Month: August 2021

The Northwest Regional Corrections Center in Crookston reported the following arrests.

Kade Michall Johnson, 25 of Fisher, For Second Degree DUI-Driving while impaired

Coral Malaysia Ashford, 19 of Crookston, for Fourth Degree Intentional Damage to property

Steve Chihanski, 49 of Grand Forks, for Second Degree DUI-Driving While impaired & Refusal to submit to a chemical test

The post ARREST/FIRE REPORT – AUGUST 4, 2021 appeared first on KROX.

Crookston’s 18th Annual Nite 2 Unite is happening this evening out at the University of Minnesota Crookston’s Campus. The main festivities will start at 4:30 and carry on throughout the night.

Prizes will be handed out every 15 minutes for kids, and law enforcement officers from the community will be present for the public to meet. There will be food and so much more. 

Down below are a few pictures of what you’ll be able to see and do throughout the night.

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The post NITE 2 UNITE HAPPENING THIS EVENING AT UMC appeared first on KROX.

University of Minnesota Crookston alumna Vanessa Robbins gave back to her alma mater for everything it gave her by providing two pieces of art that will be displayed on campus in the Office of Admissions.

“The first piece, “‘Dreams Await’, came to me in a dream,” Robbins said. “I dreamed of an orange foal with Monarch butterfly wings. It was so inspiring I knew I had to draw it. For the sake of the piece, I took some creative liberty and made the foal blue instead of orange. I thought blue would be a nice contrasting color to the orange wings. The black markings however, were there in my dream, and made it into the final piece. This piece’s youthful energy matches my own, and its bright and contrasting colors represent me and my personality. To me this piece also represents the start of college, as you have so many dreams that await you when you begin your college career.”

The second piece Robbins created is a maroon and gold giraffe with the spots representing UMN Crookston. “I do not have a title for this piece, partly because I didn’t know what to call it, and partly because UMC represents something different to everyone,” Robbins stated. “To me, UMC represents my home away from home. This campus also represents the lifelong friendships I made here, the knowledge I gained, and how I grew as a person during my time as a college student. To others, it may represent the sports team they were on, the club they were in, or the studies they undertook. That is why I tried to incorporate many items from the campus and the surrounding area into this piece. From the sugar beet, to the hockey sticks and horseshoe, there is a little bit of something for everyone who has connections to UMC in this piece. I hope to someday turn this piece into a mural somewhere in Crookston. Hopefully one day that dream will come true, but until then, I hope you, the viewer, find as much meaning in this piece as I do.”

Robbins graduated from UMN Crookston in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She is currently working as veterinary assistant at Petco doing preventative medicine for cats and dogs, vaccinations, micro-chips, and prescribing preventative medicine. The Rosemount, Minn., native was a member of the Art Club at UMN Crookston.

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The post UMC ALUM VANESSA ROBBINS GIVING BACK TO HER ALMA MATER appeared first on KROX.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday morning in the Polk County Government Center. The main agenda items included Jacob Snyder from Planning and Zoning, Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders to discuss a pair of public ditch hearings, and Finance Director Ron Denison for a cash & budget report. The board also heard an American Relief Program Status and 2022 budget report from Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting.

PLANNING & ZONING

Planning and Zoning Administrator Jacob Snyder brought forth several requests to the board. The first was a funding request regarding a species project for the Union Lake Sarah Improvement District (ULSID) for $8,875.00. Snyder talked more about what will be happening during the project. “Historically, since 2014, this program has been working with Union Lake to control invasive species,” said Snyder. “They’ve been spraying a liquid herbicide annually two times a year. This is the funding mechanism they use to keep their funding dollars in check, allowing them to keep the lake clean.

The funding will allow for the liquid herbicide to be sprayed on the lake. It will reduce the likelihood of someone going onto Union Lake, contracting the invasive species on their boat, and bringing it into a new lake.

Snyder also asked the board for approval to re-award a septic grants fix-up project for Teneille Torgerson after the previous contractor could not complete the project within the bid he placed. Ryan’s backhoe Service will be the new contractor for the project after the board approved the request. After Planning and Zoning deemed them eligible for new septic systems through their program, the board also awarded two more loan program septic fix-up projects to Margie & Rory Simonson and Roger Holcomb. Olson & Sons Backhoe Service will be the contractor for Margie & Rory Simonson’s Septic System, and Ryan backhoe Service will be Roger Holcomb’s septic contractor.

The last item Snyder brought forth was an action for approval of ARP Funding for SSTS Fixups. “The planning and zoning staff had an influx of people applying for our low-income septic system program,” said Snyder. “We have our ranking systems we use to choose which ones we’re going to do, but it’s simply too many to handle. With the ARP funding, we will give them some of the funding while also making them cover 50% of the cost to ensure they’ll take care of their system and have some stake in the game.”

The ARP funding was tabled for the time being by the board and will be reviewed at the next board of commissioners meeting on August 17. A decision will need to be reached by the board on that day, otherwise planning and zoning won’t have enough time to fix the extra septic systems this year.  

PUBLIC DITCH HEARINGS

Polk County Engineer Richard Sanders brought forth a pair of public ditch hearings for County Ditches 64 & 130. Sanders was asking the board to order partial abandonment for both ditches. “As part of ditch statute, the landowners can request abandonment of ditch systems,” said Sanders. “This oftentimes can benefit the nearby landowners, and they can request an abandonment of the ditch system if they feel there is no purpose for it.”

The board approved both partial abandonments for the ditches.

RON DENISON FINANCE REPORT

Finance Director Ron Denison spent some time before the board discussing Cash & Budget reports for the department. No action was needed as it was just for reviewal of the board. Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting talked more about quarterly reports and year-to-date statuses and more about the numbers they see this year compared to previous. “We’ve always been in pretty good fiscal health with those reports month by month,” said Whiting. “They give a good understanding of if we’re trending one way or another and helps us understand the cash flow of the county. The numbers themselves looked very good, and this is pretty typical of what we expect to see at this time of the year.”

AMERICAN RELIEF PROGRAM STATUS

Whiting also updated the board on the American Relief Program Status as well as a 2022 budget update. Everything is moving along smoothly, and there will not be much to update until the end of the year.

Whiting also discussed consideration from the board to refinance 2014 Jail Bonds. “Our fiscal advisor let us know we could potentially refinance the jail bonds going all the way back to 2007-2008,” said Whiting. “The interest rate is projecting a pretty good amount of savings, will have to wait and see for sure because bonds change from time to time, but as of now, it’s looking like a good option, so I wanted to make the board aware of it.”

The total estimated savings of refinancing the bonds would be anywhere from $100,000 to $120,000. The board gave Whiting the go-ahead to start the process and move forward with the refinancing. The hope is to have the old bonds paid off by November and the new bonds ready to go.

OTHER ITEMS

Mark Dietz of Facilities spoke to the board regarding a Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Lease to occupy the Human Service Center Space. The board approved the lease, and Tri-Valley will occupy the space until the end of December 2025.

MIS Director Evan Bruggeman approached the board for approval of a County Wireless Infrastructure Upgrade. The upgrade is due to age and increased usage over the years. The board approved the upgrade for $70,055.92 for new software and hardware.

Polk County Environmental Services Administrator Jon Steiner asked the board to purchase a UTV for landfill operations. The UTV ships landfill operators from the office and shop to disposal areas of the landfill. Steiner recommended the Gator UTV 834M from True North Equipment quoted at $23,116.28. The board approved the purchase.

Director of Property Records Michelle Cote gave the board 2020 TIF Reports for the City of Fosston. No action was needed as the item was rather a reviewal of Fosston’s records for 2020.

The next board meeting will take place Tuesday, August 17, at 9:30 a.m. inside the Polk County Government Center.

The post UNION LAKE TO RECEIVE SPRAYING OF LIQUID HERBICIDE FOR INVASIVE SPECIES appeared first on KROX.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue is reminding people that many school supply purchases may qualify for valuable K-12 tax benefits on your 2021 Minnesota income tax return.

“Purchasing school supplies is an investment that nearly every parent or caregiver in Minnesota makes on a yearly basis,” said Revenue Commissioner Robert Doty. “Save receipts from these purchases, including distance learning needs, and claim the K-12 Education Credit or Subtraction. This will help save money when it comes time to file taxes.” 

What K-12 tax benefits does Minnesota offer?

Two Minnesota tax benefits help families pay their child’s education expenses: The K-12 Education Credit and the K-12 Education Subtraction.

Both benefits reduce your state tax and could provide you a larger refund when filing your Minnesota income tax return. Last year, more than 33,000 families received the K-12 Education Credit and saved an average of $250. Nearly 190,000 families received the K-12 Education Subtraction.

Do I qualify for these tax benefits?

To qualify for either the credit or subtraction, both of these must be true:

• You have a qualifying child attending kindergarten through 12th grade at a public, private, or home school
• You purchased education-related expenses in 2021 to assist with the child’s education

Separate requirements apply for credit and subtraction.

• K-12 Education Subtraction: There are no income limits for education subtraction.

• K-12 Education Credit: Your household income (taxable and nontaxable income) must be below the levels shown in the table. If you qualify for the credit but do not need to file a Minnesota return, you must file a return to claim the credit. If you are married, you and your spouse must file a joint return to qualify.

What education-related expenses qualify? 

Many expenses for educational instruction or materials may qualify, including:

• Paper and notebooks
• Pens and pencils
• Nonreligious textbooks
• Rental or purchases of educational equipment, including musical instruments
• Computer hardware (including hotspots, modems, and routers) and educational software (up to $200 for the subtraction and $200 for the credit)
• After-school tutoring and educational summer camps taught by a qualified instructor

Internet service or access fees do not qualify.

For more information:

• See Qualifying Expenses for the K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction
• See the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s video on how the credit works

The post MN DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE REMINDING FAMILIES THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR TAX BENEFITS ON SCHOOL SUPPLY PURCHASES appeared first on KROX.