Sauk Rapids Herald - January 20 edition

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AG BENTON 2nd Section Plus

Sports pages 6-8 Vol. 163, No. 41

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Saturday, January 20, 2018

County to An all-around restore individual Sartell Bridge BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER

FOLEY — Benton County continues to move forward with their road construction plans for 2018. Earlier this month the county board received an update regarding the needed restoration of the Sartell Bridge. The estimated $2 million rehabilitation would be executed in the coming year while the county also reconstructs County Road 29 from the Mississippi River to Highway 15. County engineer Chris Byrd informed the commissioners that over the past seven months the county has been working with Stonebrooke Engineering to design a repair plan for the aging bridge. “The bridge was opened to trafÀc in 1984, so it is currently 33 years old, and as you start to look at things there are other things that need attention on the bridge,” said Byrd at a Jan. 2 meeting. “One of the things that need attention are the pier caps due to the expansion joints being deteriorated.” Byrd said that bearing pads, which allow the bridge deck and piers to move independently, have deteriorated. They will be replaced by lifting the bridge deck with a hydraulic jack and sliding in new material. “Where the beams sit the bridge seems to be in good condition, but the repairs need to be done in order to allow for the expansion,” Byrd said. “The beams and the pier caps will move in different rates due to thermal expansion and contraction, so you need a place where those can move independently. That’s where that neoprene is supposed to provide a lower friction surface to allow those to move at different rates.” As a result of the pad wear, the pier caps have also suffered decay from salt water and winter deicing applications. The county will need to remove and replace the problem concrete. Although he said the concrete wearing surface on the bridge deck was in good condition with a likelihood of Àve more years of use, Byrd suggested the county consent to milling and replacing the surface while completing the other repairs. However, while proposed, the county will not be replacing the concrete wearing surface on the bridge deck this year. The process of the milling and replacement would have closed the bridge from all trafÀc for nearly 60 days to allow for placement and curing. “My thought is these are separate processes – different people, different crews,” said Commissioner Allen “Jake” Bauerly. “There is no synergy in doing these two together; I would run that deck as long as you can. If you can get another Àve or 10 years out of that deck, why wouldn’t you?” Board chair Ed Popp agreed. “I would rather take the Àve years and worry about it later,” he said. “It’d be like changing a tire before you really needed to change a tire on a car.” The commissioners’ consensus to delay the replacement of the bridge deck will likely save the county $600,000 this year and will allow for one lane of crossing trafÀc to be open on the bridge throughout construction.

Patterson earns Triple A award nomination BY ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER

SAUK RAPIDS — On any given day, Sauk Rapids-Rice senior Kade Patterson can be found in a number of different places – the band practice room, on the baseball diamond, a club meeting, the community skating rinks or at his church. “You could say I’m busy, sure,” Patterson said. “I have a lot going on, but I enjoy all of it. I like to be the person that’s all-around and can be active and participating in a wide variety of different places. I meet so many different people that way, too.” Patterson is involved with different activities at school including baseball, Minnesota Honor Society, student council, Project 4 Teens and Link. He is a member of the band and plays his trumpet in as many ensembles as possible. Patterson also notes he is an “A” student and volunteers at his church, Sacred Heart. Through all of his commitments, Patterson has earned the Triple A award nomination from SRR High School. The Triple A award is given to two high school seniors in each school who show well-rounded dedication in academics, arts and athletics. In order to be eligible, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in Minnesota State High School League-sponsored activities and comply with the MSHSL code of conduct.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Kade Patterson is one of this year’s SRR nominees for the Minnesota State High School League’s Triple A award. Patterson has been a long-time baseball player at SRR and will be the primary catcher in the Storm’s upcoming spring season.

SRRHS announces Triple A recipients

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” Patterson said. “It is quite humbling though. There are other kids in the school that deserve it, too, but I’m SAUK RAPIDS — The Sauk honored to be chosen. It’s a sigh of relief to know I’m getting something Rapids-Rice High School has announced seniors Bailey Becker out of all the stress I put upon and Kade Patterson as the 2018 myself.” nominees for the Minnesota State Out of all of his activities, High School League’s Triple A Patterson enjoys band the most. award. “It just comes naturally for The academics, arts and me, and I love the deep sense athletics award is honored upon of community within the band high school seniors who have a ensembles,” he said. “I’m not the or better grade point average most athletic person, so I really have ‘B’ and who participate in MSHSLto think and focus when it comes sponsored athletics and Àne arts to baseball. And my other activities require greater focus and attention, too. While band takes focus, I Ànd it a lot easier. I also like how you never it.” While Patterson spends a great know what will happen, if it will be a good day or a bad day with the deal of his time involved with his music. It’s all in how you interpret activities, schoolwork remains the

activities. Within the coming weeks, the school will also select two juniors for the ExCel award nominees. ExCel, Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership, recognizes Minnesota high school juniors for their leadership in communities and active participation in activities. Look for complete stories about each nominee in upcoming issues of the Sauk Rapids Herald.

greatest priority. “School and homework are

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$ GHJUHH LQ GHHU Haus earns doctorate in wildlife ecology BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER

RICE — When Dr. Jacob Haus gr graduated from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in 2006, he, like many, H was undecided in his career path. w He chose Bemidji State University H as the school where he would pursue his education. During his pu undergraduate study, Haus enrolled PUBLIC NOTICES in an introduction to wildlife course • Mortgage Foreclosure - Sulier - pg. 5 to fulÀll a credit requirement. It was the beginning of his career. • Mortgage Foreclosure - Bjerke - pg. “I fell into wildlife • Assumed Name - pg. 5 management,” said Haus in an • Benton County Ord. No. 461 - pg. 5 interview at his parents’ home in • Summons - pg. 6 Rice. “I didn’t even realize you • Benton County Minutes Jan. 2 - pg. could make a career out of that. 4B I knew I wanted to work outside, • Notice of EAW Available for but I didn’t know what I wanted Comments - pg. 4B to do. … I was a deer hunter so I

was always seeing things happening in the woods and wondering about them; that blossomed into a career path for me.” This past December, Haus earned his doctorate degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Delaware. He completed over four years of research before writing his dissertation “Survival, movement and habitat selection of the adult white-tailed deer.” Haus is now employed by the university as a postdoctoral research associate where he continues his exploration of the animal, as well as teaches undergraduates students. “I didn’t think I was going to go on to get a PhD until it came across my desk,” Haus said. “I was Ànishing my master’s and my boss came to me (with the opportunity).” Haus was an intern for the

PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER ER

Jacob Haus is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of ed Delaware. The 2006 graduate of Sauk Rapids-Rice High School obtained his doctorate degree in wildlife ecology in December.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as an undergraduate student, and he went on to work for other natural resources departments in Illinois, Texas and Mississippi, taking technician positions and assisting with research before Ànding his way to the University of Delaware. Moving to the metropolitan east coast, he was surprised to Ànd the state has an abundant deer population and areas with rural landscape.

“If you drive an hour south of where I live, you get to corn Àelds d and soy beans,” Haus said. “It’s the Iowa of the east. … It actually reminds me of home, except it’s not so cold.” In Delaware, the state pays for contracted resource research rather than administering it themselves like in other places. OfÀcials were looking for answers to why the

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