March, 2022 | Krox AM

March 29, 2022

Loren David Wilken – Obit

Loren David Wilken, 69, a lifelong Fisher, MN resident, died unexpectedly of natural causes Thursday morning, January 27, 2022.

Loren was born in Crookston on November 25, 1952, the son of Ferdinand and Victoria (Ross) Wilken. He grew up on the family farm near Fisher with his two sisters and brother, raised in a loving, Christian home. Loren was baptized and confirmed at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Fisher and graduated from Fisher High School with the Class of 1970. On November 1, 1974, Loren began employment with the American Crystal Sugar Company in Crookston. During his 38-year career with Crystal he worked in all areas of the factory, retiring as a Process Technician on January 10, 2013.

Loren loved the outdoors and enjoyed visits from the wildlife that strolled through the yard of his lifelong home. He took pride in his apple tree which continued to yield buckets of fruit year after year, and he enjoyed sharing the abundance with friends and family. Loren loved watching baseball, especially the Twins, and rarely missed a game. He was a fan of crossword puzzles and especially the challenges of the NY Times puzzle that he solved every week.

Loren was an avid reader and looked forward to conversations with his sister, Sylvia, as they discussed their latest books read. Keeping in touch with sister, Ruth, and brother, Mylan, and all the goings-on in their families meant so much to Loren.

Fishing and canoe trips were Loren’s passion. From the days of his youth as a Boy Scout and spanning his lifetime, Loren was always looking forward to his next trip to Lake of the Woods or one of the many lake areas where he would become one with nature and the great outdoors. His expertise as a fisherman meant the outings would be a success, and he enjoyed sharing his tips with fellow anglers.

Loren was a much-loved brother, uncle, and a friend to many. His sense of humor will be well remembered, and he will be missed.

Loren is survived by his 3 siblings and spouses: Sylvia and The Rev. Richard Pape of Fairport, NY, Mylan and Gretchen Wilken of Las Vegas, NV, and Ruth and Jeff Bartlette of Naples, FL; together with several nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ferdinand and Victoria.

A Memorial Service celebrating the life of Loren David Wilken will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, March 31, 2022, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Fisher, MN with Pastor Douglas S. Thompson, officiating. Visitation with his family will be for one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in the Greenwood Cemetery at Fisher. The Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. The funeral will be live streamed and may be viewed by going to Loren’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com.

Online registration and messages of condolence may be made at www.stenshoelhouske.com

The post Loren David Wilken – Obit appeared first on KROX.

March 29, 2022

Federal Judge rules former-President Trump ‘likely’ committed felonies in efforts related to Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

A federal judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump and legal adviser John Eastman ‘likely’ committed federal felonies in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol by radical Trump supporters.

U.S. District Judge David Carter wrote in his 44-page ruling (which can be viewed here in full) that dozens of documents authored by Eastman should be made available to the House committee investigating the attack, and that sufficient evidence exists to conclude that Trump committed multiple crimes. Eastman is believed to have helped craft Trump’s White House legal strategy to get then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Pence, who presided over the certification of the vote during a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, rejected the pressure.

Wrote Judge Carter: “Based on the evidence, the court finds it more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021.” In the civil case ruling, Carter found that 101 emails written by Eastman were not covered by attorney-client privilege in part because Trump “likely knew” a plan advanced by Eastman to have Pence unilaterally act to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory “was illegal.” Carter wrote that there’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Trump likely committed at least two felonies — obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Editorial credit: Michael Candelori / Shutterstock.com

March 29, 2022

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs controversial ‘don’t say gay’ bill into law

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into a law a controversial measure restricting what can be taught in classrooms on gender identity or sexual orientation, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. DeSantis signed House Bill 1557, officially known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, at the Classical Preparatory School in Spring Hill, Fla.

The new law prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity and also bars educators from discouraging or prohibiting “parental notification and involvement in critical decisions affecting a student’s mental, emotional, or physical well-being.” The governor told reporters the measure it is meant to protect the rights of parents to shield their children from “clearly inappropriate” instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity. DeSantis claimed six school districts in Florida had policies that cut parents out of decisions regarding what their children are taught on the subjects.

The measure is strongly opposed by LGBTQ+ advocates, student groups, President Joe Biden, Democratic lawmakers, the Walt Disney Company and many entertainment figures. Opponents argue it interferes with the rights of students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, to speak out about who they are, and potentially harms them by outing them as LGBTQ to parents under a notification provision.

Disney, one of the largest employers in the state, had vowed to help repeal the legislation, saying in part: “We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”

Editorial credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

March 29, 2022

Will Smith publicly apologizes to Chris Rock, the Academy, for slapping incident at the Oscars

Will Smith has publicly apologized to Chris Rock after their onstage altercation Sunday night at the 2022 Oscars. Smith took to Instagram on Monday to express remorse for slapping Rock after he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. While Smith had apologized to the Academy during his acceptance speech after winning his first Oscar for Best Actor on Sunday night, he didn’t directly offer an apology to Rock at that time.

Smith said in his apology posted to social media on Monday: “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusableJokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams family and my King Richard family.

“I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us. I am a work in progress.”

The incident took place when Rock took the stage to present at the Oscars, joking, “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” referencing Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Moments later, Smith confronted Rock onstage, slapping him with an open hand. After hitting Rock, Smith returned to his seat and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your [expletive] mouth.” Jada Pinkett Smith has publicly spoken about her struggles with alopecia, an incurable autoimmune disorder that causes bald spots and hair loss.

The Academy condemned Smith’s actions and launched an official probe into the incident. Rock declined to press charges against Smith, and as of press time has not publicly addressed the altercation.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

March 29, 2022

‘The Lost City’ tops North American box office with $31M opening weekend

The adventure comedy, The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, was the No. 1 movie in North America this weekend, earning $31 million in receipts.

Coming in at No. 2 is The Batman with $20.5 million, followed by RRR at No. 3 with $9.5 million, Uncharted at No. 4 with $5 million and Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie at No. 5 with $4.6 million.

Rounding out the top tier are X at No. 6 with $2.2 million, Dog at No. 7 with $2.1 million, Spider-Man: No Way Home at No. 8 with $2 million, Sing 2 at No. 9 with $1.3 million and Infinite Storm at No. 10 with $751,000.

Editorial credit: Cubankite / Shutterstock.com

March 29, 2022

CROOKSTON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES REVENUE RECAPTURE FUNDS FOR MANY NEEDED PROJECTS

The Crookston City Council met last night at the Crookston City Council chambers in the lower level of Crookston City Hall. Councilmember Steven Erickson was absent from the meeting.

CONSENT AGENDA

The meeting began with the Board approving the proposed City Council Minutes from their last meeting on March 14, as well as the resolution to approve all City of Crookston Bills and Disbursements in the amount of $121,075.76. The final item on the agenda was the continuation of a resolution to approve 2022 license renewals for Gas Fitting and Cement Mason License from their meeting on February 14.

The Board approved all motions unanimously.

REGULAR AGENDA

The Regular Agenda included the resolution of Establishing Precincts and Polling Places for upcoming elections. The Board then continued the second and final reading of the City of Crookston ordinance, City Code Chapter 11, changing section 11.01, “Ward Boundaries.” After a short discussion confirming the new numbers, when the wards would have to be changed again and that it was done with the Conesus of the Tenure, the Board approved the ordinance unanimously.

The Board continued with the resolution to authorize a contract with S.E.H. for an update to the 1978 Crookston Airport Zoning Ordinance of $50,000. The State would pay $15,000, and the city would pay $35,000 to reestablish a runway that was decommissioned a few years ago at the request of the Crookston Municipal Airport. The Board then made a resolution to authorize the Minnesota Department of Transportation Agency Agreement for a Federal Airport Expenses reimbursement for the Airport Rescue Grant for up to $32,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reimburse eligible expenses at the Crookston Municipal Kirkwood Field Airport.

The Board continued with the resolution to Obligate and Authorize Expenditure of $848,467.30 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds the city received from the government. City Administrator Interim “Corky” Reynolds revealed a proposal of planned projects that the money had to go to, known as Qualified Project Funds, with another set of bids that the County Departments could spend how they please, known as Revenue Recapture Funds, which he and other Department heads had planned together to decide where the funds should go. “Since October or November of 2021, Department Heads have received input and made priorities about suggestions about how that money could be spent.” Interim City Administrator “Corky” Reynolds explained, “We really want to prioritize what we call “Shovel-Ready” projects that are ready to go, and they address needs in our community that have existed for a while that address with large sums of money.” The Qualified Project Funds had a balance of $174,783.30 to make improvements to the Wastewater Lift Station Control Systems. The other $671,584 were proposed to go to multiple departments for improvements and repairs, like the City’s IT Department for Infrastructure and Network backup. Corky explained that the equipment they are currently using is no longer being manufactured in stores, all sales of them have ended in 2015, and any customer support for the items ended in 2020. And a single point of failure in the system caused by heat, power loss, water, or dust would cause the entire system to crash, and there is no Off-Site Backup system to recover the data. With these new improvements, they believed that the IT Department will get ahead of the updates rather than fall behind like in previous years. Another project was the Parks & Recreation Department for Mechanical and HVAC Modifications & Upgrades to the ice rink, as well as to upgrade the Air Temperature Control system. He brought up Parks and Recs Head Jake Solberg to explain that the Crookston Sports Center’s piping and pump system wasn’t communicating well with the control system. One of the arena’s systems ran at 100% output for the entire season, which cost the arena a lot of energy. The Board asked if he could contact the company that installed it to fix it, but Solberg explained that the company was saying the issue wasn’t with the control panel but with the wiring instead. The Board insisted on contacting the company for their failure to have the system work for more than ten years. The last proposed project was to the Crookston Police Department with an upgrade to their garage and Security System to move it and get a better Climate-Controlled Server Storage unit. Police Chief Darin Selzler approached the Board next, requesting for more secure Verizon accounts to protect the Police Stations Accounts and Networks as they process Criminal Justice information and data. “In order for us to process Criminal Justice information data, the server that would access that data needs to be stored at the Police Department.” Police Chief Darin Selzler explained, “With this upgrade, the IT Department asked for new server storage and servers. Which are in dire need throughout the city, and with that, we have a unique location and building in the Police Department where we can house that server that will be in compliance with State and Federal regulations and then add HVAC or heating and cooling to that room to maintain the integrity of that system.” He also believes that moving and upgrading their servers will improve their armory as they store their equipment in the same room as the servers. This way, their equipment, and firearms will be much cleaner and safer from any water or dust from the room they currently have. These projects used a total of $671,584.46, which has given the city $2,099.54 leftover for any future projects. “We were able to put that plan together.” Reynolds explained, “The Department has presented tonight, and the Council ratified our suggestion and recommendation. So we can move ahead now with approximately $800,000 of Infrastructure corrections and improvements.”

The Board then finished the meeting with a resolution to approve a lease of Concession and Advertising for the Crookston Sports Center. Jake Solberg approached the Board once again, telling the Board of the new changes to the agreement, mainly being that the Blue Line Club will pay the entry fees for teams going to tournaments. And through the hockey/skating season, any sponsor food vendors that want to sell food in the Center will have to be approved by the Blue Line Club if they want to sell inside the building.

The Board approved all motions unanimously.

REPORTS AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION

The Board then heard from Corky on his first five days as the Interim City Administrator and about meetings he had with School District Superintendent Jeremy Olson about converting two rooms in Washington Elementary School to childcare centers that will be ready by the first week of April.

The next City Council meeting will take place on Monday, April 11, at 7:00 p.m. inside the City Hall Council Chambers.

The post CROOKSTON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES REVENUE RECAPTURE FUNDS FOR MANY NEEDED PROJECTS appeared first on KROX.

March 29, 2022

GRAND FORKS FIRE DEPARTMENT CONCLUDES INVESTIGATION ON SATURDAY MORNING FIRE

The Grand Forks Fire Department has concluded its
investigation of the fire that occurred Saturday morning, March 26th, at 21 South
4th Street.

The fire is being classified as accidental. It was caused by improper handling/disposal of smoking materials. A smoldering cigarette ignited combustible materials. The apartment sustained moderate damage.
The victim, in this case, resident Derek Andersen (45 yo), succumbed to his injuries sustained in this incident.

The Grand Forks Fire Department urges residents to follow these fire safety
steps.
-Properly dispose of smoking materials in a non-combustible container.
-Ensure working smoke detectors are present and regularly replace the batteries.
-Implement an emergency plan for your home and practice it regularly.

The post GRAND FORKS FIRE DEPARTMENT CONCLUDES INVESTIGATION ON SATURDAY MORNING FIRE appeared first on KROX.

March 28, 2022

CROOKSTON SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES HIRING OF NATHAN LUBARSKI AS NEW ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

The Crookston School Board met on Monday night inside the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room. School Board Chair Frank Fee was absent from the meeting due to a back surgery earlier in the day, so School Board Treasurer Tim Dufault ran the meeting. School Board member Adrianne Winger was also absent.

CONSENT AGENDA

The Consent Agenda included accepting resignations from Crookston High School head cook Christine Erdmann, Crookston High School kitchen helper Cassandra Torkelson, Special Services Administrative Assistant Jodi Clauson, Junior High Football Coach Don Edlund, and Washington Elementary Paraprofessional Shelly Pahlen. The Consent Agenda also included approving the employment of Scott Johnson as a bus driver, and Sandy Seregin as a Paraprofessional.

The last item on the Consent Agenda was approving the employment of Nathan Lubarski as the new Activities Director at Crookston High School. The School District held a wide search, and after narrowing it down to four candidates, Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson said Lubarski was an excellent choice. “With any interview process, there are a lot of great candidates to choose from,” said Superintendent Olson. “He was the unanimous choice for a variety of reasons, and with how many great candidates we had I think that says a lot about him and we’re excited for him to join the team.”

The board approved all Consent Agenda items unanimously. Lubarski will take over for Greg Garmen who is retiring at the end of the school year and will assume the position with an official start date of June 1, though Olson noted he has already begun working closely with Garmen for a smooth transition. Lubarski will also remain the High School’s head football coach.

MAIN AGENDA

The Main Agenda began with approving an Achievement and Integration Program Application. The funds will be used for success coaches and intervention coaches at the 7^th and 8th-grade levels, and they will model and mirror what is already in place at the kindergarten through 6th-grade levels. The board approved the funding for the program unanimously.

The next item on the agenda was approving the purchase of Safe Schools Zone signage for Fisher Avenue. Superintendent Olson explained the reasoning behind the decision. “The reason we are looking at this is that we want people to slow down,” said Superintendent Olson. “There are signs in place right now, but the problem is that no one knows when the times are and when they should be driving the school zone speed limit. So that’s what we need to communicate with the public and we need signs that flash to inform the public when the school zone speed limit is in place.”

The board approved the purchase of the Safe Schools Zone signage unanimously, and the total cost for the school will be $8,000. Superintendent Olson also explained the School District is grateful for the support of Polk County and the Crookston Police Department in helping pay for the project. The earliest the signs will be in place in September of 2022.

Following that, the board then approved a building lease between the School District and an All 4 Learning Childcare Center that will be at Washington Elementary School. “We know this is a big impact on our community, and it can affect economic development and our workforce,” said Superintendent Olson. “We finally have green lights across the board, and we are looking at April to open and have this as a real option. This has been a long process and this was one step moving us closer to where we want to be.”

The board approved the lease unanimously. The board then approved a proposed trip to Europe in June of 2024. The trip is open to this year’s 9^th and 10^th graders who are willing to raise the money over the next two years to attend. Social Studies teacher Shelly Thomforde explained the purpose of the trip. “The benefit of traveling is giving kids and students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Thomforde. “Some of these kids never leave Minnesota, so they are going to experience once in a lifetime things and see some of the places we talk about in class and still get to learn while traveling.”

The board approved Mrs. Thomforde to move forward with the trip, and the students will begin the fundraising efforts. The two locations planned for the trip are Italy and Switzerland and each student will need to raise $4,485 to attend.

The next item on the agenda was the second reading of policy updates for the School District. The Policy Committee met in February to review the School District’s policies and made slight adjustments to a few of them after some discussion and recommendation by the Minnesota School Boards Association. The board approved the policy updates unanimously.

The meeting continued forward with the board approving the certified Certificate of Compliance presented by the American Indian Parent Action Committee. American Indian Liaison for the Crookston School District Dave Emanual explained to the board that the Committee was pleased with the compliance and direction Crookston Public Schools is heading, and the School Board approved the Certificate of Compliance Unanimously.

The last item on the Main Agenda was the approval of the revised Academic Calendar for the 2022-2023 school year. The one notable revision to the Academic Calendar is no 2W days will be built into the schedule for next year, but religious education away from school and transportation for events will still be provided throughout the school year. Other students who choose not to participate will have full instruction days, and two extra staff development days will also be added throughout the year. This will gain instructional time for students instead of having half instructional and half-staff development days. The board promptly approved the Academic Calendar unanimously.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS

The board also heard Administrative Reports from Washington School Principal Denice Oliver, Crookston High School Principal Nicki Martinez, and Crookston Public Schools Superintendent Jeremy Olson.

Denice Oliver’s report highlighted after-school reading programs, and early childhood screening. Nicki Martinez’s report was also short but included the congratulation of Nathan Lubarski as the new Activities Director. And Superintendent Olson’s report also highlighted after school reading programs at the younger levels of learning throughout the School District, while also briefly informing the board a special School Board meeting may need to be held in early April to approve new hirings so they can be factored into next year’s budget. Highland Elementary Principal Chris Trostad was not in attendance and left the School Board a packet with his report.

The next scheduled School Board meeting will take place on April 26, at 5:00 p.m. inside the High School Choir/Orchestra room.

The post CROOKSTON SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES HIRING OF NATHAN LUBARSKI AS NEW ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR appeared first on KROX.

March 28, 2022

CARTER COAUETTE WINS NORTH DAKOTA STATE 16U WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

Crookston High School sophomore, Carter Coauette is competing with the Grand Forks Gladiator wrestling team this spring and competed in the North Dakota State Folkstyle tournament this past weekend in Bismarck, North Dakota. Carter wrestled at 145 pounds and won all three matches by tech falls to win the championship.

In the first round, Carter beat Koda Moore-Hicks of Drayton by a 10-0 Tech Fall.
In the semi-finals, Carter beat Anton Perales of Manvel by 11-0 tech fall.
In the Championship, Carter beat Augustus Maughan of Fargo by a 12-1 tech fall.

The post CARTER COAUETTE WINS NORTH DAKOTA STATE 16U WRESTLING TOURNAMENT appeared first on KROX.

March 28, 2022

NWS GRAND FORKS FLOODING UPDATE- MARCH 28, 2022

The National Weather Service Grand Forks released its latest Weather Support Packet with important points and safety tips regarding the recent flooding in Northwest Minnesota and the Grand Forks area.

Grand Forks/East Grand Forks is nearing its crest, with points further north continuing to rise before cresting later this week. MN and ND tributaries are on their way down, with minor flooding continuing at only Dilworth.
Very little overland flooding with little to no snowpack remaining. The exception is far northern areas of the basin, especially far northwestern MN.
An early spring system will impact the region from late Tuesday through early Thursday. There are still several possible outcomes, but confidence is increasing in a scenario that will bring light rain, followed by a brief wintry mix, then snow to the area. There is currently an 80% chance for >0.25″ with a 30% chance for >0.50″. Most of this is expected to fall as snow with little, if any, immediate impact to river levels.

For more information, see the attached Weather Support Packet or go to their website at: https://www.weather.gov/fgf/ or https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=FGF

For any questions or reports, you can call them 24/7 at 701-772-8642.

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