About Paul

07/11/10

 • Paul Irvin Kosel was born in Mobridge on June 24, 1962, to Milton and Bonnie Kosel. He grew up on a farm 2.5 miles north of Mound City. He attended school in Mound City from Kindergarten through Second Grade. There was a major school realignment and in the third grade, he resumed his education in Herreid.

• While a student in Herreid, he started a column called, "Kosel's Korner" which was posted on a bulletin board - which featured stories from the games and conference standings. He also started up "The Yellow Jacket" which was a school paper that had not been going for several years. He received a "Service Award" at the final athletic banquet. Paul graduated from Herreid in 1980.

• Shortly after the Herreid and Pollock papers were merged into one and the office moved from Herreid to Pollock, Paul wrote an article to the paper about the disapproval. The editor of the Emmons County Record contacted Paul about writing a column in the Linton, N.D., newspaper and the column was called, "South of the Border News - Campbell County News by Paul Kosel"

• Paul was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mound City where he was baptized and confirmed.

• After graduating from Herreid, Paul and his mom moved to Mobridge where he worked as a sports stringer for the Mobridge Tribune. He then worked for Dean's Drive Inn in west Mobridge. After staying out a year and at the urging of his co-workers at the Tribune, Paul decided to attend college at South Dakota State University in Brookings to purse a journalism degree.

• While at SDSU, he was treasurer of the residence hall he was staying in, Hanson Hall. At the completion of the first year, Paul had balanced books. It was reported that was the first time that had happened in seven residence halls in seven years. He then became president of Hanson Hall for a couple of years.

• He failed at an attempt to get a job at the Collegian, the college newspaper, so he went down to the Brookings Daily Register where he was hired to cover sports in the outlying communities.  Paul graduated from SDSU in 1985. He worked at KOLY radio in Mobridge and continued working at Dean's Drive Inn. Nine months after starting working at KOLY, he secured a job as the sports editor of the Lead Daily Call where he was hired over a phone interview.

• On October 1, 1986, Paul purchased "The Groton Independent" from Morris and Virginia Spencer.  He later purchased the "Brown County News & Hecla Independent" from Connie and Dale Groop. After the Hecla School closed up, the two papers were merged into one.

• Paul became a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Langford. He was the Sunday School Teacher for a year and filled in on occasion as preacher.

• Paul later transferred his membership to Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Groton. Pastor Anne Maldoon had to have eye surgery so she was going to be absent for a while. Paul had offered to do the services in her absence. He also did pulpit supply for other churches in the area.

• On June 14, 1999, Paul launched the Groton Daily Independent on-line publication. The early publication had a circulation of seven at its lowest point, but today, is over 200.

• Paul was selected as one of 10 Outstanding Young South Dakotans in 2000 by the South Dakota Jaycees in recognition of outstanding contributions to the community and state.

• In 2003, Paul served as pulpit supply at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Pierpont starting in June. On November 1, 2003, he was given a call to serve the church.

• Paul Kosel and Tina Brotzel were married December 31, 2001. Julianna Grace Kosel was born July 28, 2003 and Jeslyn Isabella Kosel was born May 16, 2006.

• Paul also started working for the City of Groton as a mosquito fogger. He later did summer work and then became full-time year round. He was promoted by Mayor Gerald Rix to be the Assistant Electric Superintendent for the city. It was a position that would have made his Grandpa Irvin Giese proud as he was the superintendent of MDU for many years.

• When Rix retired, a new mayor came into office who stressed education and he wanted certified lineman for the job. The council decided to redirect Paul's energies to the load management system and to work in all departments.

• When Bishop Andrea DeGroot's reign had ended at the South Dakota Synod, a new bishop came into the office who stressed education. Bishop David Zellmer wanted the Synodically Authorized Ministers to get more education if they were going to continue to preach in the ELCA. Paul enrolled in the TEEM Ministries program; however, less than a year into the program, Zellmer pulled the plug. The church then decided to withdraw from the ELCA.

• Today, Paul's starts out the morning at 5 a.m. delivering about 100 copies of the Aberdeen American News, then he produces his only daily, "The Groton Daily Independent" which is done around 7 a.m., and then it's off to work for the city at 7:30 a.m. After work, he is spending time with the children, covering some kind of community event, or mowing yards.