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Luverne native to be contestant on next NBC reality seriesShantel VanSanten, daughter of Denise and Al Padilla, Spring, Texas, and Steve and Carla VanSanten, Luverne, will be one of twelve models vying to become one of the country’s next supermodels on NBC’s new reality show, "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search."According to her mother, Denise, Shantel started modeling at age 15 for department stores in the Houston area.She was also photographed for several teen magazines over the past years and has been in one national commercial for a Canadian pharmaceutical company.Denise said the interviews were "grueling" and she had to fly to Los Angeles twice.Then one evening in September she received a call telling her she had been selected as one of the twelve finalists. She had to be on a plane for Los Angeles at 2 p.m. the next afternoon.To participate in the contest, Shantel had to suspend her college career at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth but plans to re-enroll for the spring quarter.For their most recent reality show, NBC partnered with Sports Illustrated to launch the nationwide search.The six-episode series will focus on what it takes to become a successful swimsuit model.According to NBC’s Web site, the twelve selected finalists will live in Los Angeles where they will compete for the chance to appear in the best-selling issue of any magazine in the world and win a million-dollar modeling contract from NEXT Model Management.The series and competition culminate with the final two contestants who will be flown to an exotic location to shoot a photo spread for Sports Illustrated.The winner will not be known until viewers vote on their choice as part of the series finale in February.The series premieres on NBC at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5.If you would like to check out the show’s Web site, go to www.nbc.com and click on the link for "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Search."Your next driver’s license will look a little differentIf you recently applied for a new, duplicate or renewal driver’s license, you will get one with a new look and a lot of security features.The new card is similar in size to the old one (credit card size) but is more flexible and has a somewhat different texture.New features include:
On the front of the card, a virtual image of a loon appears to float above or sink below the surface of the card as the viewing angle changes.
A digital image of the cardholder is fused with heat into the card plastic. The image is always on the left.
A holographic state seal that appears on the front of the card is visible only under ultraviolet light.
A red border around the image indicates "Under 21."
If a card holder is under 18, the date of birth appears in red.The new cards went into production on Dec. 15. Anyone who submitted an application on or after Dec. 13 will receive the new card.Minnesota gets high economic marksFor the ninth year in a row, Minnesota has been named one of seven states to make the Corporation for Enterprise Development’s honor roll.The seven states on the list earn the honor by scoring all A’s and B’s on a broad-based index of the economies of the 50 states.The other states on the list include Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon and Virginia.According to Matt Kramer, Commissioner of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the report shows that "Minnesota outperforms nearly all other states on most key metrics. And it identifies our strongest attributes as a high quality of life, excellent investment in education and infrastructure, and an exciting and innovative culture."Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com