ND Sen. Hoeven says church group has flights booked out of Israel, all should arrive home in coming days

FARGO (KFGO) – North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said Wednesday that he spoke with the tour director for the Holy Cross church group visiting Israel, who confirmed that the entire tour group are booked on flights home and scheduled to depart over the next several days.

Hoeven has been working with the Department of State and coordinating with the group’s leaders, including Father Phil Ackerman, to ensure the North Dakotans are brought home safely following the attack by Hamas-led terrorists on Israel.

Hoeven said: “We’ve been in contact with (the tour director) for the Holy Cross church group, and have confirmed that all members of the group are booked on flights back to North Dakota. We’ve been working with the State Department, Father Ackerman and others to coordinate their safe return as quickly as possible. This is a welcome piece of good news as we continue to see the results of Hamas’ terrible attack against Israel.”

Holy Cross Catholic Church of West Fargo was the main sponsor of the trip to Israel. About 85 people were part of the tour from congregations in West Fargo, Fargo, Grand Forks, Dilworth and Hawley.

Story by Paul Jurgens / KFGO

Hundreds of lakes area freshman interact with dozens of businesses during career expo at DLHS

Dozens of lakes area businesses set-up demonstration tables at Detroit Lakes High School for the 6th annual Freshman Career Expo on Wednesday afternoon.

Hundreds of lakes area freshman from the surrounding area were able to meet and take part in interactive demonstrations with the businesses as they explore different career fields.

Detroit Lakes High School Principal Josh Omang said the event exposes high schoolers to variety of different fields with the hope that they will narrow down their career field selections once they become upper classmen and take part in their career capstone projects.

“The exposure piece, I think, that’s huge piece where kids need that,” said Omang. “They need as much exposure as they can get … and we’ll often get that question, ‘holy cow, you’re  having a 15-year-old pick a career,’ that’s not what we’re doing. We’re just trying to provide exposure to a million careers, as many as we can. And it’s amazing … we have everything in a town this size and people are willing to do it. They see the benefit.”

He also praised one of the event coordinators, Vern Schnathorst, for not making the expo like a typical career fair because the students get a lot more out of the interactive environment with the businesses and organizations.

“We’ve all experienced some sort of career fair,” he said. “Whether it was in college, or where ever, and some of those, you can get a little key chain or a candy bar, and without Vern (Schnathorst), obviously, we wouldn’t be at the level we’re at either. I mean he’s the guy on this stuff.”

Omang added he thinks this event can really make an impact in the lives of these students based on some of the conversations he was overhearing during the event and a15-year-old who is enthusiastic about their future is something the school and the whole community should take pride in.

“I always overhear the kids’ conversations and I get to hang out with kids all day, so I am well aware of how creative kids are and how much things actually matter,” said Omang. “People don’t always think that. We just think the world is in trouble because of this next generation, but the conversations kids are having about these things is huge. And I heard a bunch of those today too. So that’s huge.”

Students from Frazee, New York Mills and Detroit Lakes took part in the two-hour event at Lakeshirts Field House.

MN DEED promotes additional $50 million in rural broadband grants

High-speed internet is on its way to more rural communities across Minnesota.  That’s because the Department of Employment and Economic Development is investing another $50 million in rural broadband grants.  DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek says this round of grants will help many more households and businesses across the state.  He added broadband allows residents to connect with employers, schools, doctors, government services, and much more. 

Locally, broadband is being expanded across west central and central Minnesota as well. 

David-Donehower Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes to add crematory unit in coming months

The David-Donehower Funeral Home in Detroit Lakes received approval on a 7-1 vote by the city council to install one crematory unit in their facility.

James Beaton, general manager of the funeral home, said the Detroit Lakes location will be looking into taking on crematory responsibilities for other smaller funeral homes in the region, which would eliminate trips to Fergus Falls to use their crematory facilities.

“At this point in time, it would be David-Donehower and West Kjos, we also operate the Furey Funeral Home in Frazee,” said Beaton. “And potentially Schoeneberger Funeral Home in Perham, which is a substantially smaller business than David-Donehower. So we are looking at conducting their cremations, however, their volume much, much, much smaller than our volume is.”

During the debate, Ron Zeman, alderman first ward, said he’s received concerns from neighbors that the funeral van can stick out of their garage while they are transferring remains.

“The concern I’ve had from some neighbors is that the van that you have isn’t able to fully drive into the garage,” said Zeman. “The question was, why can’t you have a building that would be completely enclosed so when the doors would open, you drive right in, and the doors would close and it’d be out-of-sight-out-of-mind. Right now, if (the van) is sticking out, you kind of know what’s going on there.”

Beaton responded and said, even with the vehicle only 75% of the way into the garage, no one would be able to see anything from the outside and exposed bodies are never transported in the open.

“Obviously, our business is discretion and dignity, so I cannot think that we’d ever provide non-dignified services,” said Beaton. “But if the vehicle that’s housing the body awaiting cremation is 75% in, you wouldn’t see anything … so at no point would there ever be an exposed body being transported anywhere.”

He also said, currently, more than 80% of their clients are choosing cremation for their loved ones.

Jay Deraney, alderman at-large, was the only vote against the permit and said he was concerned with the amount cremations that would be conducted in Detroit Lakes since David-Donehower’s parent company owns dozens of funeral home across Minnesota and the greater Midwest region. He said he would have rather seen the crematory facility placed in the city’s industrial park to limit visibility.

Red Lake Falls man sues Fargo bar after being knocked unconscious by a pair of security staff

A Red Lake Falls, Minnesota man has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Old Broadway in downtown Fargo and two former employees.

Colton Nobles claims that he was assaulted by bouncers Jeremy Dalton and Jalal Buckner outside the bar last July 23.

Nobles alleges that Dalton, also known as Maddmaxx, struck him in the face with a closed fist causing him to fall backwards, striking his head on the concrete, and knocking him unconscious. While incapacitated, Nobles claims Buckner kicked him in the head. The complaint says Nobles suffered a concussion, facial fractures, brain bleeding, welting, bruising and a traumatic brain injury. He says he’s incurred hospital, medical, professional and other expenses. The lawsuit says the conduct was intentional, extreme and outrageous.

Nobles is asking for a minimum $50,000 in damages and a jury trial.

Dalton and Buckner also face aggravated assault charges. Their criminal cases are still pending.

The incident was recorded and shared widely on social media.

Story by Paul Jurgens / KFGO

19 transmission line projects aim to balance electric distribution across Greater MN

Grid North Partners says utility grid congestion has become a problem, particularly in the western part of the state, and it is working on 19 projects to fix the issue.

Two of those 19 transmission line projects are located in Otter Tail County and include a 2-mile connection between Hoot Lake and Fergus Falls, and another 34-mile project that will connect Inman, Parkers Prairie and Alexandria.

New solar and wind energy is coming online quickly, faster than the existing transmission infrastructure can handle. Grid North Partners consists of 10 companies, including Xcel Energy. 

Great River Energy and Minnesota Power are installing a 230-kilovolt line stretching 51 miles from Mud Lake in Crow Wing County south to Benton County. All 19 projects organized by Grid North Partners total $130 million. 

The projects are expected to be completed within three years.

Project Length (mi) Owner Counties

• CapX2020 Brookings 2nd 345 kV Circuit 60 Xcel Energy/GRE/OTP/ MRES/CMPAS Lincoln, Lyon
• CapX2020 Helena 2nd 345 kV Circuit 39 Xcel Energy/GRE/OTP/ MRES/CMPAS Scott, Dakota
• Hoot Lake-Fergus Falls 115 kV 2 OTP/MRES Otter Tail
• Morris-Grant County 115 kV 24 MRES Grant, Stevens
• Franklin-Ft Ridgely-Swan Lake 115 kV 39 Xcel Energy Nicollet
• Swan Lake-Wilmarth 115 kV 16 Xcel Energy Nicollet
• Red Rock-Raptor 115 kV 7 Xcel Energy Washington
• AAR* – Johnson Jct.-Morris 115 kV 15 GRE/OTP Big Stone, Stevens
• Canby-Granite Falls 115 kV 39 OTP Yellow, Medicine
• AAR* – Inman-Elmo-Parkers Prairie-Miltona-Alexandria 115 kV 34 GRE/OTP Otter Tail, Douglas
• AAR* – Mud Lake-Benton 230 kV 51 GRE/MP Crow Wing, Morrison, Benton
• Rogers Lake-High Bridge 115 kV 0.5 Xcel Energy Ramsey, Dakota
• Wakefield-St. Cloud 115 kV 18 Xcel Energy Stearns
• Pleasant Valley-Byron 161 kV 17 Xcel Energy/GRE/SMMPA Mower, Dodge, Olmsted
• Big Stone-Blair 230 kV 33 OTP Grant, Deuel (SD)
• Coon Creek-Terminal 345 kV 14 Xcel Energy Anoka, Ramsey
• Coon Creek-Kohlman Lake 345 kV 20 Xcel Energy Anoka, Ramsey
• AAR* – Forbes-Iron Range 230 kV 34 MP St. Louis, Itasca
• AAR* – Blackberry-Riverton 230 kV 67 MP Crow Wing, Aitkin, Itasca

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