The Labor Day Weekend is behind us now, and things are back to “normal” as the kids headed back to school this week, and for many of us, a more typical routine is with us once again. We had a nice weekend to close out the summer season. Temperatures were very pleasant on Saturday. We had sunshine with highs generally in the lower 70s for much of the state of Minnesota. Temperatures did warm-up a bit on Sunday with highs in the mid to upper 70s.
Granite Falls Police Department Collins, Christopher Michael, Montevideo; Offense date 2/1/22 Traffic - DWI - Operate Motor Vehicle - Alcohol Concentration 0.08 Within 2 Hours (Misdemeanor); Plea 8/30/22 Guilty; Disposition 8/30/22 Convicted; Court Decision 8/30/22 Sentenced Local Confinement (90 Days, Stay 0 Yr 0 Mo 82 Days for 1 Yr Credit for time served: 8 Days); $300 Fine. Makarral, Timothy Michael, Granite Falls; Offense date 5/30/22 Domestic Assault - Misdemeanor - Intentionally Inflicts/Attempts to Inflict Bodily Harm on Another (Misdemeanor); Plea 8/30/22 Guilty; Disposition 8/30/22 Convicted; Court Decision 8/30/22 Sentenced Local Confinement (90 Days, Stay 0 Yr 0 Mo 87 Days For 1 Yr Credit for time served: 3 Days); $300 Fine.
WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs last week received a $25,000 gift from First Interstate Bank and the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation as part of their inaugural Believe in Local grant campaign. These funds will be deployed to provide support to any victim of domestic violence.
Last Week’s Answer: Jim Aus Guessed by: Betty Harguth, Shawn Giles, Sharon Sannerud. .
Condolences: Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and many loved ones of Jerry Ostensoe, a brilliant musician and radiant soul whose voice will never be lost or forgotten. CAIR Updates from Leah: The water’s running over the falls again, and Week two of this Sudden Summer Art Residency is going pretty well! Folks have continued to be very generous with their time and their company as I’ve continued to get to know this community.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide rates in Minnesota declined slightly in 2020, but it’s important to remember there were a record number of suicides in 2019, and this is the sixth year in a row where more than 700 Minnesotans have died by suicide. There are far too many deaths, and many families are devastated by these deaths.
On September 4th, well-known Cottonwood resident Howard Mohr passed away with his family by his side at Prairie Home Fieldcrest Assisted Living in Cottonwood at the age of 83. Mohr was most known for his work in writing and performing, having spent several years on the radio program A Prairie Home Companion, and authoring a number of books including the popular “How to Talk Minnesotan”.
Last week, the Montevideo- area Wellbriety group hosted an event at Smith Park in honor of National Overdose Awareness week. The Wellbriety movement is a large movement of peer-led support groups around the United States that work along with a combination of AA and NA traditions and principles combined with a Native spirituality and culture emphasis to provide support for persons in recovery from drugs and alcohol addictions. The local area group is celebrating their third anniversary. The group, which serves an area from approximately Montevideo to Marshall with members meeting as often as weekly, serves as a part of the Sobriety Out Loud movement. They welcome everyone without discrimination of age, race or gender. “We developed this more peerbased community where we’re not just open to Natives, we’re open to everyone,” said one of the groups co-founders Morgan IronHeart in an interview last year.”The term Wellbriety means to have a balance between your four dimensions of well-being. Your physical health, your mental health, your spiritual health, and your community health - all tied into your recovery from drugs and alcohol.”
September is Emergency Preparedness month. While many of the emergencies in our area are likely to be weather related, there are countless possible disasters that could happen at any time.
On Friday, September 2nd, the Granite Falls Police Department issued a press release with the news that an arrest had been made in connection with the ongoing investigation into multiple incidents of arson at a Granite Falls apartment building. Brenda Lynn Stang, age 56, of Granite Falls was arrested last Thursday in connection to the series of arson fires at a six-story apartment building in Granite Falls that occurred on four separate dates in July. The press release states, “These fires were all started in common areas within the first floor of the building, with one fire being started inside the only elevator. Thankfully no one was physically injured as a result of any of these fires.”