Regional law enforcement departments say they have responded to 62 overdoses since Dec. 1, with 10 of them being fatal. According to a joint release from the Red Lake Nation, White Earth Nation, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Beltrami County and the Bemidji Police Department, the significant increase in recent opioid overdoses may be attributed…
The Leech Lake Tribal Police Department issued a release in response to the increase in opioid-related overdoses in the area. They say the most recent overdoses are linked to illegally-made fentanyl, which can be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Signs of overdose include the subject being unable to wake up, shallow breathing,…
Newly elected Minnesota House 5A representative Matt Bliss is coauthoring a “Stand Your Ground” bill, and a companion was introduced in the Senate. Minnesota has traditionally had a “duty to retreat” stance on the justifiable taking of a life, which, as currently written in statute, prohibits taking the life of another unless they believe that…
The following is a summary of incidents the Bemidji Police Department and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office responded to on Thursday, Jan. 14. BEMIDJI POLICE DEPARTMENT DWI, 11:48 p.m. Officer conducted a traffic stop on vehicle with no headlights on 29th St. and Irvine Ave. NW. Driver arrested for DUI. Vehicle Calls/Complaints, 11:32 p.m. Officer…
Dr. Colleen Swank, Sanford Bemidji pediatrician and VP of clinics, discussed the COVID vaccine rollout. So far, the hospital is still working on the two doses of the Pfizer vaccine for the 1A priority group, which includes health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Dr. Swank also spoke to the vaccine misinformation that…
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will virtually address the Bemidji community this Friday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. According to a release, Bemidji State University’s Black Student Union, Faculty of Color Caucus and Student Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will all co-host “The People’s Peace: We Own it if We Build it.”…
Bemidji’s Law Enforcement Center is planning a phone outage for the non-emergency and administrative phone lines. According to a release, this outage will be from 8 until 11 in the morning this Saturday. The phone outage will also impact the Beltrami County Corrections Center and other Beltrami county phone lines within the campus phone system….
A 30-year-old Bemidji man was sentenced Monday to a three-year stayed prison sentence for indecent exposure and sexual digital communication with a child. According to court documents, Caleb Andrew Werner could face 25 months in prison, a little over two years, for violating the terms of his stayed sentence. Terms include completing outpatient sex offender…
Bemidji High School and Bemidji Middle School may resume hybrid learning next month. According to Superintendent Tim Lutz, permission was granted by the Northwest Minnesota regional COVID support team. Bemidji High School will extend its second term by one week, with the first day of Hybrid learning on Thursday, Feb. 4. Bemidji Middle School will…
The following is a summary of incidents the Bemidji Police Department and the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office responded to on Wednesday, Jan. 13. BEMIDJI POLICE DEPARTMENT Property Damage, 8:53 p.m. Officers responded to a property damage call on the 2900 block of Ridgeway Ave. NW. Assist, 5:23 p.m. Officers assisted Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force…
