THE ROSEAU COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RESPONDED TO A CALL LAST THURSDAY AFTERNOON REPORTING A FARM ACCIDENT. THEY ARRIVED TO FIND 64-YEAR OLD JERALD KNUTSON PINNED BETWEEN THE LOADER ARMS OF A SKID STEER. KNUTSON DIED AT THE SCENE.
LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RESPONDED TO A VEHICLE FIRE AT THE WIN-E-MAC TRAVEL CENTER IN ERSKINE. 20-YEAR OLD NICHOLAS BLAIS OF MAPLE GROVE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE TRUNK. OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THEY DETERMINED THE CAUSE WAS MECHNICAL, AND THERE WAS NOTHING SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE FIRE.
SIX PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED DURING A HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATION THAT TOOK PLACE OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS IN BELTRAMI COUNTY. TWO OF THE MEN ARRESTED WERE FROM BEMIDJI AND ANOTHER FROM PARK RAPIDS.
MINNESOTA AUTHORITIES ARE BRACING FOR AN EXTENDED WILDFIRE SEASON, SAYING THE TYPICAL SUMMER REPRIEVE IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE UNLIKELY. WILDFIRES ARE TYPICALLY AT THEIR WORST IN THE SPRING AND FALL, SLOWING DOWN IN THE SUMMER WHEN TREES AND PLANTS ARE FULLY GREEN AND RAIN INCREASES. BUT MORE THAN HALF OF THE STATE IS EXPERIENCING DROUGHT CONDITIONS AND THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION EXPECTS DRY WEATHER TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE SUMMER. MORE WILDFIRES HAD ALREADY BROKEN OUT ACROSS THE STATE BY MID-JUNE THAN IN ALL OF LAST YEAR. THE STAR TRIBUNE REPORTS THAT SO FAR MORE THAN 1,425 FIRES HAVE BURNED NEARLY 55,000 SQUARE MILES OF FOREST AND GRASSLAND.
GOV. TIM WALZ SAYS HE WILL RELINQUISH THE SPECIAL POWERS THAT HE HAS BEEN USING TO MANAGE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY AUG. 1, ENDING A PEACETIME STATE OF EMERGENCY THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE MARCH 2020. HE SAYS ABOUT THREE DOZEN STATES ARE STILL UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY. WALZ TOLD REPORTERS FRIDAY THAT IT’S A RESPONSIBLE PLAN. BUT THAT WASN’T ASSURANCE ENOUGH FOR REPUBLICANS WHO CONTROL THE STATE SENATE AND COMPLAIN THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR HAS REPEATEDLY CUT THEM OUT OF MAJOR DECISIONS.
COMING UP ON A BUSY 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND. AFTER LAST YEAR’S ACTIVITIES WERE WIPED OUT OR GREATLY ALTERED, THIS YEAR’S EVENTS WILL RETURN TO NORMAL. PARADES IN GREENBUSH ARE PLANNED FOR 11:00, WITH BAUDETTE AT 2:00 AND WARROAD AT 4:00. GREENBUSH WILL DO THEIR FIREWORKS ON SATURDAY NIGHT, JULY 3RD WITH DISPLAYES IN WARROAD AND BAUDETTE ON THE 4TH.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR KEITH F. KAPPHAHN WILL BE HELD TOMORROW (11 AM) AT
BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN GREENBUSH.
VISITATION IS THIS EVENING (5:00-7:00) AT THE CHURCH WITH A PRAYER
SERVICE AT 7PM. VISITATION WILL ALSO BE HELD ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE SERVICES.
INTERMENT SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT BETHEL CEMETERY IN GREENBUSH
FOLLOWING SERVICES. KEITH KAPPHAN WAS 94.
Last modified: 06/28/2021
