Redistricting
2-22-2012
The redistricting maps were released Tuesday afternoon. One of the changes is that Bud Nornes now represents Perham and Perham Township. This is an area that was represented by Mark Murdock.
The new maps pit 46 incumbents against each other and create 23 open seats.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s home is now in the 4th district held by six-term incumbent, Betty McCollum. Bachmann says she will run again in the 6th district. She would not be required to move to do that. No RTC Deal Yet
2-22-2012
No deal yet on the Regional Treatment Center. The Fergus Falls City Council met in a closed session to discuss the financial parts of the proposal made by Geitso for a Global XChange Village.
When they came back it was announced that although the proposal did not meet all the requirements of the RFP, it was the only one submitted & the council is willing to work with Atul Wahi.
The council then asked for a five million dollar deposit to offset the five million in demolition funds the city would lose from the state.
Wahi explained that the historical grants are tied to ownership of title so he would need transfer of the property title to secure the grants.
Both sides will be looking for a solution.
Endangered Property List Credited with RTC Interest
2-21-2012
The Regional Treatment Center Property was on the most endangered property list. That is where developer Atul Wahi first heard about the property. “I was walking through the IDS Tower one day. I’ve a love for architecture; and there was a display of endangered properties to save. I picked up a brochure. Went home. Didn’t think anything about it. A week later or so I was reading through it and it said Fergus Falls.”
He had met Harold Stanislawski a month before and starting talking about the possibilities.
Wahi will be at Tuesday’s city council meeting to discuss the proposal for reuse of the property.
Hoffman on Gun Bill
2-21-2012
Some opposition from law enforcement agencies has been expressed on the gun bill.
Senator Gretchen Hoffman says they are adding an amendment based on the recommendation from law enforcement. She says this gun law combines current case law. “What we are basically doing in this bill is taking hundreds of years of case law and putting it all in one place.”
On recognizing permits to carry from other states; Hoffman says it is not permit holders that are the problem: “Criminal acts by permit holders are very, very rare, and so I think, that the idea that you’re from another state and you have a permit to carry you should not automatically be able to come in Minnesota, I think that is wrong. We have a freedom to travel in this county and we have a second amendment right.”
The bill goes up for a vote this week.
Semi Over Turned
2-21-2012
A semi-truck overturned on I 94 near Fergus Falls, at exit 61 near Big Chief Tuesday morning.
Minnesota State Trooper, Jesse Grabow says, “What happened was a semi was attempting to get on I 94 on the ramp, it was an oversized load, meaning it was too long. As it made the turn, the rear axle got off the highway into the ditch causing the rest of the vehicle to tip off and block traffic on the on-ramp.”
The accident happened around 7:30 am but as of noon the traffic was still blocked from getting on the westbound on ramp.
Perham Police Issues over 20 Citations Overnight During Snow Emergency
The Perham Police Department issued over 20 citations overnight for cars parked in city streets as a result of the high snow accumulation the area received. In November, the City of Perham adopted a new policy stating that a snow emergency is declared when there is an accumulation of two inches or more of snow. During a snow emergency, no parking is allowed on city streets between the hours of 1 am and 6 am in order for city plows to adequately remove snow from the streets.
Scott Davis Arrested
2-21-2012
A Fergus Falls resident led officers on a chase to his residence. Sunday at 1:30 in the morning an officer spotted a person, later identified as 28-year-old, Scott Ryan Davis, running a stop sign at College Way and Kennedy Park Road. Instead of stopping when the officer activated the lights, Davis sped up. The officer followed at speeds of up to 50 mph in a residential section of Cavour Avenue.
The officer saw smoke coming from the tire after Davis hit a curb on the corner of Summit and Second Avenues. Minor damage done to the curb and a tire was blown but Davis continued instead of stopping. Davis allegedly went through another stop sign before stopping at his residence in the 700 block of West Linden.
Davis was arrested with charges of fleeing a police officer, DWI and driving after revocation.
Hospital Birthing Center Restrictions
2-17-2012
Because of a virus going around the community Lake Region Hospital is immediately restricting visitors to the Birthing Center.
Joann Bowman, Infection Prevention Coordinator says
In most in kids and adults the Respiratory Syncytial Virus just causes a cold but in newborns the virus can be deadly.
The hospital will be monitoring the situation daily and will have signs on the doors indicating the restrictions.
These restrictions are only for the birthing center, other areas of the hospital are not restricted.
RTC proposal Boarding School
2-17-2012
The proposal for reuse of the Regional Treatment Center includes a boarding school. The plan is for around 32 international students per year to come to Fergus Falls as 10th graders. They would attend classes, staying on the RTC site in a residence hall.
The proposal includes letter of support from both Fergus Falls School Superintendent Jerry Ness and M-State Interim Provost Carrie Brimhall.
The students would earn a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts Degree.
“We are willing to work through the details to create a unique opportunity for international students and our students.” It says in the letter.
Developer, Atul Wahi says “The trend overseas and within the US is for Executive foreign postings and the desire of affluent to send their kids to a safe, quality, principled and competitive program that ensures a thorough education is very favorable to our proposal and makes it achievable.”
Hughes Sentenced Felony Terroristic Threats
2-16-2012
A man originally charged with assault and disorderly conduct after a dog fight, a shoving match followed by alleged threats with a baseball bat has been sentenced in Otter Tail County District Court.
Last June the Otter Tail County Sheriffs Office was called to Tower Street in Dalton. Witnesses said that a dog belonging to Jacob Hughes, age 21 of Dalton had ran across the hall and attacked a neighbor’s dog.
After the dog fight, two men started a shoving match that escalated.
A some point Hughes came out of the apartment building with an aluminum bat. He was swinging the bat around, banging it against the building and sidewalk and making threatening remarks.
The neighbor and Hughes had dog bites and the dog that was attacked needed surgery for injuries and had to have one of it’s legs amputated.
Hughes pled guilty to an amended charge of making terroristic threats.
Sentence includes 30 days in jail and if he successful with the 5 years of probation then the conviction would be dismissed.
Navin Sentenced
2-16-2012
A Henning woman was sentenced in Otter Tail County District court this week for an assault on her daughter involving a shotgun and a bucket of water.
A 25-year-old female called law enforcement from an outbuilding of rural Henning home on Hwy 108 between Henning and Otter Tail last December.
She said that she had been upstairs in the home, cleaning with a bucket of water. Her mother, Desiree Navin, came upstairs and the two had an argument.
The victim told officers that 51-year-old Navin had thrown the bucket and water at her, hitting her in the shoulder with the bucket and then pointed a shotgun at her and demanded that she leave the property or she would shoot her.
Navin was sentenced on the 2nd degree assault charge. She received 7 years of probation, a 36 month prison term was suspended for the time of probation. She will also need to pay a $1000 fine.
One RTC Proposal
2-15-2012
Although seven had indicated interest in submitting only one proposal for reuse of the RTC campus was submitted to the Fergus Falls City Council by the deadline.
The city has put the public parts of the proposal on their website: http://www.ci.fergus-falls.mn.us
The file is a very large file that will take patience to download.
The proposal submitted by Atul Wahi of Geitso includes a reuse of the Region Treatment Center as a mixed-use, multi-tenant center.
The plans include a hotel/bed and breakfast, a boarding school, tenants such as medical device company and Fergus Foods.
Ottertail Theft
2-15-2012
The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report that a woman had $300 taken from her purse while at The Otter Supper Club Saturday.
Trees Destroyed at Gun Club
2-15-2012
The Deer Creek Rod and Gun Club called the sheriff’s office about some trees that were intentionally hit by a vehicle. The sheriff’s office says that from the tracks a vehicle came off the roadway, drove over the maple trees and then backed up over them again. The trees were newly planted last fall and had been donated to the club.
Burley Arrested
2-14-2012
A traffic stop for driving with no headlights on led to an arrest.
Forty-three year old Joseph Earl Burley was stopped in the 100 block of South Cascade at ten-twenty pm Monday. Burley’s driving status was cancelled inimical to public safety and he also had an active Otter Tail County warrant.
Burley was taken to jail and the license plates on the vehicle were impounded.
Keller Sentenced
A Fergus Falls man gets 45 days in jail for a felony garage burglary.
22-year-old Chase Lee Keller admitted to officers that he broke the window last July with a rock inside a sock and the blood on the broken glass was his. He told them that he had alcohol withdrawals. Three cases of beer and two bottles of hard liquor were taken in the burglary.
Keller will spend the balance of 45 days in jail and pay $245 in restitution plus a $500 fine. His probation will be 5 years.
Perham Council Sells Grandstand to Amish
2-14-2012
A motion was made and passed by the Perham City Council Monday night to sell the grandstands at Al Krueger Field for $10 to the Amish community north of Perham. The agreement between the City of Perham and the Amish allows for the Amish to purchase and demolish the grandstand. The demolition is set to begin this weekend with completion by the end of February.
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Lakes Radio Feature.
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