Good morning, St. Cloud.

The Central Minnesota Community Foundation awarded $190,000 to 16 local groups for housing stability, the arts, and youth initiatives in our area.

Recipients include St. Cloud Downtown Alliance, Girl Scouts, and Lutheran Social Services.

This weekend brings a varied lineup with events in Waite Park, St. Stephen, Paynesville and Minneapolis.

At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Country 250 in Waite Park will feature live country acts, beverage sampling & a charity auction to support Wounded Warriors while St. Stephen hosts its 250th celebration with family fun.

Nearly 1,000 people attended the grand opening of Hansen & Company Woodworks' new 92,000 sqft plant in St. Joseph on Thursday, July 23, where guided tours, live music, local food & drink, and family activities highlighted the facility’s automated cabinet production line ahead of reaching full production capacity later this year.

A federal investigation found that NY Gyro’s three St. Cloud locations underpaid employees overtime and must pay more than $613,000 in back wages.

The U.S. Department of Labor noted violations in record keeping & minimum wage practices at four Minnesota sites.

The Sartell Holiday store has now changed to a Circle K as part of an ongoing rebranding that began in 2022.

Royalton and St. Cloud locations are expected to get new signage soon (with some stations already selling Circle K products).

The Collective Unconscious headlines Summertime by George tonight with a Simon and Garfunkel show at Lake George at 7:00 p.m. — Groovy Shoes opens at 5:30 p.m. before food and beverage vendors welcome attendees to this free weekly event.

Today, Sauk Rapids hosts Rock the Riverside concert series with 70's and 80's band Arena headlining at 7:00 p.m. Todd Michael Jameson starts the show at 5:30 p.m. at The Clearing (free and open to the public) as the series continues every Thursday through August.

The documentary 'Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling' premieres Saturday, Aug.

8 at the Paramount Center for the Arts with a 4:00 p.m. reception and 5:00 p.m. film showing; an onstage discussion will follow with key figures (including the Wetterling family).

Metro Bus received the 2025 Governor’s Workplace Safety Bronze Award from the Minnesota Safety Council at a recent board meeting in St. Cloud, recognizing its low injury rate and commitment to worker safety for 2025 (the award is set for those with better safety records statewide).

Stearns County Parks updated e-bike guidelines that allow Class 1–3 bikes on trails only if riders pedal for motor assistance.

Riders must remain under 20 mph and be at least 15 years old (the rules aim to keep trails safe for all users).

Sartell is set to mill and overlay Leander Avenue from September to October and Pine Cone Road South from 2nd Street South to the Heritage roundabout this fall (mayor Ryan Fitzthum said the repairs will extend road life for 5-10 years until funding allows for a complete rebuild).

Lunch by the Lake returns today on 12th Avenue South between City Hall and Lake George from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Attendees can try food from Waldo’s Pizza, The Baked Potato Shack and Mr. Twisty & relax with tables and lawn games in the park.

Brook'Lynn H, the club's 2026 Youth of the Year — after 12 years with the club — carried Coca Cola's flag at the FIFA World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last weekend and will compete for a national title on Oct.

1 in New York.

St. Cloud Rox ended their homestand at Joe Faber Field on Tuesday with a five to three win over Minnesota Mud Puppies following a four-run rally in the sixth that boosted record to 37-23.

The team will travel to Wisconsin to face the Loggers after an off day on Wednesday.