Month: January 2025

The Crookston High School Speech team competed in the Fergus Falls Otter Orations Speech Tournament on Saturday.

Winning awards for Crookston were –

Shayla Azure and Zac Plante- 1st place (Duo Interpretation Champions)
Zac Plante-5th palace in honors finals Humorous Interpretation
Shayla Azure-6th place in finals in Humorous Interpretation
Arley Sinks-6th place in honors finals in Speaking

Also competing for Crookston were John Lisov and Lilly Olmstead. The team is coached by Brandon Lee.

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The Crookston School Board will meet on Monday at 5:00 p.m. in the Crookston High School Choir and Orchestra room. 

The featured program will be on student attendance and presented by Crookston High School Principal Matt Torgerson. 

The consent agenda includes approval of the minutes from the December 9 meeting and the Truth in Taxation Hearing meeting, and the special meeting on January 6. The board will be asked to approve the bills and resignations from Nate Lubarski as head football coach, Kayla Brekken and Izabella Hyde as paraprofessionals, Lenny Fuller as mechanic and bus driver, Dave and Cindy Tyler as bus drivers, and Kelsey Grunewald as payroll specialist.
The board will be asked to approve the employment of LaQuetta Cobbs and Frittney Deitz as paraprofessionals and leave of absence for Matt Torgerson for four to six weeks, and Cayley Kruckerberg for up to 12 weeks.
The board will also be asked to approve a $1,000 donation from the United Way for the PATCH program, a $2,500 donation from the United Way for the Eat United Food program, a $500.92 from Central Harvest States (CHS) for the Highland School Inclusive playground, a $10,000 donation from KeyBank National Association Trust Division for the Highland School Inclusive playground, $200 from Jordan and Kayse Thompson for the Highland Inclusive playground, $2,000 from Halstad Telephone Company for student scholarships, $100 from Todd Torgerson for the Woods Class, and $500 from Hart Travel for the Athletics department.

The main agenda includes the dissolution of the Girls Swimming Co-op with Fosston and Bagley High Schools, the annual resolution directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions in programs and positions and reasons for them, and approval of committee assignments.

There will be a closed session at the end of the meeting to conduct the Superintendent’s mid-year evaluation.

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Many Minnesotans visit state parks and hit the trails in summer, but winter outdoor activities are just as fun. To help people plan winter visits to state parks, recreation areas, and trails, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shares top ways to have fun this winter, with or without snow.

“Winter offers a whole new way to play outside, providing recreation options to refresh the spirit, boost your mood, and connect with nature,” said Ann Pierce, the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division director. “To help all Minnesotans enjoy these benefits, no matter their previous experience or budget, we’re highlighting no-cost and low-cost activities and providing easy trip planning resources.”

Here are a few favorite outdoor activities to try this winter:

Look for birds

Winter birding in Minnesota offers a unique opportunity to see species adapted to cold climates. The quiet, leafless landscapes make it easier to spot and hear birds. Whether people are seasoned birders or beginners, birding is a rewarding way to connect with nature and experience Minnesota’s wildlife in a new season. Several parks even have free birding programs to participate in this winter, including Afton, Fort Snelling, Itasca, Nerstrand Big Woods, Sibley, Wild River, and William O’Brien. Find the events on the Parks and Trails event calendar (mndnr.gov/ptcalendar).

Go for a winter hike

Winter hiking is a rewarding way to experience winter landscapes while staying active in colder months. It offers physical benefits along with mental health boosts from exposure to natural light and serene surroundings. With proper gear and preparation, winter hiking allows for unique encounters with nature, less crowded trails than summer months, and stunning seasonal scenery. Winter hiking is a great option for state parks, recreation areas and trails. Some state parks have plowed or packed trails; these locations are listed on the DNR winter hiking webpage (mndnr.gov/state_parks/winter_hiking.html).

Hit the bike trails

Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area is one of Minnesota’s premiere mountain biking destinations, and in winter, its trails are great for fat bike riding. In the Twin Cities metro area, Fort Snelling State Park has 6 miles of multi-use trails open to fat biking. State trails are also open to winter biking. Learn more about fat biking and other locations to ride on the DNR’s fat biking webpage (mndnr.gov/fatbike/index.html).

Become a Junior Ranger

State park visitors are invited to pick up a free Junior Ranger book from ranger stations or print one at home from the Junior Ranger webpage (mndnr.gov/junior-ranger). Activities in this booklet are designed for ages six to 10, but anyone is welcome to participate. Complete the activities and earn a free Junior Ranger badge.

Attend a candlelight event

Candlelight events are free, family-friendly events. They offer short, easy trails lit with lanterns or luminaries. Visitors can stop by anytime during the event and enjoy the trail at their own pace. Visit the DNR candlelight event webpage (mndnr.gov/candlelight) for dates and locations.

Go ice fishing

Minnesota residents can fish without a fishing license in many Minnesota state parks; this includes ice fishing. Those new to the sport can check out one of the state park ice fishing programs to get tips for a successful outing. Programs are listed on the state parks ice fishing webpage (mndnr.gov/state_parks/ice_fishing.html).

Snow activities

While much of the state doesn’t currently have enough snow for activities such as snowshoeing, sledding, cross-country skiing or snowmobiling, there are select locations in Minnesota with enough snow for these activities. Skiers and snowmobile riders can check out the DNR website (mndnr.gov/snow) for winter trail reports. If snow arrives, information about sledding and snowshoeing in state parks is in the DNR winter guide (mndnr.gov/winterguide).

Planning and safety tips

Being prepared is key to making a trip to a state park or trail successful and fun.

• Be aware of special conditions or other alerts that might impact a state park or recreation area visit by checking park websites (mndnr.gov/parklist) before leaving home.
• The DNR recommends buying a state park vehicle permit before arriving at the park using the state parks permit webpage (mndnr.gov/permit). Permits can be purchased in person when ranger stations are open; hours can be found on park websites. Permits can also be checked out at select public libraries in Minnesota. State trails do not require vehicle permits.
• Check the weather forecast before heading out, and dress appropriately for the conditions. If new to winter outdoor recreation in Minnesota, check out the DNR’s guide to dressing for Minnesota winters (images.dnr.state.mn.us/destinations/state_parks/winter_guide/winter-dressing-infographic.pdf).

Always check ice depth before going on frozen water and remember that ice is never 100% safe. Read the ice safety page on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/icesafety) for information.

The post Top tips for fun winter outings to state parks and trails in Minnesota first appeared on KROX.

Governor Tim Walz announced Friday,  that Minnesota sent a crew of wildland firefighters from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to support response efforts amid ongoing wildfires in Southern California.

“Minnesota stands with Southern California and will do whatever we can to help the thousands of families impacted by wildfires,” said Governor Walz. “I am immensely proud of our emergency responders who are stepping up and providing critical support. They are protecting communities and saving lives.”

“It’s heartbreaking to see the disastrous impacts of the Southern California wildfires on human life, property, infrastructure, and resources,” said DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen. “I’m proud that DNR’s wildland firefighters are answering the call to support these critical and life-saving response efforts with fellow emergency responders.”

The DNR crew departed from the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center in Grand Rapids Friday morning and will receive their assignment once they arrive in Southern California. While there, the 10-person crew may be asked to help support ongoing fire response efforts or respond to new fire starts as Southern California continues to face extreme fire conditions. Members of this crew are highly skilled and specially trained in all aspects of wildland fire suppression, including structure triage, fire line construction, pump operations, and chainsaw use.

“The DNR has been closely following the situation in California, and we were ready to support when the call came in,” said Paul Lundgren, Wildfire Section Manager with the Minnesota DNR.

When the fires initially developed in early January, California was able to immediately access local and regional resources. As firefighting efforts continue, additional resources are needed, and those are now coming from greater distances. The Minnesota DNR’s partnerships with state and federal agencies through mutual aid agreements facilitate sharing of wildland firefighting resources to support others in times of need.

The post A ten-person crew of MN DNR Wildland Firefighters has been sent to aid Southern California first appeared on KROX.

Hunters harvested more than 170,000 deer during the 2024 hunting season, up 7% statewide from the 2023 hunting season. The statewide harvest was 3% lower than the five-year average.

“We still have a way to go in parts of northern Minnesota,” said Todd Froberg, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources big game program coordinator. “But it seems like we’re moving in the right direction.”

The weather during peak hunting times, such as weekends, played a significant factor in hunter success and provided optimal conditions for hunting during firearms season in much of the state. Anecdotal reports to wildlife managers also suggested that the opening weekend of the 2024 firearms opener lined up well with deer activity during the peak of their mating season.

Breakdown by region

One of the areas that saw the most increase in deer harvest was the northeast, where harvest was up 9% compared to 2023.

Due to the region’s ecology, deer populations are significantly impacted by winter conditions, particularly deep snow. The mild winter in 2023-24 helped bolster local populations. However, wildlife managers are maintaining conservative bag limits and caution that it will take more than one mild winter to help deer recover.

Northwest Minnesota also saw a jump in harvest, with an 8% increase from 2023. The past mild winter was exactly what deer needed in this region. Many wildlife managers received reports of twins and triplets in the spring and summer of 2024.

The central and southeast regions of the state also saw great success, with a 9% increase from 2023 and a 2% increase compared to the five-year average. Hunting opportunities remain robust in these regions of the state, with bag limits as high as three- to five-deer limits.

The southwest saw a 4% increase in harvest compared to 2023 and a 1% increase from the five-year average. This area of the state has had very consistent harvest the last few years.

High archery season success

This year was an incredibly successful year for archery hunters, with archery harvest up 16%. Preliminary harvest results suggest this might be the second-highest archery harvest ever in Minnesota, only surpassed by the 2020 season.

In 2023, Minnesota legalized crossbows for all archery hunters, regardless of age. Crossbow harvest saw a 28% increase compared to 2023, and 48% of the total archery harvest was by crossbow. Vertical bow harvest was also up 7% compared to 2023.

Both crossbow and vertical bowhunters took similar proportions of deer in terms of sex and age at harvest. A little less than half of the deer harvested with archery equipment were adult bucks (48% crossbow, 47% vertical bow). Adult does harvested during archery season made up about 40% of the deer harvested during archery season (40% crossbow, 42% vertical bow).

If drier winter conditions persist into spring 2025, hunters might look forward to increasing deer numbers in the upcoming hunting season.

Input opportunity and more information

Hunters and anyone interested in deer can provide their input via an online survey on 2024 deer populations and observations. The survey includes questions about experiences hunters had during the deer hunting season, issues related to damage deer might have done to crops, landscaping, or gardens, and other deer-related issues. People can also share their input on proposed boundary changes for deer permit areas 101, 111, 183, 208, and 268. The survey is open through Monday, Feb. 10, and available on the DNR deer management webpage (mndnr.gov/deer).

People who are interested in deer harvest data can find current harvest data and past harvest reports on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources deer reports and statistics webpage (mndnr.gov/mammals/deer/management/statistics.html). The page also features an interactive map and graph that visualize the data.

The post 2024 Deer Harvest Up 7% Statewide From 2023 Hunting Season first appeared on KROX.