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GRAND FORKS POLICE INVESTIGATING VEHICLE, PEDESTRIAN CRASH INVOLVING EAST GRAND FORKS MAN

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On August 3, at approximately 8:24 p.m. officers of the Grand Forks Police Department were dispatched to a motor vehicle-pedestrian hit and run crash at 50 Riverboat Rd.  It was reported that the vehicle fled the area, however, as officers arrived to the scene the suspect was returning to talk to officers.  Initial investigation showed that the diver of the vehicle, identified as Ronald Anderson, of East Grand Forks, MN, confronted a male in the group that the female victim was with regarding an unrelated event.  The female started to become confrontational and hit Anderson’s car which caused him to drive away.  It was reported that as Anderson drove away the female victim was struck causing minor non-life-threatening injuries.  The female was treated on scene by Altru paramedics and was not transported.  The parties involved appeared to be acquainted with each other.

This is still an active and on-going investigation.  Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to contact the police department by one of the following methods:

Call:  701-787-8000
Online:  Submit a tip via the GFPD’s Facebook or website
App:  Submit a tip via the Tip411 app

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Viola Bergeron – Obit

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Viola L. (Radi) Bergeron, 86, of Green River Lane, died Saturday 7/25/20 at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. She was born in Fisher, MN on July 15, 1934, the daughter of Herman and Virginia (Wagner) Radi. Viola was class valedictorian and graduated from Fisher high school, in 1952.

Viola was a financial loan officer for Oscoda Savings Bank in Oscoda, MI for over 25 years. Her dedication and professionalism were above reproach and she was well respected by her peers and co-workers.

She enjoyed sewing, fashion, and loved to cook. Viola and her husband Bernard spent most of their time in Florida, where she volunteered her time at Sea Breeze Mobile Manor in Hobe Sound, FL. Viola was the treasurer for the Seabreeze Association and spearheaded many park events. She was extremely active in her community and was beloved by members of the park.

Besides her beloved husband of 63 years, Bernard, Viola leaves two sons, Greg Bergeron of Colrain and Gary Bergeron of Muskegon, MI; two grandchildren, Kollin Bergeron of Muskegon, MI and Jordonna Bergeron of Spring Lake, MI; four brothers, Ivan Radi and his wife Marjorie of Grand Forks, ND, Orville Radi of Fisher, MN, Keith Radi and his wife Paulette of Porto Santa Maria, Spain, and Wallace Radi and his wife Dorothy of E. Grand Forks, MN; a sister, Mary Gisler of Oregon; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services and burial will be private and held at the convenience of the family.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Kostanski Funeral Home. For condolences, please visit www.kostanskifuneralhome.com.

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MINNESOTA REPORTS 4 COVID-19 DEATH, 606 NEW CASES INCLUDING 4 IN POLK COUNTY

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The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 606 new cases of COVID-19 and 4 deaths. Another four cases were reported in Polk County bringing the total to 134 cases, nine of which have come since Polk County Public Health’s weekly update last Thursday. Just 8,060 tests were completed Monday, down from 15,823 on Sunday. All the numbers are below –

Updated August 4, 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.

Daily Update:

Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.

57,162
Total positive cases (cumulative)
606
Newly reported cases		 4
Newly reported deaths

Testing

Total approximate number of completed tests: 1,078,695

  • Total approximate number of people tested: 878,111

Testing data table

Date reported to MDH Completed tests reported from the MDH Public Health Lab (daily) Completed tests reported from external laboratories (daily) Total approximate number of completed tests
3/28 470 1,054 18,081
3/29 245 964 19,290
3/30 156 890 20,336
3/31 176 1,340 21,852
4/1 300 703 22,855
4/2 102 1,880 24,837
4/3 56 1,290 26,183
4/4 108 1,555 27,846
4/5 30 1,435 29,311
4/6 46 1,133 30,490
4/7 90 1,461 32,041
4/8 80 1,372 33,493
4/9 93 1,738 35,324
4/10 107 1,652 37,083
4/11 93 1,532 38,708
4/12 56 1,134 39,898
4/13 39 746 40,683
4/14 128 1,062 41,873
4/15 137 1,559 43,569
4/16 110 1,345 45,024
4/17 126 1,340 46,490
4/18 123 1,356 47,969
4/19 66 1,165 49,200
4/20 124 716 50,040
4/21 214 1,534 51,788
4/22 230 1,899 53,917
4/23 216 2,274 56,407
4/24 296 2,792 59,495
4/25 172 2,448 62,115
4/26 71 2,493 64,679
4/27 149 1,869 66,697
4/28 268 3,078 70,043
4/29 253 6,827 77,123
4/30 429 3,919 81,471
5/1 277 4,206 85,954
5/2 302 3,536 89,792
5/3 70 3,091 92,953
5/4 231 3,837 97,021
5/5 266 2,899 100,186
5/6 323 4,156 104,665
5/7 336 4,674 109,675
5/8 254 4,623 114,552
5/9 232 4,679 119,463
5/10 68 5,230 124,761
5/11 278 5,025 130,064
5/12 355 3,660 134,079
5/13 301 6,994 141,374
5/14 1,074 5,656 148,104
5/15 548 8,580 157,232
5/16 717 7,248 165,197
5/17 232 5,749 171,178
5/18 132 6,257 177,567
5/19 601 5,772 183,940
5/20 531 6,423 190,894
5/21 394 7,864 199,152
5/22 742 8,982 208,876
5/23 1,069 7,827 217,772
5/24 86 6,896 224,754
5/25 86 6,562 231,402
5/26 162 6,775 238,339
5/27 254 9,271 247,864
5/28 652 9,245 257,761
5/29 667 9,718 268,146
5/30 0 8,442 276,588
5/31 0 6,890 283,478
6/1 0 4,183 287,661
6/2 1,061 6,620 295,342
6/3 652 15,262 311,256
6/4 379 10,562 322,197
6/5 930 10,114 333,241
6/6 1,087 9,321 343,649
6/7 735 8,788 353,172
6/8 44 7,726 360,942
6/9 300 8,584 369,826
6/10 673 11,363 381,862
6/11 765 12,637 395,264
6/12 1,031 11,775 408,070
6/13 828 8,968 417,866
6/14 254 4,775 422,895
6/15 22 6,191 429,108
6/16 357 19,177 448,642
6/17 486 12,019 461,147
6/18 915 13,278 475,340
6/19 1,112 15,652 492,104
6/20 823 11,316 504,243
6/21 401 8,201 512,845
6/22 23 7,197 520,065
6/23 340 9,348 529,753
6/24 842 12,051 542,646
6/25 1,058 13,548 557,252
6/26 459 12,474 570,185
6/27 820 14,077 585,082
6/28 187 7,343 592,612
6/29 0 12,399 605,011
6/30 264 11,685 616,960
7/1 465 13,100 630,525
7/2 871 13,831 645,227
7/3 409 13,618 659,254
7/4 207 14,214 673,675
7/5 32 5,634 679,341
7/6 0 5,905 685,246
7/7 227 7,381 692,854
7/8 508 13,426 706,788
7/9 1,150 18,064 726,002
7/10 458 15,617 742,077
7/11 505 14,341 756,923
7/12 112 11,918 768,953
7/13 30 8,912 777,895
7/14 223 12,202 790,320
7/15 479 14,310 805,109
7/16 693 14,047 819,849
7/17 695 15,860 836,404
7/18 394 16,398 853,196
7/19 97 14,009 867,302
7/20 0 9,537 876,839
7/21 328 11,938 889,105
7/22 692 15,843 905,640
7/23 1,060 15,712 922,412
7/24 783 17,330 940,525
7/25 435 15,840 956,800
7/26 282 13,257 970,339
7/27 18 9,350 979,707
7/28 344 13,147 993,198
7/29 656 14,149 1,008,003
7/30 1,061 15,584 1,024,648
7/31 507 14,488 1,039,643
8/1 273 14,896 1,054,812
8/2 444 15,379 1,070,635
8/3 13 8,047 1,078,695

Due to delays in deduplication of results data are subject to change.

More about testing data

Minnesota Case Overview

  • Total positive cases: 57,162
    • Number of health care workers: 6,506

Graph of confirmed cases of COVID-19 by specimen collection date, data in table below.

Positive cases by date specimen collected data table

More about positive cases

Patients no longer needing isolation

  • Patients no longer needing isolation: 50,426
More about patients no longer needing isolation

Deaths

  • Deaths: 1,620
    • Deaths among cases that resided in long-term care or assisted living facilities: 1,233
  • Probable COVID-19 Deaths*: 40
    * COVID-19 listed on death certificate but a positive test not documented for the person.

Deaths of confirmed cases in Minnesota, data in table below

Deaths data table

More about deaths

Hospitalization

Total cases hospitalized: 5,346

  • Hospitalized as of today: 328
    • Hospitalized in ICU as of today: 159

Minnesota COVID-19 hospitalizations, data in table below

Hospitalization data table

More about hospitalizations

Case Demographics

Age

Age group data table:
Including age group of deaths

Gender

Gender data table

Race & Ethnicity

Race and ethnicity data table:
Including race and ethnicity of deaths

Likely Exposure

Likely exposure data table

More about likely exposure

Not all cases among health care workers have a likely exposure as health care staff.

Residence

Cases by County of Residence

County of residence is confirmed during the case interview. At the time of this posting not all interviews have been completed.

County of residence data table:
Including county of residence of deaths

More about location data

Residence Type

Residence type data table

Weekly Report

Care Facilities

Congregate Care Facilities with Exposures, by County

Other Statistics

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.

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MSHSL OKAYS SOCCER, GIRLS TENNIS, GIRLS SWIMMING, AND CROSS COUNTRY – MOVES FOOTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL TO SPRING

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The Minnesota State High School League met this morning and the main topic discussed was a return to participation plan for fall sports. 

Boys and Girls Soccer will be held in the fall, while Football and Volleyball has been moved to the spring (March 15 to May 15).  Girls Tennis, Girls Swimming, and Cross Country have been approved by a 17-1 vote.
If schools conduct distance learning, they wouldn’t be able to compete until they move to hybrid or in-person schooling.  The sports would be limited to one to two events per week.  Scrimmages won’t be allowed and competition would be limited to local/regional events to limit travel for the teams. 

The MSHSL will go with a “four-season” plan for the 2020-21 school year.  Fall and winter as scheduled, spring (Volleyball and football) from mid-March to mid-May, and “summer” (original spring sports) from May until late June/early July. The four seasons are listed below – 

Fall Sports season – (Starting August 17) –  Boys and girls soccer, girls tennis, girls swimming, cross country
Winter sports (start dates and seasons to be determined) – Boys and girls basketball, boys and girls hockey, wrestling, dance
4th season (Starting date to be determined, but mid-March to mid-May is likely) – Football and Volleyball
Spring sports (starting early May and running until late June/early July) – Baseball, softball, boys and girls track, boys tennis, boys and girls golf.

Information on team sports – 

FOOTBALL – The vote to have football in the fall failed 12-6.
The vote to have football in the spring passed 13-5.  The vote will move to the spring with hopes of more fans in the stands and a more authentic playoff experience.  The season would be a 6 game regular season with playoffs spanning 12 weeks (Season would start March 15.  Play local opponents.

VOLLEYBALL – A vote to move the season to the spring failed with an even tie of 9-9.
A second motion was made to keep Volleyball in the fall and that failed 10-8.
A motion to reconsider Volleyball in the spring was made and passed 11-7.
A vote to make the original motion to hold Volleyball in the spring passed 11-7.
Volleyball will be moved to the spring.  Reduction of contests by 30 percent and the length of the season by 20 percent. Matches would be local/regional opponents only.  Shifting Volleyball to the spring to give the option of a traditional state tournament and possibly have fans in the stands.  The season is proposed to run March 15 to May 15.

BOYS AND GIRLS SOCCER – August 17 practice start date with reduction of contests by 30 percent and the length of the season by 20 percent.  Keep games local/within the conference.  No scrimmages would be allowed.  Limit of one to two games allowed per week.  No captains practice.  Section and state tournaments are TBD.  The motion passed 18-0.

GIRLS TENNIS – Practice would start August 17. Reduce matches by 30 percent and the length of the season by 20 percent.  No events larger than a triangular will be allowed.  Singles and doubles matches would be played at all levels (Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Junior High). Section and state tournaments are TBD. No scrimmages allowed. No captains practice.

GIRLS SWIMMING – Practice would start August 17.  Any indoor sport held in the spring will not allow spectators at this point.  Competitions will be limited to two teams.  No big invites or true team competitions.  Contests are local or within the conference only.  Reduce meets by 30 percent and the length of the season by 20 percent.  Section and state tournaments are TBD. No captains practice.

CROSS COUNTRY – Practice would start August 17.  Reduce contests by 30 percent and the length of the season by 20 percent.  No more than two or three teams on the course at a time.  Complications at the starting line and finish line were discussed and safe ways to conduct the start of the race are being discussed.  Allow Varsity, Junior Varsity, C Squad, and Junior High.  Section and state tournaments are TBD. No captains practice.

Background information –
In July a task force was created to look at the best way to offer activities this fall.  They focused on sport-specific areas and reviewed other state organizations and their guidelines.  The task force used the State of Minnesota’s return to learn model as a guide.

Other notes –
Volleyball and Football teams will be able to practice in the fall.  How many times and when will be decided by the eligibility committee at a later date.  When it is announced we will let you know.

State tournaments will be offered online only in an effort to save money.  It will save the MSHSL an estimated $125,000 to $175,000 a year.

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Apple Fire In California Spreads To Over 26,000 Acres As Cause of Blaze Is Determined

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A massive fire in California that was sparked Friday afternoon by a malfunctioning vehicle has now spread over more than 26,000 acres in the Inland Empire, officials said Monday.

The Apple fire was ignited by “a diesel-fueled vehicle emitting burning carbon from the exhaust system,” according to a statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department. The fire has burned 26,450 acres and was 5% contained as of Monday morning, Cal Fire said.

Officials added that the blaze is “burning in an area with no recent fire history.” Roughly 2,300 fire personnel are working to douse the flames. Multiple evacuation orders and warnings were put in place in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Roughly 7,800 residents in more than 2,500 households have been ordered to evacuate, officials said. 

The Apple fire is continuing to produce a massive amount of smoke, prompting the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a health advisory for nearby communities.

        

Cause of California’s Apple Fire determined

Via www.cbsnews.com
Cal Fire and Riverside County Fire Department investigators said Monday that the Apple Fire…
 

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Hurricane Isaias Strengthens As It Approaches East Coast

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Hurricane Isaias approached the Carolinas as a Category 1 with winds reaching 85 mph. The storm has caused flooding and damaged homes as it hit towns in both North and South Carolina. The storm is then forecast to bring torrential rain, flash flooding and storm surge up the East Coast, as well as dangerous winds to the Northeast.

Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of the Carolinas and tropical storm alerts stretch from Florida to New England as the storm approaches northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency, with some coastal communities under evacuation orders.

Isaias will reach the Mid-Atlantic by early morning Tuesday and the Northeast by Tuesday night. Over six inches of rain are forecast for the Mid-Atlantic. The heaviest rainfall is expected to hit along the Interstate 95 corridor from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia to New York City. Damaging winds are also forecast for New Jersey, New York City and Long Island.

         

Isaias regains hurricane strength as it approaches Carolinas

Via www.nbcnews.com
A hurricane warning was in place for a 140-mile stretch of coast that extends from South…
 

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Taylor Swift Is The First Artist To Debut At No. 1 On Both Billboard 2-00 And Hot 100 Charts In Same Week

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Taylor Swift has becoming the first artist ever to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 in the same week. Swift’s surprise eighth studio album,  Folklore, took top honors in its first week after moving 846,000 units, marking the biggest sales week this year. Her lead single, “Cardigan,” also debuted at No. 1 after amassing 34 million U.S. streams and 71,000 downloads sold. 

“Cardigan” is joined by “The 1” at No. 4, making her the first woman to have two songs simultaneously debut in the top five of the Hot 100. Meanwhile, the Swift/Bon Iver collab “Exile” took the No. 6 spot. She’s the sixth artist to have three tracks in the Hot 100’s top 10 in its first week.

Taylor Swift’s folklore Broke So Many Billboard Records

Via www.msn.com
Taylor Swift’s came-out-of-nowhere quarantine album, folklore, is being heralded as…
 

Editorial credit: FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.com

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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson And Investors Buy XFL for $15 Million

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On Monday, Dwayne “The Rock Johnson and RedBird Capital teamed up to buy the XFL league just hours before a planned auction was set to begin. Johnson and RedBird Capital paid $15 million for the pro football league, splitting it evenly. Johnson’s ex-wife and business partner, Dany Garcia, will also be a stakeholder.

Johnson said in a statement: “The acquisition of the XFL with my talented partners, Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, is an investment for me that’s rooted deeply in two things – my passion for the game and my desire to always take care of the fans. With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football.”

XFL President and COO Jeffrey Pollack said in a statement: “We are grateful for today’s outcome,” adding that this is a “Hollywood ending,” to the entire process and is looking forward to a “new chapter for the league.” Pollack then noted that Johnson, Garcia, and Cardinale are a “dream team ownership.”

XFL was originally set to be up for auction and it was reported a dozen bidders were looking to buy the league. With Johnson being an owner of XFL, the league will continue to have ties with WWE as Vince McMahon was the founder of the league back in 2001. The season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which then led to the league filing for bankruptcy in April after laying off all its employees.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Teams Up with Investor Group to Buy the XFL for $15 Million

Via people.com
The actor is teaming up with Dany Garcia alongside RedBird Capital to buy the XFL — the…
 

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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AUTHORITIES RESPOND TO FATAL SEMI FIRE NEAR MENTOR

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On Monday, August 3 at approximately 3:37 P.M., the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a single-vehicle rollover near the intersection of Polk County Road 10 and 405th Street SE south of Mentor.  The vehicle, a semi, was reported to be on fire in the ditch on the west side of the road. The semi was fully engulfed when deputies arrived. Minnesota State Patrol, Fertile Fire Department, Mentor Fire Department, Essentia Ambulance and Polk County Ambulance Service also responded. After the fire was extinguished, personnel on scene located a body, believed to be that of the driver, in the semi. This is an active investigation and no further information will be released at this time, pending notification of family members.

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NEW SKYLIGHT TO LIGHT ATRIUM AT FOURNET BUILDING AS THE REMODEL PROGRESSES

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The remodeling of the Fournet building in downtown Crookston continues to move along.

Jeff Evers has been working on reconstructing the inside of the Fournet since the Crookston City Council approved the developer’s agreement for a TIF District in April 2019.  After gutting the second and third floors of the building, Evers and his staff have been framing offices and meeting rooms, adding plumbing, new staircases, and electrical, as well as upgrading all the windows in the building.  

Evers said framing the project is mostly done. “The framing is pretty much done now, and we’re moving onto some other things,” said Evers. “Hopefully, the elevator people will be here soon to start working on that. The skylight, I changed how that’s going to be. We had to have it re-engineered. There will be a steel structure built within the building that will go all the way down to the basement that will hold the skylight up. It will be independent of the building almost. A lot of the electrical is done, and HVAC will hopefully be going in soon. The sprinkler system will be soon too. It’s kind of the calm before the storm now, but things are moving along. It’s a process and a big building.”

One large skylight will replace the three smaller skylights that previously lit the atrium, which has taken a bit more time and money to get planned explained, Evers. “Right now, there are the three smaller skylights with five to six-foot walls between them,” said Evers. “So, the walls will go away, and it will be one big clear 50×20 foot skylight. It’s going to take a little more time and be a little more expensive, but I think it’s going to be worth it.”

With the new skylight to bring even more light into the atrium, interior offices and other spaces are going to have windows to allow natural light into all areas of the main building. “There will be quite a few windows in the atrium area going into the offices and hallways,” said Evers. “So, the light should be good that way. There are quite a few windows around (the building).”

Not everything in the facility will be entirely new, though.  The grand staircase in the atrium will remain largely the way people remember and current pictures show.  The significant change, according to Evers, will be increasing the height of the railings to modern standards. “The original grand staircase from the second to the third floor will pretty much like people have seen it in the pictures,” said Evers. “It’s going to be very, very similar. We’re going to modify it a little bit, so people don’t fall over the railing, same material basically, and it will go up a little bit. It will look very similar to the way it was built. A little bit of old and a little bit of new.”

While Evers is hesitant to put on completion date on the project, he’s shooting for late fall to winter, while just trying to take things one day at a time. “I’m just trying to get through every day, to be honest,” said Evers. “We’re trying to get the construction done all at the same time, so one tenant is living in a mess. We’re trying to do the second and third floors altogether, and with the skylight changes, I made it’s taking a little longer. Hopefully, this fall or winter, but if I can just get through the next day, that will be great.”

Additional remodeling of the main floor is still planned to provide a large lobby with a history of Crookston and the Fournet building, as well as what Evers hopes will be a cafe for tenants and downtown employees.