Karren Yvonne Egstad, age 75 of Gand Forks, died on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at her home.
Karren Y. Egstad, a daughter of Harold and Ruth (Patzloff) Thompson, was born on March 5, 1950 in Grand Forks, ND. She moved with her family at a young age to Crookston, MN where she attended school. After her education she began working with disabled individuals at group homes in Crookston. In the early 2000’s Karren moved to Grand Forks where she worked at Altru hospital in housekeeping for several years until an injury forced her to retire.
She enjoyed spending time on her tablet, often being banned from Facebook for her political posts. Karren loved to watch episodes of Flip or Flop on HGTV. HGTV was her favorite program to watch. She was perfectly content spending time at home with her one and only loving son, Eric.
She is survived by her son, Eric of Grand Forks, ND; a sister, Marlys (Jimmy) Johnson of Crookston, MN a brother, Daryl (Diana) Thompson of Crookston, MN; and many nieces and nephews.
Karen was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Ruth Thompson, and a brother, Rodger Thompson.
John LaCrosse, 86 of Red Lake Falls, MN passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at Villa St. Vincent in Crookston, MN with his loving family by his side.
Visitation will begin at 5:00 PM with the Mass of Christian Burial at 7:00 PM on Friday, March 14, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Red Lake Falls, MN with Father Bob Schreiner presiding. Burial will be at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery at a later date.
John Frederick LaCrosse was born on May 10, 1938 in Crookston, MN to Henry and Hazel (Zaiser) LaCrosse. He was raised on a farm in Lake Pleasant Township until the age of 10 when his father semi-retired and moved the family into town. Jack attended Lafayette High School, graduating in 1957. He participated in various activities including band, basketball and baseball and was well liked by all. Jack started dating his wife Glady while in high school on a dare from his friends. Jack and Glady were married at St. Joseph’s Church on May 16, 1959. They made their home in rural Terrebonne Township where Jack farmed for 40 years. From this union they were blessed with five children John, Cindy, Keith, Mark, and Tony. Upon his retirement in 2000 he sold the farm to his son Mark where he continued to work and help out until recently when his health began to decline.
Jack was very involved in many organizations over the years. He was a member of his church’s men’s guild, and choir. He was chairman for many years on his local elevator board, chaired the ASCS board for 11 years, and served on the Terrebonne Township board for 42 years until his retirement in 2019.
Jack and Glady loved traveling together, going on multiple cruises and bus tours. Some of their travels included exploring the Caribbean, watching the Winter Olympics in Canada, exploring the beauty of Alaska, trips around Lake Michigan, and experiencing the New England coast area during the fall. Jack enjoyed playing cards with family. He taught his kids to play pinochle, whist, cribbage, and the kids taught him the family favorite game Oh “Shucks” (if you know you know). He also enjoyed watching anything western and cheering on his favorite team the Vikings.
Jack is survived by his children; John (Dianne) Thomas, Cindy (Perry) Barnes, Keith (Jenipher) LaCrosse, Mark (Melanie) LaCrosse, Tony (Sue) LaCrosse, grandchildren; Matt Thomas, Brandon Thomas, Dave (Rebecca) Forsberg, Beth (Chad) Griffith, Zack LaCrosse, Abby LaCrosse, Andrew LaCrosse, Adam LaCrosse, Megan LaCrosse, Ashley LaCrosse, Heather Uriell, Cory Uriell, and several great grandchildren.
Jack is preceded in death by his parents, wife Glady and two infant children born in 1964.
On Friday, March 7th, Industrial Tech teacher Mr. Travis Oliver took 25 students from his Industrial Tech classes to visit American Crystal Sugar in Crookston.
The visit included an overview of what the plant does daily. The students also heard about all the great job opportunities available at Crystal Sugar and the great benefits that come with employment, which included Scholarship programs that can cover everything for a student in college.
The students’ visit also included a tour of the factory, which Mr. Oliver says anyone who has not been to the factory will see is pretty overwhelming. Mr. Oliver would like to thank Cory and Nicole of Crystal Sugar for hosting his students and for their continued partnership each year.
The Office of the Registrar recently announced students named to the Fall Semester 2024 Dean’s List. To qualify for a place on the Dean’s List, students must have at least 12 earned credits as of the last day of the semester, and a semester grade-point average of 3.5 to 3.74 must be achieved.
Students named to the Dean’s List include the following: sorted alphabetically by last name, according to hometown.
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a legal challenge to a law in Colorado that bans “conversion therapy” aimed at LGBTQ+ minors. At least 23 states and the District of Columbia ban conversation therapy for minors.
Conversion therapy, as defined by the state, is an attempt to “change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”
Colorado enacted the Minor Conversion Therapy Law in 2019 following what the state said was a growing mental health crisis among young people in the state and “mounting evidence” that conversion therapy is tied to increased depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. The law prohibits “any practice or treatment [upon minors] … that attempts or purports to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”
The high court agreed to hear the legal challenge brought by the conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom in opposition to the state law. The Alliance Defending Freedom group is representing Christian counselor Kaley Chiles, who has argued that Colorado’s law violates First Amendment rights by “censoring” client conversions.
Kristen Waggoner, president of Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement: “The government has no business censoring private conversations between clients and counselors, nor should a counselor be used as a tool to impose the government’s biased views on her clients.”
A federal judge and the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals both ruled in favor of the state. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a Democrat, wrote in a statement: “In Colorado, we are committed to protecting professional standards of care so that no one suffers unscientific and harmful so-called gay conversion therapy. States have long regulated medical practices to protect patients from harmful professional conduct. Colorado’s law protecting young people from unscientific and cruel gay conversion therapy practices is human, smart, and appropriate.”
The case will be heard in the Supreme Court’s next term, which begins in October, with a decision expected by the end of June 2026.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Monday he’s asking the court to withdraw the previous district attorney’s motion for resentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, which aimed to reduce the prison terms of the Menendez brothers. Erik and Lyle are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murders of their parents in 1989.
Hochman said at a news conference Monday that “we are prepared to go forward” with the hearing regarding their resentencing case, adding: “however, we are asking the court to withdraw the previous district attorney’s motion for resentencing, because we believe there are legitimate reasons and the interests of justice justifies that withdrawal.” The request to withdraw the resentencing motion is “based on the current state of the record and the Menendez brothers’ current and continual failure to show full insight and accept full responsibility for their murders. If they were to finally come forward and unequivocally and sincerely admit and completely accept responsibility for their lies of self-defense and the attempted suborning of perjury they engaged in, then the Court should weigh such new insight into the analysis of rehabilitation and resentencing — as will the People.” The resentencing hearing is set for March 20-21.
In October, former-LA County District Attorney George Gascón said he supported resentencing for the brothers and recommended their sentences of life without the possibility of parole be removed. Gascón stated the brothers should instead be sentenced for murder, which would be a sentence of 50 years to life; and because both brothers were under 26 at the time of the crimes, they would be eligible for parole immediately with the new sentence.
The announcement comes weeks after Hochman said he opposed a separate effort from Erik and Lyle Menendez that sought to challenge their convictions with what their lawyers described as new evidence in the case. Additionally, it comes just days after one of the brothers’ cousins, Tamara Goodell, slammed the DA in a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Division, with accusations that Hochman was being “hostile, dismissive and patronizing” during two meetings in January with family members who want the brothers released. She said the “lack of compassion was palpable, and the family left feeling not only ignored but further intimidated and revictimized.” Goodell wants Hochman removed and the case turned over to the attorney general’s office.
Lyle Menendez, then 21, and Erik Menendez, then 18, shot and killed their parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez, in the family’s Beverly Hills home back in 1989. While the defense claimed the brothers acted in self-defense after enduring years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors alleged that the Menendez brothers killed their parents for money. Their first trial ended in a mistrial; however, the brothers were both convicted in 1996 after heir second trial, and sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms without the possibility of parole.
The brothers have also sought their freedom through clemency, which has been submitted to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.. Last month, Newsom announced that he was ordering the parole board to conduct a 90-day “comprehensive risk assessment” investigation into whether the brothers pose “an unreasonable risk to the public” if they’re granted clemency and released. Newson said at the time: “there’s no guarantee of outcome here, but this process simply provides more transparency … as well as provides us more due diligence before I make any determination for clemency.”
Prime Video is previewing G20, a film starring Viola Davis as fictional U.S. President Danielle Sutton.
In the trailer for the film, President Sutton (Davis) attends a G20 summit alongside “the 20 most powerful world leaders,” when they are attacked by a group intent on taking over global financial markets. An official synopsis reads: “After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country and safeguard world leaders in this action-packed thrill ride.”
Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramon Rodriguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Christopher Farrar and Anthony Starr also star in G20. Director Patricia Riggen (‘The 33’) helms the film from a script by Caitlin Parrish, Erica Weiss, Logan Miller and Noah Miller. Davis, with Andrew Lazar and Julius Tennon serving as producers. Riggen said in a previously released statement: “This is Viola Davis as you’ve never seen her — heroically kicking tons of ass in a global thrill ride. With G20, I wanted to make the kind of classic, edge-of-your-seat action film that I’ve always been such a fan of, but one that draws on the high stakes of our modern and technologically advanced world we live in.”
Kelly Clarkson is returning to Las Vegas with a new residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The new residency follows Clarkson’s sold-out exclusive Las Vegas engagement at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in 2023/2024.
Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions—The Las Vegas Residency will kick off on Friday, July 4th, and will include 18 performances through November 15th.
Clarkson shares: “I’m so excited to be back in Vegas! We’re bringing the studio to the stage this time with Studio Sessions! See y’all there!”
The full dates for Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions – The Las Vegas Residency are as follows:
July 2025: 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 August 2025: 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 November 2025: 7, 8, 14, 15
