Never one to let his disabilities stop him, Ken Miller celebrates 40 years in the vending machine business
While Ken Miller was studying communications at Moorhead State University in the 1970s, the department chair sat down with him and told him a harsh truth.
He told Miller that he was a great student. He would grow and mature during his time at Moorhead State, but he would have difficulty finding a job because of his disability. Miller was blind from birth.
The reality of those words hit Miller when he graduated and entered the job market. He couldnât even get an interview. Although he was discouraged, Miller was determined to get a job. After all, he hadnât let anything else stop him before.
Phyllis E. McLeod
Phyllis Elaine McLeod, age 88, of Detroit Lakes, MN, passed away December 26, 2020 of complications related to Alzheimer’s Disease. Phyllis was born to Parnell and Evelyn Smeby in Fargo, ND on March 17, 1932. She attended Oak Grove Lutheran High School where she became an accomplished pianist and graduated at the age of seventeen with the class of 1949. She graduated from Moorhead State (Teachers College) University in 1950 with an Associate Degree in Education, later returning in 1972 to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. Phyllis started her teaching career in Detroit Lakes where she met Elton “Sonny” McLeod. They were married in Hickson, ND on August 17, 1952. They lived in Hibbing, MN for a few years before settling in Detroit Lakes to raise their family. Phyllis enjoyed a long career in teaching and assumed she would put her career on hold when she and Sonny started their family, but each time she tried to quit, the school wo
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Lyle Hanson, passed away December 23rd in Jamestown at the age of 85.
Hanson was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives in 1979 and served 34 years, 16 of those years as the House Caucus Chairman. While serving in the legislature he was on the Education and Natural Resources Committees. In 1981 and 2003 he received the ND Wildlife Federation Legislative Conservationist of the Year Award.
Hanson was born in Sargent County. He received his master’s degree in Educational Administration from the Moorhead State University. He started his teaching and coaching career in Garrison, ND and eventually moved to Jamestown and taught history at Jamestown Public Schools. While in Jamestown he was the head track coach and had numerous state records, individual and relay state champions and some of them still hold school records. He was also a basketball referee for over 25 years and is in the North Dakota Officials Hall of Fame. In 2019 Lyle wa
My Life; St. Joe Mayor Rick Schultz [PODCAST]
St. Joseph Mayor Rick Schultz joined me on WJON for our My Life series. Rick grew up with two siblings in a small town west of Sauk Centre called Osakis. He was very involved in sports and band growing up. He says he s always loved basketball and that love led him to playing in high school and one year in college at Moorhead State as a walk-on. He transferred to St. Cloud State after 1 year at Moorhead State where he was an education major. He had planned on a teaching career with coaching and graduated from SCSU with an education degree in 1980. Learn more by listening to our 4-part conversation.