Community Focus

Mark Persons, Vietnam Veteran, and Webmaster, Brainerd VFW, with Buford Johnson, Vietnam Veteran, to talk about the Vietnam war, and about National Vietnam Veterans Day.

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Guests Colleen Dols, Office Manager of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, and Seanay Berghuis, founder of Talent Development Co, join the conversation to preview the upcoming Success Series. The event is geared toward helping local businesses attract and hire new employees while navigating today’s competitive job market. They discuss practical strategies, along with valuable resources available to HR departments to strengthen recruitment efforts, improve retention, and build more effective teams. The conversation also highlights how investing in talent development can drive long-term growth and success for organizations in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

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Guest Brad Pieper, Chair of Local Organizing Committee- Hockey Day Minnesota 2027 previews the once-in-a-lifetime event coming to the Brainerd Lakes Area July 25–30, 2027 at Brainerd International Raceway. He highlighted sponsorship and donor opportunities, the need for volunteers, and teased several community events that will build excitement leading up to Hockey Day.

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Crow Wing Energized representatives, Rena Bolt, Community Health Specialist, Essentia Health, and Kelli Johnson, SHIP Health Educator with Crow Wing County, recapping the Community Health Initiatives ReThink Your Drink, One Vegetable, One Community, and the CLC 5K for Mental Health.

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Ginger Agustinack and Lane Larson, Legendary Women of Brainerd Public Schools Committee Members, talking about the annual Legendary Women Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony of remarkable women, all of whom are graduates of Brainerd High School.

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Sue Galligan from the Brainerd Lakes Chamber and Ashly Gilson of the Mid Minnesota Builders Association preview the upcoming Brainerd Lakes Home Show and Expo, March 20–21 at the Essentia Health Sports Center. They highlight over 180 vendors, home improvement ideas, live demos, and family-friendly fun, making it a must-attend event for homeowners and anyone looking for inspiration.

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Guests Taylor Demuth and Peter Grant stop by to talk about Future Warriors Night coming up March 25th. The event invites incoming kindergarten students and their families to get an early introduction to school by visiting classrooms, meeting teachers and staff, and learning more about what to expect in their first year.

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Guest is Chris Glassman, Member of Aurora Lodge

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Tony Housey and First Lieutenant Colton Rossow from Camp Ripley Public Affairs stop by to discuss the installation’s goals for 2026 and provide a look back at the first 75 days of the year at Camp Ripley. They talk about the increasingly busy training schedule as military units from across the region prepare for upcoming exercises, and also update the public on the installation’s planned controlled burns for the year, which are an important part of land management, wildfire prevention, and maintaining the training environment.

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Kelly Pederson, a Ronald McDonald House Charities mom, joins to share her family’s emotional journey as her four-year-old daughter, Lacie, undergoes multiple heart surgeries. Kelly talks about how the Ronald McDonald House has become a vital home-away-from-home, giving their family a place to rest, recharge, and find support while focusing on Lacie’s recovery and growing strength each day. She also highlights the difference RMHC makes for families facing medical crises far from home. Through March 17th, local McDonald’s owner/operators will donate 25 cents from every Shamrock Shake sold to Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest, a promotion that raises more than $50,000 annually and helps provide complimentary lodging, meals, and essential support for families traveling to Minnesota and across the Upper Midwest in search of the best care for their children. 

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