The Beltrami County Historical Society has announced Emily Thanes as their new director. She started just two weeks ago and in that time has already made progress on her goals for the center.

Thanes hopes to modernize the historical society and create programs and events that help show tourists and locals all of the history there is to discover in the county.

She has already begun working towards her first goal of helping transfer decades worth of history to a digital format. She hopes to bring new life to the history of Beltrami County.

The History Center will be receiving a new paint job, and there are plans to renovate exhibits to help create more space.

By — Betsy Melin