Month: January 2023

The Northwest Regional Corrections Center reported the following arrests.

Craig Steven Burgess, 62, of Crookston, for DUI

Matthew James Storbakken, 41, of Crookston, for being a Predatory Offender-Knowingly Violates Registration Requirements or Intentionally Provides False Information

Joseph Glenn Adrew Meyer, 34, of Waubun, for 2nd-Degree Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

The post ARREST/FIRE REPORT-JANUARY 3, 2023 appeared first on KROX.

The new year is here. With the snow, we no longer need to sweep leaves from the walk. The days are getting longer. And the Polk County budget that was difficult to forge because of several things (the COVID and building problems, in particular) is in place. In general, things are looking up.

On the budget subject, only two people showed up at the County Board’s budget hearing session on the evening of December 13. Do you suppose the ugly weather that day had something to do with that or maybe county residents were happy with the less than four percent levy increase? Probably not, but compare that four percent increase to the national inflation rate increase of more than eight percent, and it isn’t so bad. Costs go up. Everywhere. All the time. We just live with that.

Some things will get a lot better in 2023.
For one thing, the Northwest Regional Corrections Center has reopened the pod that had to be shut down because of a staff shortage caused by the pandemic. As a result, Tri-County Community Corrections is again housing per diem-paying inmates from other jurisdictions. The pandemic had a significant role in the staffing problem.

And the Red River Valley Juvenile Center is now just a few weeks away from reopening, too. If you recall, the “residential side” of the juvenile center
was basically destroyed about a year and a half ago when an out-of-nowhere June rainstorm dropped its load on the building right at the same time as the roof was in the process of being replaced. When staffing demands for keeping just the undamaged “secure side” of the facility open didn’t make sense, the entire center was shut down.

There are some advantages to updating the interior of the residential side of the facility, so that is a plus. But the project ran to more than $1.3 million. An insurance claim is in process. Problems with getting HVCA equipment from the manufacturers have set the juvenile center project back about eight weeks. That equipment finally arrived in late December and should all be installed later this month.

An issue with the reopening of the Juvenile Center, too, has involved training the new corrections officers that were needed to replace those not returning to their jobs. The COVID issue was a factor again. The reopening is slated to occur late this month.

The jail pod closure resulted in the loss of some $400,0000 in revenue from housing prisoners from other jurisdictions. That income offset debt service on the $17.5 million in bonds that were sold to finance the construction of the jail. Those bonds will be paid off in February 2026, now just three years away. Hallelujah.

This will eliminate about $1.3 million a year in debt service. So, with the $400,000 in per diem income money pretty much back in place and the pay-off of the bonds in three years, things look a lot better.

Polk County and the other local government units that operate cities, schools, and townships, do a good job of managing their operations. They find ways to provide needed and required services in the best ways possible. They get things accomplished and find ways to pay their bills in the process.

Thoughts for the day:
• Nice to be here. At my age, it’s nice to be anywhere. — George Burns
• Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are onboard, there is nothing that you can do about it. — Golda Meir

Disclaimer: Thoughts expressed in this column are those of the author and are not necessarily a reflection of the opinions of the other members of the Polk County Board.

The post THE COUNTY LINE- BY POLK COUNTY COMMISSIONER WARREN STRANDELL appeared first on KROX.

From Adeline to Zoey, Aaron to Zephyr, and a little bit of everything in-between, nearly 100 babies were born at RiverView Health in 2022.

The top name of 2022 for baby girls born at RiverView was Evelyn or Evelynn, as one little one’s moniker is spelled. Harper and Emersyn were close behind in a tie for second place. The boys also saw a tie, but this time for first place, with the names Jonah and Owen.

Elijah started the 2022 births with a January 3 delivery, while Ruth wrapped up the year with a birth date of December 28. Girls outnumbered boys by six.

According to babynames.com, Olivia and Liam were the most popular baby names across the United States in 2022. Those names went unused at RiverView in 2022. However, babynames.com reports that Evelyn was the only name to crack the top 10 list in 2022, pushing Harper off the list. Looking at other lists, Nameberry reported Arlo as the fastest-rising name across the English-speaking world, currently ranking in the Top 50 in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and England. A boy named Arlo was born at RiverView in 2022. Today.com lists the name August as the top name in the cool classics category – a girl born at RiverView in 2022 is named August.

Team Baby

RiverView’s outstanding Obstetrics (OB) Team delivered these newborns into the world. Dr. Erik Kanten and Dr. Lauren Rose are family medicine physicians and OB providers. Dr. Kanten has been delivering babies in Crookston for well over 30 years. In many cases, he has delivered both the newborn and the newborn’s parents. Dr. Rose began her practice at RiverView in 2021.

Crookston native Dr. Kari Wessman rounds out the team of physicians. Dr. Wessman specializes in gynecology and obstetrics. Over the years, she has delivered many, many sets of multiples and led women through high-risk pregnancies. She is predicting a baby boom at RiverView in mid-January of 2023.

The trio of providers sees patients for office visits in RiverView Clinics in Crookston, Fertile, Red Lake Falls, and East Grand Forks.

Of course, RiverView’s labor and delivery nurses are a huge part of every pregnancy journey and delivery. These nurses are compassionate and knowledgeable and with the patient every step of the way. A private nurse stays with the delivering patient throughout labor and delivery, focusing only on the mom and baby.

First Class Care, Facility

RiverView Hospital, built in 2020, includes an OB Unit with three labor and delivery rooms (with a fourth if needed). Each room has a private bathroom, a large floor plan to allow caregivers space to provide exceptional patient care and comfortable accommodations for family and friends wanting to stay close.

The Unit includes enhanced technology, allowing mom and baby to be monitored in-room or remotely from the nurses’ station or even the OB provider’s office.

The family area has a sleeping room to support family bonding and 24-hour rooming with the baby.

The OB Unit also houses a nursery/procedure room just off the nurses’ station for little ones needing closer monitoring. Security is a high priority, with an enhanced infant security system in place.

RiverView Health is a great place to bring new life into the world. If you would like more information on OB services at RiverView, call 281-9200. For a peek at some of the babies born in Crookston, check out the website at riverviewhealth.org and look under the Little Stars heading. Watch for news of the first baby of 2023 in the weeks to come.

The post RIVERVIEW HEALTH SHARES TOP BABY NAMES OF 2022 appeared first on KROX.