Perham woman injured in ATV crash near Big Pine Lake in Otter Tail County

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – A Perham woman was seriously injured in a single-ATV rollover crash near Big Pine Lake on Tuesday evening.

On Sept. 19 at 4:49 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a single-ATV rollover with possible injuries in Corliss Township.

38-year-old Sasha Sazama of Perham was riding her ATV when the vehicle left the trail and rolled down a nearby hill.

Upon arrival at the scene, first responders found Sazama unconscious, but breathing and airlifted her to Sanford Hospital in Fargo for treatment of life-threatening injuries. Her condition is currently unknown.

The crash is under an active investigation by the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office.

Becker County Board approves 5.96% preliminary tax levy increase for 2024

The Becker County Board of Commissioners approved a preliminary 5.96% tax levy increase for 2024

Part of that levy increase will cover the costs of an additional assistant Becker County attorney; a new lieutenant position at the Becker County Sheriff’s Office; and a part-time employee who will assist the county auditor-treasurer with administering the 2024 election.

Barry Nelson, chair of the Becker County Board, said the levy is higher than he would’ve liked, but they needed to cover increased wages for county employees from last year and further increases this year.

“I think it’s fair to say that the reason why this is, in my opinion, so high is because of last year’s negotiation with employees,” said Nelson. “We gave them more than we had budgeted last year, so we are having to pay for that and, plus, what we anticipate for the current year.”

Pat Oman, county administrator for Becker County, said the 2024 budget doesn’t include the majority of the one-time state funds passed by the MN legislature during this year’s session.

“I want the board to know that (the budget) does not include any of the additional funds that we received legislatively with the exception of the county program aid that we’ve incorporated into the budget,” said Oman. “But all these other funds, including special general funds are not part of this budget.”

The 2024 levy will raise nearly $26.1 million from Becker County residents, which is about $1.4 million more than last year. The levy will go toward funding Becker County’s nearly $68 million budget; an increase of $5 million over 2023.

Charges dismissed for three Line 3 protestors

Opponents of the Line 3 oil pipeline are celebrating an Aitkin County judge’s decision last Thursday to dismiss charges against three Native women related to a 2021 protest.

Activists Winona LaDuke, Tania Aubid and Dawn Goodwin helped lead rallies as Enbridge began work on a new oil pipeline across northern Minnesota more than two years ago.

The charges against them stemmed from a rally on Jan. 9, 2021, when a large group gathered at a pipeline construction site near the Mississippi River in Aitkin County. 

Some group members later moved to another Aitkin County location, where they walked along U.S. Highway 169 and refused to leave a Line 3 construction site.

LaDuke, Goodwin and Aubid were not arrested on Jan. 9. Authorities charged them weeks later by summons after identifying them in social media posts. They faced gross misdemeanor charges of trespassing and harassment, as well as misdemeanor unlawful assembly and public nuisance.

A jury trial was scheduled to begin this week. But in a forceful opinion filed Sept. 14, District Court Judge Leslie Metzen dismissed all the charges.

Metzen’s order noted the government’s historical mistreatment of Indigenous people.

She wrote, quote: “In the last 20 years I have come to a broader understanding of what we, the now dominant culture, did to try to eradicate our indigenous neighbors. We moved them by force and power and violence off the land where they lived for thousands of years. To make peace, we signed treaties with them that promised many things they never received.”

Metzen also wrote that she finds it “within the furtherance of justice” to protect the defendants who were peacefully protesting to protect the land addressed in those treaties.

More than 900 people were arrested in connection with protests over the Line 3 pipeline. Many of those charges have been dismissed or settled. Fewer than 20 of those cases are still pending.

Lake Park Pumpkin Fest kicks-off

Pumpkin Fest kicks-off in Lake Park today.

The three-day event will feature a Little Miss Pumpkin Fest pageant at the Lake Park-Audubon High School and an outdoor movie Thursday night at 710 South 10 Drive. This year’s movie is Harry and Hendersons. 

Mary Lewis, an event organizer, said she’s pretty excited for the pumpkin and scarecrow contest on Friday evening at the City Center, which is open to all-ages.

“We have different age categories, so every age group from your family is encouraged to carve, decorate a pumpkin and enter it in the contest,” said Lewis. “We highly encourage even family projects, if you want to work on one together, that would be great.”

Pumpkin Fest’s big day is Saturday, Sept. 23., which gets started with a harvest breakfast, hosted by the Lake Park American Legion, in City Park beginning at 7 a.m.

Lewis said there will be no shortage of food options in Lake Park on Saturday.

“There are all kinds of food options in Lake Park,” she said. “There’s a number of food vendors and you will be able to sample pumpkin goodies in the Fire Hall. There’s an ice cream and pie social at the museum … a couple of the 4-H clubs, the Busy Bees 4-H Club will have their food concession stand at the Craft Show. And then the Franklin 4-H Club has their food stand within the City Center, so no matter where you go in Lake Park on Saturday, there will be food options available.”

Saturday will also feature: a 5k run, a craft and vendor show, a ninja obstacle course, games and activities for kids and a parade, which steps-off at 2:30 p.m.

A shuttle bus will run every half-hour from the American Legion to LP-A High School for attendees to attend the craft and vendor show.

2 injured in single-vehicle rollover on Highway 59 Monday

Two people were injured in a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 59 in Mahnomen County on Monday afternoon.

On Sept. 18 at 2:39 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a single-vehicle crash with possible injuries near the Highway 59 and County Road 25 intersection in Pembina Township.

According to the MN State Patrol, a 2015 Nissan Frontier, driven by 74-year-old Stanley Milo Koich of South St. Paul, was southbound on Highway 59 when it struck a guard rail and rolled over.

Koich suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a hospital in Mahnomen. His passenger, 73-year-old Daniel Steven Koich of Eau Claire, Wisc., also suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but he was transported to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo for treatment.

Airbags deployed in the vehicle during the rollover. Both occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash and law enforcement believes alcohol did not factor into the incident.  

ND man arrested for fleeing, drug possession and possession of stolen property

A Mapleton, North Dakota man is facing charges after attempting to flee police in a burglary attempt at the Seventh Avenue Auto Salvage yard in north Fargo,

Officers were called to the site just after 2 a.m. Wednesday on a report of a man walking around inside the fenced-in area with a flashlight. He then got into an SUV and then drove out of the salvage yard where he refused officers’ commands to stop and eventually ditched the vehicle. West Fargo Police officers assisted in setting up a perimeter and a drone was used to help the search.

Police K-9 Blue started a track and led officers back to the gated area at the salvage yard, tracked down the suspect where he was hiding between two vehicles, and then apprehended the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Nicholas Bruesch.

Bruesch was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries before being taken to the Cass County Jail.

He’s facing charges of fleeing a peace officer, possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of methamphetamine.

In 2010, Bruesch was sentenced to eight years in prison for stabbing a man in the stomach and nearly killing him. Two years before that, he spent time in jail for terrorizing and aggravated assault.

Story by Don Haney / KFGO