Howard Lestrud has logged nearly 60 years in journalism. He started his career at the Austin Daily Herald on the sports desk. He began his newspaper career full time at the Albert Lea Tribune as farm page editor and then became sports editor of the Tribune.

Lestrud landed the sports editor job at the Winona Daily News and eventually went on to the Forest Lake Times where he worked for former Gov. Eimer L. Andersen until he retired.

In 2011, he and his wife Judy moved to Blooming Prairie and soon came out of retirement to join the Steele County Times as a freelance writer and columnist, something he still continues today despite several health setbacks in recent years. He enjoys writing a personal column, Reflections, for the Times.

Lestrud is a member of the Half Century Club through the Minnesota Newspaper Association for being in the newspaper industry for more than 50 years.