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Chelsey Perkins

Community Editor

I grew up in the Brainerd lakes area, and it's an honor for me to share the stories of my neighbors.
As Brainerd Dispatch community editor, I help to ensure the accuracy and clarity of the information we collect and publish. I continue to write as well, covering a wide range of topics including Crow Wing County government, regional news, watchdog reporting, features and personality profiles. I'm also the producer and primary host of the "Brainerd Dispatch Minute," our weekday news podcast.
In 2021, I was named a member of the FCC Editorial Advisory Board, which works to build trust with readers and viewers by inviting dialogue, soliciting and supporting diverse opinions and explaining editorial decisions.
I began my career at the Dispatch in August 2014 as the county government beat reporter and was promoted to community editor in July 2017.
I'm always on the hunt for untold stories and interesting characters. Email me at chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com or give me a call at 218-855-5874 to share your feedback or news tip.
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Exclusive
A Dispatch review of hundreds of court documents and police reports paints a picture of neglect, abuse and defiance of judges’ orders more than a decade before the recent torture case.
The new ordinance reconfigures Crow Wing County's authority, plus reduces occupancy limits and bans any property with an open land use enforcement case from acquiring a license.
Klang also took his oath of office with his wife Annette by his side in the quiet second-floor office of the administrative services department.
Lincoln joined the sheriff’s office in 2019 — not as a traditional K-9 involved in searches and apprehensions, but as a service dog intended to help calm people in stressful situations.
Some residents are facing such substantial tax increases, they are concerned about how much longer they can stay in their homes.
After learning of a potential connection between the 2012 death investigation and Jorden Nicole Borders, the Dispatch submitted a request to the police department to inspect the investigative file.
While a litany of surgeries, procedures and unusual test results failed to clarify the 9-year-old boy’s conditions, it led to speculation about Borders’ role in causing or fabricating his illnesses.
Jorden Nicole Borders, 32, of Crosslake, Minnesota, is expected to agree to the termination of her parental rights in a Friday court hearing.
The 32-year-old Crosslake woman is expected to agree to the termination of her parental rights in a Friday court hearing.
Since the project did not meet the threshold to automatically require the environmental assessment process, the local government was tasked with determining whether to recommend the worksheet be completed.