Hundreds attend United Way of Becker County’s Community Celebration Sept. 21
Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Hundreds turned out for the United Way of Becker County’s annual Community Celebration at the Detroit Lakes Pavilion on Thursday night.
The event fed attendees with sloppy joe plates for a suggested donation and kids seemed to enjoy the inflatable bouncy areas in City Park just outside the event hall.
Terry Haus, executive director of the United Way of Becker County, said the fun part of the evening was going to be giving away 13 bikes via raffle to some kids, but the event itself is for the community as a whole.
“Every year, it makes me feel good,” said Haus. “It’s one of those events, we do a couple events per year and to be able to give away 13 bikes tonight, that’s going to be the fun part. And every time I talk to anybody, it’s community. It’s bringing the community together and that’s what it’s all about.”
He also highlighted the more than 20 vendor tables at the event, which were full of other nonprofits that work in partnership with the United Way of Becker County. Some of those nonprofits included: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Lakes Crisis and Resource Center, Detroit Lakes Public Library and Cornerstone Community and Youth Center in Frazee.
“And that’s kind of the idea behind the Community Celebration is to give all of our partner programs an opportunity to spread their word,” he said. “Some of the work they do is unbelievable and until you get to sit down and talk with them … you can’t believe the good work that is being done in Becker County.”
Organizations like the United Way of Becker County can’t have the positive impact on a community without dedicated volunteers, he said. Donations of time and money from people, money and services from businesses, they all feed into keeping their programs beneficial to the entire lakes area.
“We couldn’t do what we do without the gift of talents, the gift of money, and we have people that are just willing to do it,” said Haus. “And year-in and year-out, I’m always amazed at what Becker County provides.”
To see photos of the event and video of the bicycle presentation to lakes area kids, check out our station’s website or find it on the Lakes Area Radio app.
1 injured in Wadena County crash
One person was injured in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 71 in Wadena County Sunday morning.
On Sept. 24 at 11:50 a.m., a 2013 Chevy Equinox, driven by 21-year-old Reagan Gene Mayer of Menahga, and a 2014 Volkswagen Passat, driven 42-year-old Samantha Mae Lee of Pillager, Minn., were both northbound on Highway 71 when they collided at mile marker 227 in Leaf River Township.
Airbags deployed in Equinox, but not in the Passat and Lee suffered non-life-threatening injuries. She was transported to Astera Health in Wadena for treatment.
All vehicle occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash and law enforcement believes alcohol did not factor into the incident.
Dilworth police chief resigns
Dilworth Police Chief Ty Sharpe has resigned.
Mayor Chad Olson says the city council will consider Sharpe’s resignation at meeting on Monday night.
Sharpe has been with the department for about 9 1/2 years. Sharpe had been on medical leave for more than four months, but the city would not say why he was on leave.
Investigator Hunter Rawson has been serving as acting police chief since May 15.
2 injured, including 8-year-old Park Rapids boy, during two-vehicle crash Saturday
Two people were injured, including an 8-year-old Park Rapids boy, during a two-vehicle crash on Highway 34 in Hubbard County on Saturday afternoon.
On Sept. 23 at 12:29 p.m., a 2022 Nissan Frontier, driven by 59-year-old William Ross Ruttger of Park Rapids, was eastbound on Highway 34, just east of the city of Park Rapids, when it collided with a southbound 2007 Chevy Suburban, driven by a 16-year-old female, as it attempted to cross the highway on County Road 4. The vehicles struck in a T-bone-style crash.
Airbags deployed in the Suburban.
An 8-year-old Park Rapids boy, who was riding in the Suburban, suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the crash and was transported to St. Joseph’s Health in Park Rapids for treatment.
59-year-old Candice Jean Ruttger of Park Rapids, a passenger in the Frontier, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to St. Joseph’s Health.
All five vehicle occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision and law enforcement believes alcohol did not factor into the incident.
Pequot Lakes couple charged with multiple tax felonies
The Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office charged two Pequot Lakes residents with 10 felony tax charges including filing false or fraudulent income taxes and failing to pay income tax
Shannon Marie Steele and Russel Clair Steele, both of Pequot Lakes, are alleged to have filed fraudulent income tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2021 and failed to pay the correct amount of income tax in those years
A criminal complaint states Shannon Steele owned Northern Lakes Rescue, a nonprofit dog rescue organization, where she was the only one with access to the organization’s bank accounts and records.
The complaint also alleges that each year, Steele withdrew thousands of dollars from bank accounts associated with the nonprofit to use for personal expenses such as appliances, video games, airfare, groceries and Jet Ski rentals.
The Steeles failed to include these withdrawals as income on their tax returns and avoided paying tax on more than $303,000 in taxable income.
Each tax-related felony charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.
UAW strike comes to Plymouth, Minnesota
The United Auto Workers strike is expanding to Minnesota.
Friday, UAW President Shawn Fain announced that workers will hit the picket lines at nearly 40 distribution locations across 20 states after GM and Stellantis rejected their contract proposals. That includes the Stellantis facility in Plymouth.
Union workers said they want a 40% pay increase, cost of living adjustments, and pensions for all workers.
MN Public Utilities approve solar expansion plan in Becker
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s proposed solar expansion at the Sherco Plant in Becker on Thursday.
The vote was unanimous and is expected to allow 710 megawatts on the site, which includes the 460-megawatt array already under construction and an expansion with 250 megawatts of capacity.
All phases of the work should be complete by the end of 2025.
The solar plant will be one of the largest in the country when it is done and, according to Xcel Energy, will be a key part of tripling its solar energy production in the Midwest.
The Sherco plant will be able to power 150,000 homes each year.
Xcel Energy has now committed $1 billion to the site and it is also preparing to build a transmission cable from the wind farms in southwestern Minnesota to a hub located at the soon-to-be-closing coal-fired plant.
The generator stations will be shut down by the end of the decade as part of Xcel’s goal to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions by 2040.
The new solar plant and other infrastructure are an attempt to offset the lost capacity when the Sherco closure happens.
The changes, however, come with a hefty price tag for Xcel Energy customers.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved $306 million in rate increases over the next three years, which less than half of what Xcel Energy had originally requested — $677 million.
Story by Grant Dossetto / KNSI
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