Month: November 2023

The Northwest Regional Correction Center reported the arrest of the following-

Yusuf Mukhter, 35, of Bloomington, for failure to appear in court while convicted of a felony.

Lisov Elarye, 29, of Mentor, for driving after cancellation inimical to public safety

The post ARREST/FIRE REPORT-NOVEMBER 28 appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston Home-Delivered meals will be provided by Ag Country Farm Credit Services, Brost Chevrolet, the Crookston Public Library, and Valley Plains Equipment through Friday, December 1.

The Golden Link Senior Center will have a Pinochle and Recycled Cards group today beginning at 1:00 p.m., followed by SAIL starting at 2:30 p.m.

All parents of early childhood education, School Readiness, and Kindergarten Students are invited to be part of Washington School’s Parent-Teacher Organization meeting tonight from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Washington School. Please R.S.V.P.  by noon on Wednesday, November 29, for childcare. The next WES PTO/ECFE Advisory Board meeting will be on Tuesday, January 30. If you have any questions, call or email Denice Oliver at 281-2762 or deniceoliver@isd593.org.

The Golden Link Senior Center will have a Men’s Cards group on Wednesday, November 29, starting at 8:00 a.m., followed by Cribbage at 10:00 a.m.

The Benedictine Villa Auxiliary will meet on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Summit Apartment on the third floor.

The Fisher American Legion will have Wednesday Burger Night on Wednesday, November 29.

Crookston Parks and Recreation and the Crookston Wrestling Club are offering a Free Wrestling Clinic tonight on Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the CHS Wrestling room. This clinic is for Pre-K through grade 6

The Golden Link Senior Center will have SAIL on Thursday, November 30, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

All ages are invited to attend Crookston’s Winter Wonderland event on Thursday, November 30. It starts at 4:00 p.m. in Downtown Crookston, you can get your stockings filled at local businesses and see live reindeer beginning at 5:00 p.m. The lighting of the tree will take place at 6:45 p.m. by the Crookston Rotary. There will also be a free family Christmas movie showing at Grand Theatre beginning at 7:00 p.m. Every event on this day is free.

Historic Crookston’s Winter Wonderland will be on Thursday, November 30. Santa’s Elves will be at Crookston Businesses from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Bring your stockings and get them filled with treats, crafts, and gifts. There will be cookie decorating, Christmas cards, letters to Santa, ornament decorating, S’mores, hot cocoa, and more. From 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., there will be live reindeer at the Synergy Center parking lot, sponsored by Bremer Bank and American Crystal Sugar. The lighting of the tree will be 6:45 p.m. by the Crookston Rotary at the Main Street Courtyard. If you have questions, call or text Hallie at 289-4297 or Brian at 289-4831.

The Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woods Society will host the inaugural Conservation Banquet on Friday, December 1, at the Crookston Eagles Club from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Proceeds will go toward the conservation of forest wildlife and support for the local chapter.

Garden Valley Technologies Customer Appreciation Day will be Saturday, December 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Erskine

Bygland Lutheran Church will have a Lutefisk and Meatball Dinner Bazaar and Bake Sale on Sunday, December 3, with serving from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $20 for adults, and children 12 and under are free. Bygland Lutheran Church is located 8 miles south of East Grand Forks on Highway 220.

Bells of Praise’s 40^th Anniversary Celebration Concert will be held Sunday, December 3, at 3:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Crookston. Also performing: Area Women’s Chorus.

The Classic Noel Dinner and Concert will take place on Sunday, December 3, at CHS. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided by Irishman Shanty. Dinner and concert admission is $25, and concert admission (only) is $4 for adults and $3 for students.

The Community Christmas Food Basket Committee is once again helping those Crookston individuals and families who are in need this holiday season. They will be offering a gift card to Hugo’s to purchase food items through December 8. Individuals and families can call 218-289-9644 between 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 to register for a Hugo’s gift card. Only 1 gift card per family and address will be given. All gift cards will be mailed out before Christmas.

The 2023 Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will stop in Plummer at the Main Railway crossing on Central Avenue on December 14 at 6:00 p.m. with a performance by professional musicians at 6:15. The CPKC makes a donation at each stop and encourages attendees to donate cash or a non-perishable food donation if they are able.

Tri-Valley Transportation will provide bus transportation to the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train on Thursday, December 14, with stops in Mahnomen at 4:20 PM, Plummer at 6:00 PM, and Thief River Falls at 7:30 PM. The cost is $2 round-trip for riders in Mahnomen, Plummer, and Thief River Falls and $5 round-trip for riders from the other locations. Reserve your ride by Wednesday, December 13, at noon by calling Tri-Valley Transportation at 800-201-3432.

CONTINUING ANNOUNCEMENTS

The RiverView Auxiliary is holding a Mitten Drive in the form of a Mitten Tree now through November 30. The Mitten Tree is located in front of the Limited Addition Gift Shop at RiverView Health. All are invited to “trim” the tree with donations of new children’s winter mittens, gloves, and hats. Please, no scarves. The mittens, gloves, and hats received will be distributed in early December to area schools and given to children who need them. RiverView Health Auxiliary thanks you for your support in warming hearts and hands this season through this important service project.

Cobblestone Hotel and Suites in Crookston will have a Mitten Tree in support of Crookston Family Services through December 30 in loving memory of Kim Samuelson of R.B.J.’s local restaurant. There will be hats, gloves, and scarves for all ages, one item per person.

As the Crookston Care and Share expands, its women’s dormitories are in need of twin bed frames, dressers, lamps, and end tables. Donate: call 218-281-2644.

The Crookston Squadron Civil Air Patrol meets every Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Call 218-281-3954 for more information.

Highland Elementary School is looking for new or used winter gloves and snow pants in sizes 8, 9, and 10. If you are interested in donating or have any questions, call 218-281-5600.

Parents of children are invited to register their children for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program provides one book every month to your child from when you enroll until they turn five for FREE. The program is managed by Crookston Public School, and you can register at www.ImaginationLibrary.com.

The Crookston Care and Share is now accepting donations of Women’s, Men’s, and children’s clothing, toiletries, and other everyday items. Donations may be dropped off at the Care and Share Center at 220 East Third Street or call 281-2644. The Donation Room is open to the public on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

RiverView Health Auxiliary will be holding a Mitten Drive in the form of a Mitten Tree through November 30.  The Mitten Tree will be located in front of the Limited Addition Gift Shop at RiverView Health.  The public is invited to “trim” the tree with their donations of new children’s winter mittens, gloves, or hats. Please, no scarves. The mittens, gloves, and hats received will be distributed in early December to the area schools and given to children who need them. RiverView Health Auxiliary thanks you for your support in warming hearts and hands this season through this important service project.

The Crookston Public Library’s Books & Brews Book Club meets 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 food and drinks. All are welcome.

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

The Crookston Public Library will have StoryTime every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The Golden Link is serving noon lunch Monday through Friday.  All are welcome to dine in between the hours of 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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.

The Crookston Care and Share Center’s 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 more information or to donate, call 218-277-0000.

The post BULLETIN BOARD-NOVEMBER 28, 2023 appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston City Council met in the City Hall council chambers on Monday night.

The council approved the resolution recommended by the Planning Commission Committee regarding a cash farm lease for three years to C&D Reitmeier. The 356-acre property is located near the Crookston Municipal Airport. 

The Planning Commission also recommended the council award a conditional use permit to A&E Properties. A&E Properties wants to provide automobile crushing services at 2701 Highway 75 South near Valley Plains Equipment and Ampride “This was needed because the state has imposed an additional requirement that when someone is crushing automobiles, the crusher has to inform the state that they are within the zoning permitted by the city,” said City Administrator Corky Reynolds. “This is an industrial zone, conditional use permits are allowed in there, but it must be looked at by the planning commission and make sure it is within the comprehensive plan.” The council approved awarding the conditional use permit to A&E Properties to continue with automobile crushing services.

The council approved the resolution regarding the authorization and confirmation of Crookston’s sale of real property to the Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation (MMCDC) in 2002. “There was a deed that transferred into the MMCDC, which was putting up houses, either building them, purchasing them, and reselling them to low-income families,” said Reynolds. “That property is now being sold. The attorney that examined the title had found that there had never been a proper resolution by the city council back in 2002.”

The council also approved the explanation regarding the property purchased in 2002 by Bradley Jenkins and Helen Jenkins to defer repayment of a 10-year house loan of $30,000. The Jenkins family has reportedly met the criteria of the loan lien requirements, which the council acknowledged.

The city has recently received six proposals regarding the engagement of engineering and environmental services in Crookston. “The services and studies will analyze our city streets in terms of pavement condition (PCI),” said Reynolds. “They will also be studying our water, wastewater, sewer pipes, and systems within the city, and they will be analyzing their present conditions.”
Reynolds said the services can benefit the public works department and the utilities department and help determine the areas the city needs to prioritize for improvements. The council approved that the engineering and environmental services be awarded to Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services LLC of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The consent agenda included the approval of minutes from the November 13 council meeting. It also supported bills and disbursements in the amount of $643,362.18.

To watch the full meeting, click here.

The post CROOKSTON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES appeared first on KROX.

The Crookston School Board met Monday evening in the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room.

APPROVAL OF BIDS FOR THE MULTI-USE COMPLEX
The board approved several bids for the Multi-Use Sports Complex. The first bid was a landscaping bid from Total Lawn Care for $70,019.89. The second bid was a chain link fence bid from Century Fence Company for $66,100. The board also approved bids for the bathroom building from Diversified Contractors for $198,800, HN Quality Plumbing for $86,520, RBB Electric for $24,800, Loren Richard Excavating for $12,500, and Dirt Dynamics in the amount of $38,600 for a total of $361,220.00. “I think they came in better than we anticipated, so yes, I’m happy with the bids,” said Superintendent Randy Berquist. “I’m more happy that we’re going to start moving forward on this, and hopefully, with winter coming up, we’re going to start breaking ground as early as possible in the spring, depending on the weather. As much as our school district can use local companies, businesses, individuals, and organizations, it will be better because I am a huge proponent of using local as much as possible, considering that those local companies have kids that go to our school district. They pay taxes, so I’m a big fan of that.”

APPROVAL OF FUTURE PLANS WITH WASHINGTON SCHOOL
The board discussed Washington School and read a new Minnesota School Board Association policy saying that the school board can only look for bids. “So Washington School is out there, and we’ve had some interested parties contact us,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “I have contacted the Minnesota School Board Association to ensure we’re doing everything correctly. We can do nothing as a school district. We can look at going out for bids.”
The School Board must read a new policy twice and give the school district the right to negotiate with public entities to decide what to do with the school.

ADDITION OF FULL-TIME SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
The board also approved the addition of a full-time substitute teacher position. This position will cost between $32,000 and $33,000 from the general fund. “I wish we had more subs. Teachers, paras, instructional aids, bus drivers, cooks. It’s just really unfortunate because what happens right now is that sometimes we have teachers and administrators cover classes. So, if you’re a third-grade teacher and you normally have 23 kids, if there’s another teacher that’s gone, you’re going to have to absorb or take some of those kids into your classroom,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “It gets to burden the teacher and administrator that has to fill in. Plus, I think it’s a burden on kids. Who wants to send their kids to a class with 30 or more kids? I don’t think that’s good learning for the kids, so we’re going to post tomorrow for a long-term subbing person who will one day sub in first grade, the next day they might do sixth grade, the next day they might go back to pre-school depending on what it is.”

DONATIONS FOR SCOREBOARD
The board also approved moving forward with the process of securing donations for the purchase of a new football scoreboard. Nate Lubarski will ask businesses and individuals if they would like to donate to help offset the cost. The funds for the scoreboard will not come from school funding.

SCHOOL BOARD COMPENSATION PROPOSAL
The board also approved a proposal to increase school board members’ compensation. It is the first time the school board members will get a raise in 15 years.
-The board chair will go from $4,000 to $6,500.
-The clerk and treasurer went from $3,500 to $6,000.
-The members, of which there are three, went from $3,000 to $4,000 each.

All board members will also get $150 per non-school board meeting, like finance meetings. The board committee came up with the increases. “One of the things the board member committee had said is that ‘we’d like to get younger people to run for the school board,” said Superintendent Bergquist. “For example, In August next summer, if you’re interested in running for school board, maybe you have a child in the district and want to help shape and mold policy and procedure. Please consider running for school board.” The board also wants to encourage its members to attend Fine Arts events rather than just sporting events.

APPROVE BLAKE STOLTMAN AS SIGNATORY
The board also approved business manager Blake Stoltman as the signatory for investment authority, financial operations, and personnel to lease, purchase, and contract for budgeted goods and services.

CONSENT AGENDA
The board approved the consent agenda, including the approval of the employment of Gabriela Ostgaard as a paraprofessional at the high school and Lori J. Wagner as an aide at Highland School.
The board accepted the resignation of Frank (Nikk) Caputo as a paraprofessional at Highland School and Mark Ecklund in Food services at the high school.
The board approved the winter coaches list (listed at the bottom of the story) and accepted a $500 donation to the Pirate Girls Tennis program, $500 for the We Care Project, and $3,200 from the Hot Stove Hockey Parent Group for a HUDL system for Boys Hockey. 

APPROVED WINTER COACHES LIST
The board approved the Winter Activities Coaching list. The coaches are listed below.

BOYS BASKETBALL –
Head – Greg Garmen
Assistant – Jason Tangquist
C-Squad – Lon Boike
8th grade – Austin O’Hare
7th grade – Tom Anderson
Volunteer – Kevin Weber

GIRLS BASKETBALL –
Head – Darin Zimmerman
Assistant – Brett Brenden
C-Squad – Kylie Solheim
Junior High – Kamille Meyer

BOYS HOCKEY –
Head – Josh Hardy
Assistant – Connor Morgan
Assistant – Sam Melbye
Assistant – Wyatt Ecklund

GIRLS HOCKEY –
Head – Emily Meyer
Assistant – Amanda Lien
Assistant – Stacy Olson
Volunteer – Andy Fee

WRESTLING –
Head – Dan Rooney
Assistant – Colton Weiland
Assistant – Blake Bergeron
Volunteer/Youth – Dillon McEachran

DANCELINE –
Head – Grace Espinosa
Assistant – Quinn Siegle

SPEECH – Brandon Adams and Kate Mulvey
VARSITY ONE ACT – Beth Carlson
JUNIOR HIGH ONE-ACT – Brandon Adams
FIGURE SKATING – Katie Englestad
KNOWLEDGE BOWL – Katelyn Stegman
JR. HIGH KNOWLEDGE BOWL – Sue Wagner
MATH COUNTS – Dana Louw and Andrea Adrian

The next school board meeting will be Monday, December 11, at 5:00 p.m. in the Crookston High School Choir/Orchestra room, right before the Truth and Taxation hearing at 6:00.

The post CROOKSTON SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES BIDS FOR SPORTS COMPLEX, ADDS FULL TIME SUB appeared first on KROX.

Devon Benke (28) of Crookston was arrested on November 20 and is facing charges of assaulting two officers, damaging a squad car, and gross misdemeanor. Neil Carlson of iNewzTV has more on the story in the video below.

The post CROOKSTON MAN FACING CHARGES OF ASSAULTING OFFICERS appeared first on KROX.