Surrounded by leaves beginning to show signs of color, two anglers troll near an island Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, on the Mississippi River in Brainerd.
I was raised on a farm in western Minnesota where I participated in 4-H, high school sports, and everything that farm kids do for fun after chores. Graduated from Ridgewater Community College with an AA degree and my first taste of newspapering. I worked a summer on the Ortonville Independent as a reporter and photographer.