One of the Brainerd Dispatch's most ambitious annual projects, the Progress Edition, recently hit the stands. It tells the stories of people and businesses undertaking interesting and inspiring pursuits in the Brainerd lakes area.

In this episode of the DispatchCast, Dispatch reporters share their experiences in pursuing some of the 20 stories filling 56 pages of the 2018 Progress Edition -- the things they learned, the interviews that captured their attention and the reasons they're excited to share the stories with readers.

Plus, meet the Dispatch's newest reporter, Theresa Bourke, who takes over on the city of Brainerd and area education beats.

Visit https://issuu.com/brainerd_dispatch/docs/2018-progress-edition to read the stories mentioned in this episode.

Host/Producer: Chelsey Perkins

Contributors: Theresa Bourke, Jennifer Kraus, Gabriel Lagarde, Frank Lee - Brainerd Dispatch reporters