Month: October 2021

At approximately 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 5, Clearwater County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a fire burning in timber, lowland grasses and brush in a remote location in Itasca State Park, at the end of Bohall Trail and on the north side of Bohall Lake.

Lake Itasca and Shevlin Fire Department engines responded, along with 10 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry engines. DNR air resources responded, including two helicopters, one single engine air tanker (SEAT) airplane, one Fire Boss airplane and an air attack plane.

As of late this afternoon, the fire, called the Bohall Trail fire, is approximately nine acres and 5% contained. A hose line has been completed around the fire.

No structures have been damaged and there are no injuries. Park staff evacuated Bert’s Cabins and the Ozawindib cabin, located on the north side of the park, as a precautionary measure. Affected visitors were provided accommodations elsewhere in the park. There are no additional evacuations at this time.

Ground crews made good progress today laying hose lines and installing pumps and tanks and are delivering water to the fire. Hand crews are actively seeking out smoldering hot spots and hidden sources of heat and extinguishing them with water.

The origin of the fire is under investigation.

Park information
Wilderness Drive one-way is closed as is Elk Lake Group Camp. The fire tower is open by trail only. Access to the Mary Gibbs Mississippi Headwaters Center and Mississippi Headwaters remain open, as is the majority of the park.

For updated information, visit the Itasca State Park website.

The post SMALL FIRE BURNING IN ITASCA STATE PARK appeared first on KROX.

The Cathedral School Kindergarten Class took a field trip to the Crookston Fire Department today for Fire Prevention Week. Firefighters Jim Perrault and Shane Heldstab gave the class a tour of the fire station.

The Crookston Fire Department’s Open House in honor of Fire Prevention Week will be this Saturday from 10am-1pm. The cost to attend the Open House is free and anyone is welcome to stop by and learn about fire safety.

The post CATHEDRAL SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN CLASS VISITS CROOKSTON FIRE STATION FOR FIRE PREVENTION WEEK appeared first on KROX.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the State of Minnesota, many School Districts are making changes to their policies on masking and social distancing requirements. The Crookston Public School District began Level 3 of their health and safety Measures on October 4, which includes Elementary students and staff required to wear masks and social distancing of three feet at the High School.

Once again, Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson provided the biggest reason for the change and some exemptions for students not to mask. “Our movement to level 3 has more to do with trying to keep students in school,” said Olson. “I would love to say that these moves will inhibit the virus, but I can’t say it necessarily will. K-6 are now required to wear masks with some medical exemptions, and when they are physically exerting themselves, they also won’t be required to wear a mask.”

Olson’s goal is to try and make this strategy as common-sense as possible with the intent to limit close contacts and keep students in school. One other new rule is that students who are wearing masks and don’t show symptoms of COVID-19 will not be required to quarantine even if they are a close contact.

Below is how other nearby School Districts in Northwest Minnesota are adjusting and what policies are currently in place.

FISHER SCHOOL DISTRICT

According to Fisher Public School District Elementary Principal Josh Mailhot, the Fisher School District is staying with the same policy that’s been in place since the beginning of the school year and recommending K-12 to wear masks. The district is strongly encouraging all students who can be vaccinated to get vaccinated and to wear masks but are not requiring it at this time.

CLIMAX-SHELLY SCHOOL DISTRICT

According to Climax-Shelly School District Superintendent Dan Dalchow, the district will also be sticking with its initial policy at this time and recommend but not require that all students wear masks. No other guidelines are currently in place.

FERTILE BELTRAMI SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Fertile-Beltrami School District is also currently recommending but not requiring masks or social distancing. According to Superintendent Brian Clarke, this is the same policy that has been in place since the beginning of the school year.

RED LAKE FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Red Lake Falls School District has made a jump to the next level in their health and safety measures, as they now require masks at the elementary level, and any close contacts at the High School will not have to quarantine if they were wearing a mask and show no symptoms. According to Red Lake Falls School District Superintendent James Guetter, this year has so far been worse than what he saw last year, and they are acting as seen fit to protect their students.

High School students are strongly encouraged to wear masks, especially if they have not been vaccinated.

WARREN-ALVARADO-OSLO SCHOOL DISTRICT

Warren-Alvarado-Oslo School District Superintendent Kirk Thorstenson says one change has been made for the district. The district will now be quarantining close contacts at the High School level. This new rule is in effect as of October 4 and applies regardless of if a student was wearing a mask or not.

Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson believes you can make a case that the beginning of this year is worse than any point of last year when it comes to students having their school interrupted because of COVID-19. “As far as an impact on school goes, I would say yes,” said Olson. “You don’t feel that in the community, though. It feels very normal, and people are getting back to normal life, but the problem is that the spread is just as bad as it was last year, even if it doesn’t feel like it is within the community.”

Crookston Public Schools will be reviewing the data every two weeks with Polk County Public Health to determine whether they will need to advance or lower their health & safety measures. Monday, October 18, will be the next day the district reviews the data. All decisions will be based on what’s happening within the School District and within the city of Crookston.

The post CROOKSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEGINNING LEVEL 3 OF HEALTH & SAFETY MEASURES appeared first on KROX.

The Polk County Republican BPOU brought a resolution to the Polk County Board of Commissioners earlier this week asking that Polk County be declared a Second Amendment Dedicated County. A Second Amendment Dedicated County opposes any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms.

After some discussion, the Polk County Board of Commissioners approved the resolution declaring Polk County as a Second Amendment Dedicated County. John Ross is the Polk County for Republicans Chairman, and he discussed why they felt it was important for the board to pass the resolution. “We understand this resolution is largely symbolic, and it’s a public affirmation of this body’s commitment to the founding documents in the constitution,” said Ross. “This resolution isn’t supposed to constrain our Sheriff but rather reiterate the Board of Commissioners’ solidarity to our Sheriff. If a time comes where he must stand up to a bigger group that seeks to impose unconstitutional edicts on the residents of Polk County, he knows he has the Board’s support to stand by the constitution.”

Commissioner Gary Willhite of the Third District first motioned to approve the resolution before the board unanimously approved it. Wilhite discussed why he and the rest of the board felt it necessary to support the resolution and the constitution. “I think it’s something that several other counties have already taken a look at, and it’s certainly something other Commissioners have been contacted about by concerned citizens,” said Willhite. “Sometimes these matters become highly political, but we’ve had people on both sides support this, and I believe there is strong support from the community and Polk County with the Second Amendment, and we felt it was important we could make a message saying we agree.”

The resolution was brought before the board back on September 21 and tabled so the board could discuss the matter more. Before making their decision this week, Polk County Attorney Greg Widseth suggested the board consider not passing the resolution based on a few concerns he had with what it could potentially lead to moving forward.

Willhite talked about Widseth’s concerns and why the board moved forward with the resolution. “I think his concerns were that we as a board moving forward would then have all kinds of different options with different issues presented before us,” said Willhite. “I don’t think we as a board see that, which is why we decided to move forward with the resolution.”

As mentioned, the resolution is mainly symbolic. Still, it now shows Polk County supports the United States Constitution and Second Amendment.

The post POLK COUNTY NOW A SECOND AMENDMENT DEDICATED COUNTY appeared first on KROX.

Today, Governor Tim Walz announced an expansion of testing capacity in the state’s COVID-19 community testing network in order to meet increased demand. Beginning October 15, Friday testing will be offered at the state sites in Mankato and St. Cloud. Beginning October 17, Sunday testing will be offered at the Moorhead and Winona sites.

“Minnesotans deserve to have more no-cost COVID-19 testing options, and we’re stepping up to expand access to that testing across the state,” said Governor Walz. “Testing for COVID-19 keeps our children safe in the classroom and provides peace of mind to parents and families. Through the at-home testing program and community sites in cities around the state, Minnesotans have more opportunities to choose the option that is best for their families.”

“As the mom of a third-grader, I’m personally grateful for Minnesota’s at-home test program,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “The state has worked hard to make a variety of options accessible to all Minnesotans—I encourage all families, including those with kids who are too young to be vaccinated, to take advantage of what’s out there.”

The sites will be adding an additional testing day to increase their capacity. Each site is increasing its weekly capacity by approximately 500 tests for a max weekly capacity of approximately 2,500 per site:

• Adding Friday Testing Beginning October 15
  • Mankato: Monday–Friday, 11am–6pm
  • St. Cloud: Monday–Friday, 11am–6pm
• Sunday Testing Beginning October 17
  • Moorhead: Sunday, 11am–4pm; Monday–Thursday, 11am–6pm
  • Winona: Sunday, 11am–4pm; Monday–Thursday, 11am–6pm

Demand for COVID-19 testing has increased throughout Minnesota. To tackle the Delta variant head on, the state has steadily expanded its testing capacity, first by opening four new community sites in Bloomington, Lino Lakes, Minneapolis and Saint Paul in August and September. Last week, the state announced it was adding a weekend testing day and doubling capacity at the Duluth community testing site to approximately 1,000 tests per day.

“With students back in school and activities moving inside as fall continues its arrival, testing is still vital to protecting our families from COVID-19,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “By expanding our robust, collaborative testing program, we have removed testing obstacles for families across the state. In addition to getting vaccinated, social distancing, masking, and staying home when sick, we know testing can help us slow the spread of the COVID-19 and limit its negative impacts in our communities.”

At the state’s community sites, testing last week was up roughly 10 percent from the prior week. Testing capacity through the state’s community testing site program will expand further as the state continues to assess current and projected testing needs.

Locations and hours of all the state’s community testing sites can be found here.

Testing is open to Minnesotans who believe they need a COVID-19 test, with or without insurance. Testing is free at all of the state’s community testing sites. Participants that have health insurance will be asked for their insurance information so the state can bill their insurance company on their behalf. If a person is uninsured or if insurance does not cover some or all of the cost, the state will cover the difference, so testing remains no cost to all.

State guidance on who should get tested can be found on the COVID-19 Testing webpage.

Those who arrive for a test should avoid eating, drinking, chewing, or smoking anything for at least 30 minutes before being tested. Once they arrive at a testing location, they will self-administer the test by salivating into a funnel attached to a small tube. Site staff will be available on-site to monitor the collection process.

While walk-ins are welcome, people seeking testing at state sites can still schedule an appointment. Tests will be processed in Minnesota at the saliva lab in Oakdale. Results will be provided via email in approximately 24-28 hours after the lab receives the testing sample.

Accessibility accommodations are offered at the state’s community sites. To request an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), spoken language, American Sign Language and/or other accommodation, Minnesotans are encouraged to call the Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline, 1-833-431-2053, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Translative services are also available on-site. Patients are encouraged to make requests two to three business days before their visit to ensure time to coordinate accommodations.

How Minnesotans can get a COVID-19 test:

• Walk in or schedule an appointment for a test at one of the state’s free community testing sites across Minnesota: COVID-19 Community Testing Sites.
• Order a test through the state’s free at-home COVID-19 testing program: COVID-19 Test at Home.
• Find a testing option near you through the state’s Find Testing Locations map: Find Testing Locations.

How Minnesotans can get their free shot:

• Use the state’s Vaccine Locator Map to find a vaccine provider near you: Find Vaccine Locations.
  • Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline
    • 1-833-431-2053
    • Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you using the CDC’s Vaccine Finder. You can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
• Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
• Employers may also reach out with information about vaccination opportunities.

The post GOVERNOR WALZ ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF COVID-19 COMMUNITY TESTING CAPACITY appeared first on KROX.

The Minnesota Department of Health released the COVID-19 numbers for today and the state reported 3,886 cases with 40 deaths. 0 deaths were reported in northwest Minnesota. Polk County reported 33 new cases with five probable, Norman County had 11 with four probable, Marshall County had 9 with two probable, Pennington County had 8 with two probable, Roseau County had 7,  Mahnomen County had 5, and Red Lake County had 4 with five probable.

All the information is below –

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.”

Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases. Positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.

All probable cases get the same public health follow up and recommendations as cases confirmed by PCR tests.

Testing

Minnesota Case Overview

Patients no longer needing isolation

Deaths

Hospitalizations

Case Demographics

Age

Gender

Race & Ethnicity

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.

Residence Type

• MN DOC: COVID-19 Testing of People Incarcerated in MN Prisons

The post MINNESOTA REPORTS 3,886 NEW COVID CASES AND 40 DEATHS, POLK COUNTY HAS 33 NEW CASES appeared first on KROX.

Sanford Health Equip Thief River Falls, formerly known as Sanford HealthCare Accessories, has relocated to the Sanford Thief River Falls southeast campus, 1720 Highway 59 S., Suite D.

Sanford Health Healthcare Accessories and Sanford Health Home Medical Equipment have merged together to become Sanford Health Equip. Equip will make it easier for providers and patients to access necessary medical supplies and equipment.  The new location offers expertise from Equip employees and a tailored service that focuses on each patient’s overall health needs.

Equip offers customized home health accessories and durable medical equipment to help improve quality of life. Some of the products Sanford Health Equip offers includes:

• Bath aids
• Hospital beds and bed accessories
• Breast pumps and supplies
• CPAP products
• Daily living aids
• Home respiratory and oxygen products
• Lift chairs
• Mastectomy supplies
• Orthotics and prosthetics
• Pain management supplies
• Power scooters

While the relocation is complete and Equip is open for business, renovations are underway. The new location will offer patients and customers an enhanced store experience once the renovation is complete, which is scheduled to be completed this winter.

Equip is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. New patients needing respiratory, orthotics, mastectomy or prosthetics can schedule an appointment by calling (218) 683-2588. Walk-in appointments are welcome for all other service lines or patient needs.

For more information on Sanford Health Equip, visit sanfordhealth.org.

The post SANFORD HEALTH EQUIP THIEF RIVER FALLS ANNOUNCES NEW LOCATION appeared first on KROX.