Detroit Lakes man sentenced for felony drug possession after 42 grams of meth discovered during traffic stop
Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – A Detroit Lakes man received a stayed nine-year sentence in Becker County District Court for felony drug possession and gross misdemeanor DWI.
According to court records, on Jan. 22, a White Earth police officer noticed 52-year-old Harry Edward Helps of Detroit Lakes drive out of a gas station without a valid driver’s license and notified the Becker County Sheriff’s Office.
Helps was pulled over by law enforcement on County Road 34 and the deputy noticed signs of impairment and asked Helps to exit the vehicle.
While Helps was exiting his vehicle, a member of the White Earth police department noticed a plastic bag with what appeared to be a white crystal substance, in plain view, next to the driver’s seat. The substance was tested and found to be 42 grams of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement also discovered a scale and multiple smaller plastic bags in the vehicle.
Then, Helps declined to perform a field sobriety test and was arrested.
He was sentenced on Oct. 20, to nine years in prison, which will be stayed for five years while Helps is released to a chemical dependency program and placed under supervised probation
Carbon monoxide alarms sound at Lincoln School in Fergus Falls on Monday
Carbon monoxide alarms sounded at Lincoln School in Fergus Falls on Monday, leading to cancelled classes and daycare services before first responders okayed the building to resume normal operations
On Dec. 4, at 11:56 am, emergency dispatchers received an alarm call from the school, which is located on the 2300 block of College Way.
Fergus Falls Fire and Police were dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, staff had indicated the carbon monoxide detectors had gone off and significant levels of CO were displayed on the detectors.
School staff immediately opened doors to bring in fresh air.
The fire department, then, used gas monitoring equipment and did find small readings, around 2ppm, of carbon monoxide in certain parts of the building.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, normal indoor concentrations of carbon monoxide can typically range from .03 to 2.5 ppm averaged over an 8-hour period.
Out of an abundance of caution, school officials decided to close the school as did Children’s Corner Daycare.
Parents were notified of the situation and asked to come pick up their children early.
Construction had been occurring in the north half of the building where equipment with fuel combustion engines were being used to complete work. There is a floor to ceiling wall that separates the two spaces as well as a ventilation system and open doors with supplemental fans.
The school district had added additional carbon monoxide detectors during the construction project to ensure the safety of the building’s occupants.
The Fire Department offered to test staff who were working closest to the source and found normal to slightly above normal readings in staff members.
According to the National Institute of Health a normal reading is between 1% to 4% in non-smoking adults and up to 8% in adult smokers. The highest reading for an individual at Lincoln School was 10%.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include shortness of breath, headaches, or nausea. More severe symptoms can include disorientation, fatigue or confusion.
Details released involving the death of North Dakota county deputy by ND Sen. Kevin Cramer’s son
Authorities have released additional details into a fatal crash that killed a Mercer County sheriff’s deputy involving the 42-year-old son of U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer.
Bismarck Police say they were called to the Sanford Emergency Room around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 regarding damage to an overhead door.
When officers arrived they were informed that 42-year-old Ian Cramer was brought there by his mother due to a mental health issue, and as they parked their SUV in the ambulance bay Cramer jumped into the driver’s seat, allegedly rammed the doors and fled the scene.
The Mercer County Sheriff’s Department spotted the stolen SUV and a pursuit ensued.
During the chase Cramer crashed head-on into a squad that was parked on the side of the road with emergency lights on. Authorities said the impact pushed the patrol vehicle into a deputy who was attempting to deploy a tire deflation device, which killed him.
Ian Cramer was taken into custody around 5:30 p.m., about five miles west of Hazen on Highway 220.
He was brought to the Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen — and later transported to the McLean County Detention Center in Washburn.
Senator Cramer has issued a personal statement saying his son suffers from “serious mental disorders” which manifest in “severe paranoia and hallucinations.”
Adding: “We ask the public for prayers for the lost officer’s family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us … We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply.”
The Mercer County Sheriff’s office has identified the deputy killed as 53 year old Paul Martin of Beulah. He was an 18-year veteran with the department.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has directed all government agencies in the state to fly the US and North Dakota flags at half-staff in honor of deputy Martin.
Story by Doug Barrett / KNOX
Rural Detroit Lakes man sentenced for felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct
A rural Detroit Lakes man was sentenced for third-degree criminal sexual conduct in Becker County District Court.
According to court records, in April 2019, the Detroit Lakes police department received a report from a teenage girl concerning 28-year-old Erin John Westhoff of rural Detroit Lakes. The girl said Westhoff sexually assaulted her multiple times over a period of several years when she was younger.
In a plea agreement with prosecutors in consultation with the victim and her family, Westhoff was sentenced to 180 days in jail and six-and-a-half years in prison, which will be stayed for 15 years while he serves supervised probation.
He must also register as a predatory offender; have no contact with the victim or other juveniles besides his own child; is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition; and submit to a sexual offender treatment program and perform all aftercare recommendations.
Westhoff has also been charged in a separate case with two counts of felony fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involve walking nude in front of children and groping a pre-teen girl.
Burning candle responsible for Grand Forks house fire on Wednesday
A burning candle is being blamed for sparking a house fire in Grand Forks Wednesday.
Fire crews were called to 300 block of Walnut Street shortly before 6:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found smoke coming from the second story of the home.
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and all residents exited the home without injuries.
However, the family was displaced due to the damage and was assisted by the American Red Cross. An estimate on the damage to the residence was not released.
MN Sen. Amy Klobuchar questions FBI Director Christopher Wray about the rise in hate crimes over the last month and year
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray about the dramatic rise in hate crimes since the Hamas attack of Israel during a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
During the Dec. 5 hearing, Klobuchar told Wray the statistics across the board were on the rise.
“Reports show a 216% increase since Oct. 7 in requests for help and reported bias incidents against Muslims,” said Klobuchar. “Another report showed a 388% rise in antisemitic incidents since this time last year. We know the facts.”
She also described a string of recent alleged hate crimes to the director, and said these incidents should be shocking to everyone.
“In Vermont, a Palestinian student from Brown University, whose parents had him stay in the U.S. rather than returning home for safety reasons was shot along with two of his friends,” she said. “In New York, a woman was assaulted at Grand Central terminal and when confronted the assailant said it was because you are Jewish. In Brooklyn, a father and his 18-year-old son were allegedly assaulted by another parent for being Palestinian. And last week, three suspects were arrested for a 40-minute attach spree on Jewish New Yorkers. This is concerning for everyone, democrat, republican, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, anyone in this country.”
Klobuchar praised the director for his agency’s response to the 2017 Dar al-Farooq (DAF) Islamic Center bombing in Bloomington, which ultimately led to a conviction and 53-year-prison sentence for the perpetrator.
Wray said the FBI has enhanced their hate crimes posture nationally to make more resources available to their agents and they’ve implemented an outreach program to law enforcement and targeted groups to ensure they find hate crime cases that need to be found.
“We’ve elevated civil rights, especially, hate crimes to a national threat priority and that has been true for the last couple of years,” said Wray. “That brings with it more investigative resources of all shapes and sizes. Second, we’re trying to do a lot tp engage in outreach, both to law enforcement and the communities, because one thing we know about hate crimes is that they are chronically under reported. There are lots of reasons for that. But, trying to get better data, better fidelity of the data, allows us to track the trends better, but also to ensure that we are finding the cases that need to be pursued.”
Steps to report a hate crime begin by reporting the incident to a local law enforcement agency and following up with the case through the FBI’s web portal. For more information, check out the U.S. Department of Justice’s website.
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