The Crookston Airport Commission met Wednesday, April 16, in the conference room at City Hall. The commission reviewed the private hangar lease agreement, and they accepted a T-Hangar bid of over $2.8 million.
Private Hangar Lease Review At the previous meeting in February, the Commission discussed reviewing the city’s Private Hanger Lease Agreement. No changes have been made to this documentfor many years. The commission wanted to look at some items, as a private party expressed interest in building a hangar at the airport. This morning, the Commission unanimously approved the changes made to paragraph 23, which pertained to the Termination of Lease.
T-Hangar Bid Results The commission spoke with Lindsay Reidt and Melissa Underwood from SEH Engineering about rebidding the T-Hangar project back in February. The bids are in. Reidt and Underwood asked the Commission what they wanted to do with the project. “We opened bids for the hangar project out at the airport. We had two options: a five-unit T-Hangar and a two- or three-unit box hangar,” says Reidt. “They decided to move forward with the five-unit T-Hangar, including some in-floor heating options as well.”
There was a lengthy discussion about the options and what they meant for the project’s funding. The project had been bid on once in 2024, but the bids were too high. The cost hasn’t gotten any lower, and there will likely be no reduction in price if the commission puts off the project again. Gustafson and Goudge were the lowest responsible bidders both times the project was bid out, and the most recent bid was for $2,837,677.35. The project will require the Crookston Municipal Airport to borrow money from other area airports and will push back on a few other projects the Crookston Airport planned. “We talked about borrowing entitlement dollars that they will need to do from other airports. It’s a common practice, but given the scale of this project and the amount of money, it’s a long duration. Eight to 10 years is what we are looking at,” says Reidt. “If that doesn’t go through, if the FAA pushes back, we will come up with a funding plan and work with them. There is potential that the project may be on hold, and they might look at other sources for funding as well.” Reidt says that the FAA may not approve the project based on the length of payback the airport would have and how that would affect other crucial projects that need to be done to maintain the airport. Another issue would be the other airports borrowing to Crookston and how it could affect future projects. The commission unanimously agreed to accept Gustafson and Gouge’s bid for the five-unit T-Hangar with in-floor heating. The commission will now wait to hear from SEH about the FAA’s project decision.
The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named Shari Olson to serve as president of Northland Community & Technical College. The appointment becomes effective immediately.
“Dr. Olson has tremendous understanding of the region and of what makes Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks amazing and distinctive from each other,” said Scott Olson, Minnesota State chancellor. “During her year as interim president, Dr. Olson has shown a real commitment towards shared governance and towards serving the communities of northwest Minnesota. It’s clear that she is the right choice to continue to lead Northland.”
Dr. Olson is an experienced educator committed to the role that comprehensive and technical colleges play in our society and brings with her a passion for continuous learning, self-improvement and shared governance. Dr. Olson has been serving as interim president at Northland since July 2024. As interim president, Dr. Olson has been providing strategic and operational leadership and working with stakeholders to advance the college’s mission during this transition. Previously, she served as president in the Maricopa County Community College District at South Mountain Community College, (AZ) from 2011 until her retirement in 2022. Under her leadership, the college achieved several important milestones, including a 10-year reaffirmation of Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation, securing a Department of Education Title V grant of nearly $3 million, receiving HLC approval to offer a Bachelor of Science program in Behavioral Science, opening the SMCC Science Complex after a $19 million remodeling, and recognition by the Aspen Institute as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges four times from 2015 to 2021.
Prior appointments include serving as interim president of Anoka Technical College from 2010 to 2011 where her many accomplishments included facilitating the creation of the college master technology plan and redesigning the organizational structure to maximize employee talent and create efficiencies. In 2011, she was recognized by the Minnesota State College Student Association (now called LeadMN) with the President of the Year award.
She also served Minnesota State as System Director of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) from 2009 to 2010 where she designed and led a systemwide, multi-faceted project related to the federal stimulus legislation.
In addition, Dr. Olson served as president of Eastern Wyoming College from 2007 to 2008, where she led a strategic planning process and instituted a new organizational structure.
From 1995 to 2007, she served Northland Community & Technical College in several capacities including vice president of planning and administrative services, vice president of outreach and planning, and vice president of outreach and technology. Her many accomplishments included securing a $7.8 million capital bonding project for Nursing, spearheading the revitalization of classroom space for a new degree program in Automated Systems Technology, facilitating the creation of Digi-Key University (a corporate college), and collaboratively developing several new programs including an Associate of Applied Science degree program in Electronic Technology and Robotic Technology, a new Associate of Science degree program for working adults in Manufacturing Technology, and several credit-based manufacturing certificates for working adults.
National recognition that Olson has received includes the Paul A. Elsner International Excellence in Leadership Award by the Chair Academy (2021), the Shirley B. Gordon Leadership Award of Distinction by the International Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (2019), and the Entrepreneurial President of the Year Award by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (2014).
Recent national board appointments include the International Leadership Advisory Board and the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship, serving as Board Chair 2020-2022.
She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s from North Dakota State University, and a doctorate from the University of North Dakota.
According to a new report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism diagnoses continue to increase in the United States.
An estimated one in 31 8-year-olds was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in 2022; while in comparison, 1 in 36 were diagnosed with ASD in 2020; and 1 in 150 children were diagnosed with autism in 2000. The report does not mean one in 31 children is living with the most severe cases of the disorder. Among children with ASD, fewer than 40% of children were classified as having an intellectual disability.
This statistic, drawn from an analysis of 2022 medical records, highlights the significant increase in autism diagnoses over the last 20 years. The CDC also reportedly found ASD was 3.4 times more prevalent among boys at 49.2 children per 1,000 compared to 14.3 children per 1,000.
ASD is a spectrum, which means symptoms vary by person: some need little support in their daily lives, and some may need a great deal of support in performing day-to-day activities. Some may have advanced conversation skills and others may be nonverbal. As for why autism rates are increasing, the reasons remain unclear and complex. While environmental and societal factors have long been investigated, most experts point to genetics as the most compelling explanation.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has continued to suggest a link between vaccines and autism — particularly involving the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine — despite extensive research disproving any connection. The claim has been widely discredited but remains a factor in declining vaccination rates in the U.S.
The federal government has frozen over $2 billion in grants to Harvard University, after the school rejected demands from the Trump administration. The administration’s Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the cuts in a statement that called out “the troubling entitlement mindset that is endemic in our nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges,” stating that $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million “in multi-year contract value” would be frozen to Harvard.
The demands from the White House included third-party audits of campus programs and restrictions on international students, as part of a broader initiative to combat antisemitism. On Monday, Harvard had rejected the administration’s demands, sharing on the university’s X account: “The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to call for Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status after their refusal to comply with the demands: “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting “Sickness?” Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields added in a statement that there are no signs of backing down: “President Trump is working to Make Higher Education Great Again by ending unchecked anti-Semitism and ensuring federal taxpayer dollars do not fund Harvard’s support of dangerous racial discrimination or racially motivated violence.”
The administration’s demands also included dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, replacing them with merit-based policies. Harvard’s legal counsel emphasized that the university is committed to combating all forms of bigotry but cannot comply with directives that violate constitutional protections.
Editorial credit: Marcio Jose Bastos Silva / Shutterstock.com
TheNorthwest Regional Corrections Center reported the arrest of the following–
Andrew John Spicer, 18, of Grand Forks, for DUI
Mark Andrew Collins, 31, of Crookston, for DUI
The Crookston Fire Department was called to the 1200 block of Bruce Street for a fire alarm activation at 11:31 a.m. on Tuesday. They reset the alarm and cleared the scene.
TheNorthwest Regional Corrections Center reported the arrest of the following–
Andrew John Spicer, 18, of Grand Forks, for DUI
Mark Andrew Collins, 31, of Crookston, for DUI
The Crookston Fire Department was called to the 1200 block of Bruce Street for a fire alarm activation at 11:31 a.m. on Tuesday. They reset the alarm and cleared the scene.
An official synopsis reads: “Duster explores the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate that goes from dangerous to wildly, stupidly dangerous when a tenacious young agent comes into town hellbent on taking his crime family down.”
Duster reunites Abrams, one of the creators of Lost, and Holloway – who portrayed Sawyer on the show throughout Lost’s six-season run. The upcoming series also stars Rachel Hilson, Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez and Benjamin Charles Watson.
Duster” is set in the 1970s Southwest as a getaway driver gets entangled in a crime network that is threatened by the arrival of a young agent in town. Hilson stars as the first Black female FBI agent, and in the trailer released Wednesday, Holloway’s character, Jim, encounters Nina (Hilson).
Abrams and showrunner LaToya Morgan penned the first pair of episodes and are among the executive producers.
Duster premieres May 15 at 9 p.m. EDT on HBO and Max, with the eight episodes dropping weekly through the finale on July 3. See the trailer: HERE.
Deadline confirmed that Gabriel Luna will join Chris Pratt in Season 2 of Amazon Prime Video’s military thriller drama The Terminal List.
The series takes its inspiration from Jack Carr’s book series, with his sophomore novel True Believer inspiring Season 2. Pratt, who also serves as an executive producer on the show, will reprise his role as James Reece, a Navy SEAL; while Luna will portray CIA Ground Branch officer Freddy Strain (per Variety.). The character is described as “Former SEAL Team 6 Senior Chief and current officer with CIA’s Ground Branch, Freddy Strain is a man of two worlds – equal parts elite sniper and dedicated family man. His belief that James Reece survived the events of ‘The Terminal List’ S1 will pull the ‘Most Wanted Man on the Planet’ out of hiding and back into the fray. Reece shows Freddy that desperate times can call for operating outside the lines, while Freddy’s commitment to family, country, and cause will help guide Reece on his path to redemption.”
An official release date for Season 2 has not yet been revealed, with filming expected to begin soon.
Five members of the Crookston Pirate Speech team competed in the Section 8A competition in Fosston on Tuesday, and Meliyah Moore advanced to state.
Moore finished first place in Extemporaneous Reading and will compete at the State competition in Shakopee next week. Also placing for Crookston were Zac Plante and Shayla Azure as they finished fourth place in Duo Interpretation.
Also competing for Crookston were Nashelle Tellez, and Lily Olmstead.John Lisov went as an alternate.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, April 15, at 9:30 a.m. at the Government Center in the County Board Room.
Sheriff James Tadman was first up Monday and presented the board with his Monthly report for March. In March, there were 805 Calls for Service for the Sheriff’s Department, with some of the highest numbers being for Civil Process, School Patrol, Motor Vehicle Assist, Traffic Stops, and Crashes.Tadman also reported that the Sheriff’s Department was dispatched 2,153 times in March, 609 of which were for emergencies. Also noted was the number of transport miles driven in March. There were 6,386 miles clocked for transport, resulting in 173.5 transport hours put in by staff.
Tadman asked the board Tuesday to sign a resolution recognizing April 13-19 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. “I brought a resolution up to the Commissioners to push forward. It’s just thanking our telecommunicators in our dispatch center for all they do,” says Tadman. “They answer the calls for all the police in the county, the fire, the emergency medical services, and they have to get the appropriate assistance out as quickly as possible, so this is a resolution that thanks them. It talks about their daily duties and what they do for our community and our residents.” The board approved the resolution recognizing April 13- 19 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.
Sheriff Tadman brought with him Tuesday Sergeant Chester Carlson, who brought a motion to the board asking for approval of the 2025 Boat and Water Grant. “The state of Minnesota provides a grant that covers approximately two-thirds of the enforcement time we spend on lakes in Polk County each summer, especially on the weekends when we are busiest. We have a boat or two or sometimes three out in the water,” says Carlson. “Our focus with Boat and Water is on safety. We’re not trying to ruin anyone’s time; we want to make sure everyone is out there being safe, and a lot of time, the visibility of the boat on the water just kind of keeps things at a safe level.” The Boat and Water Safety Grant covers $9,693 of the budget for Boat and Water Safety. The other $5,474 is budgeted through the county. The board unanimously approved the 2025 MN Boat and Water Grant.
Karen Warmack, Polk County Social Services Director, had two items for the board’s approval on Tuesday. The first was a motion to approve the DEED contract amendment in the amount of $23,149, which now totals $31,892 through September 30, 2025. The additional contract amount will provide additional SNAP Employment and Training Award funding for the SNAP program. The board unanimously approvedthe contract amendment. The second item was a motion to approve the contract with Angela Holloway, a family Support meeting facilitator, for $5,000 from April 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.The board approved the motion unanimously.
Darin Carlstrom, the Assistant Public Works Director/Engineer for Polk County, was in attendance Tuesday with multiple items for the board approval. “We had five items today. We had a Bridge Priority List that needs updating. It’s just a list of bridges we are looking to replace over the next five years, “says Carlstrom. “Along with that, we had dumpster quotes for our parks. One park is at Cross Lake/Tilberg, and the other is at Maple Lake. It’s just dumpster service at those locations.” The board approved the Bridge Priority List unanimously, and the dumpster services were awarded to Alternative Sanitation, LLC of Erskine as the lowest responsible bidder for both Maple Lake and Cross Lake locations.
Next up for the Highway Department was a motion to approve awarding the work contract required for Gradewidening from Truck Highways 32 (Fertile) to County State Aid Highway 41. “We had a letting on our County 12, and that’s from Trunk Highway 32 out of Fertile to County 41,” says Carlstrom. “So we awarded that project to Knife River Materials from Bemidji, MN, and the last item was a County Ditch Maintenance Clean Request on County Ditch 90 in Vineland Township.” The board unanimously approved the ditch-cleaning request.
Polk County Public Health Director Sarah Reese came to the board today asking for them to approve the advertising and hiring of a Wellness Coordinator. “Today, I requested to fill a Wellness Coordinator Position, and we have various types of Wellness Coordinators within our department,” says Reese. “The particular position is for the WIC program, or women, infants, and children nutrition program. This role also serves as our Breastfeeding Coordinator for our Health Department.” Reese said that she recently received a retirement notice and needs to fill this important position as quickly as possible. “The position has been and currently is filled by Tammy Conn, who has done exceptional work across our county and in partnership with not only clients and families but also with community partners, healthcare partners, and so forth,” says Reese. “Due to her work, we have received state and national recognition for a variety of her efforts,so we are really happy with her contributions to the county and also certainly want to congratulate her on her retirement and look to find her successor and to be able to train that person in and continue our work across the county.” The board unanimously approved the advertising and hiring of a Wellness Coordinator and any subsequent vacancies within Polk County Public Health.
The last item on Tuesday’s agenda came from Polk County Administrator Chuck Whiting. Whiting was asking that the board approve moving ahead with a contract for the Questica Budgeting software, pending conditions and a work plan. The implementation of the budgeting software will be aggressive, Whiting says, as the 2026 budget timeline will start soon. It had been previously discussed that the board would like options on a one-year contract as well as three years, and Whiting provided this information to the board, which shows that a one-year contract is substantially more expensive. The three-year contract does have an opt-out provision if the board feels they need to exercise that option. After some discussion, the board unanimously approved the three-year Questica Budgeting Software Agreement.
