Saint Cloud Mn. recycles! The city of Saint Cloud Minnesota has made recycling an everyday part of our lives. Each household has a green plastic box to put their glass, plastic, papers and cardboard to be picked up to be recycled. The system is very simple, throw your clean recyclable materials into the green box and place it on the curb on your trash pick up day. The trucks for the pick up are different than the regular trash trucks. The recyclable materials are lifted from the side by separated compartments into the back of the truck. The recyclable materials are then driven to the sorters plant and put into different groups to be melted down and turned into new items for consumers. We are proud to say that since the city incorporated its current refuse system, in 1991, that the landf... 09/02/2010

 The Saint Cloud Metro Area's Main Bridge, Granite City Crossing on Hwy 23 is Brand New! In the Saint Cloud Metro area we have 5 bridges, for local traffic, crossing the Mississippi River. There is a 6th bridge in Sartell and a seventh in Rice and one in Clearwater on Hwy 24. The main bridges that are used to get from one part of St. Cloud to the other are the Hwy 15 bridge, the new Sauk Rapids Bridge, The Saint Germain St. Bridge, the Granite City Crossing Bridge and the University Drive Bridge. The Sauk Rapids Regional Bridge and the Granite Crossing Bridge are both brand new. The University Drive Bridge was built in 1985, The Hwy 15 bridge, the Bridge of Hope, was built in 1995, the Saint Germain Street Bridge, Veterans Bridge, was built in 1971. There is also the St. Cloud Rail Brid... 09/01/2010

Just listed - home for sale in North Saint Cloud Minnesota at 819 N 7th Avenue No need for heavily caffeinated drinks with this home, it is in move in condition and all of the work has been done. This is a fantastic home at 819 7th Ave North St. Cloud is close to the hospital and the Tech College in a very nice neighborhood on the North Side of Saint Cloud MN, at an affordable price. Completely updated home with newer roof, siding and windows and on the interior new carpet and fresh paint throughout. The ample garage in back has been currently transformed into a garage and studio but can easily be just a garage again. 819 7th Avenue North St Cloud is the perfect starter home with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and 1372 finished square feet, for only $104,900. Fantastically affordable and re... 08/29/2010

The Miracle League of Central Minnesota is a charitable organization providing children with mental and/or physical disabilities the opportunity to play baseball on a specially designed, safe field, as part of a team in an organized league. Why? Because every child deserves a chance to play baseball. I had not really become familiar with The Miracle League of Central Minnesota until last night when we went to the Twins Alumni Game at Farber Field in Saint Cloud. The bat boys and girls for the game are part of this organization so my curiosity was peaked and I decided to check it out. The goal of the Miracle League is to have 500 specially made fields constructed, and currently they have over 215 Miracle League organizations around the country. The Miracle League started in Georgia in 19... 08/29/2010

2012 Can-Am Police and Fire Games in Saint Cloud Minnesota Saint Cloud is honored to have been given the approval to host the 2012 Can-Am Police and Fire Games, a world-class athletic competition. Lots of cities compete to be able to hold this event as it has many far reaching benefits to the community. The Can-Am Games were originally started as the Northwest Police-Fire Games. Officials from Washington and Oregon got together with a Police-Fire sports group located out of Western Canada and joined forces to begin a multi-sport event for the local Firefighters and Police Officers to compete together. From 1977 to 1996 the Can-Am Games were held every year, since the completion of the 1996 competition the Can-Am Games have been held every other year. This year the Can-Am Games were held... 08/28/2010

Saint Cloud MN has a fantastic public transportation system - The Metro Bus's motto is the People-Picker Uppers and they have perfected it in the St. Cloud area. From their late downtown runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from 10:15 to 2:30am, to the College Connect and U-pass free ride programs with Saint Cloud State University, Saint Cloud Technical & Community College and the Minnesota School of Business. The Saint Cloud Metro Bus is a huge asset to our community keeping traffic down to a minimum in some of the heaviest traveled areas of town and helping keep us safe with the downtown late night bar crowd on the weekends. In 2002 Metro Transit unveiled its first hybrid electric bus, the number of hybrid busses in use currently stands at 67 and will increase to 75 this year. ... 08/27/2010

Stearns County is holding a Summer Favorites Photo Contest, amateurs only, to gather pictures of fun things to do in Stearns County Minnesota area and its activities, events and people. The pictures will be featured on the county website and the winners will be featured on promotional literature. So if you have had fun this summer in Stearns County and have some fantastic pictures of the area be sure to pull them out and send them in, or go enjoy some fun activities and take your camera. The deadline for entries in the Summer Favorites Photo Contest is Tuesday August 31st. All entries must be original work from non professional photographers and may be in color or black and white photography. Be sure to set your camera to the highest possible resolution as the pictures submitted must be... 08/26/2010

St. Cloud  Minnesota Saturday, August 28, 2010 @ 7:05 Minnesota Twins Alumni Game at Joe Farber Field in St. Cloud MN on August 28th - Home of the River Bats. We love Baseball in Saint Cloud MN! Our city is home to the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame located in the St. Cloud Civic Center and we have a lot of local baseball fields, from the 2 stadiums at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Center to the over 10 baseball diamonds at Whitney Park and Recreation Center. If you love baseball Saint Cloud Minnesota is a great place for you to call home. Our local baseball team the Saint Cloud River Bats is part of the Northwoods League whose motto is Get ready for the show. We have the pleasure to watch our River Batsplay against teams such as the Alexandria Beetles, Brainerd Lakes Area L... 08/25/2010

The Saint Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex or MAC is home to 2 ice arenas, 2 baseball stadiums, and an executive par 30 public golf course. It was built in 1972 and has undergone 2 major renovations, one in 1993 and one in 2008, since it first opened it's doors to the public in central Minnesota.  Located next door to the Saint Cloud Veterans Administration Medical Center, the Municipal Athletic Center is also home to the Minnesota Veterans Plaza. The two St Cloud landmarks are well connected as the par 30 public golf course, Veterans Golf Course, land is being leased to the city by the Saint Cloud VAMC. Since the city took over the golf course in 1990 they have made great efforts to improve the course and have turned it into a great place to spend the afternoon with friends and sink a ... 08/24/2010

Saint Cloud Technical & Community College Founded in 1948 The St. Cloud Technical & Community College offers business, construction technology, manufacturing technology, transportation technology and health and human services. The College has a fantastic track record of placing their graduates into jobs and is an asset to our community.       People from all over the central Minnesota area come to St. Cloud to study here, everything from dental assisting to truck driving, auto repair to business and accounting. The St. Cloud Technical College is full of wonderful people who want to help others succeed with their educational goals. Bookstop, the convenience and book store located in the College is incredibly helpful too, if you need a book they will find it. If you are done with one of y... 08/23/2010

The Sauk River flows through several lakes along its 125 mile journey until its confluence with the Mississippi River on the north side of Saint Cloud Minnesota. The Sauk River has always drawn people to live along its shores beginning with the Ojibwa and the band of Dakota Indians for whom the River was named. Dave Simpkins writes"...Nicollet (Joseph) also reported the waters of the river were clear and tasted sweeter than the Mississippi." - Sauk River Log  The entire Sauk River is a state-designated canoe and boating route although the northern most portion, from its headwaters at Lake Osakis down to Guernsey Lake, are impassible for part of the year due to lower water levels.The Sauk River's elevation drops 328 feet from its beginning to it's confluence with the Mississippi River. A... 08/22/2010

Minnesota's Lakes and Rivers   My cars' license plate says "10,000 Lakes", but there are many more, and the number is growing. In fact, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, we have 11,842 lakes with 10 acres or more, 6,564 natural rivers and streams, and over 9.3 million acres of wetlands. Our deepest inland lake is the Portsmouth Mine Pit near Crosby, MN at 450 feet deep and rising. The old open pit mine is still filling up with water, and I suspect, it is home to a species or two of trout. We here in Minnesota have a great lifestyle rooted strongly in our environment. We learn to fish, swim, drive a boat, paddle a canoe and portage. When young we are drawn to the lakes and when we grow older we yearn to return, as it is a place of centeredness. The high-tech wor... 08/21/2010

Things to do in the Saint Cloud MN area over the weekend of August 21 & 22: There is so much to do and see this weekend in Minnesota beginning with the state wide open house event. All across Minnesota you will see open house signs as the Minnesota Association of Realtors is promoting a state wide open house! So stop by, say Hi check out a great house or 2 and have a wonderful weekend. Tonight there is the free concert at the Saint Cloud Veterans Administration Medical Center by The Notables. On Saturday Morning at the Whitney Senior Center from 8:00 to 1:00 you will be able to meet Ron Schara & Raven from the television series Minnesota Bound. All weekend there will be the Grand Opening of Clear Waters Outfitting Company in Clearwater MN. On Sunday Morning at 10:00 you will have the op... 08/20/2010

The Whitney Senior Center in Saint Cloud MN has grown to become a treasure in our city. Located next door to the Whitney Memorial Park & Recreation Center just off Northway drive and right around the corner from the St. Cloud Hospital. The Center & Third Age University are committed to expanding minds because we should never stop learning, not even during our retirement years. The Mission of the Whitney Senior Center, a community-oriented organization, is to provide "a variety of social and educational opportunities for residents, predominantly age 55 and over, in the St. Cloud metropolitan area. This mission is accomplished in a non-discriminatory inclusive manner, emphasizing sensitivity and life-long learning for the participants." Whitney Senior Center has become so successful that ... 08/19/2010

U.S. Air Force Heartland of America Band The Noteables On Friday, August 20, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center Grounds Adjacent to Building 96 for a FREE outdoor concert by The Noteables. The USAF Heartland of America Band is presenting The Noteables, described as the squadron's "little Big Band". Most notably, The Noteables have performed with Bob Hope, jazz trumpeter Bobby Shew, composer Frank Mantooth, Doc Severinsen, Lee Greenwood and Wycliffe Gordon. The Noteables are sure to please all ages with their dynamic repertoire filled with specially selected standards, Jazz, Big Band classics and many all round favorites. So bring a lawn chair as there will be limited seating available and enjoy great music on the beautiful grounds of the St. Cloud VA Medical Center, no... 08/17/2010

Tenvorde Ford of Saint Cloud Minnesota - The oldest Ford dealership in the World In 1899 a blacksmith, nicknamed the daredevil, brought a Milwaukee Steamer to St. Cloud Minnesota. His name was Stephen Tenvorde. Four years later he would strike a deal with Henry Ford to sell automobiles. This lead to the opening of what is now the oldest Ford dealership in the world, Tenvorde Ford. Stephen Tenvorde marketed his new business by staging demonstrations and sold the vehicles by promoting the "go anywhere lifestyle" in the small farming community that was St. Cloud MN. The efficient manufacturing methods (including paying his workers $5 per day)  incorporated by Henry Ford enabled him to build Ford Motor Company into an industry giant. With the introduction of the Model T in 1908, Ford became... 08/15/2010

National Hockey Center at Saint Cloud State University   Built in 1989, and located right next door to Husky Stadium, the National Hockey Center is home to 2 olympic size hockey rinks. It is no surprise, as if you know Minnesota, you know how much we love our Hockey.   The National Hockey Center is an impressive 138,000 square feet in size and according to the Saint Cloud State University website each sheet of ice is 200 x 100 in size. This is home to Huskey Hockey; and Huskey Hockey is Division 1 hockey at its finest. St. Cloud State University Athletics is proud to have such well accomplished men's and women's hockey teams.     The students at Saint Cloud State University are notorious for their support of the teams. The "Dogg Pound", the student seating section in the stadium, has ha... 08/14/2010

  Saint Cloud State University offers over 200 academic programs, has a nationally recognized honors program, and is the 2nd largest University in the State of Minnesota. St. Cloud State University started in 1869 in the Stearns House, a renovated hotel, under the name Third State Normal School. In 1921 the school changed its name to St. Cloud State Teachers College, until 1957 when the college dropped the word teachers from it's name. The college became a University in 1975 with its programs in Business, Education, Fine Arts and Humanities, Science and Engineering, Social Sciences, and the School of Graduate Studies.  Today Saint Cloud State University is the educational choice for over 17,000 students. Beginning next week the south side of St. Cloud will be full of new residents and v... 08/13/2010

Zeus Virus can drain your bank account - Please be careful! European bank customers have met a new computer Virus the Zeus v3, and this one is really bad! This is real check out the post from My Bank Tracker. This has already robbed thousands of online banking customers. It is not known if there are any cases in the US, but better safe than sorry. This virus even creates a fake statement page so that customers have no idea it even happened. There are fears now that the virus could possibly move to other accounts in banks worldwide. Please be sure that all of your virus software is up to date, this virus can be picked up on legitimate websites and does not become active until you go to your online banking site. When it goes into action it wipes out the bank account! Update your virus sof... 08/12/2010

It is Harvest and Canning season! This is such a great time of year, the crops that have been planted and so lovingly cared for are now producing their fruit. Cucumbers did especially well this year, just check out the haul from today's picking session over at Gaia Garden Designs. Fresh tomatoes, plentiful herbs, onions, broccoli, peppers of all kinds, the list is just incredible. Fresh and local produce is absolutely the best. Supporting our locally grown harvests keeps the local growers in business. Most of our local growers have store hours on site and there is always the local St. Cloud area farmers markets. If you are going out for your fresh local produce do not forget to pick up some flowers. Our local farmers have bouquet after bouquet of beautiful fresh fragrant flowers for you... 08/12/2010