I spy a troll, deer, and a solutions story (naturally)

Happy Wednesday!

I joyfully adventured through greater Minnesota this last week. 

I gazed up at the Detroit Lakes trolls (and the golden rabbit!). I visited the Avon Hills Folk School for the first time. And I joined partners in Grand Rapids for a refreshing community dialogue on life with guns. 

Fresh air. Culture. Community. All good. 

I made a visit to St. Joseph as well. St. Joe had the spotlight last week with the "My Town" docuseries crew in town to record a feature.

I hope that you are enjoying some peak summer activities including time outside. 

In addition to all this beauty and light, I’ve been pondering big questions about how to fund the future of local news. I’ve been thinking about the importance of radical hope when things get hard. Stay tuned for more on both of those topics.

Here's what else I've got for you:
• The second part of our story on Dr. Bashir Moallin in English and Somali,
• An intro to our media literacy video series,
• Stories to check out,
• And a couple curious deer.

Happy trails,
Nora Hertel,
Founder & Executive Director, nora@projectoptimist.news

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St. Cloud doctor starts practice from scratch

By Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten
Project Optimist

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Hayat Clinic, St. Cloud’s first Somali-run clinic, has four providers, including Dr. Bashir Moallin.

At larger institutions, it feels like everything is magically taken care of, he said. However, running a private practice requires more from a provider. 

There have been growing pains along the way. After the clinic opened in 2024, it took about three months for insurance companies to pay Hayat Clinic, Dr. Moallin said. 

Despite the challenges, Dr. Moallin said it’s rewarding work. 

“Every morning when I wake up – even though it's a lot of work – I don't feel tired,” he said. “I usually come here more excited, ready for that day. Hopefully that will continue for the long-term.”

Dhaqtar Reer St.Cloud ah ayaa wuxuu ka bilaabay heer hoose.

Waxaa Qortay Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten
Project Optimist.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Xarunta Caafimaadka Ee Xayaat oo ah Xaruntii ugu horeysay ee uu leeyahay qof Soomaali ah, waxaa ka shaqeeya Afar dhaqtar oo uu ka mid yahay Dr: Bashir Macalin.

Xarumaha waa wayn ee Cafimaadka wax walba waa lagu qabanaynaa. Ayuu yiri. Si kasta ha ahatee marka aad adigu leedahay Xarun-gaar ah wax walba waa in uu dhaqtarku isaggu qabsadaa. 

Dhibaato badan ayaa naga soo martay markii hore. Markii la furay Xaruntan Sanadkii 2024.  In Caymiska uu bixiyo lacagta ayaa waxay qaadataa seddex bilood. Ayuu yiri Dr: Bashir Macalin.Hawl adag ayaa iga soo qabsaday,Balse waa howl muhiimiyaddeeda leh. 

Subax walba markii aan soo kaco,in kasta oo ay tahay shaqo badan, ma dareemo daal. Ayuu yiri. Mar walba waxaa imadaa shaqada aniga oo ku faraxsan oo diyaar u ah shaqada maalintas. Waxaan rajaynyaa in aan wadi doono waqti dheer. 

Behind the screen

It's been almost a year since we launched our values video series, and while we enjoyed it, we noticed something: videos related to media literacy resonated the most with our audience.

We can take a hint 😉, so we're launching a new video series. A member of the Project Optimist team will give you an inside look at how journalists do their jobs, how we tackle the challenges we face (big and small), what technology trends mean for us, how you can become more media literate, and more.

Stories to check out

💊 St. Cloud folks are excited to welcome a first class of medical students to a brand new regional campus. Here's the latest from St. Cloud Live.

🧵 Check out this story about an Ojibwe artist in greater Minnesota, a blanket maker who kept his work private for decades and now has an exhibition. Read it on MinnPost's site here. The exhibit runs through August 21 at the Gizhiigin Arts Incubator at the White Earth Reservation in Mahnomen, Minn.

🏠 Minnesota Women's Press shined a spotlight on housing problems and solutions earlier this month. Meet seven experts who took on these big challenges.

I spotted this deer while heading home from Grand Rapids this week. We took a couple moments to stare at each other.

This deer reminded me of a moment at our July 2024 forest bathing event in St. Cloud. We had a group of people attending to the natural world with all five senses, when we noticed a young deer observing us. Photographer Colleen Harrison snapped a picture.

Send me your delightful snapshots from outside adventures at home or far afield: nora@projectoptimist.news.

Have a great week!
❤️ Nora