Nathan Bowe
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A Detroit Lakes snowmobile club is not happy with a county proposal to quit grooming snowmobile trails and turn the responsibility over to area snowmobile groups. The ULTRA (United Lakes and Trails Riders Association) group has gone so far as to send out letters to businesses, warning that the quality of the trails will diminish and winter tourists may go elsewhere if the county gets out of the snowmobile grooming business. "Becker County has managed the trail system for over 30 years," the letter reads.
A Detroit Lakes woman was injured and had to be extracted from her car by firefighters after an accident Tuesday afternoon. Bobbie Jo Rogers, 37, was taken to Essentia St. Mary's hospital around 4:30 p.m.
In Minnesota, spring means potholes and frost heaves -- and Detroit Lakes is no exception. While the winter storm that just came through may have city street crews more focused on plowing snow than filling potholes, it's still a constant battle this time of year, said Detroit Lakes Public Works Director Brad Green. "It's just a tough time of the year -- the freezing and thawing," he said. "We sweep (potholes) out and try to evaporate and patch," he said Monday.
Becker County saw pretty healthy growth over the past 10 years. Its population increased by about 2,500 over -- from 30,000 in 2000 to 32,504 in 2010, according to results from the latest U.S. Census. The population of Detroit Lakes grew by over 1,100 -- to 8,569 residents in 2010 from 7,408 in 2000. Frazee saw a slight drop in population over the past 10 years, from 1,384 to 1,350. Lake Park and Audubon saw slight growth -- Lake Park went from 779 residents to 783, and Audubon went from 496 residents to 519. White Earth village grew from 364 residents to 580.
A Detroit Lakes man was among those Minnesotans at the big labor rally Saturday in Madison, Wis. Ted Fiskevold, a member of the National Writer's Union and longtime activist in the Becker County DFL, made the trip with Mark Froemke of Crookston, president of the Western and Red River Valley Area Labor Council of the AFL/CIO. "We went there to be a part of the big rallies and the things that were going on," Fiskevold said.
An Otter Tail County deputy was injured Monday morning in a two-car collision in northwestern Otter Tail County. A vehicle being driven by Hannah Miller, 22, of Rothsay, allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign and yield the right of way to the squad car, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The squad car rolled over after being struck. The Otter Tail County deputy, whose name was not released in the State Patrol news release, was transported by ambulance to Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls. The deputy's injuries are believed to be minor.
An emergency room doctor at Essentia Health St. Mary's was attacked and beaten Saturday morning by a patient who was apparently suffering from mental illness. Dr. Mark Lindquist was attacked by the 46-year-old Detroit Lakes man at the hospital emergency department shortly before noon on Saturday, according to Detroit Lakes Police Chief Kel Keena. "Basically we had somebody who snapped and went after a doctor," Keena said. "He came in on his own seeking medical treatment," Keena said.
Veterans advocates are trying to do the political equivalent of taking a machine gun nest single-handedly: They're trying to convince Minnesota lawmakers to add a $1.5 million program in the face of a $6 billion-plus budget shortfall. There's no question that Higher Education Veterans Programs are good for local communities, smaller colleges and the veterans themselves -- the only issue is funding, said Becker County Veterans Service Officer Lauri Brooke. "The return on investment for the dollars spent on that, for me it's just a no-brainer," she said.
Veterans advocates are trying to do the political equivalent of taking a machine gun nest single-handedly: They're trying to convince Minnesota lawmakers to add a $1.5 million program in the face of a $6 billion-plus budget shortfall. There's no question that Higher Education Veterans Programs are good for local communities, smaller colleges and the veterans themselves -- the only issue is funding, said Becker County Veterans Service Officer Lauri Brooke. "The return on investment for the dollars spent on that, for me it's just a no-brainer," she said.
Polar Fest -- Detroit Lakes' celebration of all things cold and snowy -- swept through town like a festive blizzard last week. Highlights included a resurgent fishing derby, a dance, fireworks, and of course, the Polar Plunge. "Oh my God, that's cold, I can't hardly breathe," said a chattering Jennifer Bristlin, after jumping into the icy waters of Little Detroit with two friends -- Chris Hukriede and Chrisy Wierima -- who took the Polar Plunge on behalf of Emmanuel Community. They raised $631. "It's kind of like my bungee-jumping experience," Bristlin added.
