Minneapolis man sentenced to 26 months, $16,000 restitution in Ogema convenience store burglary

A Minneapolis man was sentenced in Becker County District Court to 26 months in prison stemming from a felony third-degree burglary charge involving the M&W Convenience Store in Ogema.

According to court records, on May 15, law enforcement responded to the scene of a burglary on 2nd Street in downtown Ogema.

Upon arrival, officers found the entry door glass had been shattered and lottery tickets and cigarette packs were strewn around the floor and counter area of the store.

Trays of cigarettes behind the counter, along with the lottery tickets underneath the register area, also appeared to be taken. No money was left in the cash register.

Store surveillance video appeared to show someone matching the description of 37-year-old Romain Anthony Edwards, of Minneapolis, exiting the store with the items at nearly 4 a.m. and entering a silver-colored vehicle.

The following day, a Becker County sheriff’s deputy noticed a man driving a vehicle that matched the description from the burglary and discovered Edwards was staying at a hotel in town.

Law enforcement received and executed search warrants for both Edwards’ hotel room and vehicle, which yielded multiple unopened cigarette packs along with the missing lottery tickets.

More than 16 grams of cocaine and 2 grams of methamphetamine were also found during the search, but the felony drug charge and property damage charge were dropped in a plea agreement with Edwards.

In addition to Edwards’ sentence of 26 months in prison, with credit for 25 days served, he was also ordered by Becker County District Court Judge Michelle Lawson to pay nearly $16,000 in restitution to cover the damage to the store.

J&K Marine to install watercraft display on City Beach during 2023 Northwest Water Carnival

J&K Marine will be showcasing more than a dozen different watercraft near their pier on City Beach during the 2023 Northwest Water Carnival in Detroit Lakes.

The watersports retailer and installer’s display permit was approved by the city council during their June meeting with Dan Josephson, alderman third ward, and Ron Zeman, alderman first ward, opposing the measure.

Kelcey Klemm, city administrator for Detroit Lakes, said transient merchants are not allowed to sell or advertise on publicly-owned property normally, but the ordinance provides them a carve-out during the city’s Water Carnival.

“This falls underneath the Water Carnival exception,” said Klemm, during the meeting. “Because J&K basically has that easement there is why the city has allowed only J&K to do it at that location during the water carnival.”

Josephson said, in 2019, the city allowed J&K Marine to setup their display, but he still doesn’t think the use of public beach for a private business’s advertising and sales should be allowed.

“In 2019, we did have that conversation to reevaluate,” said Josephson. “And now, it’s time to reevaluate. I’m not necessarily in favor of all the advertising and use of the beach for private industry like this.”

Zeman made a motion to reduce the number of display units from J&K Marine’s permit, but the motion failed to gain a majority of city council to move forward.

Minnesota to receive $652 million in broadband funds from federal infrastructure bill

The state of Minnesota will receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government to secure residential and business access to high speed broadband internet.

The state will get $652 million on top of the $100 million already put in place by the 2023 state legislative session to connect 33,000 homes in 48 counties and fund 61 expansion projects.

The new federal funding, created by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, will go toward broadband infrastructure deployment grants administered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development.

The office has set a goal to offer high-speed broadband to all homes and businesses in the state by 2026.

Fargo man arrested following high-speed pursuit near Moorhead

A Fargo man was arrested Monday night following a high-speed chase that began north of Moorhead.

Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting says the pursuit started around 9:17 p.m. when a deputy attempted to stop a driver in a stolen vehicle on Highway 75 near Georgetown. 

The driver of the vehicle, identified as 27-year-old Cory Oshman, of Fargo, fled the deputy’s traffic stop and reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.

A Clay County deputy deployed stop sticks at the intersection of Highway 75 and 57th Ave. North, which led to three of Oshman’s tires being deflated.

The chase then continued at speeds between 50-60 miles per hour.

Moorhead police also deployed stop sticks and were able to deflate the fourth tire of Oshman’s vehicle.

Sheriff Empting said Ostman then headed west on Highway 10 and the deputy attempted a precision immobilization technique, or PIT maneuver, with the cruiser that was unsuccessful. 

Another deputy tried a PIT maneuver in the 1800 block of Center Ave. in Moorhead, which was successful in stopping the pursuit.

Oshman was arrested at the scene and is being held for felony fleeing, possession of stolen property, a warrant for a separate incident involving fleeing in a vehicle, and two additional warrants for probation violations.

Rural Waubun man charged for assault with a shovel

A rural Waubun man was charged with felony second-degree assault and other misdemeanors in Becker County District Court after using a shovel as a weapon during an altercation at a White Earth residence.

According to court records, on May 19, emergency dispatchers received a report of a disorderly individual at a residence on Marten Drive in White Earth, who was acting aggressive and damaging property.

Witnesses at the scene said 48-year-old Chad Everett Dakota, of rural Waubun, assaulted them before law enforcement arrived and attempted to walk upstairs at the residence while holding a spade shovel.

A male witness said he feared for his 3-year-old son and kicked Dakota in an attempt to get him to leave.

According to court records, Dakota, then, swung the shovel at the man who caught the tool mid-swing, which was corroborated by another witness at the home.

The other witness also said, when Dakota did finally leave, he used the shovel to damage their vehicle, which was parked outside causing damage.

Dakota is currently serving supervised probation in a separate criminal case and his next court appearance is June 26.

Ponsford man sentenced for domestic assault

A rural Ponsford man was sentenced to 23 months in prison for felony domestic assault stemming a November 2022 incident involving older family members.

According to court records, last fall, 35-year-old Jayson Robert Annette threw an older male relative against a table and then the ground where he proceeded to kick the man. He also told another family member that he was going to kill them multiple times before he fled the scene.

Annette was previously convicted of felony domestic assault in 2019 and had also previously violated a no-contact order.

In a plea arrangement with prosecutors, Annette pled guilty to the domestic assault charge, which caused a separate felony domestic assault charge, as well as, charges for making terroristic threats to be dismissed in the agreement.

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