"Heather Elke wins the Tray Blazers Award at Maple River" ( Heather Ehlke received her award and personalized Wheaties box from General Mills regional manager Stephen Martel.) Serving 1,200 meals daily, month after month, and year after year, could grow tedious for some, but not for Heather Ehlke, the 2023 Tray Blazer Award recipient. Maple River’s head cook received the General Mills award after her nomination from kitchen staff members Jennifer Strehlo and Shellie Berndt.

"Going the Distance" Joyce (DeWitz) Barnard Earns Hall of Fame Gustavus Adolphus College will be inducting Joyce (DeWitz) Barnard and seven other athletes into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 14th. After a dominating softball college career, Barnard described the honor as “insane” and a “relief” but also felt as if her accomplishments more than warranted consideration. Gustavus Adolphus athletes are eligible for induction 15 years after their playing career ends, and c

Order a burger at any restaurant in Minnesota and I’m sure you’d get 10,000 variations, but if you order the Red Cow Burger here at Amboy Cottage Cafe, you’d get a burger with a story. My short story, “My Brother’s Keeper” is a fictional account of a real life caper: the theft of a town. In the 1870s, railroads began to tie communities together throughout rural Minnesota, bringing transportation, amenities, and commerce to locations every 10-15 miles where the depot would be