Grace Pastoor
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Grace Pastoor covers crime, courts and social issues for the Bemidji Pioneer. Contact her at (218) 333-9796 or gpastoor@bemidjipioneer.com
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- 2 years 9 months
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BEMIDJI, Minn.—A Bemidji woman who broke an infant's legs while babysitting was sentenced to one year and six months in prison Monday. Bridget Renee Stately, 42, received credit for the 77 days she has spent in the Beltrami County Jail since her May 29 arrest. She was charged May 30 with third-degree assault and child endangerment.
LAPORTE, Minn. — A Lake George, Minn., woman was charged with attempted murder and assault Monday after police say she slit the throat of an acquaintance at his Hubbard County home. Defendant Janelle Nicole Rex, 32, and the victim, identified as Larry Holm, of Laporte, "didn't particularly like each other," according to a court documents that provide an account of the throat-cutting.
ST. PAUL—A Red Lake man who shot and killed a 17-year-old boy in a dispute about a Playstation was sentenced to 19 years and eight months in federal prison Tuesday, May 15. Joshua Francis Hill pleaded guilty in January to one count of second-degree murder in the teen's June 24, 2017, shooting death.
RED LAKE, Minn. - The bodies of two fishermen who went missing on Lower Red Lake in November have been recovered, according to authorities and family members. A news release posted to the Red Lake Police Department’s Facebook Page said that Red Lake conservation officers and a tribal council representative found one of the fishermen — a 17-year-old boy — at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 21. The boy, whose name has not been released by law enforcement, was found in shallow water near an area of Lower Red Lake called “second bridge.”
RED LAKE, Minn.—Forman Red Lake Tribal Chairman Floyd "Buck" Jourdain announced Wednesday, March 7, that he plans to run for re-election, four years after current chairman Darrell Seki Sr. ousted him. Jourdain said that he decided to run about a year ago after observing what he sees as missteps by the current administration and talking with tribal members. Seki defeated Jourdain 1,907 to 1,284 votes in the 2014 election.
RED LAKE—Longtime Red Lake Tribal Council member Richard Barrett Sr. has died. According to an announcement posted to the council's Facebook page on Monday afternoon, Feb. 12, Barrett, 75, is survived by his wife and other family members. Barrett was first elected to the tribal council in 2002, following the death of his predecessor. He served the community as the Little Rock representative for 16 years. Roman Stately Jr., who grew up with Barrett and represents the Red Lake district, described Barrett as a "gentleman."
BEMIDJI, Minn.—An emotional and largely symbolic sentencing hearing brought legal proceedings against Brandon Bjerknes to a close Thursday. Even Ninth District Judge Paul Benshoof described his sentence as "moot" during the hearing, shortly before sentencing Bjerknes—the former Bemidji Middle School assistant principal who posed as a teenager online in order to have sexual conversations with children—to what amounted to two years and six months in prison.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — When Ryan Neadeau Sr. started his journey toward sobriety, he found motivation and comfort in his cultural roots. "What pushed me to get clean was believing in our culture, believing that there is a solution to this epidemic, and to saving our people by the culture," said Neadeau, a 26-year-old member of Red Lake Nation. "The cure is the culture."
RED LAKE, Minn.—The bodies of two people missing on Upper Red Lake since Sunday were found Monday afternoon. According to a news release from the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office the bodies of the two missing people were recovered at about 3 p.m. Authorities have not officially identified the bodies, but law enforcement and emergency personnel have been searching for Melissa Seidenstricker, 29, of Princeton, Minn., and Zeth Knyphausen, 28, of Stacy, Minn.
RED LAKE, Minn. — Two missing Red Lake fishermen were not found Tuesday, Nov. 7, despite an extensive search by public safety officials and community members. Both officials and civilians gathered Tuesday morning to continue the search for the two people, who went missing on Lower Red Lake on Monday afternoon. The two missing fishermen — identified by the Red Lake Police Department as Deland Beaulieu, 29, and a 17-year-old boy — disappeared after a Red Lake Fisheries boat capsized on the east side of the lake near an area known as the "cut off."