Month: January 2024

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

Jaddarius Nijae Jones, 22, of Grand Forks, for possessing a firearm without a permit in a public space.

Marshall Lee James II, 32, of Warren, for giving a peace officer the false name of another person.

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

The Crookston Eagles will have Dart League at 7:00 p.m. tonight.

The Crookston Eagles Club will have Bar Bingo on Thursday, January 4, starting at 6:30 p.m. The kitchen will be closed.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Past State Aerie President Randy Beggs on Friday, January 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Crookston Eagles Club. 

The Crookston Eagles Club will not have Bar Bingo on Friday, January 5.

The Crookston Eagles will have Bar Bingo at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 6, with a $400 must-go Jackpot. There will be a Private Party at 5:00.

On Saturday, January 6, the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association will host a Snowshoe Lacing Workshop at the Rydell NWR Visitor Center. The one-day workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Class participants will learn how to lace their pair of Ojibwa-style snowshoes. This is a fun, hands-on class. You’ll be able to work at your own pace with provided instructions and friendly presenters to assist you along the way. Snacks and lunch will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association. Pre-registration is required, and class size is limited to 20 participants. The deadline for registration was December 15. For more information and to get a registration form, contact Bill Peterson at 218-280-1109 or bpeterso@umn.edu

The Crookston Public Library will have STEMsational Tuesday on Tuesday, January 9, from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. This is intended for ages five through ten where kids can explore science, technology, and math activities. STEMsational Tuesday will be held the second Tuesday of every month during school hours.

RiverView Health is offering a CPR class on Thursday, January 11, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the RiverView Home Care Building, 721 South Minnesota Street in Crookston. The cost is $55 for those needing certification, and for those not needing certification, the class is free. To register, call 218-281-9536. No walk-ins will be allowed.

The Care and Share in Crookston will have an Open Heart Open Doors Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, January 20, at the Crookston Eagles Hall. Social hour will be at 5:00, dinner of walleye or prime rib at 6:00, and Silent Auction and games at 7:00. Cost is $50 per ticket; call the Care and Share at 218-281-2644 for ticket information. Proceeds will go towards a cargo van.

The United Way of Crookston’s Dine Out week will be January 21-27.

The Crookston Public Library will discuss the book “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave at the Reading by the Red on Tuesday, January 23, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Copies are available from the book club kit at the Crookston Library on a first come, first served basis. Otherwise, it is available from the LARL catalog, as well as on Libby.

RiverView Health will host a four-hour First Aid Class Thursday, February 1, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the RiverView Home Care Building, 721 South Minnesota Street in Crookston. The cost of the class is $55. You must pay in advance to save your spot.  To register or for more information, call 281-9536. No walk-ins will be accepted.

CONTINUING ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Benedictine Living Community Crookston Auxiliary is accepting donations for their Light Up A Life Display. Your gift of $5 will light up a bulb in memory of a friend, loved one, or someone living whom you wish to honor. Please make checks payable to Benedictine Auxiliary, 516 Walsh, Crookston, MN. 56716. Donations will go towards the Benedictine Auxiliary Living Community in Crookston. The Light Up A Life Display will be lit from dusk to dawn until January 5. 

As the Crookston Care and Share expand, 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 for FREE from when you enroll until they turn five. Crookston Public School manages the program, 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 Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and Fridays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Every Tuesday (except for Federal Holidays), The Crookston Public Library will host New Born Baby Talk from 9:30 am. to 11:00 a.m. This is for parents with babies 0-12 weeks old. A public health nurse, parent educator, and lactation specialist will be available to answer questions about your newborn and provide support and information on your new journey of parenting.

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-JANUARY 3, 2024 appeared first on KROX.

The Polk County Commissioners continued meeting at the Polk County Government Center and opened the 2024 publication biddings for the Polk County Official Newspaper.

BIDDING FOR THE OFFICIAL POLK COUNTY NEWSPAPER

Each year, Polk County opens up bidding for city publications within Polk County. Polk County Director of Property Records Sam Melbye presented each designation and bid for the 2024 Polk County News Paper and publication of Polk County’s delinquent tax list statement. “This was for the publication for the county board meetings and the publication for all legal notices,” said Melbye, “This includes bid notices, sample ballots, and all other publishing requests presented by the county. We opened The second one for publication of the delinquent tax list.”

Every year, on January 2, any individual who has not paid their taxes for the prior year becomes delinquent. Polk County will now begin notifying everyone who is deemed to be outstanding. By March of this year, anyone who has not paid taxes will have their name published in the Polk County Newspaper.

Publications that bid for the 2024 Polk County Newspaper were the Crookston Times, The Exponent (East Grand Forks), The Fertile Journal, The 13 Towns, and The McIntosh Times (Richard Publishing). The official county paper was awarded to Richards Publishing/ McIntosh Times for $2.50 per column inch, and the delinquent tax list was awarded to the Fertile Journal for $4.00 per column inch.

“Any publication or any notification that has to go to the public has to be in that paper,” said Melbye, “We usually still send them out to all of the regional newspapers as well so we can make as many people (as possible) in the county aware of what’s going on. But this is where we are now required to publish it.” The Fertile Journal was awarded the publication of the Polk County Newspaper in 2023, in which they published all of the board minutes and agendas for the Polk County board meetings.

POLK COUNTY PROPERTY RECORDS AGENDA ITEMS

Melbye presented to the board a lease for extension regarding a McIntosh building used as a UMC extension office. “This was just to renew the lease for another year,” said Melbye, “Nothing has changed as far as the terms of it. But every year, we remind the board we intend to extend the lease to that building as a UMC extension office.” Polk County will receive $1,562 quarterly for the lease cost, which equates to an annual revenue of $6,248.

The board also approved for the Polk County Property Records Department to fill the vacancy of a Filing Appraiser Vacancy.

The board concluded the meeting by reviewing the county board issue forum, where the board ultimately made a motion to re-appoint Jason Stordahl to the Marshall and Polk Rural Water System Board for a four-year term. The term is set to expire on December 31, 2027.

The post POLK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVE PUBLICATION BID FOR 2024 POLK COUNTY NEWSPAPER appeared first on KROX.

On Tuesday, the Polk County Commissioners met for the first time in 2024 at the Polk County Government Center.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

The meeting began with the board appointing the Polk County Commissioner Chairman to Gary Willhite. Warren Strandell served as the Polk County Chairman in 2023 and has now been moved to the 2^nd district representative. “This is fine; I’ve served as chair before,” said Willhite, “We all take a turn at this, and the new vice chair is Mr. Holy. That’s the first thing we do in the new year 2024!” Willhite served approximately eight years on the Crookston City Council before taking over as the mayor, before his time as a commissioner.

Mark Holy, who served as the Polk County representative for District 5, will now serve as vice chair of the commissioners for 2024. Holy will be appointed next to serve as chairman.

POLK COUNTY PUBLICATIONS AND FEDERAL ADOPTION

Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting brought several items to the board. Whiting presented the resolution regarding the designation of Polk County’s website for publications of invitations to bid on Polk County Transportation Projects. “We pass this resolution during each meeting of every year, and by statute, counties are allowed to advertise for their transportation projects,” said Whiting. “These are essentially highway projects that would be posted to our website instead of the paper. This is a state law, so we follow it, and it allows us to get more contractors than just posting these bids in the local paper.” The board approved the resolution to designate Polk County’s website for the publication of invitations.

The board then adopted the 2024 mileage reimbursement rates for Polk County employees. The mileage rates for county employees have increased by 1.5 cents; employees will now receive $.67 per mile of travel. “We just follow whatever the IRS rate is for the reimbursement for the employees,” said Whiting, “This is for employees that use county vehicles for county business. They put in the mileage and get reimbursed for 67 cents per mile.”

Along with adopting the mileage rates for employees, the commissioners adopted the federal meal and lodging reimbursement rates for county employees. This reimbursement will occur whenever a county employee spends money on meals or lodging while attending county meetings or accommodation during county business. “Lodging is scarce, and it’s usually covered ahead of time,” said Whiting, “If an employee finds themselves in a snowstorm someplace and has to spend the night on the way back from county business.”

The commissioners concluded the meeting by reviewing the draft board operating procedures handbook for Polk County. It was discussed that there was little change from prior years in the directory. The board ultimately approved the 2024 operating procedures handbook.

The consent agenda included the approval of minutes from the December 19 board meeting. The next meeting will occur on Tuesday, January 16, at the Polk County Government Center.

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