A HEARING WAS HELD YESTERDAY TO HELP IN DETERMINING IF CERTAIN STATEMENTS WILL BE ALLOWED AS EVIDENCE IN THE MURDER TRIAL AGAINST JORGE LUIS BENITEZ-ESTREMERA, THE THIEF RIVER FALLS MAN ACCUSED IN THE MURDER OF STEVEN OPDAHL THAT OCCURRED OUTSIDE OF DIGI-KEY. THE HEARING MOSTLY FOCUSED ON SOME OF THE FIRST CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE HAD WITH A SPECIAL AGENT FROM THE MINNESOTA BUREAU OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSION, WHETHER THE SUSPECT SEEMED TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, AND WHETHER HE WAS PROPERLY MERANDIZED. COME CONFUSION ALSO COMES OUT OF THE FACT THAT A TRANSLATOR THAT WAS USED MAY NOT HAVE MATCHED EXACTLY WHAT WAS BEING SAID BY THE SPECIAL AGENT. NO DETERMINATIONS ON THAT EVIDENCE WAS MADE AT THIS HEARING.
AT A LATE MARCH ROSEAU COUNTY BOARD MEETING, THEY PASSED AN AMENDMENT TO A PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT RELATED TO THE BUILDING OF A 39-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING IN ROSEAU. THAT PASSED ON A 3-2 VOTE.
IT IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK. THERE WILL BE STATEWIDE TORNADO DRILLS TOMORROW AT APPROXIMATELY 1:15 PM AND ALSO AGAIN AFTER 6:00 IN THE EVENING.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS REMINDED PEOPLE TO BE CAUTIOUS DURING WILDFIRE SEASON. RIGHT NOW, WITH NO SNOW COVER, AND VEGETATION HAS REACHED THE “GREEN UP” STAGE IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TIMES OF YEAR, PARTICULARLY IF YOU MIX IN HIGH WIND CONDITIONS. THE FIRST RED FLAG WARNING OF THE YEAR WAS ISSUED LAST WEEK.
AN ANNUAL SURVEY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION LOOKED A WIDE SWATH OF MORE THAN 2000 FARMERS AND FOUND THAT FARM INCOME DROPPED BY 76% LAST YEAR DUE TO PLUNGING COMMODITY PRICES. THE AVERAGE REPORTED INCOME WAS $44,719, DOWN FROM A RECORD OF NEARLY $180,000 IN 2022. THE REPORT ALSO FORESHADOWED THAT THE MAJORITY OF FARM OPERATIONS ANTICIPATE “NEGATIVE MARGINS” THIS YEAR.
Last modified: 04/10/2024
