BULLETIN BOARD-May 24, 2023

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The Crookston Community Pool is closed until further notice.

Masonic Lodge is selling Vidalia onions at Scotts True Value now until supplies run out.

Sign up for the Minakwa Golf Course 3-person team Memorial Day Scramble that will be held on Sunday, May 28, for more details and to sign up, call 281-1774.

Highland Elementary School has postponed the 5th and 6th-Grade Band, Choir, and Orchestra Concert to Thursday, May 25, at 1:30 p.m.

Home Delivered Meals will be delivered this week by the Presbyterian Church.

Golden Link activities for Wednesday are Mens Cards at 8:00 a.m., Cribbage at 10:00 a.m., and Bridge at 12:30 p.m.

The Fisher American Legion will have burger night on Wednesday.

The Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority (CHEDA) will meet Thursday, May 25 at 7:00 a.m. at the Valley Technology Park.

Golden Link activities for Thursday are Foot Care from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Smear at 1:00 p.m., SAIL at 2:30 p.m., and a Thursday evening meal.

The Crookston Eagles Club will have bar bingo at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, the kitchen will serve food.

The Crookston Eagles Club will have bar bingo at 6:30 p.m. on Friday with $500 must-go.

The Crookston Eagles Club will have bar bingo at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday with $400 must-go.

Join the Kiwanis Builders Club in walking dogs and collecting donations for Scruffy Tails Humane Society on Saturday, May 27, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 720 East Robert Street in Crookston. You can bring donations of cat and dog food, cat litter, and paper towels.

The Crookston Public School District will have no school on Monday, May 29, for Memorial Day.

Crookston City Hall will be closed on Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day. Garbage Collection in Crookston for Monday, May 29th (Memorial Day) will be collected on Tuesday, May 30.

The Golden Link will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29.

The Crookston Veterans Council Memorial Day program will be held on Monday, May 29, at 10:00 a.m. at Oakdale Cemetery in Crookston. A flag raising at the entrance following the ceremony. At 11:00 a.m., the Naval Ceremony will be held at the Sampson Bridge.

The Fisher American Legion Memorial Day program will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Fisher School on Monday, May 29. The Auxiliary Memorial Day Luncheon will be from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The public is invited.

The Sandhill Church Memorial Day Program will be held Monday, May 29, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Sand Hill Lutheran Church. The guest speaker is Mike Nielsen from Fisher, MN. The program also includes musical selections and readings, followed by the Honor Guard Ceremony and lunch. Everyone welcome.

All Lake Agassiz Regional Libraries, including Crookston, will be closed on Monday, May 29.

The Polk County Transfer Station will be closed on Memorial Day Monday. Normal hours will resume at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 30.

The Polk County Historical Museum Season Opener celebration will be Tuesday, May 30, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Everybody is welcome to visit the renovatedmuseum andenjoy freewine and snacks provided by the Irishmans Shanty and Polk County Historical Society board members.The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The last day of school for the Crookston Public School District will be on Thursday, June 1.

Polk County Household Hazardous Waste Collections will be held at the Fertile Fairgrounds on Friday, June 2, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and at the East Shore Beach Area of Maple Lake off County Highway 10 on Saturday, June 3, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The Polk County Transfer Station accepts household hazardous waste Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 year-round.

Crookston Spring registration for Driver Education is open to all students currently enrolled in Crookston Public Schools. The next session will be June 5 through the 20. Additionalregistration forms for fall and winter are also available to check dates and times to determine the best time for driver education for your child. Please return your registration to the High School Office and pay in the High School office prior to the first day of class. All information is on the registration forms here. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Trostad at Highland School at 218-281-5600.

Lutheran Social Service Meals, with support from DSAAA and United Way, will distribute meals to individuals 60 plus on Monday, June 12th, at 9:00 AM at Golden Link in Crookston. Recipients will receive a bundle of 10 meals, first come, first served. To register, contact Wendy Jerry at 218-773-3017.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary 1902 Crookston will have their regular meeting at the Golden Link Senior Center on Tuesday, June 13, at 6:00 p.m.

CONTINUING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Highland School is currently looking for donations of new or gently used winter gloves. Please drop off any donations at the Highland School Office if you are interested in donating.

The Crookston Care & Share is now accepting donations of Womens, Mens, and childrens coats and jackets, jeans, sweatshirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and winter gear, as well as toiletries and other common items. Donations may be dropped off at the Care and Share Center at 220 East Third Street.

ThePrairieSkylineFoundation is looking for new members. For those interested in joining, you can contact Kay Hegge at 218-289-1246.

Second booster doses of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are now available at Altru Clinic in Crookston for people 50 and older and those 12 and older who are immunocompromised. The second booster dose must be administered at least four months after the first booster. Adults who received Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) for their primary vaccine and booster dose at least four months ago may now receive a second booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna only. To schedule your COVID-19 booster dose in Altru Clinic in Crookston, please call 218.281.9100.

The Benedictine Living Community Auxiliary is looking for new members. For those interested in joining, you can contact President Diane Seddon at 218-280-6736.

The Crookston License Center is now offering the Class D written test for permits, new-to-state residents, and MN reinstatements. The test is available by appointment for a fee of $10.00. If you want to schedule an appointment, please call 218.281.5423 or email licensecenter@co.polk.mn.us.

The Crookston Public Librarys Books & Brews Book Club meet on the fourth Tuesday of every other month at 6:30 p.m. at Drafts Sports Bar and Grill. They will discuss books and enjoy beverages. Appetizers are provided by the Friends of the Crookston Public Library; participants are responsible for the cost of their own food and drinks. All are welcome.

The Crookston Public Librarys Reading by the Red Book Club meets on the fourth Tuesday of every other month at the library at 6:30 p.m. They will discuss books and enjoy beverages.

The Golden Link is serving noon lunch Monday through Friday. The cost is $8. Veterans meals are half-price on the first Monday of the month. Call 281-3072 by 10:00 the day you plan to have lunch.

The Crookston Friends of the Library meet on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

The Crookston Library Board meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:15 p.m.

The Cove Youth Center in Crookston is open Monday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.Students and parents should call ahead to check the availability of the youth center at 218-470-0149.

Polk County Public Health is available to answer questions about COVID-19 and help obtain essential services such as groceries, medications, and other daily items at 281-3385. The phone is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

The Crookston Care and Share Centers Donation and New Hope Food Shelf will be open every Monday and Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and every Friday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. For information on the Care and Share New Hope Food Shelf website, click here. For more information or to donate, call 218-277-0000.

The Golden Link is now renting rooms for parties. Free for members. Call 218-281-3072 for details.

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BOY SUFFERED BURNS AFTER GASOLINE EXPLOSION WHILE FILLING RUNNING ATV WITH GAS

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On the afternoon of Sunday, May 21, Red Lake County law enforcement, the Plummer Fire Department, the Red Lake Falls Ambulance, and the Thief River Falls Ambulance were dispatched to the Red River Ag Store in Plummer.

It was reported that a young man was burned from a gasoline explosion. The juvenile male was taken to the Sanford ER in Thief River Falls. Then he was transferred to the Hennepin County Burn Center. The boys lower extremities were severely burned. Reports indicate that he is currently in serious but stable condition. Witnesses claimed the boy was filling an ATV with gasoline at the pump. The ATVs engine was running, and he was sitting on the seat. The gasoline fumes ignited, bursting into flame, and he was engulfed in fire.

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CITY OF CROOKSTON WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES THE POOL

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The City of Crookston Ways and Means committee met on Monday night after the City Council meeting to discuss the Crookston Community Pool. The discussion was had after a study said that the City should put over $1 million dollars into the facility to get it to where it should be.

The pool had a water main break that flooded the basement with about three to four feet of water. After the mess was cleaned up, the City found out that two heaters were in need of repair. The repairs would be in the ballpark of $40,000. After a long discussion and hearing from pool supporters, city council members made a motion to make the $40,000 in repairs and also contact an HVAC expert to look at the HVAC system and check the air quality, and also hire a structural engineer to do a study on the building that has brick eroding away and rust and other issues affecting the roof. A group of citizens has come forward and said we want the pool open, and they were given information about what that would cost, said City Administrator Corky Reynolds. After a very thorough conversation, the council reached unanimity to seek out options to purchase the mechanisms to allow the pool to open and to employ an HVAC engineer to check the air quality and a structural engineer to do the additional testing that our feasibility study recommended.

The purpose of hiring an HVAC engineer and a structural engineer is to find out what kind of shape the pool is in. The feasibility report that was delivered to us a couple of months ago said we think this is what it would cost, and we think these are the problems, but to be sure, get the specialist to analyze the air quality and the actual physical building itself to see how bad the degradation and the spoilage that has occurred.

Several options on what they could do with the pool were given by City Administrator Corky Reynolds.
1. Close the pool
2. Close the pool and fill in the pool and use the building for other things.
3. Knock down the pool and build a new one
4. Close the pool, knock it down, and build an outdoor pool
5. Have a joint powers agreement with the school district and build a new pool attached to the high school.
6. Fix up the pool and keep it open.

The city will fix the heaters to get the pool open again and will wait to find out what the structural engineer and the HVAC specialist find before moving forward with other repairs or pool decisions.

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PIRATE BOYS GOLF FINISHES 6TH AT SUBSECTION 8AA NORTH PREVIEW

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The Crookston Pirate Boys golf team finished tied for sixth place out of seven teams at the Subsection 8AA North preview meet at Valley Golf Course in East Grand Forks. Crookston shot a 351, while Roseau won the meet with a 304, 25 strokes better than East Grand Forks.
If the meet was the actual 8AA North Sub-section meet, the top three teams and the top six individuals would advance to the section meet.

GARRETT FISCHER-
The Freshman shot an 83, good for 14th place individually. He recorded three birdies. The first birdie was on the par three 132-yard second hole. The second birdie was on the 377-yard par four fourth hole. The third birdie was on the 367-yard par four 18th hole. He also turned in five pars, eight bogies, one double bogey, and one triple bogey.

CONNOR MARUSKA-
The freshman shot an 86, good for 19th place. He had eight pars, eight bogies, one double bogey, and one triple bogey.

HUNTER NICHOLAS-
The sophomore shot a 90. He had six pars, nine bogies, two double bogies, and one quadruple bogey.

ASHTON SHOCKMAN-
The junior shot a 91. He had eight pars, five bogies, three double bogies, one triple bogey, and one quadruple bogey.

BRANNON TANGQUIST-
The junior shot a 91. He had eight pars, four bogies, five double bogies, and one quadruple bogey.

EVAN SHOCKMAN-
The freshman shot a 95. He had three pars, 10 bogies, four double bogies, and a quadruple bogey.

GAVIN WINGER-
The senior shot a 104. He had three pars, five bogies, six double bogies, one triple bogey, and two quadruple bogies.

TATE HAMRE-
The freshman shot a 112. He had two pars, six bogies, five double bogies, two triple bogies, a quadruple bogey, and a couple of tough holes with several penalty shots.

FOR PIRATES COACH STEVE KOFOED’S COMMENTS ON TODAY, CLICK BELOW


 

The results are below-

Teams
Pirates
Score
1. Roseau-304
Garrett Fischer
83
2. East Grand Forks-329
Connor Maruska
86
3. Warroad-331
Hunter Nicholas
90
4. Park Rapids-333
Ashton Shockman
91
5. Thief River Falls-336
Brannon Tangquist
91
6. East Grand Forks 2-351
Evan Shockman
95
6. Crookston-351
Gavin Winger
104
Tate Hamre
112
TOP GOLFERS
1.Teagan LaPlante (Ros) 72
2. Max Wilson (Ros) 73
2. Hunter Harrison (PR) 73

 

Connor Maruska

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ISAAC THOMFORDE ADVANCES TO SECTION 8A SINGLES SEMI-FINALS

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The Section 8A Boys Tennis individual tennis tournament started Tuesday morning, and the Crookston Pirates had six participants with one of them advancing to the semi-finals on Wednesday.

SINGLES-
#3 seed Isaac Thomforde beat #14 seed Lucas Rantanen of Thief River Falls 6-1, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, Thomforde beat #6 seed Jowell Gamez of New London-Spicer 7-5, 6-3.
Thomforde will play #2 seed Jett Cornelius of Thief River Falls on Wednesday morning.

#7 seed Reggie Winjum beat #10 seed Tyler Stier of Osakis 6-4, 6-4. In the quarterfinals, Winjum lost to #2 seed Jett Cornelius of Thief River Falls 6-0, 6-1, and was eliminated.

DOUBLES-
#10 seed Nathan Kelly and Tatum Lubinski lost to the #7 seed Grant Ackerson and Reno Schierer of Fergus Falls 6-0, 6-2, and were eliminated.

#16 seed Elliot Bartrum and Ethan Erdman lost to #1 seed JJ Cornelius and Geran Gonsorowski of Thief River Falls and were eliminated.

Isaac Thomforde
Isaac Thomforde

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OBIT – Heather Irene Nelson

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Heather Irene Nelson passed away unexpectedly at her home on May 8, 2023, in Crookston, at the age of 39.

Heather was born on June 21, 1983, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to her loving mother, Betty (Isum) Fitzpatrick and her father Winston Minor; Heather was also welcomed into the family by her two older siblings at the time, Tanya and Joey Isum. When Heather was two years old, the family moved from Minneapolis to Bethel, Minnesota where she would discover a love for the outdoors that she would carry throughout her life. Heather and her siblings spent a lot of their time outdoors creating memories together; Heather was particularly fond of being on the water, and loved swimming as much as she could.
After the age of 10, in 1993, and with the addition of two more siblings to the family, Daniel and Nona Isum, the family moved to Milaca, MN. Heather attended Milaca High School and made a host of memories during this time; this is also where she met Brandon Nelson, the two were married on May 17, 2003, at Zion Lutheran Church. Shortly after they welcomed a daughter, Haylee Nelson, into the world. Heather moved to Princeton, Minnesota where she held several managerial roles; and from 2002 until 2012 was a manager at two different locations for Vision Works.

During this time in her life, Heather continued to embrace her passion for the outdoors spending her time kayaking, swimming, gardening, and going to concerts. Contributing to her love for the water, Heather was also a fan of the reality TV series, Below Deck. Another passion she found a great deal of joy in was painting, anything and everything that piqued her interest. Heather loved 90s music, every genre of the decade, especially R&B. Always a lover of shopping and a good bargain, Heather often came home with bags of finds from the thrift stores which was something Brandon told Haylee about often when she was growing up. On October 18, 2009, Heather gave birth to a set of beautiful twins: Maddison Maddie and Carter Nelson. On May 9, 2019, she gave birth to her son Kaisson Nelson. Heather, with her children, traveled back and forth between Princeton and Crookston to visit her siblings before deciding to move to Crookston in 2022.

There were a lot of aspects of Heather that made her who she was, from being a loving mother, daughter, and sister to an avid shopper and concertgoer; not nearly all of her could be captured in these words. Even though Heather was relatively young at the time of her passing, she lived a full life, leaving behind memories that will last a lifetime for her family. There are so many stories that could be told, one of which surprised her mother, Betty, to hear, when she learned that at the age of 16, Heather snuck out of the house to go to Chicago. Betty fondly and jokingly remembers when Heather stuffed a teddy bear and pillows under her blanket to sneak out of the house during a stormof which Betty foundonly for Heather to come running back home, the fear of the storm winning over her plans for the night. Heather experienced so many different places during her short time on this earth, from Las Vegas and Florida to a trip to Nashville, Tennessee where she visited the Grand Ole Opry and won a backstage pass for a meet and greet.

Heather will forever be remembered by her family: Her Mother, Betty Fitzpatrick (Isum) of St. Thomas, ND; her Father, Winston Minor; Several Aunts and Uncles; Brother and Sisters: Tanya Randy Isum of Crookston, Joseph Joey Isum (Amy) of Crookston, Daniel Isum, and Wynona Nona Isum (Holland) of Crookston; Children: Haylee Nelson of Shafer, MN, Maddie Nelson, Carter Nelson, and Kaisson Nelson of Crookston; as well as many Nieces and Nephews; and a Great Niece and Great Nephew.

Heather is preceded in death by her Grandparents: Edwin and Irene Isum; Uncle Spencer and Aunt Sue Isum; her Cousin Tracey Isum; and several additional Aunts and Uncles.

There will be a visitation with family held at Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home, Crookston; Friday, May 26th at 2 p.m. Followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m.

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CROOKSTON SOFTBALL TAKES ON DILWORTH-GLYNDON-FELTON IN FIRST ROUND OF SECTION 8AA TOURNAMENT – ON KROX

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The Crookston Pirate Softball team got the #7 seed in the north side of the Section 8AA Tournament this year, and they will take on the #2 seed Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Rebels. The Rebels are the defending 8AA Champion from a year ago and finished 4th place at the State Tournament. The winner of this game will advance into the next round of the tournament which will be on Thursday, while the loser’s season will come to an end. The first pitch from Glyndon will be at 5:00 p.m. and we will have the game on KROX Radio starting with the RiverView Health pregame show at 4:30 p.m. You can listen on 1260AM/105.7FM, and on 92.1FM in Grand Forks & East Grand Forks. You can also listen anywhere at any time by clicking Listen Live at the top of this page.

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For Crookston

For Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton

Emilee Tate

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Republican Sen. Tim Scott enters 2024 presidential race

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South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the lone Black Republican in the Senate, announced on Monday that he is running for president. Scott had teased his announcement in recent weeks, first announcing an exploratory committee in April and then officially filing the paperwork Friday to run.

Speaking before a crowd of nearly 2,000 attendees, Scott said at his alma mater Charleston Southern University: “Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every rung of the ladder that helped me climb. And that is why I am announcing today that I am running for president of the United States of America.”  Scott joins the expanding field of contenders looking to knock off former President Donald Trump, the current Republican frontrunner who holds a commanding lead in GOP primary polls.

Scott’s political career began in the Charleston County Council in the mid-1990s before serving in the state House and the U.S. House.  Scott was first appointed to the Senate from South Carolina in 2012, by then-Gov. Nikki Haley (now a presidential rival) to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint. Scott later won the election to fill the rest of his term in 2014 and went on to win full terms in 2016 and again last year.

In his Monday address, Scott described the campaign as a time to choose between “victimhood or victory” and “grievance or greatness.” He portrayed himself as the candidate “the far-left fears most … I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. The truth of my life disrupts their lies!” Scott has previously spoken of the need for the Republican party to nominate someone who can defeat Democrats next fall.  In closing his remarks on Monday, Scott said: “We need a president who persuades not only our friends and our base. We have to have a compassion for people who don’t agree with us.”

Posting to his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump said: “It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable. I got Opportunity Zones done with Tim, a big deal that has been highly successful. Good luck Tim!”

Editorial credit: Crush Rush / Shutterstock.com

Suspect ‘stands silent’ as judge enters not guilty plea for Idaho murder charges

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A judge entered not guilty pleas Monday morning for 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students last fall. Kohberger’s attorney, public defender Anne Taylor, told Latah County District Judge John Judge that their client “will be standing silent” on pleas during the arraignment in Latah County District Court, prompting the judge to enter not guilty pleas on his behalf.  Judge set a trial date for Oct. 2., after Taylor had asked to set the trial’s opening at the latest possible date.

A Latah County grand jury formally indicted Kohberger last week in the stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students. He faces four first-degree murder charges, as well as a burglary charge, which were the original five charges.  The indictment allowed prosecutors to skip a planned week-long preliminary hearing that was set for late June; the pretrial hearing could have revealed what evidence they have against Kohberger. The indictment remains sealed, and investigators so far have not said much about how they identified Kohberger or what evidence they have. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson now has 60 days to inform the court whether he will seek the death penalty in the case.

Kohberger is accused in the stabbing deaths of Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernoldle, 20; and her boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, 20. The students were found dead on Nov. 13 at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, where the women lived.  Kohberger was arrested on Dec. 30 at his parents’ home in Chestnuthill Township in eastern Pennsylvania after driving cross-country with his father; he waived his extradition rights and was returned to Idaho in January. He remains held in the small Latah County Jail.

If found guilty, Kohberger faces a maximum 10-year sentence on the burglary charge and four consecutive life sentences or the death penalty for the first-degree murder charges. Fines up to $200,000 and payment of $20,000 to the victims’ families are also possible if Kohberger is found guilty.

Editorial credit: P.A.12 / Shutterstock.com

‘Thor,’ ‘Divergent’ actor Ray Stevenson dies at age 58

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Veteran actor Ray Stevenson, whose film and TV credits include RRR, the Thor and Divergent films, and Star Wars animated series, died Sunday in Italy at the age of 58. No cause of death has been released.

Stevenson played the main antagonist Scott Buxton in SS Rajamouli’s global box office smash RRR and is known for playing Volstagg in Marvel’s Thor franchise and Othere in History’s Vikings. He also has voiced Gar Saxon in the animated Star Wars series The Clone Wars and Rebels and was set to join Rosario Dawson in Disney+’s upcoming ‘The Mandalorian’ spinoff Ahsoka as Baylan Skoll – one of the “main antagonists” in the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Stevenson was most recently cast in historical drama 1242: Gateway to the West, taking over the lead role that originally was to be played by Kevin Spacey.

The actor was married to Ruth Gemmel from 1997-2005.  He is survived by two children, Sebastiano Derek Stevenson and Leonardo George Stevenson, whom he shares with partner Elisabetta Caraccia.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com