Month: June 2021

Six people were arrested during a human trafficking operation that took place over the past two days in Beltrami County. Investigators with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)-led Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force led the operation in partnership with the Tribes United Against Sex Trafficking (TRUST) Task Force, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bemidji Police Department. The operation ran from June 25-26.

During the operation, suspects responded to an ad on a sex advertisement website. Investigators arrested the suspects as they arrived at an arranged meeting place for a commercial sex crime. All were booked into the Beltrami County Jail on probable cause solicitation of prostitution of an adult. Charges are expected in the coming days.

Michael Lee Eichstadt, 56, of Bemidji.
Quint Kyle Ironnecklace, 24, of Bemidji.
Lance Armon Jones, 39, of Oakville, Washington.
Dennis Michael Murphy, 43, of Park Rapids. Murphy also faces probable cause possession of a controlled substance.
Matthew F. Senica, 49, of Illinois.
Philip Edward Toomey, Jr., 48, of Maywood, Missouri.

Many additional agencies and organizations lent resources and expertise to this effort, including The Link; the Buffalo, Fond du Lac, Hibbing, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Thief River Falls and Upper Sioux police departments; the Red Lake Department of Public Safety; the Chisago, Hennepin and Isanti County sheriff’s offices; the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force; the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

“This operation was part of our ongoing, collective commitment to rid our communities of sexual exploitation,” said BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “It is never okay to purchase another person for sex.”

About the Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force
The Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force was established in 2017 with funding from the Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs as a statewide enforcement effort to target traffickers and those exploiting children for sex.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of being trafficked, call 911. To report a suspected trafficking situation, call the BCA at 877-996-6222 or email bca.tips@state.mn.us.

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The Diocese of Crookston has announced that the case of sexual abuse of a minor brought against Father Patrick Sullivan has been closed by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith of the Vatican.  In a statement, they said through the years’ long investigation, it was determined that the allegation made against Rev. Sullivan “is not credible and therefore unfounded.”
The investigation was conducted under the supervision of Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The statement from the Dioceses also said, “Father Sullivan is to be highly commended for the dignity with which he carried himself throughout these years of investigation. It has been very difficult for him. I know his brother priests and deacons as well as all of the faithful who know him for his pastoral skill and generosity share his relief at this moment. Sensitive to all involved in the resolution of abuse cases, whether victim or perpetrator, appreciation is forthcoming that due process carefully followed, renders a just decision.”

All restrictions of ministry that had been imposed are fully lifted.

The post ACCUSATIONS AGAINST FATHER PATRICK SULLIVAN DEEMED NOT CREDIBLE AND UNFOUNDED appeared first on KROX.

The 1981 Argyle Eagle High School Football team celebrated their 40th reunion of the 1981 state championship season by unveiling the Connie and Merece Lubarski Champions Fund, in association with the STORM Foundation. 

Connie (Conrad) Lubarski was the head coach of the 1981 Argyle Eagle Football team and players from the 1981 team, Dave Bergeron and Jay Labine, were talking about the reunion and how they wanted to do something that preserved the 1981 championship team legacy and also highlight and reward the core values that defined the team – teamwork, determination, dedication, perseverance, mental and physical toughness, respect for each other, and leadership.
They wanted it to be significant enough that it will make a difference in positively impacting individuals, the school, and the community. Out of those initial discussions came the concept of “The Champions Fund.”  

“Coach Connie Lubarski had such an influence on almost everybody on our team.  Positivity and so many different things that we have taken into life and utilized to help us be successful,” said Dave Bergeron, a member of the 1981 Argyle Football team. “We felt very strongly that we not only wanted the 1981 State Championship team to be recognized and to be starting this fund, we felt so strongly that we wanted to name it after Connie and Merece Lubarski who have had such a dramatic influence on our lives.”

The Connie and Merece Lubarski Champions Fund will consist of an Endowed Fund and a Spendable Fund.

1. The endowed fund will provide for significant scholarships for the post-secondary education needs of district graduates that espouse the core values of our championship team. 
2. The spendable fund will be available to distribute funds on an annual basis to support initiatives of the school or community that align with those same core values.

This fund is set up and will be managed through the Northwest Minnesota Foundation (NWF) a 501c3 non-profit foundation based in Bemidji.  The Connie and Merece Lubarski Champions Fund will be initially started conceptually and financially by those associated with the 1981 State Champion Team, with the legacy of the team embedded and celebrated for decades into the future. 

If you have an interest in donating to the Connie and Merece Lubarski Champions Fund, see the link below for donor information.  There is no minimum donation, so feel free to give what you are comfortable with.   The Goal of The Connie and Merece Lubarski Champions Fund is to raise $500K by year three.  There is already $200,000 already committed to the fund.

Click on the link below to donate to the Champions Fund.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/nwmfoundation/restriction/Champions+Education+Fund 

Members of the 1981 Argyle Football team are listed below – 
Seniors – Robert Hapka, John Hedquist, Wayne Malm, Dave Bergeron, Mike Labine, Chris Kasprowicz
Juniors – Shawn Hunstad, Wayne Feuillerat, Jason Bergeron, Jay Labine, Roger St. Germain, Scott Hebert, Dale Pietruszewski, Kent Peterson, Danny Dufault.
Sophomores – Ray Safranski, Brian Riopelle, Kevin Gruhot, Keith Gruhot, Ronald Bishop, Gary Gruhot
Freshman – Jeff St. Germain, David Durand, Lee Labine, Matt Schmidt, Davy Riopelle

Argyle dominated all their regular-season games going undefeated –
Beat Hallock 39-6
Beat Marshall County Central 28-7
Beat Stephen 50-0
Beat Tri-County 58-0
Beat Greenbush 55-7
Beat Hallock 48-3
Beat Marshall County Central 60-6
Beat Stephen 63-8

In the playoffs –
Beat Oslo 42-0
Beat Middle River 21-0
State 1st round – Beat Fergus Falls-Hillcrest 32-14
State semi-finals – Beat Nevis 36-6
State Championship – Beat Starbuck 31-19

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On June 26th, 2021 at approximately 01:49 hours Officers were dispatched to the Quality Inn (3251 30th Ave South) for a reported victim that had been shot. Officers on the scene located one victim with gunshot wounds to the torso. The victim was ultimately transported to Altru by paramedics. Their condition is unknown at this time. It appears the victim and the suspect are known to each other and there is no immediate danger to the public.

Grand Forks Fire Department and Altru Paramedics assisted during this incident.  UAS was called in to assist in the investigation.

This is an open and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact the Grand Forks Police Department by one of the following methods.

The post GRAND FORKS POLICE RESPOND TO A SHOOTING AT THE QUALITY INN appeared first on KROX.

Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, whose dying gasps under Chauvin’s knee led to the biggest outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. in generations. The punishment handed out Friday fell short of the 30 years that prosecutors had requested. With good behavior, Chauvin, 45, could be paroled after serving two-thirds of his sentence, or about 15 years.
Chauvin will get credit for 199 days served, will be banned from firearms for the rest of his life.

Judge Peter Cahill told George Floyd’s family members that “I acknowledge and hear the pain that you’re feeling,” before sentencing a former Minneapolis police officer to 22.5 years in prison for murder. Cahill said he would issue a 22-page memorandum explaining his rationale for the sentence, saying it’s “not the appropriate time” to be “profound or clever.” His sentence went 10 years beyond what was called for in sentencing guidelines. Cahill said that was “based on your abuse of a position of trust and authority and also the particular cruelty shown to George Floyd.”

The post DEREK CHAUVIN SENTENCED TO OVER 22 YEARS IN PRISON IN THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD appeared first on KROX.

After experiencing great success with their COVID Hotline, Altru is expanding this service to function as a Nurse Advice Line beginning Friday, June 25.

Patients and community members will still be able to call 701-780-6358 for help with COVID-19 and other health questions. “Since launching the COVID Hotline in March of 2020, we have taken more than 150,000 calls from people in North Dakota, Minnesota, and even as far as California,” said Heather Strandell, COVID-19 Incident Commander for Altru. “Our team has proven to be a vital resource to our communities.”

Altru was the first health system in the state to launch a COVID-19 Hotline to help patients. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in our region, the team took as many as 1,200 calls in a single day. “The Nurse Advice Line will be a good option for patients of all ages with medical symptoms or injuries, medication questions, postop or post-hospitalization questions,” said Strandell. Callers with emergent symptoms are encouraged to call 911.

The Nurse Advice Line will be available to patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 701-780-6358.

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