BHS Mock Trial Team Advances to State; MN Senators Secure Terminal Funding; Absentee Voting Begins
(Bemidji) Beltrami County Deputies arrested a man early Monday morning after a potentially dangerous situation was diffused. Deputies responded to report of an armed man threatening the safety of another individual at a residence on Nordic Avenue. The caller identified the armed man as Jerod Beaulieu, who had an active warrant for his arrest. When deputies arrived, they observed the suspect on the deck of the residence holding a large knife and a machete. The suspect appeared to be in an altered state of mind. Deputies informed the suspect he was under arrest, engaged in de-escalation efforts, and summoned negotiators and the Bemidji Ambulance Service to the scene. After fifteen minutes, the still armed suspect threatened deputies. A “pepper ball” gun was used to subdue the suspect, and he was taken into custody. After being evaluated at the scene by ambulance personnel, Beaulieu was booked into Beltrami County Adult Correctional Facility on multiple charges and his outstanding warrant. Jerod Beaulieu was arraigned on Tuesday in Beltrami County District Court on there counts of second degree assault. He remains in custody.
(Bemidji) The Bemidji High School Mock Trial team has advanced to the State competition. The prosecution team won their Division Final against St. Cloud yesterday, and will now compete as one of the final 16 teams in the State from 111 teams competing. Next up is the State competition at US Federal District Courthouse in Saint Paul on March 7th and 8th. This is Bemidji’s 6th State appearance since the activity’s inception in 2008.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have announced they secured significant federal funding for the expansion of Bemidji Regional Airport’s Passenger Terminal. The grant provides $261,250 to expand the passenger terminal, which will address current concerns regarding security checkpoints and congestion throughout the terminal. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
>>Investigators Release Name Of Inmate Who Died In Polk County Jail
(Crookston, MN) — Authorities are identifying a man who died at a Polk County jail earlier this week. Investigators say 51-year-old Matthew Bagley of Lebanon, Tennessee was in custody on a driving while impaired charge out of Norman County. He was found unresponsive at the Northwest Regional Correction Center in Crookston on Wednesday morning, and died after being taken to a hospital. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating Bagley’s death. (24/7 News Source)
>>National Weather Service Says Spring Flooding Unlikely In Minnesota
(St. Paul, MN) — The National Weather Service says spring flooding is unlikely in Minnesota this year. The agency’s Twin Cities office released its spring flood outlook yesterday, saying the complete lack of any snowpack in the state makes the probability of any flooding lower than normal. The weather service says drought conditions in the state have improved slightly in the last few months thanks to rainfall over the Christmas holiday. Forecasters say drought conditions could quickly get better or worse depending on how much precipitation falls in the next few weeks.(24/7 News Source)
>>Absentee In-Person Voting For Presidential Primary Begins Today
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota voters can head to local election offices today to turn in their absentee ballots for the upcoming presidential primary. In-person direct balloting allows voters to personally place their ballot into a tabulator at an elections office or voting center in their county. A list of early voting locations available in each county is available on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website. Presidential primary ballots must be turned in by March 5th.(24/7 News Source)
(Rush City, MN) — A Minnesota school bus driver involved in a crash while students were on board is being held on suspicion of drunk driving. The bus went off a covered roadway and into a ditch in Rush City this morning. That’s about 60 miles north of Minneapolis. None of the 49 kids on board were hurt, but the driver was booked into the Chisago County Jail.(24/7 News Source)
>>Uncashed Rebate Checks To Be Reissued
(St. Paul, MN) — If you haven’t cashed your one-time rebate check from the state of Minnesota, you’re getting another chance. Officials with the Department of Revenue announced that they are re-issuing more than 128-thousand of the checks that have yet to be cashed. The new checks will begin going out next week, and the process should be complete by mid-March. Each check is worth between 260 and 13-hundred dollars, depending on the number of dependents .(24/7 News Source)
>>Duluth Airport Receives $10M For Airport Tower Replacement
(Duluth, MN) — One of the oldest airport towers in the United States is getting a federal grant to help fund its replacement. Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican Congressman Pete Stauber announced yesterday that Duluth International Airport is getting ten-million dollars for a project to replace the tower, which was built in the 1950s. The project is expected to cost more than 65-million dollars. The Two Harbors Helgeson Municipal Airport in Lake County also received a U.S. Department of Transportation grant of over one-million dollars to build a new general aviation terminal.(24/7 News Source)
.>>MN DNR Issues Report On State Tree Health
(St. Paul, MN) — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has identified five ongoing problems impacting tree health around the state. The agency issued its 2023 Forest Health annual report yesterday. The most widespread problem identified was the death of oak trees through old age, dry conditions and pests that take advantage of weaker trees. The spread of the emerald ash borer and damage from the eastern larch beetle were also listed as ongoing problems. The DNR says proper yard tree care and effective forest management practices can help keep trees healthy and reduce the spread of opportunistic pests.(24/7 News Source)
