The Polk County Historical Society is looking for some help in identifying a tool (pictured below) that was recently donated to the Polk County Historical Society’s museum in Crookston. It’s made of wood, 13 inches long with a wood screw four inches long. The hinged wing is 5.5 inches long. If anyone knows what this tool may have been used for, they are encouraged to email Historical Society President Anne Muir at imamuir@hotmail.com or contact PCHS Secretary Twylla Altepeter at the Fertile Journal 945-6120 or fertilejournal@hwy32publishing.com.
If you have driven by the Crookston High School on Fisher Avenue, you have probably noticed some landscaping work being done by students in the Landscape Design Class taught by Whitney Rupprecht. The Landscaping Design class is one of the many great class offerings through the Ag Program at Crookston High School. The landscaping projects are being funded by the $5,000 grant American Crystal Sugar recently gave to the Ag Program.
On the first day of class, the students gave ideas on what projects they would like to do and two projects came to the forefront. A flower bed on the south end of the high school property and some landscaping work at the front entrance of the school. “The students kind of decided for us. On the first day of class we went through the syllabus and different things and the students kind of told me where their interests were,” said Mrs. Rupprecht. “They really wanted to update the school, make it more modern, and add some points of interest to it.”
FLOWER BED –
The first project the students are working on is a flower bed on the south end of the Crookston High School property that is visible to people driving by on Fisher Avenue. “That is the largest by far and it will have a huge CHS landscape design that will face the road. It is a lot of bricks and a lot of muscle going into that,” said Mrs. Rupprecht. “We are building this ginormous retaining wall and sloping it down and eventually we will plant some flowers in there.”
On Thursday afternoon, some members of the class were transplanting over 750 Marigolds and Vinca Cora flowers/plugs that they will use for the flower bed. The rest of the members of the class were helping spread $1,200 worth of soil that Crookston School District Groundkeeper Ray Schaefer was dumping inside the retaining wall. “It started out as a big idea that was very abstract and the students really helped narrow it down and then one night it kind of clicked on every we should do so I scheduled out a plan and students helped design things and we did a scale model and it kind of worked out well,” said Mrs. Rupprecht. “It is a lot of steps and I am thankful that the students are great to work with. They are awesome! I can give them a task and they will get it done.”
FRONT ENTRANCE FLOWER BED –
The students also thought it would be nice to have some landscaping at the front entrance of the school so they are also working on that project. “We are redoing the front of the school and adding some flower beds because there wasn’t a whole lot there, so we wanted to give it some color,” said Mrs. Rupprecht. They will put flowers and some shrubs in the area to add a little extra to the front entrance.
The kids were enjoying being outside, doing something different, and some hands-on learning.
Joslynn Leach said they are staying busy. “Right now we are transplanting the flowers. That is our current project going on while they finish the flower box in the front,” said Leach. “It has been really fun to do some hands-on activities and it’s a lot different from all my other classes. It is a nice little break from senioritis.”
Noah Kiel said he has enjoyed the project. “If you look at UMC and they used to have the flowers and now it is covered by a banner. We are going to put in the flowers and make CHS in there and make it look really nice,” said Kiel. “I think it is pretty fun and I like labor more than anything. I am more of a hands-on student so I think this is more fun than bookwork. It’s good to see everybody learn new things and do things they aren’t comfortable with, so that is fun to see students try.”
Cameron Weiland has enjoyed the class and doing something different. “I like how we are doing hands-on work instead of being in the classroom doing homework,” said Weiland. “My job is media so I take pictures and post them to social media to keep everybody up to date on the work we are doing.”
Mrs. Rupprecht said the kids are enjoying the projects, especially when it is nice outside. “I think the kids are enjoying it. On nice days I think they really enjoy being outside,” said Rupprecht. “We are on a deadline and the last week of school is when I would like to get everything done. We might bring in some of the seventh and eighth graders because they are always excited to do those projects. It will get done. It might take a couple of weekends, but we will get it done.”
Barbara Jo “Bubba” Danielson, age 67, of Crookston, MN, passed away on May 5, 2021, at the Villa St. Vincent Nursing Home in Crookston, MN, with her family and friends by her side.
Bubba was born on February 25, 1954, in Harvey, ND, the daughter of the late Raymond and Esther (Gross) Danielson. The family moved to Mentor, MN, and she attended Mentor Public Schools from 1960 to 1973. Afterward, she moved to Missouri for a short time with a friend and then stayed in Minneapolis after her nephew, Tony, was born. Later, she moved back to Crookston, MN, and lived on a farm with her longtime boyfriend Clarence Delage. After his passing, she moved from the farm and into town. For most of her career, she worked in the foodservice industry. She worked at the Golf Terrace Hotel, washed dishes at Country Kitchen, now known as RBJ’s, and then for the cafeteria at Riverview Health until her retirement.
Bubba was a longtime member of the VFW Woman’s Auxiliary in Crookston, MN, and was very active in their fundraisers. She loved playing cards at the VFW, was a very loyal bingo player, and was well known for her intensity, competitiveness, and flowery language. She immensely enjoyed spending time with her friends and their Sunday breakfast meetings.
Bubba is survived by her sister, Beverly Nelson of Mentor, MN; and brother, Roger Danielson of Mentor, MN; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Esther Danielson; siblings, Lawren Danielson, Donna Grove, Jody Danielson, and infant brother, Robert Danielson; and longtime boyfriend, Clarence Delage.
A memorial service celebrating Bubba’s life will be held at the Crookston VFW at a later time.
Governor Tim Walz today announced a three-step timeline to end nearly all state COVID-19 restrictions by May 28, and end the statewide masking requirement once 70% of Minnesotans age 16 years and older get their vaccine, or by July 1. The announcement comes as more than 2.6 million Minnesotans have gotten their shot and the state is on track to vaccinate 70 percent of Minnesotans by the end of June.
“Our nation-leading vaccination effort has put us in a strong position to safely transition toward life as we used to know it,” said Governor Walz. “The pandemic is not over and we have work to do. But from the State Fairgrounds, to doctor’s offices, to retrofitted Metro Transit buses that deliver vaccines where they’re most needed, Minnesotans now have more opportunities than ever to get the vaccine when and where they want to. As cases recede, more people get vaccinated every day, and vaccines are readily available to all who want it, we can now confidently and safely set out our path back to normal.”
The most at-risk Minnesotans – seniors, long-term care residents, assisted living residents, educators, and front-line workers – have gotten their vaccines. Nearly 90 percent of Minnesotans over the age of 65 have gotten at least one dose.
“Thank you, Minnesota. For the past year you’ve made sacrifice after sacrifice. And now that we have three safe, effective vaccines that are widely available, we can begin to think about what life will look like after this pandemic,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “We know that barriers still exist for many Minnesotans who want to receive the vaccine, especially those in underserved communities, and our work to connect them through community clinics and pharmacies, mobile vaccine clinics, and other targeted strategies continues. Our path forward now relies on Minnesotans getting the vaccine.”
“I know the last year has tested us. But we made those sacrifices to save lives until a vaccine could keep Minnesotans safe,” Governor Walz continued. “We all now have the ability to protect our loved ones. So go get your vaccines, Minnesota, and do your part to finally put this pandemic behind us.”
Since mid-April, COVID-19 cases have declined. Hospitals are seeing fewer admissions and vaccination progress has relentlessly pushed forward. Vaccines held COVID-19 variants at bay and avoided having them overwhelm our state.
The three-step process will end nearly all state COVID-19 restrictions by May 28, and end the statewide masking requirement by July 1 at the latest.
Step one takes place at noon on May 7. It includes initial steps to relax some restrictions, primarily in outdoor settings.
Removes limits for outdoor dining, events, and other get-togethers, and ends the mask requirement outdoors except at large venues with over 500 people.
Eliminates the state-established mandatory closing time for bars, restaurants, and food and beverage service at other places of public accommodation.
The second step begins on May 28. Remaining capacity and distancing limits will come to an end, including for indoor events and gatherings. The requirements that will remain include:
Face coverings indoors and for outdoor events that exceed 500 people.
There will be no new safety requirements for businesses, though they must maintain their plans to keep their employees and customers safe – as they have from the beginning of the pandemic – guided only by a minimal universal state guidance document.
The third step takes place once 70 percent of Minnesotans age 16 years and older – 3,087,404 Minnesotans – get at least one dose of the vaccine, but no later than July 1.
The remaining face-covering requirement and the requirement for preparedness plans will end. Work on vaccines will continue, and local jurisdictions and entities may set their own mask policies.
Because the youngest Minnesotans are not yet eligible for the vaccine, the Safe Learning Plan for schools will continue until the end of the school year to protect students, teachers, and staff in schools.
Additional protections will remain, including the eviction moratorium, a ban on price gouging, and eligibility exemptions for people who receive state services. The State will continue its emergency efforts to get Minnesotans tested and vaccinated and will continue to monitor the virus and the growth of variants in the months to come.
Additionally, local jurisdictions and businesses may still require masks and have other requirements beyond July 1.
“Minnesotans made today’s announcement possible through their hard work and perseverance,” said Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. “This is a day for us to celebrate the progress, while also recognizing the work that remains to be done. So long as the virus remains a threat to people anywhere it is a threat to people everywhere. That means we need to be watchful and keep up the good work that got us to this point. If you are eligible for a vaccine and haven’t received one yet, now is a great time to get one. Your decision helps protect your family, your community, and all Minnesotans.”
“Today, we can celebrate the final steps we are taking to reopen our economy,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “Countless businesses and hundreds of thousands of Minnesota employees have made extraordinary sacrifices to keep our communities safe this past year, and today we’re taking steps to lift restrictions and begin the path towards normal operations. Let’s keep our economy moving by getting out there and supporting the local businesses we love.”
Executive Order 21-21 is effective immediately upon approval by the Minnesota Executive Council, which is made up of Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Secretary of State Steve Simon, and State Auditor Julie Blaha.
Governor Tim Walz speaks at the groundbreaking for the Epitome Energy
Prospective bear hunters have through Friday, May 7, to apply for a bear hunting license in lottery areas. Applications for the 2021 season can be submitted online, via telephone at 888-665-4236, or anywhere DNR licenses are sold.
A total of 3,575 licenses are available in 13 permit areas. The fee to apply is $5. Bear licenses cost $44 for residents and $230 for non-residents. The season is open from Wednesday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 17.
Lottery winners will be notified by June 1. The deadline to purchase licenses awarded by lottery will be Sunday, Aug. 1. Any remaining unpurchased licenses will be available starting at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 4.
The no-quota area that includes east-central and far northwestern Minnesota is not part of the lottery drawing and will have an unlimited number of licenses available that may be purchased starting July 1.
Overall, bear permit numbers for quota areas have remained unchanged since last year to allow bear population numbers to gradually increase and support a robust bear population.
The Crookston Pirate Baseball team has won three games in a row to raise their record to 5-2 on the season with their last game a 13-5 win over Bagley in Crookston. The Pirates will take their winning streak to East Grand Forks tonight when they play the Sacred Heart Eagles in a 6:30 PM game. Sacred Heart is 3-1 on the season and coming off an impressive 10-5 win over West Marshall on Tuesday. Game time again is 6:30 PM at Stauss Park in East Grand Forks and it will be on KROX RADIO starting with the RiverView Health pre-game show at 6:00 PM and also the internet by going to the LISTEN LIVE link at the top of this page.
The Crookston Pirate Softball squad has yet to win a game in eight games and their latest loss came at the hands of Red Lake Falls 15-4 on Tuesday in Crookston. The Pirates head on the road today for a pair of Section 8AA games against the Roseau Rams. Roseau is 2-4 on the season, a little slower start for the Rams then usual, but they are coming off a 23-1 win over Bagley and they have won two of their last three games. Game time in Roseau for the first game is 4:00 PM and the second game will follow about a half hour after the first is over.
On Wednesday, SpaceX successfully launched and landed its Starship moon and Mars rocket for the first time in Texas. Liftoff of the rocket prototype, SN15, occurred at 6:25 p.m. EDT at the company’s Starbase spaceport in Boca Chica, Texas, about 23 miles east of Brownsville.
The flight was the fifth for a Starship prototype, after all previous ones ended with a fiery explosion. One flight, named SN10 in March, landed upright briefly, but exploded minutes later. The successful flight is part of an “outstanding period as we work to enable the future of human spaceflight and expansion into the solar system,” said SpaceX principal engineer John Insprucker. Just after the landing, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk posted on Twitter: “Starship landing nominal!”
NASA selected Starship to land astronauts on the moon as part of the planned Artemis missions. SpaceX also has sold a private flight around the moon using Starship to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, scheduled for early 2023.
The fired Atlanta Police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot last summer has been reinstated by the Atlanta Civil Service Board. Officer Garrett Rolfe still faces murder charges in the killing of Brooks.
The review board released its decision Wednesday, stating: “Due to the City’s failure to comply with several provisions of the Code and the information received during witnesses’ testimony, the Board concludes the Appellant was not afforded his right to due process. Therefore, the Board GRANTS the Appeal of Garrett Rolfe and revokes his dismissal as an employee of the APD.”
The board hears the appeals of firings and other employment actions taken against public city employees. A City of Atlanta statement said Rolfe would be placed on administrative leave until his criminal charges are resolved.
