Community Focus

Kelli Johnson, SHIP Health Educator with Crow Wing County Public Health and Crow Wing Energized, along with Talia Brodhead, Community Engagement Manager and Program Coordinator with the BLADE Coalition, join to highlight two important local efforts. Kelli shares details about the Crow Wing County Food Drive and how the community can help support local families facing food insecurity, while Talia p...

Tedi Russell, Marketing and Community Engagement Manager at Bridges of Hope, joins Community Focus to highlight several ways the organization is helping local families. Tedi discusses Operation Sandwich and the effort to make sure kids have access to meals during the upcoming MEA break. She also shares details on the Thanksgiving Basket Program, with applications opening soon for families who coul...

Crosslake Chamber of Commerce members Heather Jones and Brittany Rohwer talk about the upcoming Crosslake Days celebration. The event showcases the businesses and organizations in Crosslake as they celebrate fall and offer discounts and deals to shoppers and guests. They talked about the Chili Cookoff, the Loon Calling Contest, and a number of events that are happening during the three-d...

Tiffany Stenglein, Coats for Kids Coordinator with the Brainerd Family YMCA, and Carla Bahr, owner of Anderson Cleaners, join Community Focus to preview the 2026 Coats for Kids drive. They discuss what new and gently used winter gear is needed, where donations can be dropped off throughout the Lakes Area, and how Anderson Cleaners helps prepare donated items for local children. They also share the...

Nick Broyles, Brainerd City Administrator, visits about some grants the city received from the EDA, including a Facade Grant and another Sign Grant. He discussed them and invited listeners to contact BLAEDC if they had questions or wanted to look into ways to receive the dollars. He also discussed the Preliminary Tax Levy and they talked about the new ClimaVision weather radar being...

Sheila Avenson, member of the Central Lakes ATV Club and event organizer, shares the history behind the 4th Annual 4-Wheelin’ for Kids with Cancer, happening September 26 on the Miller-Black Bear Trail in Ironton. Scott and Jody Johnson, founders of the Zachary Johnson Kids with Cancer Fund and Zachary’s parents, also share their family’s story and explain how funds raised through the event are di...

Tony Housey with Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs at Camp Ripley joins Community Focus to preview a historic weekend in Little Falls. The new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum celebrates its Grand Opening September 11–13, with three days of events, exhibits and activities honoring Minnesota’s veterans and military history. Tony shares what visitors can expect during the Grand Opening...

Members of the Brainerd Lakes Sunrise Rotary Club visit about their club and the upcoming Rose Sale. Her guests were Club President, Sharon Carr and the Rotary Rose Sale Chairperson, Sandy Swanson. They talked about the sale and how the money from the sale was used for scholarships for students at Brainerd High School who are in the Interact Club and how funds are also used from the sale...

Katie Waugh, Wild & Free Wildlife Program Coordinator, joins to recap another busy summer at the nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center in Garrison. Katie also shares updates on new outdoor enclosures, the more than 2,200 hours volunteers contributed this summer and opportunities to get involved. Plus, she previews upcoming events at Ripple River Gallery on September 19 and Oktoberfest at Ru...

Dr. Kim Lynch, Interim President of Central Lakes College, and Paul Priemesberger, Director of Secondary Relations, join to talk about the start of the fall semester and how things are going as students settle back into life at CLC. They also remind anyone considering a new career path, returning to school or taking the next step in their education that it’s never too early to apply and enroll for...

Crow Wing County Veterans Service Officer Erik Flowers joins to discuss the many services available to local veterans and their families. Erik explains how the Veterans Service Office provides free, accredited assistance with VA disability claims and appeals, healthcare enrollment, burial and survivor benefits, military records, financial assistance and more. He also shares why veterans shouldn’t...

Faith Hamson, Marketing Coordinator with the Lakes Area United Way, joins to recap the success of this year’s Stuff-A-Bus school supply drive and the impact the community’s generosity will have on local students. Faith also previews September’s Hunger Action Food Drive and how you can help support local families facing food insecurity. Plus, businesses, nonprofits and restaurants are encouraged to...

Patrick Spradlin and Beth Selinger, Co-Founders of Actors Repertory Theater, chat about their upcoming performance of "Lend Me A Tenor" that will be performed at Chalberg Theater in Brainerd. They talked about the content of the show and also about the theater company and how it donates back to the community. This show will help support cancer patients through The Pink Ribbon Cupboa...

Brenda Conley, Interim Walk Manager for the 2026 Walk to End Alzheimer’s, joins to preview this year’s walk, happening Saturday, September 26 at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. Brenda talks about the continued need for walkers, teams and volunteers, how people can get involved, and why community support is so important in the fight to end Alzheimer’s. She also shares what participants can expe...

Kevin Denny, Director of Development for Brainerd Catholic Churches, visits about the upcoming Run for the Son Faithful 5K/10K Walk/Run - a community event and fundraiser for a number of charities in the area. The charities are chosen by those participating. They also talked about the Speaker Series coming to the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts in November that will feature Tik Tok star...

Lt. Carla Beierman & Lt. Lance Turcotte with the Minnesota State Patrol visit about the success of the B.I.R. Event over the weekend and how there were no major incidents with traffic during that event. After that, they talked extensively about the upcoming school year traffic. With new drivers, new roundabouts/roadways and the use of electric scooters, drivers need to pay EXTRA atte...

Heather Stanley with the Regional Local Advisory Council joins Community Focus to discuss what Regional LAC is all about and the role it plays in supporting individuals and families throughout the area. Heather highlights some of the resources, advocacy and assistance available through the council and shares details about a free, family-friendly event happening this Thursday from 12-3 at the North...

Jessica Gangl, Executive Director of the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation, and Cohen Gangl, an 8th grader at Forestview Middle School, join to talk about BPSF’s mission and goals for the upcoming school year. Jessica shares how funding is still available for Brainerd Public Schools educators and provides an update on the Warrior Store and the support it provides throughout the district. They als...

Taylor Lesmeister, Public Health Educator with Crow Wing County, joins to talk about radon and why it’s an important health concern for Minnesota homeowners. Taylor explains what radon is, where it comes from, how it can enter our homes and why long-term exposure can pose serious health risks. She also walks through how easy it is to test your home for radon, what the results mean and what steps h...

Jack Wawro, Tournament Director, and Jen Lowe, Director of the CRMC Foundation, join Community Focus to preview next week’s CRMC Championship at Cragun’s Legacy Courses. They discuss the tournament, the field of golfers coming to the Brainerd Lakes Area, what fans can expect throughout the week, and the impact the event has on the community. Jen also highlights CRMC’s involvement in the championsh...

Sue Galligan, Director of Special Events, Brainerd Lakes Chamber about a number of upcoming Brainerd Chamber events. She highlighted the Blue Ox Leadership Experience and that there were only 10 seats left to fill for the 2026/2027 Class, which begins in September. They also talked about Business After Hours events in August and September, WAVE Young Professionals events and the upcoming...

Chip Rankin, Superintendent of Brainerd Public Schools, joins to discuss what has been a trying first couple of months on the job and how the district is working to support students, families and staff. Rankin highlights resources available to parents and students and talks about ways the community can get involved in supporting local schools. He’s also spearheading a new “Warriors for Warriors” g...

Brittany Goerges, Program Coordinator for the Crow Wing Master Gardener Program with the University of Minnesota Extension, visits about what a Master Gardener is and does. Brittany encouraged listeners to attend the group's largest fundraising Plant Sale coming to the area and explained how to become a Master Gardener in the future. She explained the different benefits of becoming a Mas...

Shane Riffle, CEO, Brainerd Family YMCA talks about current youth happenings at the YMCA. They talked about fall programs for kids and adults. They also discussed sport events and registration deadlines, fall membership rates and the upcoming Coats for Kids drive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf...

Heidi Fairchild, Executive Director of Sexual Assault Services; Brittany Bottem, Advocate and Event Coordinator; and Curt Pribnow, Criminal Justice Instructor at Central Lakes College, SAS board member and board co-chair, preview the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event happening Saturday at the Northland Arboretum. They discuss what participants can expect at the event, the message behind Walk a Mile i...