Many families with children birth to eight years old celebrated Earth Day at Washington School on Tuesday, April 22. Families were invited to an evening full of play, learning and adventure. Children were encouraged to explore, create, and engage in many activities. Some of the activities included creating flowers with their food, exploring an obstacle course, planting seeds with our local 4-H, making bag kites with UMC students and discovering how they worked, making and eating a “dirt cup”, and much more. There were many informational booths available for parents to see what resources our community has to offer as well as answer any questions they may have. The rain subsided in the afternoon allowing families to also play outside and explore the playground together. Thank you to everyone who took part in the event!
Thank you to the Celebrate the Young Child Collaborative for planning and organizing this event – Polk County Public Health, RiverView Health, UMC, Crookston Public Schools, Tri Valley Head Start, Our Savior’s Lutheran School, Crookston Public Library, Family Resource Center. Also a big thank you to the Crookston Early Childhood Initiative for providing the food at the event! Our community is fortunate to have so many people who invest their passion and time to provide wonderful opportunities to all children and families!
The University of Minnesota Crookston will celebrate its 58th graduating class with a commencement ceremony on May 3, 2025, at 11 a.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium. Commencement exercises will include a reception for graduating students and their families before the ceremony.To stream the 2025 ceremony, go to www.kaltura.com/tiny/klj4v. For 2025 Commencement information, visit crk.umn.edu/commencement.
The formal procession of faculty, candidates for degree, and platform guests will begin from Sargeant Student Center to Lysaker Gymnasium led by mace bearer, Sharon Stewart, Ph.D., who is an associate professor in the Math, Science, and Technology Department, and includes faculty marshal Kenneth Myers, M.S., associate professor in the Business Department.
University of Minnesota Regent Tadd Johnson of Duluth, Minn., will offer remarks on behalf of the U of M Board of Regents and assist with conferring the degrees. U of M Crookston Alumni Association (UMCAA) Board President Alisha (Aasness) Asleson, 2012, will bring greetings from UMCAA and welcome new graduates to the alumni association. Under the direction of TJ Chapman, M.M. and M.S., lecturer in the Math, Science, and Technology Department, the U of M Crookston Community Band will perform a number of selections, and the campus vocal ensemble will perform under the direction of Associate Professor George French, Ed.D. Crookston Student Association (CSA) President Madison Elijah, a senior majoring in animal science with a minor in ag business, will speak on behalf of the Class of 2025. Later in the ceremony, Elijah will pass the torch to 2025-2026 CSA President Evelyn Dupont, a sophomore majoring in exercise science and wellness with a minor in coaching.
This year marks the campus’ 117th graduation ceremony after its inception in 1906 as an agricultural high school, the Northwest School of Agriculture (NWSA). The NWSA held its first ceremony in 1909. In the fall of 1966, classes began for students at the new University of Minnesota Technical Institute, and the U of M “Tech” and NWSA shared the campus for two years. In the spring of 1968, a torch was passed from the 60th and final graduating class of the NWSA to the first graduating class of the U of M Technical Institute. The University of Minnesota Crookston earned its approval to offer baccalaureate degrees in the early 1990s and, by the end of the academic year in 1994, 20 students had completed bachelor’s degree requirements and were recognized at the 86th commencement ceremony.
The Crookston Pirate Baseball team will host the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Rebels in a Section 8AA matchup at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and KROX will have the game on the radio with the RiverView Health pre-game show at 4:00 p.m. Crookston is 1-3 on the season. DGF is 5-1 on the year after a 10-6 over Staples-Motley on Thursday.
The Crookston Pirate Boys Tennis team travels to Detroit Lakes to take on the Lakers at 4:00 p.m. today. Crookston is coming off a big 5-2 victory over Thief River Falls on Thursday. Crookston is 5-5 on the year.
Authorities confirmed on Thursday that a 19-year-old man from Ocean Township, New Jersey, has been charged in connection with a wildfire that erupted Tuesday and spread rapidly across more than 15,000 acres. In a statement released jointly by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean Township Police Department, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, officials announced that Joseph Kling has been taken into custody and placed in the Ocean County Jail. He faces charges of aggravated arson and arson and is awaiting a detention hearing.
Authorities allege that Kling is responsible for igniting the fire, which tore through large areas of Waretown and Lacey townships and resulted in the destruction of a commercial property. Investigators say the blaze began after Kling allegedly built a bonfire using wooden pallets and then left the area before ensuring the fire was out, leading to his arrest on charges of arson and aggravated arson. The flames were initially discovered in the Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area, part of the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust.
The wildfire in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens—a sprawling forest region spanning more than 1 million acres and roughly the size of the Grand Canyon — was sparked by an abandoned bonfire and has continued to spread, prompting air quality alerts as far as New York City. According to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, the wildfire remained only 50% contained as of 10 a.m. EDT on Thursday. The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday that smoke would likely linger and emergency crews would remain on the scene for several days.
The fire has consumed over 23 square miles of land, making it one of the largest wildfires the state has seen in nearly 20 years, with firefighters battling tough conditions, including dry air and the effects of a prolonged drought. New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the U.S., and officials have warned that residential areas nearby could be at risk. No injuries or fatalities have been reported, with approximately 5,000 residents evacuated at one point but were allowed to return on Wednesday.
Robert Crimo III, the gunman who killed seven people and injured dozens in a mass shooting during a parade in Highland Park, Illinois on July 4, 2022, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday.
Judge Victoria A. Rossetti announced on Thursday that Crimo was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences along with 50 years in prison for each person injured. As she handed down the maximum sentence, Rossetti said: “The court finds he’s irrevocably depraved. He is beyond any rehabilitation .. This court hopes this sentence brings a sense of justice and an end to the continued horror.” Life without the possibility of parole is the most severe punishment Crimo faced, as Illinois doesn’t have capital punishment.
The seven people killed by Crimo were Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. Cooper Roberts, then 8, was shot and paralyzed.
Crimo, 24, was a no-show in court Thursday and declined to make a statement to the court, per his lawyer. The shooter’s parents, who have attended most court proceedings, were also not present. Crimo pleaded guilty last month to charges in the mass shooting that wounded nearly 50 more people in addition to the seven deaths.
The sentencing hearing, which began Wednesday and finished Thursday morning, included testimony from multiple survivors and relatives of those killed in the shooting at the Independence Day parade. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said: “In the middle of that joy, in the middle of that celebration, 83 shots rang out over 40 seconds. Eighty-three attempts to hurt people, do as much damage as possible. Eighty-three attempts to kill. Eighty-three attempts to reduce light in the world. He intended to end the happiness he saw around him … I cannot attempt to rein in the pain, ocean of grief, trauma, heartache and loss.”
Prosecutors say that Crimo told police he wore women’s clothing during the shooting and used makeup to hide his facial tattoos and blend in with the crowd during the chaos. He was apprehended hours after the shooting, and confessed. Crimo’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., pleaded guilty last year to reckless conduct, admitting to signing the Firearm Owner’s Identification card for his son to apply for gun ownership. At the time, Illinois at the time required people ages 18, 19 or 20 to have parent or guardian authorization; and Crimo III was 19 and too young to get a FOID card on his own.
Netflix is giving a glimpse of the new series The Four Seasons, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell and set to premiere May 1.
The show is an adaptation of the 1981 movie of the same name, which was written, directed by and starring Alan Alda (who’s a producer and guest star of the new version). The film centers on three couples — played by Fey and Will Forte, Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani — who vacation together in each of the four season, and are thrown when one of the couples announces they’re divorcing.
The Netflix show is created by Fey, Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield, who previously collaborated on 30 Rock. The series follows three couples whose vacation is upended when they learn one couple plans to split up.
The Four Seasons premieres May 1 on Netflix; see the teaser: HERE.
Abbott Elementary star and creator Quinta Brunson is returning to host NBC’s Saturday Night Live for the second time on May 3, featuring musical guest Benson Boone, who is making his debut on the comedy series.
Brunson previously made her hosting debut on April 1, 2023 in an episode that earned her a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. Brunson was also present at the show’s 50th anniversary special in February.
22 year-old singer/songwriter Boone, who shot to fame with his hit single “Beautiful Things,” is fresh off his viral set at Coachella, where he debuted the title track of his upcoming sophomore album, “American Heart.”
No word as of press time on who will host the show’s May 10th episode or the May 17th season finale.
The Crookston Police Department was called to an accident on Wednesday, April 23,at 9:07 a.m. on Fisher Avenue. A 2018 Jeep Renegade, driven by Omar Mahamud of Crookston. The vehicle was going east on Fisher Avenue and left the roadway, striking a light pole. The light pole fell onto the roadway. The Crookston Area Ambulance arrived to evaluate the driver and passengers. Crookston Fire Department and Minnesota State Patrol also responded. There was damage to the vehicle, and Mahamud was cited for not having a Minnesota driver’s License.
Gretchen Ann Schade Tjossem’s journey came to a close on Monday, April 21, 2025. A lifelong admirer of sunsets—treasuring their beauty alongside her family, friends, and dogs—Gretchen found peace as the sun made its gentle retreat. Her four devoted children, Ann, Scott, Eric, and Kurt, were by her side as her light gently faded.
Born on August 6, 1938, in Worthington, Minnesota to Fredrick “Fritz” and Amy Schade, Gretchen, together with her brother Bill, grew up in a home filled with love. Her childhood shaped the warmth and grounding that would define her life. While attending Worthington High School, fate placed her next to Bob Tjossem in algebra class, sparking a partnership of love, laughter, and resilience that lasted over six decades. Gretchen often quipped that had Bob’s last name not started with “T,” her life might have taken a different path entirely and she could have ended up married to Harold Tyler instead. After graduating high school, Gretchen briefly attended Mills College in California before returning to Minnesota to pursue a degree in Medical Technology at Macalester College—a choice motivated by her longing for home and devotion to her beloved Bob. Shortly after earning her degree, she and Bob were married on August 20, 1959, embarking on a life filled with love, adventure, and family.
Their early years took them from an army base in Killeen, Texas, to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. They eventually settled in Crookston, Minnesota where Gretchen and Bob planted deep roots, raising their four children—Ann, Scott, Eric, and Kurt—with love, laughter and togetherness. Gretchen’s creativity flourished here; she contributed to the arts community as a soprano in the Presbyterian church choir, a ringer in the bell choir, a spirited Rockette in the Crookston Follies, and even a cameo in Brigadoon on the community theater stage.
A skilled and enthusiastic card player, Gretchen shone brightest in her role as a leader of the local Bridge Club. Her mastery of Duplicate Bridge was legendary, and her competitive streak added flair to family games of Smear, a cherished Tjossem tradition.
Professionally, Gretchen reentered the workforce once her children were more independent, becoming a lab technician in the Biology Facility at the University of Minnesota Crookston—a role she held for several years with steadfast dedication.
While Gretchen’s accomplishments were many, her heart was rooted in three timeless joys: cheering for Minnesota sports teams, relishing summers at the lake cabin on Pike Bay surrounded by loved ones, and nurturing lifelong friendships with her beloved Birthday Club—a group of close confidants who shared years of joy, camaraderie, and unconditional support.
In 1991, with their children grown, Gretchen and Bob retired, seeking greener pastures first in their dream log cabin in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where they basked in sunsets, family visits, and the loyal companionship of dogs. Later, yearning for proximity to their loved ones, the couple returned to Minnesota, living first in Red Wing and subsequently in Eden Prairie.
Throughout her life, Gretchen was not one to take center stage or command the spotlight, but instead was the one behind the scenes making sure everything would all come together. She made life easier and better for others.
Gretchen—Mom—as you leave us, we carry your memory with love, symbolized by your signature three-squeeze tribute – We. Love. You. You have enriched our lives beyond measure, and we will forever hold you close.
Gretchen was preceded in death by her husband of over sixty wonderful years, Robert Wayne Tjossem; and by brother, William M Schade.
Gretchen is survived by children Ann (Bob) Martinka, Scott (Shari) Tjossem, Eric (Elizabeth Lampert) Tjossem, and Kurt (Paula) Tjossem; by grandchildren, Levi (Hannah Fox) Martinka, Joy Martinka, and Aaron (Nicole) Martinka; Rob (Audrey) Tjossem, Allison Tjossem, Matt (Zandie) Tjossem, Mitch (Atsumy) Tjossem, Nicole Stevens, and Caitlyn (Aquino Williams) Stevens; Madden Tjossem and Greta Tjossem; Luca Tjossem and Keifer Tjossem; great-grandchildren, Jozie Morlan, Owen Morlan, Naomi Mord, and Piper Tjossem; great great-grandson, Bennett Jasso; sister in law, Sandra Schade; nephew and niece Brian (Jodi) Schade and Suzanne (Andrew) Wilkes; and many, many friends.
A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at a later date.
