ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY

Trump’s $209K St. Cloud bill likely to go unpaid

Trent Abrego — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 13:00:00 GMT

ST. CLOUD — St. Cloud Mayor-elect Jake Anderson said there is not much more the city can do to compel the Donald Trump presidential campaign to pay a $209,000 bill from his summer rally in St. Cloud.

The bill remains unpaid after two invoices were sent to the campaign.

“We’re kind of limited in our recourse,” Anderson told St. Cloud LIVE. “Being candid, one of the fears that I have is if we push it too aggressively, suddenly any federal aid we may get and other things may start falling apart. I’m only (saying) that on a good hunch.”

Since Trump wasn’t in office at the time of the July 27 campaign rally at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center at SCSU, it was not considered an elected official visit. The city has safeguards in place for official visits including the 2023 stop Vice President Kamala Harris made to visit New Flyer, Anderson said. He added the city did not charge for services provided during the Harris visit.

“I know there are citizens that have asked about it, I’ve been asked about this,” Anderson said about the unpaid Trump bill. “I understand the frustration, there was a certain cost the city spent. Obviously, those people came to town, there was a number of them, and they spent money in our community, so it’s not like we didn’t recoup some costs.

“But it’s a lesson learned in terms of how we can do things in the future.”

More than 8,000 people attended the rally at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center while a large crowd gathered outside in sweltering heat. Nearly a dozen people were taken to CentraCare — St. Cloud Hospital on the day of the rally with heat-related illnesses.

According to an invoice, the rally cost the city nearly $209,000 in services, including police, public services, a road construction change order, the fire department and information technology systems.

The Trump campaign told St. Cloud LIVE in October that the city fees associated with the rally are the responsibility of the Secret Service. In response, Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring told St. Cloud LIVE that the agency lacks a mechanism, to reimburse state and local governments for support during protective events.

The Trump campaign paid St. Cloud State University a $35,000 rental fee.

Despite Harris winning Minnesota’s 10 electoral college votes on Nov. 5, Trump claimed 62% of votes in Stearns County. President-elect Trump's second inauguration is Monday, Jan. 20.

A look at the bill

The city of St. Cloud’s $208,935.17 invoice to the Donald J. Trump for President 2024 Inc. campaign breaks down like this:

$63,267.81: Police department $60,510.07: Public services $61,878.84: Construction change order of University Drive $21,420.74: Fire department $1,857.71: IT department Source: City of St. Cloud

Trump St. Cloud 2nd invoice by trent

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St. Cloud native Tim Bergstraser following in his college coach's footsteps

Andy Rennecke — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:54:44 GMT

MOORHEAD — When Tim Bergstraser came to St. Cloud State in the fall of 2009, he was already obsessed with basketball.

After having a strong career for St. Cloud Apollo, he chose to stay in his hometown to play college basketball under longtime SCSU head coach Kevin Schlagel.

Bergstraser picked a good landing spot as he was a key part of the Huskies' run to the Division II Final Four that 2009-10 season. He made an appearance in all 34 games for St. Cloud State, averaged 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 rebounds a game and took a beating every day at practice while trying to guard All-American center and future Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Hall of Famer Matt Schneck.

"I did hit the lottery as a freshman. I was addicted to basketball. That's all I thought about. At the time, I didn't know that winning the NSIC and Central Regional Tournament didn't always happen. We made it to the Elite Eight and then made it to the Final Four. I thought that was going to happen every year," Bergstraser said with a laugh.

"Looking back, I realize how stinking hard that was to do. I was just a dumb 18-year-old along for the ride. It's a lot more significant than you realize."

Leading the Dragons

Bergstraser, 32, is in his second season as head coach of the Minnesota State-Moorhead men's basketball team.

He's guided Moorhead to a 15-1 record this season and a No. 5 ranking in the latest NABC Division II men's basketball Top 25 poll. The Dragons were ranked No. 1 for a week before being knocked off 70-68 at the University of Sioux Falls on Jan. 13.

Last season, Bergstraser guided the Dragons to the NSIC Tournament championship and an appearance in the Division II Central Region Tournament.

To accomplish all of that since being hired in May 2022 has impressed his old college coach, who is the all-time winningest men's basketball coach at SCSU. Schlagel, who was one of the most-respected Division II head coaches of his time, went 341-157 from 1997 to 2014.

"To see how far Tim has come, it's awesome to see," said Schlagel, who is retired and still lives in St. Cloud. "The success he's having is fantastic. Coming out of high school, he needed to mature. Playing against Schneck every day certainly helped with that. He started to understand how he had to grow up, on and off the court.

"He always had that passion for the game. But the injuries took their toll on him."

The ACL tears

Bergstraser tore the ACL in his left knee three times during his career with the Huskies. The first one came in the fall of 2010 during a preseason scrimmage. He had to take a medical redshirt for the 2010-11 season. He returned in 2011-12 and averaged 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds a game to earn All-NSIC second team honors.

But in the Central Region Tournament that season in Golden, Colorado, Bergstraser tore the ACL in the left knee for a second time against Bemidji State. The Huskies won the game, but lost to Metro State (Colorado) in the next round in large part to Bergstraser's absence.

"His second tear in Colorado devastated all of us," Schlagel said. "Tim was a self-made player who worked extremely hard to have the success he had. We enjoyed seeing that progression in him. When he couldn't get back to where he wanted to be, I might have took it harder than anybody."

Bergstraser tried to return the following season, but was never the same. He found out he tore it for a third time after the 2012-13 season had concluded.

"After that third time, I had the mind-set that I was going to come back stronger than ever," Bergstraser admitted. "I was like 'let's get under the knife, cut it open and fix it again.' But, over time, you realize that your body is wearing down on you and how significant these tears were. I couldn't move the same way anymore. I couldn't be as physical as I liked.

"Schlagel sat me down and told me that he wanted me to be able to play with my kids some day. I can't thank him enough for that. It was the tough love I needed. If I had had another surgery, I probably wouldn't be walking right now."

Coaching path

Bergstraser became a student assistant coach at St. Cloud State the following season, which started him on his path to Minnesota State-Moorhead. His first full-time job was with Wisconsin-River Falls in 2014-15. He then made his first stop in Moorhead under then-head coach Chad Walthall as a graduate assistant from 2015 to 17.

Following one season at Division II Quincy (Illinois), he became Walthall's top assistant during the 2018-19 season. Bergstraser soaked up as much as he could under Walthall, who turned the Dragons into a conference contender during his 12 seasons at the helm.

After Walthall stepped down following the 2021-22 season, Bergstraser knew he wanted the job. He was named the Dragons' head coach on May 16, 2022.

"I realize how lucky I am. Not many 32-year-olds get a chance to be a head coach at this level," Bergstraser said. "I was in the right place at the right time. When Walthall stepped down, he had my back and was in my corner for the job. I felt like I earned it, but I knew I still had to go through the interview process.

"It was a good experience and I couldn't be more grateful to this university for the opportunity."

Instant success

After guiding the Dragons to a 25-7 record last season, including a 17-5 mark in the NSIC, Moorhead is back near the top of the conference standings again this season. Minnesota State-Mankato, under the guidance of longtime head coach Matt Margenthaler, is on top with a 10-0 mark in the NSIC and 16-0 overall. Mankato earned the No. 1 ranking in D-II this past week.

The Dragons are led by junior guards Jacob Beeninga and Jamir Price. Beeninga is averaging 19.6 points a game and Price is averaging 13.6 points per contest. Sophomore forward Logan Kinsey is averaging 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and senior forward Dane Zimmer is chipping in a solid 9.9 points and 8.9 boards per contest.

"I haven't tried to reinvent the wheel with this team," Bergstraser said. "We're pretty vanilla in what we do and I try and find low-maintenance guys who love to work hard and love the game. We're not flashy. I keep it that way on purpose. I'm just doing my best to try and sustain the success that Walthall built here."

Schlagel, who is still an avid basketball fan, watches every MSU-Moorhead game online. While he still attends every St. Cloud State game he can, he can't help but be a fan of his former player.

"Its very rare for a guy Tim's age to get a job like this and then to hit the ground running and not stop," Schlagel said. "I watch all of their games and if he's in St. Cloud we try and get together. I watch him on the sidelines and he's a lot different than me. He's not very demonstrative.

"He's very low-key and calls things out when he needs to. He lets his guys play."

One of Bergstraser's former SCSU teammates, Scott Hawkins, came up to Moorhead recently to watch a game and sit behind the Dragons' bench. Schlagel was infamous for throwing his tie at press row when he was angry with a referee's call. Bergstraser doesn't wear a tie since coaching attire is a lot more relaxed these days.

"Hawkins told me that I have a lot of Schlagel in me," Bergstraser said with a laugh. "I'm OK with that. I want these guys to show up, work hard and appreciate this special sport. That's what Schlagel taught me. He was a winner and all business. He was open and up front with his statements toward you. He was an incredible coach to play for and learn from."

Bergstraser credits his wife, Ashley, and his 2-year-old daughter Presley for keeping him grounded. He's come a long way since that confident 18-year-old arrived on campus at St. Cloud State not knowing what was in store for him.

"Life has been incredible. I would love to have a household of little kids running around very soon. My family has propelled my life in the right direction," Bergstraser said. "I know I wasn't on the right path until I met Ashley. She's a good-hearted, loving person. She's supportive of my coaching career and has sacrificed a lot.

"I realize how fortunate I am. Ashley knows this is my profession and how much I love it. I'm still addicted to this stuff."

The Bergstraser file 2009 graduate of St. Cloud Apollo Was an All-Area and All-Central Lakes Conference player at Apollo Played for St. Cloud State from 2009-13 Was part of the Huskies' Final Four team in 2010 Averaged 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 2011-12 for SCSU while being named All-NSIC second team Suffered three torn ACL injuries in his left knee while at SCSU Was an assistant coach from 2014-2022 at SCSU, Wisconsin-River Falls, Quincy (Illinois) and MSU-Moorhead Was named head coach at MSU-Moorhead in May 2022 Guided the Dragons to a 25-7 record and an NSIC Tournament championship during the 2022-23 season Helped the Dragons to a No. 1 national ranking after a 15-0 start in January 2024]]>

St. Cloud State to offer cannabis education certificate programs this fall

Stephanie Dickrell — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 22:29:42 GMT

ST. CLOUD — St. Cloud State University is offering a new online certificate program in cannabis education, starting this fall.

This comes after Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana this year. It is the first of its kind in Minnesota, but similar programs are offered in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan and other states.

“The cannabis industry is growing at an unprecedented rate, and the demand for skilled professionals is higher than ever,” said SCSU President Robbyn Wacker. “Our endeavor is to meet workforce demand to provide educated professionals in this quickly evolving industry.”

SCSU’s Professional and Continuing Education division plans to partner with California-based cannabis education company Green Flower.

The four topics are:

Cannabis Agriculture and Horticulture, Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine, Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management The Business of Cannabis.

The cost of each program is $2,950, with payment plans available. Financial aid is not available for the courses, but a $500 discount is available for the first cohort in September with discount code SCSUFIRST.

Each course takes about six months to complete, with students expected to dedicate six to eight hours a week on coursework. The courses are fully online. Upcoming start dates are Sept. 11 and Nov. 6. The non-credit certificate programs are available to anyone over age 18.

Green Flower has partnered with more than 20 institutions around the country to deliver these courses. The company has worked with industry leaders since 2014, according to its website. They work with companies, government agencies, individuals as well as higher education institutions.

For more information, visit cannabiseducation.stcloudstate.edu.

Earlier this year, Minnesota became the 23rd state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana.

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Flippin' out for Blue Lou

Joe Brown — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 16:48:07 GMT

LAKE LILLIAN, Minn. — Fans at a sporting event don’t pay to see the officials at work.

That is, unless “Blue Lou” is behind the plate calling balls and strikes with his own brand of showmanship, flair and acrobatics.

A manufacturing engineer by day, Louis Williams IV moonlights as a youth softball umpire during the summers. He also officiates basketball, football and volleyball.

“I’m trying to get my hands into all sports and just impact it, you know?” Williams said. “My whole philosophy is whoever I come across, I just want to have an impact and an everlasting memory. I also want to just remind kids that it’s a sport. Sometimes we get so caught up in the competitiveness of it that we forget to have fun.”

For Blue Lou, that means calling a strike, and immediately following up with chants that are mirrored by both dugouts and the crowd. Between innings, there’s a bevy of backflips as fans young and old marvel at the former St. Cloud State football player’s athleticism.

“They see the umpire having fun, they maybe loosen everybody up and they have fun as well,” Williams said.

The antics of Blue Lou are catching on. His TikTok account (@steveyyjayylou) has over 22,600 followers and over 650,000 likes.

When BOLD needed an umpire for its 14U softball game against Willmar/New London-Spicer Monday in Lake Lillian, Tami Flann took a shot in the dark and reached out to Williams. Tami’s husband, Jared, is a coach on the BOLD 14U softball team and their daughter Ema plays on the squad.

“At our state tournament games, he umped all three of our games. That Monday, I was sitting around with my daughter and I’m like, ‘We need an ump. I’m going to message Blue Lou and see if he’ll ump,’' Tami said. “He responded back immediately and he’s like ‘Absolutely. Just tell me where Lake Lillian is.’

“The kids were excited because the girls all know who Blue is from TikTok.”

Answering a challenge

The beginnings of Blue Lou started with a dare.

When calling pitches behind the plate during a game, Williams got challenged.

“A kid tested me one day,” Williams said. “I was just doing the basics and calling a regular strike and he said, ‘Blue, you need to get something funnier than that,’ and I was like OK. So later that day, I was going home thinking what if I do bowling or some bow and arrows, you know? I was thinking of all these creative things.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams had time to tinker with ideas and refine his act.

When he finally went with the bow-and-arrow strike call, parents chuckled.

“They were joining in with me at one point,” Williams said.

He took a greater risk by adding backflips to his repertoire. It had been 10 years since Williams did a backflip. Thankfully, he stuck the landing.

“I did a backflip and boom, the crowd went crazy,” he said. “I did like five or six hundred backflips that day.”

Williams had cheers stuck in his head after working at softball tournaments. So, that got added to the cauldron of ideas.

When a batter gets hit by a pitch: “Way to take one for the team, even if you wanna scream.” Or when a player draws a walk: “She’s a walker, just like Betty Crocker.”

With Williams behind the plate for the tournament, Tami saw the BOLD bench feed off the energy. BOLD went 5-0 and won the Minnesota Tier 5 state championship.

“They were responding to him like crazy and cheering,” Tami said. “There was one time when we were down in our first game by a good four or five runs. We were dead. And they changed their energy with Blue’s energy and we turned the whole day around.”

Opening doors

On Monday, Blue Lou let out his inner superhero in Lake Lillian.

Sporting a Spider-Man costume, Williams called the game between BOLD and Willmar/NLS, which ended with a 8-7 BOLD win. A couple of times, Williams went full wall-crawler and climbed the backstop fence with his phone in hand to document his ascent.

At one point, Williams remembered he wasn’t an Avenger and had to put on his umpire mask so he wouldn’t take a foul ball to the face.

“I guess I was too caught up in the moment,” Williams said after a laugh. “Never do that.”

With Blue Lou in attendance, BOLD made the exhibition game an event featuring meals and a raffle. This was no ordinary raffle; numbered balls were dropped by a plane flying over the field before the fifth inning. Proceeds from the game will be used to improve the field at Lake Lillian.

“We have such good community support from everybody here,” Tami said.

Building ‘Blue Lou’

As self-assured as he is in Blue Lou, Williams faced an uncertain future in college.

For budgetary reasons, St. Cloud State cut its football team on Dec. 10, 2019. A defensive back, Williams had just completed his junior season, making 11 appearances and one start.

“I kept fighting with myself because I wanted to keep playing football,” Williams said. “I was going to transfer but I was so caught up in my major that wherever I would have transferred, I was going to pretty much have to restart.”

Williams stayed at St. Cloud State and got his degree in manufacturing engineering and technology. Originally from Milwaukee, Williams now resides in Brooklyn Park.

“I was so deep into it and it’s something that I loved to do,” Williams continued. “So I was like, you know, I’m just gonna stay (at St. Cloud State). Plus, I was on scholarship and they honored it.”

Williams was motivated by a book, “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. The lesson he got from the book: “We all got talent in this world and it’s up to us to put it on display and show it off.”

He added, “The power of the cell phone, the power of technology (and) the power of the internet, we should take advantage of it.”

As Blue Lou, Williams’ talents are getting noticed. He’ll be umping games in Kansas and Missouri this month. In September and October, he’ll be at eight tournaments in Texas.

Reflecting back on the state tournament, Williams’ impact on that day sticks with Tami. For Blue Lou, and all his antics, it’s all in the name of fun.

“When the girls won that state championship game, they were just standing there,” Tami said. “My husband and I said to each other on the way home, we’re like ‘They don’t act like they just won a state championship tournament.’ and I said, ‘I think it’s because they had fun all day. It felt like a win all day long for them.’”

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