Month: March 2024

The Odam Mobile Clinic will come to Crookston this weekend on Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to provide various services to the Crookston community. The mobile clinic will be located at the Crookston Care and Share.

Odam Medical Group is a medical organization based out of Rice, Minnesota, that offers a mobile service. The Crookston Care and Share has partnered with Odam due to designated primary health professional shortages within the region. “The current location of Care and Share is in a designated primary health professional shortage area,” said Director of the Crookston Care and Share, Carolina Alfonso. “Also a medically restricted area. This will allow this medical group to receive funding to service our area based on this needs assessment.”

The mobile clinic will be providing the following services and evaluations-
– Physical health for men and women
– Wellness child visits
– Pediatric care
– Acute and chronic illness
– Mental health
– Dental

The Crookston Care and Share felt this would be a beneficial opportunity due to the conditions its residents and other struggling individuals face in the area—struggles such as finding sufficient shelter and necessities on a daily basis. “People facing these tend to neglect their mental health,” said Alfonso.” Your dental and physical well-being in perspective. Sometimes, the stigma of being un-housed creates a barrier for the un-housed to walk into a clinic. Now we can meet the un-housed where they are at, and they can put prioritize their health in the meantime while they feel safe and secure.”

Alfonso believes this is an excellent opportunity for those who struggle with their well-being and those who currently don’t possess health insurance. “This gives the opportunity to have a confidential experience,” said Alfonso, “But also to address the situations that they may have neglected for a long period of time.”

The Odam mobile clinic will be open to the community. This is a fully functional clinic and will serve the individuals who attend. Registrations are not required; however, walk-ins are accepted. To register for an appointment, call 612-871-2312.

The Northwest Minnesota Cancer Crusaders will host an Easter Egg Scramble and Vendor Fair at the Crookston Sports Center on Saturday, March 30 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon.

Kids ages 10 and under participate for free in the scramble starting at 11:00 a.m. with over 5,000 eggs plus prizes and raffles. There will also be photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny by Joyful Heart Photo, plus food and treats from the Crookston Shriners Club.

All proceeds will go toward the Shriners Children’s Hospital and Trails to Treatments.

RiverView Health has 300+ employees, so when a director declares, “I don’t think there is a person at RiverView that works harder…’’, you take notice. Who is that hard worker? Janell Thordarson, lead for Environmental Services (EVS) and February’s Employee of the Month.

Janell began her RiverView career almost 20 years ago in the kitchen, where she worked as the head cook for eight years before joining the EVS Team.

“I love being a part of our EVS Team,’’ she shared. “We do save lives and make our facility a safe place for our patients and staff. I see many interactions with our patients; the kindness is everywhere.’’

Growing up in Lake Bronson, MN, Janelle graduated from Karlstad, MN. She lived in Hamilton, ND, before settling in Crookston over 22 years ago. She and her husband have seven children, 12 grandchildren, and grandchild #13 coming this summer.

Janell and her husband enjoy gardening, flowers, yard work, and spending time with their children and grandchildren. Of her honor, she said: “I feel blessed to be Employee of the Month. Thank you, Jen (Tate), Ashley (Cameron), and Matt (Johnson), for your kind words. I respect our leaders and the hard work they do. I love my job, and I have a great leader to follow. I am proud to be a part of our RiverView Team.’’

On Wednesday, March 27 at 5:53 a.m. the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a call for service regarding a possible burglary in progress in Belgium Township. Upon arrival, Deputies discovered that the suspects fled the area on foot. After an extensive search of the area, a 29-year-old male from Warren was located and arrested. The arrested individual’s identity will be released once formal charges are filed.

At approximately 10:45 am, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested the second sought-after suspect in regard to this incident.  The suspect is a 34-year-old male from Emerado, ND, whose identity will be released once formal charges are filed.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Crookston Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol.

This incident is still under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 218-281-0431.

The Crookston High School Speech team competed in the Subsection 30A tournament at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School in Glyndon on Tuesday, with four students advancing to sections.

Brandon Wandrie competed in original oratory and finished first place, Lily Olmstead competed in storytelling and finished second place, and Shayla Azure and Zac Plante competed in duo interpretation and finished third place.

Other students competing included:
Ciaran Mulvey received 5th place in prose
John Lisov received 5th place in humor
Jaden Newquist received 7th place in drama
Ivan Luckow received 7th place in the discussion.

Wandrie, Olmstead, Azure, and Plante will compete in the Section 8A Speech competition in Fosston on April 11. The top three in each category at Sections will advance to the state tournament.