “I’m really nervous for this plunge, but I’m excited that I’m doing it, and Ben is going to be with me.” Klehr is participating in the 2017 Polar Plunge Feb. 18 at The Water’s Edge in St. Cloud with her team of seven, the St. Cloud Puddle Jumpers. She is doing so in honor of her goddaughter Kaitlyn DeFlorin and her late son Ben Klehr. The Polar Plunge is an event presented by law enforcement to help fund the Special Olympics of Minnesota. Those participating raise money before jumping into an icy body of water. The experience has earned itself the tagline “freezin’ for a reason.” Rightfully so because in 2016 alone, 530 people participated in the St. Cloud plunge. They raised over $91,000, beneÀtting 8 , 2 0 0
special needs people statewide. “To be able to know you are raising money and donating to a cause that is funding sports, activities, togetherness, family and health — that’s huge,” Klehr said. “These families are sometimes at a disadvantage and to be able to have that extra donation could mean the world to just one child.” Klehr’s goddaughter Kaitlyn has been diagnosed with cognitive learning disability, attention-deÀcit/ hyperactivity disorder, autism and apraxia of speech. The 11-yearold has participated in basketball during the White Bear Lake Special Olympics for the past two years. Ben, Klehr’s only child, was an Army Specialist in the Army National Guard and enrolled in Central Lakes College-Brainerd, where he was studying to become a law enforcement ofÀcer. The Class of 2015 Apollo High School graduate also shared a bond with children who have special needs.
PLUNGE
Watab seeks cancellation of emergency medical services
11 2nd Ave. N., Unit 103, Sauk Rapids, Benton County, MN 56379
Ben’s teachers would often pair him with those who experienced various challenges because he was inclusive and willing to help. “Ben was always willing to lead by example and do the right thing,” Klehr said. After her son’s death, Klehr discovered yet another connection. Ben had been employed with an afterschool program called Fun ‘n’ Friends. When Klehr visited to return some belongings, the teachers urged her to meet a student named Amber. Ben had mentioned the young girl’s name multiple times during the mom and son’s routine phone calls, but never in too much detail. “Ben had talked about how special Amber was, but I didn’t realize how special until I met her,” Klehr said. Amber was a young girl with Down syndrome who had been attending the program for over Àve years. Although there was staff who had been at Amber’s side since day one at the location, Amber never spoke to anyone. That is, until Ben came along. Within two days of his arrival, the pair were conversing. “He got people to open up. Ben got them to talk,” Klehr said. “I’m learning so much through others about him. He saved lives before he took his own.” Although Ben was always more adventurous than his mother, Klehr will put on a Wonder Woman t-shirt and a patriotic red, white and blue outÀt adorned with a tutu before jumping into Pleasant Lake on
Klehr: page 3
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Sarah Klehr will be participating in the 2017 St. Cloud Polar Plunge Feb. 18 in honor of her goddaughter Kaitlyn DeFlorin and late son Ben Klehr.
Fishing with cops BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
RICE – Drilling holes, baiting minnows and conversing with area law enforcement were all part of the inaugural Fishing with an OfÀcer event Saturday. Rice Police Chief Ross Hamann, Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck and Benton County Chief Deputy Neil Jacobson talked with other Àsherman while reeling
in Àsh on Little Rock Lake Feb. 11. “Our goal is to increase awareness of how to protect your belongings, Àsh house included, on the ice,” said Rice resident Brian Loehrer, who organized the event. “By having the ofÀcers here, it will allow people to ask questions about anything related to ice Àshing, from the thickness of the ice to best practices on the ice or the limit of a certain Àsh you can catch.” A dozen people participated in
the event, which included a prize for the biggest catch. “It was a fun experience, although I was hoping for a better turnout,” Loehrer said. “I’m planning on having this again, so I’m hoping for a much better turnout then.”
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
(Above) Rice Police Chief Ross Hamann (from left), Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck and Benton County Chief Deputy Neil Jacobson take part in the Fishing with an OfÀcer event Feb. 11 on Little Rock Lake. The event was an opportunity to Àsh with area residents and talk about safey. (Right) Chief Hamann catches the Àrst Àsh of the day, a small perch.