Da Vinci exhibition opens at Becker County Museum

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – The life and history of one of the Europe’s most famous renaissance minds, Leonardo Da Vinci, is officially on display at the Becker County Museum as the event hall opened to the public on Sunday.

The exhibit features more than 20 reproduced pieces of Da Vinci’s art and dozens of models, machines, sketches and even a mirror room that attendees can enter is see themselves in 360 degree reflection.

Becky Mitchell, executive director of the Becker County Historical Society and Museum, said it was a lot to setup over the last week, but, with the local volunteers and event company crew, everything is finally ready and she thinks the community is going to be impressed with the result.

“I think it’s a little bit shocking,” said Mitchell. “I’ve watched the process all week long … and so now to finally see it after the fabulous crews, both local crews as well as the Imagine Exhibition crew, have kind of worked those problems and to have everything up. I feels great. I just wanted every last educational opportunity we had to be available.” 

For each of the dozens of displays, there are corresponding placards that give a detailed history about each item and, Mitchell added, she has dozens of lesson plans that she can provide school districts attending the exhibit that can focus on any range of classes from art and history to math and science.

“That’s why this is touted as an educational exhibit because there is just so much information that you can take away, if one took the time to read every little bit,” she said. “I think there is over 50 lesson plans that I can provide teachers … there’s math lessons, science lessons, engineering lessons, art lessons, of course, so there is a little bit of everything.”

The Da Vinci exhibition at the Becker County Museum is still looking for volunteers to work shifts in the event hall and anyone interested should contact the museum office.

“If you are interested in volunteering we need docents,” said Mitchell. “We need people … just visiting with individuals and answering questions. Guiding people how to get through all the different exhibits and make some time and come. It’s worth it. It’s worth the $25.”

The exhibition runs from Sept. 17 through Jan. 7, 2024. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children with annual members of the Becker County Museum receiving discounted admissions.

Exhibit hours can be found on the Becker County Museum’s website and Facebook page.

Detroit Lakes man sentenced to 15 years for multiple criminal sexual conduct felonies

A Detroit Lakes man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for three separate felony criminal sexual conduct charges going back more than a decade.

27-year-old Jeffrey Allen Fish of Detroit Lakes was given credit for nearly one year of jail time already served, but was transferred to the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud for the remaining 14 years of his sentence.

According to court records, Fish assaulted two separate girls, who were between 5-9 years old at the time, while they were being babysat by a family member. The family member would leave the residence to complete other jobs while the children were under their supervision and leave Fish alone with the children during their absence.

The sexual assaults occurred multiple times per week over the course of multiple years.

A third victim reported Fish’s abuse while they were attending school in Detroit Lakes.

Fish will be required to register as a predatory offender and pay more than $8,000 in restitution, fines and fees from his prison wages.

No injuries to people or animals following Friday morning fire at Wright County equestrian center

The state fire marshal is investigating after one person was hurt in a fire at an equestrian center in Wright County.

The Wright County Sheriff’s Department was called to the Steepleview Farm and Equestrian Center just south of Buffalo, Minn., at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday morning.

The arena area of the farm was fully engulfed when deputies arrived to the scene on County Road 13 in Delano. 

First responders assisted the property owners in getting the horses out of the barn before the fire spread.

 A press release from the sheriff’s office says there are no known injuries or deaths to any animals at the facility.

One employee of the farm was taken to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported at the scene.

Story by Jennifer Lewerenz / KNSI

Man killed in Becker County ATV crash near County Road 35

A man died in a Becker County ATV crash on Saturday.

The Becker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a single ATV colliding with a tree on the Rat Lake Trail, west of Co. Hwy. 35 on Saturday, around 5 p.m. 

Emergency personnel responded to the scene in Eagle View Township, but life-saving measures were unsuccessful. The lone occupant, an adult male, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The name of the driver will be released pending notification of the driver’s family. 

The incident remains under an active investigation.

Former Mille Lacs Band police chief sentenced for sexually assaulting a child

A former police chief of the Mille Lacs Band has been sentenced to more than 28 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child beginning around 2009 when she was six or seven and continuing for six years.  

In 2021, the victim recorded a phone call when 75-year-old Russell Bankey of Garrison admitted to the abuse and apologized. When she asked why, he said “I guess I was lonesome.”  

Bankey’s attorney asked the judge for probation, arguing Bankey is remorseful, has the support of his family, and experienced “horrific abuse” as a child.  

In a separate case, Bankey is accused of assaulting another child on more than one occasion in 1991. 

Story by Ryan Janke / KFGO

Elements Wellness and Medspa in Perham offers alternative wellness services

A new non-traditional wellness and health care provider opened its doors in Perham over the summer.

Elements Wellness and Med Spa is located on 1st Avenue in downtown Perham and has begun offering everything from red light and saltwater float therapies to compression therapy and IV treatments.

Troy Diggins, owner of Elements Wellness and Med Spa, said even he has a difficult time describing the kinds of therapeutic care the facility provides.

“I think alternative would be the best way because of the new infrared is something kind of new,” said Diggins. “And I don’t want to say technology because technology doesn’t have anything to do with the float pods. But with having a nurse practitioner on staff, we do do modern medicine like IV infusions.”

One of the signature therapies provided by Elements is the use of infrared light in a bed to stimulate circulation, blood cell creation and flow, which creates more oxygen in the bloodstream and aids recovery for a number of ailments.

“It’s gets on a cellular level,” he said. “And you do lay in there just like a tanning bed basically, but infrared at this level, it stimulates flow to a point that it creates new blood cells and more blood cells and platelets running through your body creates more oxygen, which helps you in your recovery.”

Elements Wellness and Med Spa also has saltwater float therapy pods for reduced anxiety and stress relief. Additionally, the center employs registered nurses to administer a variety of IV treatment options to aid individual recoveries, but, Diggins said, their wellness center is not designed to replace your current treatments, just augment them.

“Because these are some different techniques … we do want to work with your other medical professionals,” said Diggins. “Whether that’s your chiropractor, your physical therapist, your general practitioner, these are more kind of add-ons. We keep saying we’re like a supplement. If you are dealing with something, maybe this is something that can help speed it along, to assist what you are doing on your own self-care. Self-care is kind of a big thing with us and kind of the direction we’re going.”

Appointments can be made for Elements Wellness and Med Spa in Perham through their website: www.elementswellnessmedspa.com.

Largest corn maze in MN opens near Foley

Minnesota’s largest corn maze opens Saturday at Stoney Brook Farms near Foley for their annual Harvest Fun Days.

The dinosaur-themed 35-acre maze has 11.7 miles of pathways. It’s broken up into two different mazes with varying degrees of difficulty. Make sure your phone is charged so you can scan a QR code that will allow you to follow yourself on an interactive map. There is also a pick-your-own pumpkin patch.

Kids can also hop on the giant jump pad, slide down two culvert slides, play in the giant corn pit, take the tractor train ride, race on the human hamster wheel, and more. You can also grab a bite to eat at six food trucks.

The fun takes place on weekends from September 16th through October 29th.

For more information, click here.

Story by Jake Judd / KNSI

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