Month: December 2022

If you’re in the mood for a Christmas movie to get you in the holiday spirit, the Crookston Grand Theatre is holding its annual Free Christmas Movie this Saturday, December 10, at 11:00 a.m.

The beloved, over 80-year community tradition, will have Christmas decorations, prizes and presents for children, and a chance to take pictures with Santa Claus in the movie theatre’s lobby. “The town has had this go on for 80-some years now, and it’s a great community event where we have a free holiday movie playing. Santa’s there the whole time, so you guys can come out and take your picture with Santa in the lobby whenever you want to do that,” Grand Theatre manager Bo Brorby explained. “We will be showing an hour-special, The Winnie the Pooh Christmas Movie, so that’ll be a fun one for the families to come see.” Brorby explained that Santa will greet families when they come into the lobby and will be allowed to take pictures with him at any time during the movie event.

Along with Santa greeting them in the lobby, the theatre will also hand out tickets to children for a prize drawing with Santa after the movie ends. “We also do a free prize giveaway during our Christmas movie, so when a kid comes in, every kid will get a ticket, and then we do a prize drawing after the movie’s done,” Bo Brorby explained. “Santa comes in and helps us hand out presents to the kids who win a prize.” The theatre’s prizes range from superhero action figures to sleds and other movie-themed toys.

Along with the movie, the theater will have its concession stand open for customers to buy popcorn, ICEEs, and all their favorite movie snacks. After the movie and prizes are given away, the theatre has one final treat to give to all the children who come out. “We’re giving little treat bags for every kid who attends, so when you leave the movie, every kid is going to get a little treat bag with a couple of little special items in there with some treats and whatnot,” Bo Brorby explained. “So, every kid will at least leave with something on Saturday.”

With a strong income of new movies coming this month and at the beginning of 2023, the theater is looking to hold more free movie events, possibly around Easter, and is still open for private rentals and events anytime during the week for birthday parties and holiday gatherings.

The Free Christmas movie event will be this Saturday, December 10, at 11:00 a.m. in the Crookston Grand Theatre. Regular movie showtimes begin at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., with many new movies coming in over the next few weeks. If you would like to plan a private event at the Grand Theatre, you can call them at 218-281-1820. Listen for more information on the upcoming free Christmas Movie on Valley Talk on Thursday, December 8, at 10:40 a.m. on 105.7 FM or 1260 AM or online at kroxam.com and click on Listen Live.

The post CROOKSTON GRAND THEATRE WILL HOLD ITS FREE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MOVIE ON SATURDAY MORNING appeared first on KROX.

The Northwest Regional Corrections Center reported the following arrests. 

Christopher Michael Kazmierczak, 21, of Crookston, for DUI

Khoreii Jackson Obasi, 29, of Georgetown, SC, for 1st-Degree DUI

Michael James Powers, 76, no address provided, for Dangerous Weapon-Discharge Firearm.

The post ARREST/FIRE REPORT-DECEMBER 7, 2022 appeared first on KROX.

On Monday evening, Epitome Energy announced that it’s chosen to move its Soybean Processing Facility from Crookston to Grand Forks due to delays from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) review of their permit applications, which could’ve delayed their 2025 opening and providing market benefits for farmers across Northwestern Minnesota.

According to a letter Crookston Community Director Kari Kirschbaum received from Epitome Energy CEO Dennis Egan, the MPCA intended to set requirements for them that were significantly different from similar facilities in the region. “We’re obviously extremely sad that Epitome is going to North Dakota, but we understand that the North Dakota Pollution Control Agency is much more friendly than the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and it makes sense for that organization and the investors,” Community Director Kari Kirschbaum explained. “But, on the same part, it leaves a big hole for us, and we’re really sad to hear the news.” Egan told them the MPCA’s requirements would increase the costs for the operation of a plant in Crookston and require an application process of 9 to 12 months for minor plant modifications in the future. These requirements would delay the groundbreaking for the plant, which would put them at a competitive disadvantage and made them uncertain if they could meet the needs of farmers and adapt quickly to changing markets and technologies. Egan reported that Grand Forks and the State of North Dakota had set clear expectations for their project and those like it to be successful, which caused them to make the change to Grand Forks.

With the unfortunate departure of the company, City Administrator Charles “Corky” Reynolds and Community Director Kari Kirschbaum voiced their disappointment in the company’s departure but still wished the company the best in creating their plant. With Epitome’s departure, the city has 90 acres of land available for development on the south side of Crookston, near the sugar refinery. “Now we have some land that is available. We are hopeful that we can place other entities in there, and you know, one door closes, another one opens,” City Administrator “Corky” Reynolds explained. “So, we hope that we can entice other businesses to come to our community, and now we have some land for them to be here.” Reynolds noted that no applicants have come forward about the land yet due to the news being so recent but reported he would meet with Epitome again to discuss having the land released and will begin searching for new entities who may be interested in relocating to the city for business.

With the company’s departure, the city has received $250,000 back from Epitome that it had granted the company for its project, which can now go into other projects around the city. Kirschbaum also noted that even though Epitome has moved away from Crookston, local farmers can still use the plant if it is built and opened by the company’s proposed date in 2025. “The farmers of Crookston will be able to use that facility as it is only a 20-minute drive over there. It will benefit our farmers, and as their land and sales increase, it will also increase our tax space,” Kari Kirschbaum explained. “We really want to support our farmers. We’ve had a couple of good years and a couple of challenging years, but I think we have some great farmers around Crookston and throughout Northwest Minnesota, and anything we can do in Crookston to support them, we would like to do that.”

The post CITY OF CROOKSTON RESPONDS TO EPITOME ENERGY MOVING SOYBEAN PROCESSING FACILITY TO GRAND FORKS appeared first on KROX.

Peach is a beautiful black cat with bright green eyes who has a fondness for being held and cuddled. She first came to Scruffy Tails as a small kitten and has spent most of her kittenhood growing up here, but she is still a sweet young cat with lots of energy and spunk. Peach is looking for a forever home where she can have lots of friends to play with and snuggle throughout the day.

If you or someone you know is interested in Peach, be sure to stop by and meet her!

The Scruffy Tails Humane Society is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., Thursdays from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m., and closed on Sundays through Tuesdays.

The post SCRUFFY TAILS PET OF THE WEEK- PEACH appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston Police Department responded to a single-car accident at the intersection of South Broadway Street and West Fourth Street, where a car seemed to swerve on a turn and crashed into the base of a telephone pole in front of Fischer, Rust, Stock & Rust, PLLC. 

Major damage was done to the front right bumper of the car and to the base of the pole, that has caused it to lean at about a 50-degree angle, but it was sturdy enough to remain upright.

The driver appeared to be uninjured, and it is unknown if any charges are pending. OtterTail Power Company arrived with a serviceman to inspect the damage to the pole and if it would have an impact on the city’s power.

We will have more information about the crash when it becomes available.

Pictures of the accident can be seen below-

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The post CAR CRASHES INTO TELEPHONE POLE ON SOUTH BROADWAY AND WEST FOURTH STREET INTERSECTION appeared first on KROX.

Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) and State Representative Deb Kiel (R- Crookston) released the following statements regarding the announcement from Epitome Energy moving their Soybean Processing Facility from Crookston to Grand Forks, North Dakota, after delays from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

“This is tough news for Crookston, Northwestern Minnesota, and our state,” Johnson said. “Due to a grindingly slow regulatory process by the Walz Administration, we just lost many well-paying jobs, millions of dollars of investment in our local economy, revenue for our local schools, and desperately needed property tax relief. North Dakota Governor Burgum once again stepped up to snatch another promising business from Minnesota while the MPCA and the Walz Administration push away growth and progress for our communities.” 

“I am deeply disappointed that the governor’s administration is dragging their feet on this project, which has now cost Minnesotans both jobs and agricultural resources,” said Kiel. “This project has been in process for four years now, and the roadblocks put in place by the MPCA have pushed this important resource out of the state completely. I will continue fighting for Minnesota farmers and agribusiness so this does not happen again.” 

Epitome Energy blamed the move on the unnecessarily long permitting process in the State of Minnesota. Epitome Energy had waited over a year-and-a-half for their permit application to be reviewed before exploring elsewhere. 

The operation of the new plant was expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the Northwest Minnesota economy and create hundreds of new jobs. Now those benefits will go across the border. 

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The post SENATOR MARK JOHNSON AND REPRESENTATIVE DEB KIEL RELEASE STATEMENTS ON EPITOME ENERGY’S SOYBEAN PROCESSING FACILITY LEAVING MINNESOTA appeared first on KROX.