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Suspect in shooting of 2 National Guard members pleads not guilty to murder, assault charges

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS - APPEALS and SUPERIOR COURT sign at building exterior WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 2^ 2019

The man accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers near the White House last week appeared virtually before a D.C. Superior Court judge on Tuesday, entering not-guilty pleas from his hospital bed.

Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is charged with first-degree murder and multiple related offenses in the attack that killed Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.

Federal prosecutors filed the case in D.C. Superior Court, reflecting the District’s unusual system in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes both local and federal crimes. Authorities have not identified a motive. Lakanwal’s next court appearance is set for January 14.

Judge Renee Raymond ordered him held without bond, saying, “No condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community,” and adding that “it is fairly clear that he came across the country, 3,000 miles, armed, with a specific purpose in mind.”

Lakanwal, hospitalized from a gunshot wound sustained during his arrest, appeared on screen mostly covered by blankets. Speaking through a Pashto interpreter, he told the court he was in pain and claimed he could not open his eyes. A court-appointed attorney formally entered his not-guilty pleas.

Prosecutors say Lakanwal shouted “Allahu Akbar” while opening fire on the Guardsmen during their patrol on Nov. 26. According to the charging documents, both soldiers were struck in the head; Beckstrom died a day later, while Wolfe remains in serious condition but has shown signs of neurological improvement, according to West Virginia officials.

A prosecutor argued that the severity of the allegations — including first-degree murder while armed — and Lakanwal’s lack of ties to the District justified pretrial detention. Defense attorneys countered that he had no criminal history and that the government took too long to bring charges.

Relatives say Lakanwal arrived in the United States in 2021 after serving for a decade in the Afghan army alongside U.S. Special Forces. The CIA confirmed he was part of a partner force in Kandahar before his service ended during the U.S. withdrawal. He had been living with his wife and five children in Bellingham, Washington.

An affidavit submitted by law enforcement describes Beckstrom and Wolfe speaking while on duty shortly after 2 p.m. when shots rang out. According to the document, the two fell to the ground and saw the gunman as the attack unfolded. Officers subdued Lakanwal as he appeared to be reloading.

In response to the shooting, Trump announced that 500 additional Guard members would be sent to the capital, raising the deployment to roughly 2,700 personnel from multiple states under Joint Task Force–District of Columbia. They are expected to remain through at least late February.

Editorial credit: DCStockPhotography / Shutterstock.com

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Michael and Susan Dell donate $6.25B to expand access to “Trump Accounts” for millions of children

Closeup of DELL Technologies logo sign on the company headquarters office building in Silicon Valley^ SF Bay Area. Santa Clara^ California US - September 21^ 2024

Michael and Susan Dell on Tuesday announced a sweeping $6.25 billion philanthropic commitment aimed at giving roughly 25 million children—mostly those age 10 and under who were born before the federal eligibility window—access to $250 starter deposits in so-called “Trump Accounts.”

The initiative, unveiled alongside President Donald Trump at the White House and timed with Giving Tuesday, marks one of the largest private gifts ever directed at American youth. Michael Dell, whose net worth approaches $150 billion following Dell Technologies’ surge during the AI hardware boom, said he was inspired by the scale of potential impact. Trump celebrated the announcement on Truth Social, writing, “TWO GREAT PEOPLE. I LOVE DELL!!!”

The contribution builds on the new national investment-account system created through Trump’s recent tax-and-spending package, where babies born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, will automatically receive $1,000 in Treasury-funded accounts. Families, employers, and friends can add up to $5,000 per year, with funds locked until recipients turn 18. At that point, withdrawals can support education, homeownership or business creation, or leftover balances can roll into an IRA for continued tax-advantaged growth.

The Dell family’s separate $250 deposits target children who missed the federal cutoff but live in ZIP codes with median household incomes of $150,000 or less. According to Invest America—the nonprofit supporting the program—the gift is expected to reach nearly 80% of U.S. children age 10 and under across most ZIP codes.

The Dell family, which has donated nearly $3 billion since 1999—much of it focused on education—said the scale of their latest gift grew over time.  In a statement, the Dells said, “These deposits will reach the accounts of most children age 10 and under who were born prior to the qualifying date for the federal newborn contribution … Children older than 10 may benefit, too, if funds remain available after initial sign-ups.”

Michael Dell said the effort is meant to “help families feel supported from the start and encourage them to keep saving as their children grow,” while Susan Dell emphasized their hope that the investment signals that “their communities care, their government, their country cares about them.”

Susan Dell said “we’re thrilled to be spearheading this,” expressing confidence that additional philanthropists and companies will join.  Michael Dell urged families and employers to contribute whatever they can so the accounts can compound alongside the market for years to come, adding: “we believe the smartest investment we can make is the one in children.”

The federal program, often referred to by the White House as part of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ restricts investments to low-cost index funds or ETFs that track the S&P 500 or “another American stock index.”  With consistent contributions of $5,000 a year and modest market growth, a typical account could reach nearly $191,000 by age 18. Sign-ups will begin July 4, 2026—a date the Dells chose to align with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. Families must activate accounts, though every eligible child will receive an initial deposit automatically once enrolled. Priority for Dell-funded deposits will go to younger children if demand exceeds available funds.

Editorial credit: bluestork / Shutterstock.com

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NFL reveals lineup of pregame performers for Super Bowl LX: Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, and Coco Jones

Charlie Puth at the 2024 Breakthrough Prize Awards at the Academy Museum. LOS ANGELES^ USA. April 13^ 2024

The NFL has announced that Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile and Coco Jones will perform before the start of Super Bowl LX, taking place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8, 2026, and airing live on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock.

Puth is slated to sing the National Anthem; while Carlile will perform a rendition of “America the Beautiful,” and Jones will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Puth celebrated the news on social media, sharing a tongue-in-cheek video that sees him break down the difficulty of singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to a group of football players.

Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation, said in a statement: “Charlie, Brandi, and Coco are generational talents, and we are honored to have them – alongside our extraordinary deaf performers – on Super Bowl LX’s world stage. This moment embodies the very best of culture, live performance, and our country, perfectly kicking off game day.”

Jon Barker, senior vice president of global event production for the NFL, added: “Super Bowl Sunday is the world’s biggest entertainment stage, and we’re proud to spotlight artists who embody the very best of music and culture.”

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Chance the Rapper, Julianne Hough joining Ryan Seacrest to co-host ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026’

Chance the Rapper at the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26^ 2022 in Los Angeles^ CA

Chance the Rapper and Julianne Hough have joined the co-hosting lineup for the 55th annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest special, airing Dec. 31 on ABC.  This year marks Seacrest’s 21st year hosting the event.

This year’s show will kick off in New York and continue through Las Vegas, Chicago and Puerto Rico. Seacrest will be ringing in the New Year as the main host of this year’s “Rockin’ Eve” in Times Square, with Rita Ora returning as his co-host for the third year in a row. Julianne Hough and former NFL player Rob Gronkowski will co-host in Las Vegas.

Chance the Rapper joins the Chicago broadcast as co-host, which will feature a midnight countdown for the Central Time zone for the first time in the show’s history. Brandon Johnson, the mayor of Chicago, previously said in a statement that “this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the beauty and dynamism of our city and its people for the world to see.”

Details for the Puerto Rico celebration will be announced soon, with the performance lineup for this year’s event to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

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John Allan Geary – OBIT

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John Allan Geary was born in Hibbing, Minnesota on February 13th, 1950, to Adelaide (Kuzma) Geary and Marcus Geary. He was the youngest of three sons.

John’s mother, Adelaide, sadly passed away when he was four years old. His aunt and uncle, Ann and George Kuzma, whom he loved dearly and remembered fondly, helped raise him. John spent his childhood on the Iron Range, playing outside, swimming in old mine pits, and hunting for blueberries around the lakes and the lush, verdant Northern forests.

John graduated from Chisholm Senior High School in 1968. As a young man, he had thick, wavy auburn hair, an adventurous spirit, and rode motorcycle. He briefly lived in Florida at one point, before returning to Northern Minnesota for good.
He was drafted during the Vietnam war and served in Korea as an aircraft mechanic. After finishing his military service, he studied music at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota. He recounted fond memories of practicing harmonies, playing music, and singing in the BSU choir during this time in his life. He was in a band, Episode, in the late 1970’s, in which he sang and played guitar and bass guitar.

He soon began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was baptized as one in 1981. His faith became a focal point throughout his life. He had a deep love for God and was active in his faith all the way up until his death.

On February 16th, 1985, he married his beloved wife Cynthia (Lund) Geary, who was the love of his life and by his side until the end. Together, they raised one daughter, Johanna. John and his family lived in Bemidji, Cass Lake, Watertown (South Dakota), Duluth, and Hermantown, Minnesota, and settled down in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where they stayed for many years.

John was a lifelong music lover. Throughout most of his adult life, he wrote and played his own songs. He was also a wonderful singer. John enjoyed the music of Stevie Ray Vaughan and many other artists, and loved classical and blues guitar.

John was the best Dad a person could ask for. He was kind, creative, patient, and thoughtful. His family always came first, and he worked hard to provide and care for them. Along with his wife, Cyndy, they instilled and passed on their love of music to Johanna.

John had an inquisitive mind and was multitalented. He worked in several industries over the course of his life, including handyman work, motorcycle sales, retail, doing soffit and fascia, roofing, siding, piano tuning and repair, well drilling, school bus driving, and bus manufacturing. In 2005, with their daughter grown, John and Cyndy moved to Crookston, Minnesota, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Sadly, he battled Parkinson’s disease in the last few years on this earth, but it never broke his kind and loving spirit. He never stopped talking about his faith or learning songs, and he maintained a dry, unique, funny sense of humor.

He was deeply loved by his family, the entire Crookston congregation of Witnesses, and all of his non-blood brothers and sisters.

Tragically, he passed away on the evening of November 13th, 2025, at Riverview Health in Crookston. His wife, Cyndy, was by his side the entire time, as well as some treasured friends from their congregation.

John was irreplaceable. He took pieces of our broken hearts with him when he had to go, leaving a gaping empty space in the world-but also, leaving behind his light, legacy, and example of goodness. He made the world a better place just by being in it. He will forever live on in the memories of those who dearly loved him, the recordings he created of his music, and countless precious stories and photographs.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Marcus and Adelaide Geary; his stepmother, Genevieve (Smoltz) Geary; his brother, James Geary; his sister-in-law, Pat Geary; sister-in-law Eileen Geary; sister-in-law, Teresa (Lund) Westphal; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Royal and Joyce Lund; and numerous relatives.

He is survived by his wife, Cynthia (Lund) Geary, of Crookston, Minnesota; his daughter, Johanna Geary and her husband, Chance Larson; two grandchildren, Nikolai and Haisley Larson of Colorado; his brother, Richard Geary; several nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and many relatives.

A memorial service is planned for January 3rd, 2026, to be held in person and over Zoom at 2PM at the Crookston Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with a reception to follow.

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American Crystal Sugar donates $5,000 to the Alluma Foundation

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American Crystal Sugar recently presented the Alluma Foundation with a check for $5,000.  The Alluma Foundation was created to mobilize resources, foster partnerships, and develop innovative funding solutions to support Alluma’s mission. By addressing financial barriers, we ensure that critical mental health and substance use services are available to individuals and families in our region.

The mission of the Alluma Foundation is to enhance mental well-being and resilience in our community by providing financial support for high-quality mental health and substance use care services. Alluma is committed to bridging the gap between resources and those who need them most, building a foundation of hope, healing, and recovery.

American Crystal Sugar is proud to support Alluma and its mission.

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Polk County Commissioners approve the distribution of the Opioid Settlement Funds to 12 entities, receive an update on the Highway 75 bridge closure in Climax, and approve new members to the Youth Advisory Board.

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The Polk County Commissioners met on Tuesday afternoon at the Polk County Government Center in Crookston. The commissioners approved the distribution of the 2026 Opioid Settlement Funds to 12 entities, received an update on the closure of the Highway 75 bridge at Climax, and approved new members for the Youth Advisory Board. The meeting recap is below.

OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUND DISTRIBUTION
The commissioners unanimously approved the distribution of $527,998 in Opioid Settlement funds to 12 applicants.
The committee received 14 applications for $943,048.50, and 12 applications were recommended for funding for $500,000. “We had almost a million dollars of requests for funding and had $500,000 available for us. We had to consider many factors. We had to consider funding. current and new grantees, we needed to consider geography, we needed to consider impact and reach, and we had to consider the use of evidence-based best practices that are identified in the Attorney General’s MOA, or Memorandum of Agreement,” said Reese. “We also needed to consider the focus on prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction, which are the four areas. And so we had a lot of really great applications and ideas and unfortunately needed to make some really hard decisions.”

Tri-County Community Corrections will receive $96,000 for the SUD project coordinator, Screening, Brief Intervention, and referral to Treatment/release planning.
Alluma will receive $80,000 for LADC/Crookston (add capacity) and East Grand Forks (new) School Districts and Community.
Care and Share of Crookston for $60,000 for contractual services for RiverView Recovery Center and related nursing services.
Tri-Valley Opportunity Council for $50,000 for the Family Resource Centers – Protective factors for strengthening families, prevention, (education, connection to care, and concrete supports), programming partnerships.
RiverView Recovery Center for $50,000 for digital access and early screening; harm reduction-medication take back and sharp disposal boxes.
Recovery Partners – HopeWork Network for $50,000 for staffing/contracts associated with peer-led sober housing community-based housing.
Recovery Partners – NW MN Center of Hope for $47,600 for establishing residential treatment facility/recovery services, capacity building.
Crookston High School for $40,000 for resilience and regulation room/calming corner, immersive trauma-informed programming, Sources of Strength, staff training for primary prevention and early intervention.
KROX Radio for $10,400 for media campaigns, digital ads, and radio coverage.
New Heights Elementary School in East Grand Forks for $10,000 for a sensory room – support students impacted by drug addiction either prenatally or early childhood; replace SPED room supplies/expand classroom supports.
Fosston Magelssen Elementary for $4,000 to extend the Social Emotional Learning curriculum from the classroom to family/community engagement opportunities. Includes sage medication storage and disposal, interactive engagement supplies/education materials.
Fosston High School for $2,000 for Calm Room – SEL materials/concrete supports; staff training.

They will also have $2,520 for Advisory Council Members for the quarterly meetings. $35 stipend and mileage available upon request. $2520 allocated for 2025 with no funds used to date. There was also $21,208 dedicated for the chief health strategist, council facilitation, RFP/grant management, annual state reporting, technical assistance, media campaigns to prevent opioid misuse, community naloxone distribution/training and education, prevention programming in schools, and $4270 for Narcan/naloxone nasal spray.

POLK COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT AND HIGHWAY 75 DETOUR UPDATE
Polk County Highway Engineer Richard Sanders gave an update to the commissioners on the Highway 75 bridge detour at Climax. He asked the commissioners to approve a detour agreement as the Minnesota Department of Transportation closed Highway 75 at Climax due to bridge concerns. The detour will use Highway 45 at Eldred for the 5.69-mile detour, which is a 10-ton road. “Whenever MnDOT has a construction project or is closing a road, and they need to detour traffic on a local road,” said Sanders. “Then they have to get an agreement approved through the central office and through the county to use that detour route. And so, today I brought forward the draft agreement, as the final agreement will take a little longer than a week to finalize. But basically, for them to use our County State Highway 45 between 75 and 220 is the official detour. Make that official.”

Sanders said he has received word from Vineland Township that people have been using their township roads instead of the detour and causing problems. The township requested that MnDOT install five-ton weight limit signs on some of its roadways. Polk County will include the township roads on the 2025-26 Road Restriction Map. (See picture at the bottom of the page)
Polk County will receive $22,694.40 from MnDOT for maintaining the detour through 2026. “They’ll be paying us a little over $22,000 to use that as a detour when the agreement’s finally signed by the board chair and the administrator,” said Sanders. “If the detour lasts longer than 26, then MnDOT will come back to us and ask us to extend it, at which point the county would be doing that as well.”

Sanders told the commissioners he thinks the bridge replacement will take some time. “If it were a Polk County bridge and we had to close it in an emergency, you know, it’s going to.. It’s gonna take six to eight months to get a final plan approved. Then you’re looking at a letting that takes a little over a month, followed by contractors getting on site, and depending on the size of the bridge and the materials used. My guess is it’s gonna be a 27 opening date. I’m guessing they’re hoping for a late fall 26, but we’ll wait and see.”
Sanders thinks the state will have to replace the bridge with a larger and longer bridge. “The river’s too large just to rip the bridge out and put a culvert in the bottom of it and fill in the road so you have to put in something that’s going to be able to carry spring flooding and keep the road open,” said Sanders. “They’re going to have to put another span bridge in that location. My guess is it’ll be longer, and so it’s going to cost a little bit of money to do so.”

The Highway Department received one quote for tractor rental in 2026. Valley Plains Equipment of Crookston offered a rate of $25 per hour for 500 hours for three tractors. The board unanimously approved the contract, but did notice the price was six dollars more than in 2025.

APPOINTMENT OF YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
The commissioners unanimously approved nine new members to the Polk County Public Health Youth Advisory Board. The new members are Julia Aker of East Grand Forks Senior High; Skyler Benson of Fertile-Beltrami; Emily Reitmeier, Kinley Korynta and Makenzie Quirk of Fisher, Clara Kolden of Win-E-Mac, Abigail Seed of Fosston, Lauren Erickson of Sacred Heart, and Leah Johanneck of Crookston. They will join the current board members of Sofie Grunhovd of Fertile-Beltrami, Addison Jeuch of East Grand Forks Senior High, Macie Haskett of Win-E-Mac, Lexi Mahlen of Fosston. “These students help us understand what it’s like to be a teenager and a young adult today, and so that we can work with and in the community to support healthy lifestyles and health and wellness across our communities, and the students provide us with the best feedback,” said Reese. “They have the best lived experience, and so we might start out an initiative thinking or doing something one way, and it might end a completely different way. And that is so important to the work we do because without them, we wouldn’t have the best product, service, or community initiative that we could have. We are also trying to merge civic engagement and leadership opportunities into their experience, so that they might consider a career in government, healthcare, or a combination of the two.”

Polk County Youth Advisory Cou

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Crookston Boys Basketball opens season at East Grand Forks – on KROX Radio

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The Crookston Pirate Boys’ Basketball team kicks off the 2025-26 season taking on the East Grand Forks Green Wave in a big Section 8AA game at East Grand Forks Senior High School gymnasium.
The game is on KROX Radio with the RiverView Health pre-game show at 7:00 p.m. and the opening tip at 7:30 p.m.

FIRST HALF –

SECOND HALF –

J.V. – C-Squad:

  1st  2nd  Final
Crookston
East Grand Forks
For Crookston Points Rebounds Steal/Assists
For East Grand Forks Points