Stearns County MN Government

10/23/2026

A new resource for our community is already making an impact.
Avivo Village Central MN, a new 48 unit shelter in St. Cloud, built and operated by Avivo, opened its doors this week, and all 48 beds filled within just two days.

The project was developed in partnership with Stearns, Benton, and Sherburne counties, whose outreach teams worked quickly to help connect residents with this new resource. The space provides private, secure units and on site support to help people move from crisis toward stability.

We appreciate the outreach teams across all three counties for their efforts to connect residents experiencing homelessness with this new facility.

10/20/2026

County Road 134 in west St Cloud will be closed through the middle of November for construction of sanitary sewer and watermain utilities for the Justice Center. The work is happening on County Road 134 from County Road 75 to Cypress Road. A detour is in place. Drivers are strongly urged to find alternate routes to minimize delays.

10/19/2026

Early voting is underway for the November 3 General Election! Early voting allows you to place your ballot directly into the ballot counter, similar to the process on Election Day.

Cast your ballot in person at:
• Stearns County Service Center, Waite Park
• St. Cloud City Hall

Both locations are open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., except for the extended hours noted below.

Learn more at MNVotes.gov or call 320‑656‑3920.

10/19/2026

Stearns County is hiring for multiple positions and offering an internship opportunity.

Explore the possibilities: stearns.co/careers

10/12/2026

Just a reminder: We're open today, October 12, and ready to serve you!

Monday, October 12, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Stearns County offices will be open and ready to serve you from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A full list of observed holidays can be found on our website: stearnscountymn.gov/business-hours

10/11/2026

Stearns County has new openings in Human Services and the Sheriff’s Office. Your next opportunity starts here.

stearns.co/careers

10/09/2026

Our own Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall is the first person to shine in a new local series!

In the first episode of 13 Minutes to Shine, Janelle shares insights into her work as County Attorney, her passion for music, her family and why she chose to build her life here. She also highlights the importance of working together to help keep our community safe.

The series shares stories of the people and voices that make our community a great place to be.

Take 13 minutes to get to know the person behind the title and hear what makes this community special to her.

Check out the video!

10/09/2026

Monday, October 12, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Stearns County offices will be open and ready to serve you from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A full list of observed holidays can be found on our website: stearnscountymn.gov/business-hours

10/08/2026

A 33-year-old Cold Spring man gets indicted on First Degree (premeditated) and Second Degree Intentional Murder charges for the death of a group home worker. stearnscountymn.gov/county-news

10/07/2026

Just a reminder for tomorrow morning! We’ll be doing a county wide fire drill at 8:00 AM. Employees will be required to evacuate, so county buildings will open to visitors after the drill, around 8:20 AM.

If you’re near any of our buildings, you’ll likely see employees heading outside and a noticeable presence of emergency vehicles taking part in the drill.

Thanks for your cooperation!

As part of National Fire Prevention Week, the County will conduct a campus-wide fire drill on Thursday, October 8 at 8:00 AM. We’re letting you know because county services will be unavailable until about 8:20 AM, and if you’re near any of our buildings that morning, you may see employees exiting and notice a larger presence of emergency vehicles.

At 8:00 AM, everyone in our county buildings will be asked to exit and move to designated evacuation areas. County services will resume by approximately 8:20 AM.

If you plan to visit our offices that morning, you may want to consider stopping by after 8:20 when the drill is complete and normal operations resume. If you know others who may intend to come to a county building that morning, feel free to share this information with them so they aren’t delayed by the drill.

Thank you for your cooperation!