Fmr. Rep. Collin Peterson honored with office recreation exhibit at Becker County Museum

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – After three decades in congress representing the communities of a large portion of western Minnesota, Collin Peterson will now have his legacy officially displayed in the new research library at the Becker County Museum.

In a private ceremony on June 16, attended by Peterson’s family, friends and former colleagues, the museum officially unveiled Peterson’s re-created office in the corner of their new research wing.

The exhibit features: Peterson’s Washington D.C. desk, memorabilia, photos and awards from his 30-year career, and even a trophy buck from the lifelong hunter.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said, when she first decided to run for U.S Senate, Collin told her the importance of the coveted Ag committee and why being involved in the decisions that can positively affect Greater Minnesota farmers is necessary for any statewide candidate to be successful.

“He has been such a mentor to me, especially on agriculture issues,” said Klobuchar. “He said, ‘you gotta get on the ag committee,’ I got on it. And then he said, ‘you gotta stay on it,’ which I’ve done and I’ve loved it. And, so much of it was that I had a secret weapon, really, in Collin, because I would understand what was going on between the Senate and the House. I could figure out which provisions were moving and which ones weren’t, and then also just his credibility with farmers was incredible.”

Paul Marquart, commissioner for Minnesota Department of Revenue and former DFL state representative for parts of Collin’s district, said, when he first started running for office, he used a distinct term to describe his own political leanings.

“I will say that the first time I was campaigning in 2000, I would knock on people’s doors, and they’d say, ‘are you a democrat or a republican,’ and I would say, ‘I’m a Collin Peterson democrat,'” said Marquart. “People knew what that meant. And it meant that you may be a democrat, but represented everyone, democrats and republicans alike, and that’s what Colin did. And we need more people like that in our government.”

Former Minnesota DFL state Senator Kent Eken, said he, and many residents within western Minnesota, respected Peterson’s honesty and his ability to listen to people, which is the staple of any good leader. He also said he too referred to himself as a Collin Peterson democrat.

“I said the same thing,” said Eken. “Because it was that style of leadership that people really respected in this area. It’s why he survived as long as he did, despite the fact that the district was turning more red … but people knew he wasn’t just party-line, just do what the party said, he put his constituents first and that’s what elected officials should do.”

During his speech, Peterson recapped his journey as an elected official, which actually started with multiple election defeats before eventually securing a spot in the Minnesota congressional delegation in 1990. With every highlight, Peterson seemed to remember a story involving someone in the room, which turned the event into a smile-filled trip down memory lane with Collin, their lifelong friend.

In closing, he apologized to his alma mater, Moorhead State University, for choosing the museum as the host of his exhibit and also said his career would not have been possible without his dedicated staff and the support of everyone in the room.

“Moorhead State is never going to forgive me because I didn’t give them my stuff, but I am so glad that I put it here at the Becker County Museum and I think it’s going to be a great thing for the museum, for the community,” said Peterson, during his speech. “And I think it’s going to be a good legacy for the kids to go through that and try to figure out what the heck I was up to. So, thank you all so very much. Thank you Amy (Klobuchar) for being up here … and all of the rest of you that have worked with me over the years, it’s been a wonderful ride, and couldn’t have done it without you and I don’t think I could do it again.”

The new Collin Peterson exhibit at the Becker County Museum research library in Detroit Lakes can be viewed during the museum’s normal business hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Alexandria juvenile killed in rollover crash

A 17-year-old male from Alexandria was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash early Friday morning.

According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, on June 16 at 3:29 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a single-vehicle rollover near the intersection of County Road 73 and County Road 72 in Alexandria Township, east of the city of Alexandria.

Upon arrival, deputies pronounce the male dead at the scene.

The incident remains under an active investigation and the Minnesota State Patrol was requested to assist deputies with a reconstruction of the crash.

The name of the 17-year-old was not released by law enforcement.

Audubon man charged with two forgery counts

An Audubon man was charged with two felony forgery counts in Becker County District Court stemming from three vehicle titles he had co-ownership over with a woman that reportedly included her forged signature.

According to the Detroit Lakes Tribune, 55-year-old Michael William Kurkowski of Audubon had owned three vehicles with an unnamed woman before she discovered the titles on record for the vehicles included a signature that was not hers.

According to court records, the woman reportedly signed the titles on Feb. 18, but left the originals at Kurkowski’s residence.

She was later contacted by a Detroit Lakes car dealership and informed the vehicles were being paid off, but when she examined the titles from the car dealership’s records, she noticed the signatures were not her own and the title was stamped and issued in March.

Kurkowski is also accusing the woman of taking the original titles.

His next court date is June 26.

Roosevelt Avenue road work begins this week

A portion of Roosevelt Avenue will be closed for water main repairs between Central Street and 8th Street in Detroit Lakes from 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20 to 7 a.m. on Friday, June 23.

A detour from around the construction zone will be posted from Central Street to 11th Avenue to 8th Street.

Detroit Lakes woman sentenced for assault with a bottle

A Detroit Lakes woman was sentenced to 38 days in jail and five years of supervised probation after committing third-felony assault with an alcohol bottle.

According to the Detroit Lakes Tribune, on Sept. 30, 2022, 38-year-old Charlene Marie Clark walked into a woman’s residence with a few other acquaintances unannounced when the woman was entertaining a few guests and hit her in the head with a glass bottle and punched her.

Clark and the rest of her party then reportedly trashed the residence and stole the victim’s phone.

In photographs included in the court record, the victim was shown to have suffered a large cut on the left side of her head and the left side of her face and clothing were covered in blood.

Clark’s sentence of 21 months in prison was stayed for five years by Becker County District Court Judge Michael Fritz and she can complete community service in lieu of a fine.

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