~Aaron Buttenhoff~ Sports Director
Since I started here as the Sports Director in August 2006, I have loved my time...from living in Willmar to my new place in Raymond. I do a little bit of everything for the radio station from weekends on Hot Country K95 to being the voice of MACCRAY Wolverine sports on 97.3 The River including covering many other sporting events around the area and live reports from state tournaments throughout the year. As you may guess I am a big time sports nut! In the fall, its high school, Golden Gopher and Minnesota Vikings football. Winter, I’m at a MACCRAY basketball game or following the Minnesota Wild or St Cloud State Huskies hockey team. Spring and summer its all about baseball whether it be the Twins or Stingers. I also like to go camping, fishing, and I am a whiz in the kitchen since before radio I spent 12 years as a chef and still do work as a cook/chef. I also spent 3 years active duty US Army and the last 12 years in the US Army Reserve including a deployment to the Middle East for a total of 15 years. I am also a big time fair goer. I go to as many of the county fairs that I can and the only time in the past 25 years that I can remember missing the Minnesota State Fair is during my deployment, but I’m sure there is maybe 2 others that I’ve missed. Plus, I DJ weddings, sweet 16 parties, anniversaries and any party you need music to make the night better. Party DJ page here...
~Al Sheldon~
I grew up on a farm southeast of Blue Earth, Mn. just on the Iowa side of the border, made it through school and went to Brown college in Minneapolis for radio training, and then...
It was a dark and stormy night, 1974, in Boone, Iowa, when I began my work as a full time radio person. 12 years later, it was time to move on, with radio stops in Lincoln, Nebraska and Zanesville, Ohio, then into a different side of the entertainment biz...Playing drums full time, traveling, seeing the USA and Canada, (and Matamoros, Mexico one dusty afternoon!), and meeting and working with some very very talented people along the way.
When that career landed, the great state of Minnesota beckoned, and after a month of searching, Willmar became the new home base, and here it is, 20 years later already!
I fish, I hunt, vacation in mexico whenever possible, dj weddings and parties, and love being a part of your morning on K95, or the River 97, or AM 1590! It's your choice where to tune in each day! That said, welcome to our website and thank you so much for logging in, and tuning in! or check out my Party DJ page here...
~Bev Ahlquist~News Director
With 35 years of experience my media career started at the Willmar Tribune where I was family page editor, and then was emoployed by Gary Dahlberg at the New London Times, was in partnership with Dennis Baker in the Times/Free Press for a short while and then worked as managing editor of the Times/Free Press under new management. From there I went to KDJS, K95.3 & The River as news Director. I have been here since 1998.
Keeping myself busy, I also freelance for several newspapers; The Sr. Perspectives Publication, The Kerkhoven Banner & The Raymond/Prinsburg News, mostly writing feature stories. Personally I love to read & spend time with family & friends.
When I get time at home I try and catch Criminal Minds and America's Got Talent.
If you have a news story for me you are welcome to call 320-235-2900 or email me. Listen to my community round table Sundays at 7:30am on KDJS AM 1590 or right here->
~Dan Schell~
I've been at K-95 since 2001, doing nights for several years before moving to my
10-3 spot...... I grew up in St. Paul and bounced around the Twin Cities before moving to Willmar......I'm a fan of country(duh), bluegrass and rock.....I'm a huge sports fan too and fantasy sports fanatic....When I'm not listening to music or the Twins, you'll find me on my motorcycle.
~Deb Spaulding~Sales
I have been with KDJS for about 20 years! I enjoy camping and spending time with my family.
~Doug Hanson~ General Manager I live in Atwater with my wife Deb. We have three children: Nichole (TJ) Fetrow of Fridley, Jonathan is a senior at UMD & Justin is a junior at The College of St Scholastica. We also have two grandson's, Connor and Braeden.
I've been in the radio business for the past 26 years. In 2011 I retired from the MN National Guard with 39 years of service. Seventeen of those as a Command Sergant Major (CSM).
I enjoy Kart Racing, hunting, fishing & family outings!
Thanks to our loyal K95.3, KDJS & River listeners. Checkout our streaming.
~Ella~ I live on a farm outside of Maynard. As a part-time weekend announcer here at KDJS 95.3 I have been in radio for six years. I love country music, "my" Vikes, NASCAR and dirt track racing. Also I love writing,singing and hanging out with my friends and family.
~Gary Svobodny~Sales
I have been with KDJS for 25 plus years! I enjoy hunting, fishing and spending time at the cabin with my kids and grandkids.
~Jeremy Goulet~ office manager/traffic
I am the Office/Traffic Manager at KDJS. I grew up in Benson and went to college at the University of Minnesota Morris for Business Administration & Economics. After I graduated, I worked at KSCR/KBMO as their Office/Traffic Manager until 2008, when I moved to North East Minneapolis. I eventually made my way back to rural Minnesota and have been here since November 2009. I like to golf, I love all types of music, and am a fan of all Minnesota sports teams.
~Jessie Holmstrom~ front office/traffic/web design
I was born in South Dakota, went to Brown Institute (now Brown College) for Radio Broadcasting and recieved my Associates in Arts from Bemidji State University. I have been in radio for about 5 years and been with KDJS since 2011. I work the front desk at KDJS where I do data entry, program logs and update our web page. I love music and the outdoors including camping, gardening and hanging out with family and friends.
~John Mckenna~ announcer
First off, I am a proud corn-fed "Iowan". Ha! You, however, may refer to this particular breed by the name "I-wegian". I grew up in the small town of Harris, only a mere 15 minutes from the Minnesota border. By high school, I moved up to Worthington, MN. This is where I first got into radio, while attending high school on a "pick your career" assignment given to us by our guidance counselor. Well... I researched it, and I got my foot in the door. I also found myself attached to the love of all that is "the music world". Everything from guitars and drums to DJ equipment and studio setups. After stepping away from the mic for a few years, I finally moved my way further north and into the Willmar area where I started at KDJS part-time on the weekends in 2004. I began DJIng wedding dances and parties about this same time, and took that into a career route in itself. A couple years later, I moved to a fulltime slot doing the night show on K95.3 and stayed there for 5 extremely fun and exciting years. Late 2011, I decided to take the other side of my career a step further and get more involved with the audio industry as a whole and continue my learning of new technology in the audio field. Radio is one thing I will never let go in my life. I love it!! There's nothing like it in this world. You meet so many great people in this world through radio, and you get to learn so much about people no matter what walk of life they come from. I continue my radio career with K95, just not as much as I once did. Currently, I “man the helm” of the airwaves of KDJS part time on the weekends.
My other "hobbies" include everything that is the sports world. I bleed purple for the Vikings even in the offseason. You can also find me supporting the Twins, Twolves and the Wild. The ONLY team I love that isn't from the great state of Minnesota... hails from my first roots. The Iowa Hawkeyes. GO HAWKS! College football, forget about it! It's Hawkeyes all the way. (This mentality FYI stems from living in Iowa and not having a pro sports team in the state) :)
You can also find me out on the lakes, open water or iced over. I love to fish. Also I really love to go snowmobiling, handyman work, playing some video games now n then, and just living life as it comes! Not only do I like country, but ALL genres and years of music make my record go 'round. Need a DJ for a party? Look me up! "Play Loud, Live Loud, Be Heard" ~my motto.
~Mike Compton~ evening/night announcer
I am a very relaxed and happy personality, I think the motif to everybody’s life is that time is too precious to waste which is why I am always trying to smell the roses. I genuinely enjoy people and extending my hands to those in need. All my life I have wanted to be on the radio. And I am finally here! I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis where I went to school and fell in love music. After a few unsuccessful years of majoring Music in college I eventually wound up at Brown College to get my degree in broadcasting which helped me find my way to K95.3.
“My childhood was typical, summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat
helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds, pretty
standard really” (Dr. Evil from Austin Powers)
Ranae with her Headwaters Blues Opry Friends Ranae & Deb with Dan Gladden (Twins Announcer for the MN Twins Caravan)
~Ranae Rahn~sales
I started with KDJS, K-95 & The River as an Account Executive in September of 2009. I received a call from the General Manager to see if I might be interested in a radio sales position. I have a background in sales and marketing and this position has served me very well. What I like about radio is that there is a real variety which includes doing live remotes and helping my clients figure out the best radio advertising packages for them. I love working with new clients to come up with consistent advertising packages that help them increase their sales and helping clients come up with creative commercials that work well for them.
I’ve always had a desire to sing in front of an audience and I got this opportunity a little over a year ago at Pioneer Place Theatre in downtown St.Cloud when I had a small part in a musical production called “The Headwaters Blues Opry”. A good friend and former college roommate called and asked if I would be willing to do this with her. Another one of our friends who is the Cultural Diversity Director at St.Cloud State University, Debra Leigh got us involved and also taught us the dance. Yes, not only did we sing but we danced! It was fun and we met a lot of wonderful people!
Another thing on my bucket list was to travel to other countries to have new experiences. 12 years ago, my husband and I travelled to Mexico and fell in love with a small quaint Indian fishing village called Zihuatanejo. We met many people there, that we now call our good friends. When we retire, we now have a beautiful place to go to.
~Rob Ryan~Program Director
I have been with KDJS for 20 plus years. I am a handy man at home and enjoy working on my house with my wife Carol. Love spending time with my kids and grandkids.
