Month: July 2020

The Fourth of July is one of the busiest weeks of the year on Minnesota waters and the same is true on the lakes in Polk County according to Sheriff Jim Tadman. Tadman said extra boat and water patrols will be on the water to help keep people safe. “It is the busiest time of the year for our sheriff’s office and especially the lakes areas,” said Tadman. “This Fourth of July does land on a Saturday, so I think we’re going to have more people in the lakes areas and doing more boating, especially if its nice weather. We’re planning on putting on extra shifts for our boat and water to make sure our area lakes are safe. The deputies will be out and about, so if you see them wave hi because they’re out there to keep everybody safe. We want everybody to be safe.”

Tadman said one of the biggest safety precautions that can be taken is wearing a lifejacket, which is required for youth. “I think the biggest thing is to make sure you wear your lifejacket,” said Tadman. “That’s the biggest thing if you have an accident people fall over, all it takes is people to gasp from hitting the water. They take in some water and trouble starts from there. Big thing is to make sure you wear lifejackets. Adults aren’t mandated to wear them all the time, but make sure you have one for everybody in the boat.”

Tadman added that responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages or a sober driver is also important. “Another big thing is consuming alcohol while in a boat or driving a boat is not illegal,” said Tadman. “But drunk boating is the same as drunk driving, consequences are the same. So, if you’re having a couple of alcoholic beverages out there find a sober driver and enjoy your time out in the sun.”

Additionally, people sitting on the gunnels will also get boats stopped because of the dangers if someone were to fall off, and the likelihood of getting caught under the boat or in the motor. Tadman says the boat and water program has helped keep boating accidents to a minimum. “Our boat and water program has been working hard,” said Tadman. “Our Sergeant, Scott Bixby, does all the paperwork and gets all the schedules signed up and makes sure the boats are ready to go. Through the last six seasons, we’ve had one minor reported incident on all the waters in Polk County. During these seasons, they’ve increased the patrolling and officers on the lakes areas.”

Deputies on the water are also out to educate boaters about unsafe behavior according to Tadman. “Also, education is a big thing we want to get out there,” said Tadman. “Any questions on boating and not everything is a ticket or warning, but to advise people they might be going down the wrong road. As the temperatures come up, sometimes people don’t use their heads. It’s busy out on the lakes and you have to be observant. We hand out every year the comic coloring books for the kids that’s education about boating. We also have the boating programs which indicate all the laws and guides. We keep them on the boat, so if you see the deputy out there and aren’t sure of law or what to do ask them for a guidebook. We give them out every year and if you need one, we’ll send them out to you.”

Tadman also wished everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July. “We want everybody to have a Happy Fourth and enjoy their time,” said Tadman. “And be safe out there.”

Safety tips for on the water:

• Leave the alcoholic beverages on the shore. Drunk boating is the same as drunk driving.
• Wear a life jacket. It’s the best way to stay safe on the water.
• Own your wake. Shared resources require shared responsibility. Be aware of the wake your boat creates and the impact it has on shoreline erosion as well as hazards created by large wakes to swimmers, paddlers, and others who are boating.
• Enjoy the view and put away the phone. Just as distracted driving is a concern on our roads, distracted boating can lead to accidents and fatalities on our waters.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has received two complaints in reference to a Suspicious Person driving in Fosston and asking females if they want a ride.  In both incidents, the male was told no but continued asking to give them a ride and eventually left the area.  In both instances, the male is described as a white male, heavyset, with a white beard approximately 60 years old.  There are two different vehicle descriptions of what the male was driving.  In one report the male was driving a tan SUV and in the other report, the male was driving a teal pick-up. 

The first incident happened on Saturday, June 27, in the afternoon, and the second incident happened on Tuesday, June 30, in the morning.  Both incidents are under investigation. No further information will be released at this time.  The female’s names will not be released.  If anybody has any information that might help in this investigation please contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 218-281-0431.

Fireworks are an Independence Day tradition for many people. However, celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks, cookouts, and community events can quickly turn to disaster if proper precautions are not taken.

Crookston Fire Department, IAFF Local #3394, Firefighter Brian Hanson said Independence Day is one of the busiest days of the year for firefighters across the country with many fires started by fireworks. “Independence Day, unfortunately, is one of the busiest days of the year for firefighters according to the National Fire Protection Association,” said Hanson. “More fires are reported on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year. And two out of five fires are started by fireworks.”

Children are especially at risk around fireworks, with 35 percent of the victims in fireworks injuries being under 15 years old. “The Local #3394 advises that the best way to enjoy fireworks and prevent injury is to watch a professional show,” said Hanson. “According to a 2017 report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission fireworks were involved in an estimated 10,500 injuries treated in the United States hospital emergency departments annually.”

Even though sparklers can reach up to 1200˚ Fahrenheit when lit, they are among the legal fireworks in Minnesota said Crookston Police Chief Paul Biermaier. “Not a whole lot has changed over the years,” said Biermaier. “Selling, possessing, and using certain non-explosive, and non-aerial fireworks, called consumer fireworks, are permitted. Examples of some of that, sparklers are allowed, cones and tubes that emit sparks. You might see a cone fountain or cylindrical fountain. There is a thing called an illuminating torch, there is a pyrotechnic wheel you can nail to a post or tree and it spins around, snakes, ground spinners, party poppers are all allowed. All of these consumer fireworks can not be used on public property. You can’t be lighting or using these in parks, on the roads, alleys, schools, or other government property. You have to be 18 to buy them, and they are for sale in Crookston, but you have to have a photo ID to buy them, and stores are required to check IDs.”

Fireworks that explode or shoot into the air are illegal in Minnesota said Biermaier. “The stuff that’s not allowed is basically things that explode or go up in the air,” said Biermaier. “You can’t possess them, can’t use them, and they can’t be sold. These are any kind of firecrackers of any size, bottle rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, planes, UFOs, anything that is what they call a missile is not allowed. Roman Candles aren’t allowed because those shoot little balls up in the air too. That stuff is all not lawful.”

Biermaier said fireworks should only be used early in the evening before the city’s noise ordinance kicks in and that breaking the ordinance, possessing, or using illegal fireworks is a misdemeanor offense. “Fireworks are allowed basically around the Fourth of July timeframe up until about 10 p.m.,” said Biermaier. “After that, it becomes a nuisance and is an ordinance violation. So, be mindful of your neighbors and don’t be making the noise that’s going to keep people awake after 10 p.m. especially. There is a state law that it’s a misdemeanor violation for using these or possessing. We don’t want to write the citations for that either, so just be mindful, polite, courteous, and be safe.”

More information about fireworks safety can be found here.

More information on legal and illegal fireworks in Minnesota can be found here.

A storm Tuesday night into Wednesday morning dumped plenty of water on Crookston and the KROX listening area. Rainfall of 2.35 inches was recorded at the KROX studios in downtown Crookston. Other amounts reported by KROX listeners are below –

CROOKSTON (totals in inches)
Lowell Street – 3.0
Woods Addition – 2.70
Sampson Addition – 2.55
Euclid Avenue – 2.55
Jackson Avenue – 2.5

KROX LISTENING AREA
Euclid – 3.4
12 miles north of Crookston – 3.4
3 miles south of Angus – 2.75
Union Lake – 2.50
Nielsville – 1.25

Additionally, Kari Olson submitted photos (below) of a damaged tree on Houston Avenue that she said appeared to have been struck by lightning. The City of Crookston staff was out cleaning up the damage Wednesday morning.

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The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is reporting 426 new cases of COVID-19 including two new cases in Polk County bringing the county total to 81. MDH is also reporting 4 deaths.

Updated July 1, 2020
Updated daily at 11 a.m., with data current as of 4 p.m. the previous day.

Data is for cases that were tested and returned positive. All data is preliminary and may change as cases are investigated. Many data points are collected during case interviews. Data presented below is for all cases, regardless of interview status. Data for cases pending interview may be listed as “unknown/missing.”

Not all suspected cases of COVID-19 are tested, so this data is not representative of the total number of people in Minnesota who have or had COVID-19. Cumulative numbers are since Jan. 20, 2020.

• Minnesota COVID-19 Public Dashboard
• Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response and Preparation Capacity
• CDC: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Cases in the U.S.
• Minnesota COVID-19 Modeling

Data in the data tables is correct as of 11 a.m. daily. Dynamic images and maps for case demographics, likely exposure, residence, and residence type will update shortly after 11 a.m. daily and will not work if your browser is in compatibility mode.