Avid runner and cyclist, Mark Knutson, killed by a vehicle while biking on South Shore Drive in Detroit Lakes on July 9
Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – Avid runner and cyclist Mark Knutson, general manager for Detroit Mountain, was killed by a vehicle while he was riding his bike on South Shore Drive on Sunday morning.
According to the Detroit Lakes Police Department, on July 9 at 7:06 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a collision between a bicycle and a pickup towing a boat and trailer on the 1100 block of South Shore Drive, west of Muir Lane.
Upon arrival, first responders attempted lifesaving measures on the 53-year-old Knutson and he was airlifted to Sanford Hospital in Fargo where he was later pronounced dead.
Police stated Knutson was traveling westbound on the roadway and was struck by a westbound pickup driven by 42-year-old Jacob Grabowski of Fargo.
No criminal charges have been filed and the incident remains under an active investigation.
Knutson was a prominent organizer of outdoor recreation events, including the Tour Da Lakes and the Dick Beardsley Races, in the lakes area and in greater west-central Minnesota. He became the general manager of Detroit Mountain in 2022 and reinvigorated the city’s winter ski destination as an all-season location with events and community gatherings to be held year-round.
Minnesota Board of Animal health recommends anthrax vaccinations for northwest MN animals
The Minnesota state Board of Animal Health is encouraging livestock producers in northwest Minnesota to have their animals vaccinated for anthrax following the discovery of the bacterial disease in multiple cattle and horses located in Kittson County.
Katie Cornille, a senior veterinarian for the state board, said one reason they haven’t seen many anthrax cases over the last decade is because the protective measures already in place, like a robust vaccination program.
Cornille said: “We definitely want our communications right now to be reaching specifically in that northwestern corner (of the state) to remind people that anthrax still can be found in the soil and that we want to protect our livestock as much as possible.”
According to a board news release, the last confirmed case of anthrax in Minnesota was in a Pennington County cow in June 2013.
Cornille said grazing livestock can acquire the bacterial disease by ingesting or inhaling anthrax spores found in the soil and most animals die from the disease before showing any signs.
Livestock producers should contact their veterinarian right away, if an animal experiences a sudden death.
The board also states anthrax in animals is not a risk to the public and the disease is spread through contact with affected animals or their products.
Fargo woman rolls vehicle in Pelican Rapids
A Fargo woman was injured in a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 34, near 165th Avenue, northwest of Pelican Rapids on Saturday night.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, on July 8 at 10:54 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a single-vehicle crash in Scrambler Township, located in Otter Tail County.
A 1998 Chevy Blazer, driven by 26-year-old Ericca May Jacomet of Fargo, was eastbound on Highway 34 when it left the roadway and entered a roadside ditch, which caused the vehicle to roll.
Jacomet was transported to Essentia Health St. Mary’s in Detroit Lakes for treatment of undisclosed injuries.
Law enforcement believes alcohol may have been a contributing factor to the crash.
St. Cloud man charged for 4th of July assault
A man accused of bashing a woman in the back of the head with an object on the 4th of July in St. Cloud has been charged with felony assault among other crimes.
On July 4th at 10:15 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of an assault on the 800 block of 7th Street South in St. Cloud.
Upon arrival, officers said they met with a woman who was bleeding heavily from her head and whose eyes couldn’t focus.
The woman said 40-year-old Raymond Robert Tillett had attacked her and an ambulance crew stated the victim would need staples to close the wound.
The victim told law enforcement Tillett hit her in the head with an unknown object and shoved her into her apartment.
According to the court records, Tillett told the woman to put a rag in her mouth as she backed away from him and she begged him not to hurt her anymore.
The victim was able to escape when there was a knock at the door, and, when Tillett opened it, the woman ran out of the apartment.
Tillett, then, allegedly left the scene in an SUV that belonged to the victim’s fiancé and inside the vehicle was an electric scooter and mountain bike.
The following day, around noon, officers found the SUV in the 300-block of 5th Avenue South, and nearby, police found Tillett riding the stolen bike from the suburban.
He was arrested, and officers found drug paraphernalia in the form of burnt tin foil in his pocket upon his arrest.
He has been charged in Stearns County District Court with multiple counts of burglary and assault, plus possession of drug paraphernalia.
Tillett’s bail was set at $75,000.
Story by Jake Judd / KNSI News
Fargo man charged with vehicular homicide released from hospital
A Fargo man who was charged with vehicular homicide when his vehicle collided with another car in West Fargo, killing a woman, has been released from a hospital.
On June 28, 30-year-old Sabastijan Tahirovic was driving a mini-van when he reportedly ran a red light at 19th Avenue and 9th Street East in West Fargo and struck a Chevy Cobalt driven by 28-year-old Saphyre Johnson of Bemidji.
Emergency responders attempted life saving measures on Johnson, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tahirovic suffered serious injuries during the crash and has been charged with vehicular homicide, driving with a suspended license and drug possession.
Johnson was a licensed practical nurse at the Beltrami County Jail and she was in Fargo to take her registered nurse exam.
Death of man found in northeastern MN chest freezer not considered suspicious, police say
Police in northeastern Minnesota say the death of a man whose body was found in a chest freezer is not considered suspicious.
The police chief in Gilbert, which provides police services for Biwabik, says its believed that 34-year-old Brandon Buschman of Babbitt climbed into the freezer last April at a residence in Biwabik and his body was later discovered on June 26.
Investigators conducted several interviews and determined that Buschman got into the freezer on his own as police were outside the house attempting to exercise an arrest warrant.
The older-model chest freezer had a latching mechanism that locked the freezer and did not allow it to opened from the inside. The freezer was not running at the time Buschman climbed into it.
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