THE MINNESOTA TURF SEED COUNCIL IS HOSTING A GRASS SEED TOUR IN THE AREA NEXT WEEK….DAVE GRAFSTROM, WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA  EXTENSION SERVICE, SAYS THE TOUR WILL BE HELD THIS COMING WEDNESDAY AT THE MAGNUSSEN RESEARCH FARM…THE TOUR IS WEDNESDAY, JULY 1ST STARTING AT 4PM…THERE ARE ABOUT 50 GRASS SEED PRODUCERS IN ROSEAU AND LOW COUNTIES, WITH A FEW MORE IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES OF MARSHALL AND KITTSON…

 

 A RAILROAD CROSSING REPLACEMENT PROJECT ON U.S. HIGHWAY 75 IN WARREN IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 7 A.M. ON TUESDAY, JUNE 30…A DETOUR WILL BE IN PLACE FOR TWO DAYS DIRECTING NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC WEST ON POLK COUNTY ROAD 23, NORTH ON POLK COUNTY ROAD 20 AND CONTINUING NORTH ON MARSHALL COUNTY ROAD 15 TO HIGHWAY 1…SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC WILL USE THE SAME DETOUR IN REVERSE…THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETE BY JULY 2, WEATHER PERMITTING….

 

A PROGRAM THAT GIVES SOME VETERANS A CHANCE TO ENJOY THE THRILL OF FISHING FOR MUSKIES WILL BE HELD NEXT WEEK ON LAKE OF THE WOODS…ROSEAU COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER JEFF PARKER, SAYS “OPERATION MUSKIE”  STARTED OUT AS A WAY TO SAY THANKS TO VETS…THE IDEA FOR OPERATION MUSKIE GREW OUT OF INTERNET CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN MUSKIE GUIDE DICK PEARSON AND BRET WOLD, WHO AT THE TIME, WAS SERVING IN IRAQ…PEARSON HAD DONATED SOME OF HIS FISHING DVD’S TO THE TROOPS OVERSEAS AND WAS INTERESTED IN HELPING IN OTHER WAYS AS WELL…AFTER THE TWO BECAME FRIENDS, PEARSON OFFERED TO TAKE WOLD FISHING ON LAKE OF THE WOODS WHEN HE RETURNED HOME FROM IRAQ…WHEN DICK CONTACTED FRANK AND LAURA WALSH, OF WALSH’S BAY STORE CAMP ON OAK ISLAND FOR A CABIN, THE WALSHS’ BLOCKED OFF THEIR ENTIRE RESORT FOR THE PROGRAM AND MADE ALL CABINS AVAILABLE FOR USE BY MORE GUIDES AND VETERANS…WARROAD’S OWN MUSKIE EXPERT, DOUG JOHNSON AND HIS WIFE VONNIE OFFERED THEIR HELP AND THE PROGRAM MADE ITS DEBUT LAST YEAR…THE 20 VETS THAT WILL BE PARTICIPATING WILL BE GUIDED BY THE SAME 10 GUIDES FROM LAST YEAR…JEFF PARKER SAYS THE PUBLIC CAN HELP WITH A SPECIAL WELCOME ON MONDAY MORNING AT 8:30AM AT THE PATCH RESTAURANT IN WARROAD…OPERATION MUSKIE IS FUNDED SOLELY OFF OF DONATIONS SENT IN BY INDIVIDUALS, COMPANIES WITH ANY TYPE OF DONATION WELCOME…FOR MORE INFO, OR TO DONATE, CONTACT VONNIE JOHNSON IN WARROAD…OPERATION MUSKIE 2 WILL TAKE PLACE FROM MONDAY THRU FRIDAY JULY 3RD….

 

THE CITY OF ROSEAU, ALONG WITH THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ARE PREPARING TO  BREAK GROUND MONDAY ON A 30 MILLION DOLLAR FLOOD DAMAGE REDUCTION PROJECT….THE GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE AT 3 P.M., MONDAY AT THE ROSEAU CITY PARK… SINCE THE 2002 FLOOD, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY TO DESIGN A PERMANENT FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT…THE PROJECT’S MAIN FEATURE WILL INCLUDE A DIVERSION CHANNEL THAT WILL MOVE WATER AROUND THE CITY…CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN MID JULY AND BE COMPLETED IN AROUND 2 YEARS. ..HE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE 16.5 MILLION OF THE COST…

 

ONE OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL COACHES HAS DIED….LOUIE DEERE,  LONGTIME HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL COACH AND A MEMBER OF THE MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME, DIED SUNDAY AT THE AGE OF 70….DEERE’S HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COACHING CAREER INCLUDED  KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL, KITTSON CENTRAL AND FARGO SHANLEY….HE HAD MORE THAN 600 CAREER BASKETBALL WINS AND WAS NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR EIGHT TIMES AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND TWICE AT THE REGION LEVEL. ..HE WAS SELECTED TO THE COACHES HALL OF FAME IN 2000....

 

BILLBOARDS FEATURING A MISSING THIEF RIVER FALLS WOMAN WILL BE GOING UP BY THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND…32 YEAR-OLD GINA ANDERSON WAS LAST SEEN LEAVING HER HOME IN A BRIGHT YELLOW PONTIAC SUNFIRE LAST OCTOBER…HER MOTHER, JUDY LAPPEGAARD (LOP'-IH-GARD), SAYS THE BILLBOARDS ARE THEIR LATEST EFFORT TO KEEP HER DAUGHTER'S CASE FROM BEING FORGOTTEN…INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY ARE NOT RULING ANYTHING OUT IN ANDERSON'S DISAPPEARANCE BUT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF FOUL PLAY… JUDY LAPPEGAARD SAYS SHE IS HOPING THAT FISHERMEN WITH DEPTH-FINDING EQUIPMENT MIGHT FIND SIGNS OF GINA'S CAR UNDERWATER…THE BILLBOARDS WILL BE ON HIGHWAY 59 NEAR THIEF RIVER FALLS AND ON I-94 BETWEEN FERGUS FALLS AND ALEXANDRIA…NUMEROUS AIR AND GROUND SEARCHES HAVE TURNED UP NO TRACE OF ANDERSON OR HER CAR… A TEN-THOUSAND-DOLLAR REWARD IS BEING OFFERED FOR INFORMATION...

  

A MIDDLE RIVER MAN HAS DIED IN A WEEKEND SEMI/PICKUP CRASH NEAR FERGUS FALLS…THE STATE PATROL SAYS THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AROUND 1:15PM  LAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF FERGUS FALLS ON HIGHWAY 59….THE PATROL SAYS 24 YEAR OLD RICHARD SMITH, OF MIDDLE RIVER,  WAS DRIVING THE PICKUP WHEN IT CROSSED THE CENTER LINE AND HIT THE SEMI HEAD-ON…THE DRIVER OF THE SEMI, 53 YEAR OLD DAVID BJORGO,OF PELICAN RAPIDS, WAS NOT INJURED….

 

THE ROSEAU COUNTY DWI COURT HAS RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY AND IS SHOWING MORE SIGNS OF SUCCESS…THE PROGRAM BEGAN IN APRIL OF 2008 ON A GRANT FROM THE STATE…IT’S A JUDICIALLY SUPERVISED TREATMENT BASED PROGRAM FOR ADULTS WHO ARE CHARGED WITH CERTAIN ELIGIBLE FELONY OR GROSS MISDEMEANOR CRIMES… ROSEAU COUNTY DWI COURT COORDINATOR MARIA PAHLEN SAYS THERE ARE CURRENTLY 17 PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM, AND OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO  THE FIRST  GRADUATE IN OCTOBER..

 

THE WARROAD POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SEVERAL COMPLAINTS DEALING WITH ATV’s DRIVING ON AND ACROSS THE BIKE PATH AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS…USERS ARE SAYING THAT IS CREATING WIDE PATCHES OF MUD…WARROAD POLICE ARE REMINDING THE PUBLIC THAT THE BIKE PATH IS CLOSED TO ANY MOTORIZED VEHICLES INCLUDING 4 WHEELERS, SCOOTERS OR GOLF CARTS…POLICE WARN OPERATORS THAT THEY COULD FACE CHARGES INCLUDING TRESPASS IF CAUGHT…THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO ASKING FOR THE PUBLICS HELP….IF ANYONE WITNESSES THESE VIOLATIONS TO CALL THE WARROAD POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 242-1851 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE….

 

THE BOARDS OF COMMISSIONERS IN ROSEAU AND LAKE OF THE WOODS COUNTY ISSUED A  RARE JOINT STATEMENT THIS MONTH…  SAYING THEY HAVE BEGUN TO EXPLORE IDEAS ON WAYS TO PRESERVE SERVICES AND ENHANCE EFFICIENCY THROUGH INCREASED COLLABORATION….MOST SERVICES PROVIDED BY RURAL COUNTIES SUCH AS LAKE OF THE WOODS AND ROSEAU COUNTIES ARE MANDATED BY STATUTE LEAVING VERY LITTLE DISCRETION… THE BOARDS ARE LOOKING AT WHAT THE COUNTIES CAN DO TO BOTH SAVE MONEY AND GENERATE REVENUE….ADDITIONALLY THE BOARDS ARE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT EACH COUNTY IS ALREADY DOING TO PROVIDE SERVICES MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. ..AT THE INAUGURAL MEETING, ROSEAU COUNTY COMMISSIONER MARK FOLDESI NOTED THAT A BARRIER TO THERE  ABILITY TO COLLABORATE IS THE VAST DIFFERENCES AND DIVERGENT ISSUES THAT EXIST BETWEEN COUNTIES AND WITHIN THE COUNTIES…FOLDESI SAID IN THE SHORT TERM THEIR  MOST PROMISING AREAS OF PARTNERSHIP ARE IN SHARING INFORMATION, EQUIPMENT, AND SPECIALTIES…IDEAS BEING CONSIDERED INCLUDE SHARED MAINTENANCE OF ADJOINING COUNTY ROADS, SHARING ENGINEERING SERVICES, WORKING TOGETHER ON ROUTES OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE TO EXPAND THE 10 TON ROAD GRID IN NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA, EXPANDING THE MUTUAL AID LAW ENFORCEMENT AGREEMENT, AND FINDING WAYS TO UTILIZE THE SKILL SET OF EMPLOYEES MORE FULLY….EACH COUNTY WILL BE INVITING THEIR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO BEGIN HOLDING SIMILAR MEETINGS WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS TO EXPAND THE IDEA GENERATION PROCESS AND LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION… IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE TWO BOARDS WILL HOLD A SERIES OF MEETINGS TO CONTINUE EXPLORING OTHER IDEAS…

 

MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS IS ONE OF TWO WELL-KNOWN MINNESOTA COMPANIES BEING HONORED TODAY AS THE STATE’S FIRST “YELLOW RIBBON CORPORATIONS”….MARVIN WINDOWS ALONG WITH TARGET CORPORATIONS RECEIVED THE DESIGNATION FROM GOVERNOR TIM PAWLENTY AT A SPECIAL CEREMONY …MARVIN WINDOWS SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRCHENOR TOLD KQ92 MORE ABOUT THE AWARD…THE AWARD IS PART OF THE “BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON” MILITARY RECOGNITION CAMPAIGN THAT IS MEANT TO HIGHLIGHT COMPANIES ROLES IN ASSISTING ARMED FORCES MEMBERS AS THEY TRANSITION BACK INTO THE WORK FORCE…MARVIN WINDOWS REPRESENTATIVES WERE ON HAND TO RECEIVE THE AWARD FROM GOVERNOR PAWLENTY TODAY AND KIRCHENOR ISSUED A FIRST STATEMENT TO KQ92 …THE BEYOND THE YELLOW RIBBON CAMPAIGN ESPECIALLY HONORED MARVIN’S ON-SITE DEGREE PROGRAMS THAT COME WITH PREFERENTIAL HIRING…THE OTHER “FIRST” COMPANY TO BE HONORED WITH THE AWARD, TARGET, RUNS AN INTERNAL MILITARY SERVICE NETWORK…

 

THE ROSEAU COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY CONDUCTED MORE ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO COMPLIANCE CHECKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, WITH TWO ESTABOLISHMENTS FAILING COMPLIANCE CHECKS FOR ALCOHOL AND SEVEN BUSINESSES FAILED THE TOBACCO CHECKS…CHIEF DEPUTY TERRY BANDEMER SAYS THEY ARE URGING ANY BUSINESS THAT HAS NEW EMPLOYEES THAT NEED TRAINING TO CALL THE DEPARTMENT AND THEY WILL COORDINATE A SESSION IN AN ATTEMPT TO BRING THE NUMBER OF FAILED CHECKS TO ZERO…THE ROSEAU COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT IS ALSO REPORTING AN INCREASE IN UNDERAGE CONSUMPTION CITATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY…BANDEMER SAYS 22 CITATIONS WERE ISSUED LAST MONTH…AND THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE DETENTION CENTER’S POPULATION WAS DOWN A BIT IN MAY…BANDEMER SAYS THEY AVERAGED AROUND 14 TO 15 INMATES DAILY….