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Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors welcome Little Miracles, Inc.

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors welcomed Clinical Director and Occupational Therapist Kayla Borszich of Little Miracles, Inc. on her new Bemidji clinic, located at 1710 Paul Bunyan Drive NW, Bay 111.

Little Miracles, founded in 2006 in Grand Forks, N.D., offers pediatric therapy services designed to support the development and wellbeing of children and their families.

The Bemidji location opened earlier this year under the direction of Borszich, who brings extensive experience in pediatric occupational therapy.

Her areas of specialization include sensory integration, trauma-sensitive practices, emotional regulation, feeding therapy (with training in the SOS Approach to Feeding and the Beckman Oral Motor Program), reflex integration, and support for developmental delays.

Currently operating the clinic solo, Borszich works with a growing number of local children from her space in the Willow Creek Center. Little Miracles aims to expand services in Bemidji in the future to include physical and speech therapy, as offered at its Grand Forks location.

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Clearwater County Historical Society to hold used book sale July 11-12

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 18:00:00 GMT

SHEVLIN — The Clearwater County Historical Society will hold a used book sale on Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12, at the History Center in Shevlin.

The sale will run from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The books will be three for $1.

"There are a large number of books to dig through," a release said. "Books will be set up outside, or inside the red barn in inclement weather."

For more information, call the History Center at (218) 785-2000.

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Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors welcome Nature's Edge Floral

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors recently celebrated the launch of Nature’s Edge Floral, a new addition to Nature’s Edge Garden Center, located at 51676 U.S. Highway 71.

The floral studio offers custom arrangements for weddings, special occasions and everyday moments crafted with fresh blooms and a personalized touch, a release noted.

It also features flexible floral subscriptions, with weekly, biweekly, monthly or quarterly options, and terms ranging from one month to ongoing.

Visit in-store or online at naturesedgefloral.com to explore its full selection.

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Fish Tales: William Moore reels in perch on Lake Bemidji

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Four-year-old William Moore of Edina recently caught a perch on Lake Bemidji.

Send in your fishing photos to the Pioneer and we will publish them online in our Fish Tales section and also periodically run them on our Outdoors page in the Pioneer. Please include the names, date, type of fish and where the fish was landed in the body of the email. Fish Tales photos can be emailed to news@bemidjipioneer.com.

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Christian Haugen to perform at Blackduck Senior Center

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 15:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — The Blackduck Senior Center will host local musician Christian Haugen from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, at the center, 24 First St. E.

Haugen will play some joyful, fun, toe-tapping, easy listening music on the piano, a release said.

Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served.

For more information, call (218) 751-8836.

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He was once central Minnesota’s most notorious criminal. Now DNA technology could add to his criminal history

Trisha Taurinskas — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:50:00 GMT

STEARNS COUNTY, Minn. — Herbert Notch had been on the run for two years when officers with the Federal Fugitive Task Force closed in on him at a Phoenix convenience store on Aug. 24, 1993.

At the time he was apprehended in Arizona, Notch was among central Minnesota’s notorious criminals, with a wrap sheet that included the violent kidnapping and stabbing of a 14-year-old girl and holding a 24-year-old mother at knife point.

Yet on that particular summer day, authorities were on the hunt for Notch for another reason.

Before fleeing the state, Notch was charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of attempted criminal sexual conduct, stemming from the violent sexual assault of a 27-year-old woman.

After officers honed in on and arrested Notch, he was extradited back to Minnesota, where he underwent a jury trial before being acquitted of the charges. The defense relied heavily on the argument that the woman gave Notch consent, and it worked.

The prosecutor attempted to submit into evidence photographs from Notch’s 1977 conviction, which included photographs of the 14-year-old girl’s wrists, with tape Notch used to confine her while allegedly sexually assaulting her.

The 27-year-old Benton County woman had the same marks.

Following his acquittal, Notch was set free. His known criminal history ended there, and he lived out his days in Montevideo, Minnesota, until his death in 2015.

Yet before he died, he was confronted with one more crime.

Notch spent the last days of his life hospitalized in St. Cloud for liver failure. Before he breathed his last breath, he had one last visitor: Rita Reker, the mother of Mary and Susan Reker.

The Reker girls were kidnapped in St. Cloud while walking from a store on Sept. 2, 1974. Their bodies were found 26 days later on the outskirts of town, near a quarry.

Rita Reker didn’t receive a confession that day, but she did leave with satisfaction, according to a 2024 interview with St. Cloud Live.

Now, 10 years after his death, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office is actively pursuing whether Notch killed the Reker girls.

Advanced DNA technology and forensic genealogy are in the process of attempting to determine if DNA retained from the crime scene leads them to Notch.

“If and when we obtain a DNA profile from an item of evidence related to the Reker homicides that we are not able to account for, that profile will be tested against the known profile of Mr. Notch,” Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Zachary Sorenson told Forum News Service.

A St. Cloud kidnapping

The 14-year-old girl pretended to be unconscious in the summer of 1977 after Notch stabbed her twice, sexually assaulted her and buried her under a pile of brush at a remote gravel pit in Luxembourg, just miles outside of St. Cloud.

Notch was 18 years old at the time.

He intended to leave the girl to die, according to court testimony given by his accomplice, James Wagner.

After Wagner and Notch drove away, the girl pushed off the piles of brush and made her way to the nearest home. The owners called law enforcement, and she told them everything.

She had been working at the Twenty-Fifth Avenue Dairy Bar in St. Cloud when the two men came in, armed with a gun and demanding money. That wasn’t all Notch was after, though. He kidnapped the young girl at gunpoint and forcibly led her to the car he and Wagner were driving.

Wagner testified that he saw Notch stab the girl once before they both covered her with brush.

Notch later confessed to stabbing the 14-year-old girl with his 6-inch-blade buck knife before taking her to the gravel pit, where they tied her up with tape. The initial criminal complaint stated the girl was raped.

During the trial, a psychiatrist testified that Notch had a “fearlessly savage quality about him,” according to coverage of the trial by the St. Cloud Times.

In exchange for his confession, four of the six charges were dismissed. Those charges included attempted first-degree murder, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping.

Instead, Notch pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping and aggravated robbery.

He was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison at what was then known as the St. Cloud Reformatory for Men.

Notch was released after serving just 11 years and went on to commit a similar crime six months later.

Repeat behavior

On Feb. 25, 1988, Stearns County sheriff’s deputies arrived at Notch’s home at around 10 p.m. and arrested him in the sexual assault of a 24-year-old woman.

Notch was formally charged with multiple counts of assault and criminal sexual conduct, all stemming from the same victim.

Earlier that day, the woman had a meeting with St. Cloud police, during which she detailed three separate incidents that occurred the month prior.

Notch moved in with the victim after he was released from prison in June of 1987. They were introduced by a mutual friend while he was still in prison.

The relationship didn’t work outside of prison, though. The woman kicked Notch out of the house after their relationship ended six months after his release.

Yet Notch continued to enter the house without permission, according to court documents.

The woman alleged that on Jan. 3, 1988, Notch entered her home without permission and used a knife to threaten her while he sexually assaulted her, according to a 1988 newspaper article.

It didn’t end there.

The woman told police officers that Notch again gained entry into her home five days later by tricking her and displaying a knife in a threatening manner, causing her to fear for her life, according to court documents.

After another week passed, the woman claimed Notch confronted her with a knife outside of her workplace, where he threatened her and ordered her to get into her vehicle and drive.

At trial, Notch was convicted on one count of burglary and one count of false imprisonment, yet jurors weren’t able to agree on a criminal sexual conduct conviction.

Jurors cited the relationship between Notch and the victim as their main reason for not delivering a guilty verdict.

For each conviction, Notch was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

By 1991, Notch was a free man.

In the summer of 1993, Notch offered a 27-year-old woman a ride home from Tom’s Bar in St. Cloud. The criminal complaint states Notch drove to a rural area in nearby Benton County, where he forced the woman into the back of his pickup truck before tying her wrists and punching her before sexually assaulting her.

After the woman came forward and charges were filed, Notch fled the state. After a two-year nationwide manhunt led to his arrest and return to Minnesota, Notch was found not guilty. His past relationship with the victim was cited as a main factor in the acquittal.

A background check conducted by Forum News Service shows Notch settled into a home in rural Montevideo. His known criminal record remained clean until the day of his death at age 58.

Now there’s a possibility that his rap sheet could grow.

Sorenson told Forum News Service in February that DNA obtained from the Reker crime scene was undergoing advanced DNA testing with an out-of-state agency.

“We still have physical evidence that was collected early in the investigation still in our possession,” Sorenson said. “Currently some of which is being tested with advancements in DNA technology.”

If a DNA sample is extracted that does not belong to the girls, Notch will once again be brought into the fold — and the question of Notch’s involvement could be answered.

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Students in the news, July 5

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:20:00 GMT

AMES, Iowa — Sierra Charle Wroolie, of Akeley, recently graduated from Iowa State University in Aimes, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in Architecture, summa cum laude.

Jaeger receives Bison Merit Award

FARGO, N.D. — Morgan Jaeger, daughter of Todd Jaeger of Blackduck and Lisa Jaeger of Bemidji, received the Bison Merit Award at North Dakota State University.

The award recognizes students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Jaeger will enter NDSU in the fall and major in radiological sciences.

In high school, she was active in choir, Business Professionals of America, drama, softball and was the varsity boys basketball manager. She also made the honor roll and received the perfect attendance award.

Area students named to NDSU dean's list

FARGO, N.D. — The following local students were named to the dean's list at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., for earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher while enrolled in at least 12 credits during the spring 2025 semester.

Akeley: Savana Damar.

Bagley: Cori Bonik and Priscilla Dasyam.

Bemidji: Paige Headlee, Mia Hoffman, Jocelyn Kurtzweg, Leah Lucas, Ethan Maish, Charlie Maus, Kyle Michalek, Kendal Midboe, Hailey Nelson, Mariah Page, Kaitlyn Schmidt, Hannah Tri, Hannah Voge and Riley Winger.

Fosston: Joshua Manecke, Grace Rue and Ashten Wolfe.

Hines: Eli Sharbono.

Local students graduate from NDSU

FARGO, N.D. — The following local students graduated from North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., in spring 2025.

Bemidji: Nicholas Giles graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, cum laude. Paige Headlee graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, cum laude. Joshua Maki graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music, summa cum laude. Hannah Morris graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Studies Education. Hailey Nelson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, cum laude. Lydia Ryan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science. Joshua Storey graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Hannah Tri graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science. Derek Young graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. Dylan Ascheman graudated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, summa cum laude.

Fosston: Lance Balstad graduated with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science. Trent Balstad graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering. Jaime Carlin graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Radiologic Sciences, cum laude. Jacob Malmanger graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management. Emma Olson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences, summa cum laude. Grace Rue graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition Science.

Peterson, Hill named to Normandale Community College Dean's list

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Nicholas Peterson of Bemidji and Trista Hill of Wilton were named to the spring 2025 dean's list at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn., for earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher while enrolled in at least nine credits.

Hill earns certificate from Normandale Community College

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Trista Hill of Wilton received a Community Health Worker and Navigator certificate from Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn.

Schouten named to dean's list at UW Eau Claire

EU CLAIRE, Wis. — Isaac Schouten of Bemidji was named to the dean's list at the University of Wisconsin Eu Claire for earning a GPA of 3.70 or higher while completing at least 12 credits and no courses below the 100 level during the spring 2025 semester.

Giffen named to UW Stout dean's list

MENOMONIE, Wis. — Kyra Giffen of Federal Dam was named to the dean's list at the University of Wisconsin Stout in Menomonie, Wis., for earning a 3.5 or higher GPA.

Area students graduate from Minnesota Connections Academy

ST. PAUL — The following Beltrami County students graduated from Minnesota Connections Academy in spring 2025. The virtual school serves students in grades K-12 statewide.

Bemidji: Makayla Lory, Aiden Mariskanish, Destinee Sundvall and Brett Ambuehl.

Blackduck: Merrick Tjepkes and Dylan Maxwell.

Hines: Danica Underdahl.

Solway: Alexis Parks.

Area students graduate from Central Lakes College

BRAINERD — The following local students graduated from Central Lakes College campuses in Brainerd and Staples.

Akeley: Jett Krotzer earned a certificate in Computer CompTIA, with honors.

Bemidji: Joseph Casper graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice and a certificate in Minnesota Peace Officer Skills, with high honors. Maximus Fugli graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Information Technology; a Diploma of Occupational Proficiency in Computer Information Technology; and Computer CompTIA and Computer Microsoft Professional certificates, with high honors.

Blackduck: Kainen Arp graduated with a Diploma of Occupational Proficiency, Diesel Equipment Technician. Casey Cunningham earned a certificate in Meat Cutting and Butchery, with high honors. Ella Larson graduated with an Associate of Science degree in Nursing, with honors.

Laporte: Jacob Foss graduated with an Associate of Arts degree, with high honors.

Solway: Amanda Coulter graduated with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Horticulture; Diplomas of Occupational Proficiency in Sustainable Greenhouse Production and Sustainable Landscaping; and a Certificate in Sustainable Local Food, with high honors.

Walker: Desirae Phillips graduated with an Associate of Arts degree, with high honors.

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What is causing the leaves to curl on my tomato plants?

Don Kinzler — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:10:00 GMT

Q: I’m hoping you might be able to identify the problem with my tomatoes. The leaves are curling on four of my seven plants. Two are Celebrity and two are Jet Star. The other three are fine. Hopefully the picture will help you. — Mike H.

A: If a picture is worth a thousand words, your photo says it all. The curling, distorted stems and leaves are classic symptoms of exposure to herbicide. There are no other disorders or diseases that create the tell-tale symptoms of tomato foliage that has absorbed weed-killing chemicals.

There are several ways tomatoes or other garden vegetables are exposed to herbicides. Drift is the most obvious, as spray droplets of herbicide waft onto the garden from a lawn or farm field that’s being sprayed for weeds.

Becoming more common, though, is herbicide injury from residue of weed-killing chemicals present in compost, manure, straw, hay, lawn grass clippings, or other materials we add to the soil or use as mulch.

Many herbicides used on pastures, fields, or lawns persist tenaciously in the materials to which they’re applied, which can cause straw, hay and grass clippings to contain herbicide residue that can harm plants such as tomatoes when the materials are used in gardens or flowerbeds.

Manure can contain herbicide when residue on forage passes through the animal. If the manure, even if composted, is added to garden soil, it can injure tomatoes or other vegetables.

Unfortunately, once tomato plants are exposed to herbicide and have begun showing symptoms, there isn’t much that can be done to reverse the situation.

Q: I am so sad. I have a beautiful ninebark, but it stopped growing taller and only grew wider. I looked in the middle, and it is dead, in the middle only. Is there anything I can do to save it? — Connie C.

A: Ninebark are shrubs that definitely need rejuvenation every few years by pruning them back drastically. For now, prune out all branches that are dead, down to their point of origin. It was a tough winter on plants, as many of us have found.

To inspire the ninebark to regain its pleasing, well-rounded shape, rejuvenation is needed. Such pruning is best done in early spring before they leaf out. Prune all branches to about 4 inches above ground level. Some sources recommend pruning one-third of the branches each year for three years, but that hasn’t worked for me as successfully as cutting all branches back at once, which stimulates fresh growth over the entire structure.

If you don’t mind a slightly greater risk, I’ve done rejuvenation pruning on ninebarks in early July, but there’s a greater chance of something going wrong.

Rejuvenation of ninebarks is needed every five to seven years. At that point, the branches become old and woody, and prone to die-out. If rejuvenation pruning isn’t done, the shrubs can weaken and die.

Ninebarks are a colorful addition to any home landscape. A favorite of mine is Amber Jubilee with its mix of copper, orange and green-toned leaves. Some cultivars are lime-colored, and some are burgundy. There’s a color shade for nearly everyone, and although they require pruning, they are well worth the occasional effort.

Q: My potato plants are being eaten by the round, fat, black and yellow striped potato bugs. I tried the insecticide I use on some of my other vegetables, but it’s not working. What can I do? — Tom T.

A: You’ve described the situation with Colorado potato beetle very well. They’ve become resistant to many of the common garden insecticides that are effective against other pests.

Check local garden centers for products that contain the active ingredient Spinosad, which will be listed in fine print on the front of the product label. It’s a relatively new insecticide, developed from a naturally occurring bacterium discovered at an old rum distillery and is labeled for most organic insect control situations.

Spinosad is very effective for Colorado potato beetle control, and is available in both dust and liquid form. I prefer the liquid form, as I feel spraying achieves better plant coverage.

If you have a gardening or lawn care question, email Don Kinzler, NDSU Extension-Cass County, at

donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu

. Questions with broad appeal may be published, so please include your name, city and state for appropriate advice.]]>

Blane Klemek Outdoors: Red squirrels are chatty, fascinating critters

Blane Klemek — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Minnesota is home to five unique species of tree squirrels. One species, the red squirrel, is among the smallest, most energetic and noisiest squirrels of them all.

Whoa is the predator (human or otherwise) that catches the attention of a watchful red squirrel. Indeed, such unfortunate intruders are often scolded relentlessly by the highly territorial red squirrel.

Interestingly, the common name “red squirrel” is a name given to other species and subspecies of squirrel inhabiting Europe and Siberia. Because Old World and New World red squirrels’ ranges don’t overlap, confusion between North American red squirrels and their relatives isn’t usually an issue.

Here in North America, red squirrels are known by other common names depending on where they live. In the mountainous west, they are called pine or piney squirrels. They’re also known throughout the continent as the North American squirrel, chickaree, boomer, American red squirrel and other variations of these names.

Two other continental species within the same genus — Tamiasciurus — also occur: the southwestern or Fremont’s squirrel and the Douglas squirrel, each found in the southwestern United States and the Pacific coast into British Columbia.

Like all squirrels, red squirrels spend most of their lives searching for and eating food. They are adapted for living in coniferous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests. They specialize in feeding on pine and spruce seeds and are well known for collecting and caching spruce cones by the hundreds, but will cache other food items too.

In the wintertime, they seek out the many hundreds of food caches that they made throughout late summer and fall. Here in northern Minnesota, red squirrel caches are typically comprised of ripe or near-ripe spruce and pine cones.

Red squirrel caches are usually hidden in large piles of debris, normally the scales of pine and spruce cones, at the bases of these species of trees. Called middens, these mounds can be large and deep. In the Rocky Mountains, where I’ve encountered many middens, the piles can be a couple of dozen feet in diameter.

Inside red squirrel middens are their hidden treasures — pine seeds, green cones and other seeds and nuts. Red squirrels will pack dozens of green pine or spruce cones into holes they dig within their middens.

Bears and other animals often raid middens for the nutritious, high-protein food caches that red squirrels worked so tirelessly to build. Elk use middens to bed or wallow in. Even though Minnesota’s red squirrels construct middens, they aren’t usually as large as those created by their western cousins.

As mentioned, red squirrels are notorious noisemakers, but for good reason.

Not only do their periodic announcements advertise their presence and territory boundaries to other red squirrels in the neighborhood, but their prolonged vocalizations are also generally understood by nearby red squirrels and other astute species of birds and mammals as a possible danger.

I remember a time when I was deer and elk hunting in the Colorado Rockies one early October afternoon several years ago.

As I sat on the ground peacefully eating my lunch while enjoying a mountain vista view, I heard the distant chatter of a red squirrel. Not an unfamiliar sound anywhere in the Rockies or back home in Minnesota, for that matter. I didn’t pay much attention to the vocalizations until the squirrel spotted me.

It surprised me how quickly the little fellow closed the gap between itself and me, and before I knew it, the red squirrel had parked itself on a prominent limb of a tree just a dozen feet from my outstretched legs and boots. The little fellow then commenced a near-unending series of ear-piercing barks, scolding and ranting as wildly as I had ever heard from a red squirrel.

At any moment, I thought, the squirrel would tire of its vocal assault and leave me alone, right? Wrong!

After only a few minutes, my nerves and patience ran out, so to keep the peace, I gulped down my lunch, packed my gear, and left its territory as quickly as I could. I can still recall hearing the constant chatter behind me as I walked away, albeit growing fainter with each step.

At this time of year, female red squirrels are busy raising offspring. Few little animals are as cute as baby red squirrels.

A friend and reader of this column wrote and told me about an oak tree in her yard that harbors nesting red squirrels. She delights in watching the furry babies poking their heads out their tree-hole home and exploring limbs outside their nest cavity.

Red squirrels are entertaining and remarkable little mammals. Fleet-of-foot and extraordinary climbers, their specific habits and appearance make them unique among all our tree squirrels as we get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

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John Eggers Column: A Fourth of July report card

John Eggers — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:00:00 GMT

If you had to give America a letter grade this Fourth of July, what would you give it? Do we deserve any “A’s”? Are we failing in any areas?

On the "A" side

Our standard of living is higher than that of many countries. Our schools, at the K-12, college, and university levels, these are considered among the best in the world.

We have the freedom to worship or not to worship. Although our health care system is in jeopardy, it remains among the best if not the best in the world. We are fortunate to have a diverse range of entertainment options. We love our parades.

Remember Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote "Democracy in America" in 1831? He authored the book after visiting the United States that same year. He only lived to be 54 years old, but his book, after nearly 200 years, is considered the most quoted work on democracy. He came to America to observe what a great republic was like.

He was struck by our country's equality and democratic way of life. He said, both as a truth and a warning, “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

Are there signs that we are not as good as we could be or once were? Do you worry about America? Are we failing in some areas? I am on my last round-up, and I have never been as worried as I am now about the America my granddaughter will inherit.

I should be basking on some white sands under a palm tree, drinking an ice-cold glass of pink lemonade. I’m too old to worry, but here I am. What am I worried about? Maybe you share the same worries.

On the failing side

I worry about masked men seizing people off the streets without giving them due process required by law. That’s a worry I have. That deserves a failing grade.

I worry about the aid we should be providing to countries like Africa that need our support but are being denied. I worry our birthright citizenship may be taken away.

I worry about people who want to come to the United States but cannot enter, despite what it says on the Statue of Liberty.

I worry that we are failing to fulfill our obligation to Ukraine by not giving them what they need to stop Russia, who is the aggressor. How could we be so cruel?

I worry that our leaders seem to be more obsessed with power and riches as opposed to taking care of the poor and the oppressed. I worry that our healthcare system is being threatened by misinformation from leaders who are not trained medical professionals.

I worry that our educational system is being gutted by people who have no idea what it means to be in a classroom. I worry that the Peace Corps will face the same fate as Americorps, which no longer exists. How sad.

On this Fourth of July, all of the above deserve a failing grade. As we celebrate America’s greatness, we need to ask ourselves, "Are we really that great anymore?"

Tocqueville also said, "The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."

Everyone, the 2025 Fourth of July finds us in a serious situation where we see many issues that need fixing. Can we do it in time before they become unfixable?

Crossroads Church

I had the privilege of attending the 9 o'clock service at Crossroads Church last Sunday as part of my quest to visit every church in Bemidji. It’s a charming, comfortable church with a fresh spiritual vibe.

The three singers and the drummer leading the group were outstanding and inspiring. I felt like I was at a Christian music concert. I appreciated the pastor’s inspiring sermon. Thanks to the worshipers at Crossroads for their warm welcome.

Riddle: What did one firecracker say to the other firecracker? (Answer: My Pop is bigger than your Pop. Have a safe Fourth. Let’s work on our failing grades.)

100%

I will be at the parades in Debs, Bemidji and Red Lake. Come and support 100% graduation rate goal.

John R. Eggers of Bemidji is a former university professor and area principal. He also is a writer and public speaker.]]>

2025 Bush Foundation Fellowship recognizes Leech Lake Nation's Megan Treuer

Daltyn Lofstrom — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 14:00:00 GMT

ESKO — Leech Lake Band member Megan Treuer is in good company given the recent announcement that she would join 28 other community leaders as part of the 2025 Bush Foundation Fellowship.

Awarded to those with a track record of leading change and seeking to expand their community impact, the Fellowship will allow Treuer to pursue her professional goals as the daughter of the country’s first known female Native American judge and one of Minnesota’s first Native attorneys.

“I was thrilled and excited, but also humbled,” Treuer recalled upon hearing the news of her award. “I had been looking for a way to scale back my caseload and really focus on immersing myself in the Ojibwe language. I know less than I did when I was a kid, so the Bush Fellowship came to my attention that way.”

Treuer noted personal connections to other recipients in prior years, allowing her to garner some background information on the award.

With the Bush Foundation receiving around 1,000 applications for the 2025 cohort, each fellow receives up to $150,000 over a two-year period to support a self-designed leadership plan. Treuer plans to leverage her award with distinct goals in mind.

“My No. 1 priority is becoming more proficient in the language, taking Ojibwe language courses and attending ceremonies connected to the language,” Treuer said.

Her second priority includes taking a step back from contract work with tribal courts as a tribal court judge but continuing her role as chief judge for Bois Forte Tribal Court. She also plans to connect with Indigenous legal mentors, scholars and spiritual leaders.

“I really want to focus on what Anishinaabe justice used to be and really incorporate that into our modern-day Anishinaabe tribal justice systems,” she added.

Treuer also hopes to “recharge” during the two-year stint, aiming to spend quality time with her spouse and children.

‘A strong passion’

Attending school in Bemidji, Treuer continued her studies as a history major at the University of California Berkeley before attending law school at Hamline University. She soon secured a job at Anishinaabe Legal Services where she represented Red Lake members.

“I had always wanted to come back and advocate for my community in some capacity,” Treuer said. “I didn’t necessarily know that I would become a lawyer, but that’s how it worked out.”

The next step in her career journey involved criminal defense at Regional Native Defense where she represented Leech Lake and White Earth members in criminal cases throughout the region. Come 2013, she took the bench as a tribal court judge with Leech Lake, allowing her to live out a childhood desire.

“I remember having a strong passion, feeling that things were not as they should be and wanting to advocate for my people and my community,” Treuer mentioned. “That’s fueled me.”

Treuer noted how skin color played a role in shaping her and her family members’ experiences growing up.

“Having a lighter complexion, I saw how even my siblings and close family members who are darker-complected were treated and seeing those differences. I remember being keenly aware of that even as a really young child,” she said. “I found my calling for justice and equality that way.”

Through her work, Treuer aims to be a good ancestor for younger generations as well as the generations yet to come.

“My predecessors, first, were surviving colonization and now we’ve maintained our teachings, our language, our ceremonies, our way of life,” Treuer left off. “Not only did my predecessors survive, but they preserved all of that for us in the generations to come.

“That’s what I’m all about, making our way of life and teachings a part of our government infrastructure so those who are struggling the most don’t have to look for who they are anymore because it’ll all be right here.”

Information for the 2026 Bush Fellowship will become available at bushfoundation.org/bush-fellowship. The Fellowship is open to anyone 24 years and older who live in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 tribal nations that share the same geography.

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What Independence Day means for gardeners

Don Kinzler — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:02:00 GMT

Neal Holland, longtime horticulture professor with North Dakota State University, was fond of calling July Fourth “Independence Day for gardeners.”

I’m not sure if he coined the phrase or borrowed it from a predecessor, but the term refers to gardeners being freed from certain tasks that can be discontinued for the remainder of the season.

July 4 is an easy date to remember for halting a few garden chores, and it’s a transition point of the growing season.

The early part of the growing season (April, May and June) — with heavy emphasis on preparation, planting and pruning — is now past, and we enter the last half (July, August and September) as weeds, watering and harvest become top priorities. July 4 is a tipping point.

Here are some tasks that should end around Independence Day:

Fertilizing perennial flowers, shrubs and young trees, which benefit from fertilizing in May and June, should now stop. These plants are now well-nourished and need the second half of the growing season to gradually slow down, allowing them to “ harden off” by autumn so they enter winter tough and ready for the elements. Fertilizing too late in the season on these plants stimulates new growth that might not have enough time to toughen up, making them more vulnerable to winter damage and branch dieback. Extensive pruning is best halted. Light trimming and shaping can continue if needed, but heavy pruning stimulates new growth that might now have enough time to harden off, causing potential winter dieback. Asparagus harvest is now finished for the season, and the spears are left to grow, expand and produce their fern-like tops. The summer growth should be left intact over winter and removed early next spring before new growth begins. The top growth helps catch insulating snow, increasing the ability of asparagus to survive winter without damage. Heavy rhubarb harvest should halt by early July. Allowing leaves and stalks to grow vigorously for the rest of summer lets the rhubarb plants restore their energy, which is important for long-term plant health. If we continue to pluck off the leaves all summer, rhubarb plants aren’t able to photosynthesize as efficiently and can become weaker and more susceptible to disease and other problems. After the rhubarb plants have re-energized themselves, a light harvest can be gotten in September, before fall frost.

Digging and dividing perennials takes a midsummer rest. The season is past for types best divided in spring, and fall-divided types should wait, such as iris in August or September, and peonies around Labor Day. The heat of midsummer is the most stressful time to interrupt most plants, although daylilies seem to be the one exception. Lawn fertilizing should cease during the hot summer months, unless a lawn is kept well-irrigated. Grass growth naturally slows down during summer’s heat, and requires less nutrition. Fertilize again around Labor Day, which is the most important time of year to fertilize lawns.

Although items on the above Independence Day list should halt, other tasks should continue:

Fertilize annual flowers like geraniums and other container plants every one to two weeks. They’ll bloom stronger with the extra nutrition. “Deadhead” geraniums and other annuals, by removing withered, “spent” blossoms as they fade. Preventing seedhead formation will keep flowers blooming more prolifically for a longer period. Remove the green structure to which the withered flower petals are attached. It’s not enough to simply pull off the dried petals; we need to remove the seed pod structure, which is different on most flower types, before they enlarge. Many newly developed annual varieties are “self-cleaning,” meaning the petals fall by themselves, and seed pods don’t form.

Potted trees, shrubs and perennials from garden centers can be planted all summer. Maintain a high mowing height of 3 inches for the healthiest turfgrass. Deadhead roses and perennials to encourage continued bloom. Eradicate as many weeds as possible to prevent them from going to seed. A single weed can produce tens of thousands of seeds, dispersing them over a wide area, multiplying the weeding chore for years to come, as many seeds remain viable in the soil for decades. Take long breaks to enjoy midsummer’s landscapes, flower beds and vegetable gardens.]]>

Pioneer Perspectives: Grieving lost trees and cherishing their memories

Dennis Doeden — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 11:50:00 GMT

Sometimes you just don’t know what to do.

So you go with what you know.

That’s what people like Cate Belleveau and Barb Lee Schueppert did in the aftermath of Bemidji’s 2025 blowdown. Cate used her event planning skills and connection to the arts; Schueppert turned to songwriting.

Belleveau has organized “In Memoriam — To the Trees Lost,” a concert of regional musicians and spoken word artists. It will be held on the Beltrami County Courthouse grounds at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 18.

One of the people to take the stage that evening is Schueppert, who wrote and recorded “Elegy for the Lost Trees.” It’s a song she initially wrote just for herself, but thought “since it made me feel a little better maybe it would make other people feel a little better, too.”

Both women have what they call survivor’s guilt. Both live north of town and had little or no damage to their property. It was only after they realized the extent of the devastation elsewhere that they decided to act.

“Historically we've always called upon the troubadours and singers and poets and storytellers to help us celebrate,” Belleveau said. “But sometimes when there's a collective grieving you call upon those folks to pull those emotions together for people who are grieving, and there's definitely a lot of grieving going on in our community right now.”

It’s not just the loss of a tree, but the memories. After a fallen tree is cut and moved, you might see little tracks where the ground was worn because children had been using a swing that hung from it.

“If you asked a lot of the folks who lost their trees, they'd probably have some stories they would connect with, why that felt like such a big loss,” Belleveau said. “It was connected with their family and their memories.”

That’s what Barb Lee Schueppert was thinking about after she made her first trip into town following the storm. She wanted to check on the gravesite of her late husband, Rick Lee, at Greenwood Cemetery after winds toppled many of its towering pines. That’s when she realized the depth of destruction.

“I was so sad,” she said. “Even though nothing happened to me, I was just sad for the town center, the loss of the trees, and that it would never be the same again.”

So the retired educator turned to songwriting, a hobby that she picked up during COVID. She has written more than two dozen songs, and calls many of them therapeutic. She said she sat down and wrote the lyrics for “Elegy for the Lost Trees” in about half an hour.

“It just flowed because it was just so real,” Barb said. “I felt sad, but I felt like I had a place to put that sadness. So it's kind of a release. I think it was because it was meant to be.”

Barb shared an audio recording of the song on social media, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. A friend passed it on to Cate Belleveau, who was planning her July 18 event.

Schueppert is not accustomed to sharing her music outside her family and friends, but she agreed to step out of her comfort zone to perform this song at the event.

She will leave the audience with these words:

“Beloved pines,

Sentinels through time,

Symbols of our identity

Embedded in our minds.

We didn’t know how much we’d miss you till you were gone.”

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From the Archives: July 5 in the Pioneer

Pioneer Staff Report — Sat, 05 Jul 2025 11:40:00 GMT

July 5, 2015 – Seneca Keezer, a 2015 graduate of Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High ��, has been selected to attend the “Two World, One Future: Defining Our Own Success” Indigenous youth gathering in Washington, D.C. Keezer was selected out of a nationwide pool of youth to participate in President Obama’s summit.

25 years ago

July 5, 2000 – Bill Lawrence, publisher of the Bemidji weekly newspaper The Native American Press/Ojibwe News, will oppose DFL candidate Sen. Tony Kinkel in the Senate 4 race. He decided last weekend to run as a Republican. In Bemidji, Mayor Doug Peterson will run for re-election after 26 years in office.

50 years ago

July 5, 1975 – There are about 15 clubs in Minnesota dedicated to the sport of muzzle-loading rifles, and one of these groups is the Bemidji Rifle Shooters Association’s Black Powder division. Club members meet at the shooting range each week equipped with powder horns, ram rods, ball starters and targets.

100 years ago

July 5, 1925 – Jaak J. Umarik, Estonia’s Minister of Agriculture, and Paul Calrow of the United States Department of Agriculture are among the visitors in Bemidji today to discuss agricultural problems. They will visit the local high school as well as several of the boys’ and girls’ projects in agricultural extension work.

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MnDOT official: Traffic signals up for possible removal are coincidence, not a specific MnDOT effort

Delaney Otto — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 19:00:00 GMT

CROOKSTON, Minn. — Four traffic signals in rural northwest Minnesota cities are up for removal through urban reconstruction projects being conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The four being discussed at the same time is happenstance, said a MnDOT staff member.

TJ Melcher, public engagement coordinator for MnDOT District 2, said some might see the effort and think the agency is undertaking a coordinated project to remove signals. However, that’s not the case, he said.

“We definitely are not doing that,” he said. “That’s not the goal.”

The signals being considered for removal are in Crookston, Fosston and Roseau. Two traffic signals were flagged in Crookston, both on Second Street. Fosston’s only traffic signal, located on Johnson Avenue, is also up for removal, as is a signal on Highway 11 in Roseau.

All three cities are taking part in urban reconstruction projects that include work on their sidewalks and thus have had their traffic signals in the project areas examined to see if they must be replaced or removed, Melcher said.

There are two reasons a signal is evaluated: When they are part of bigger projects, or when the signal is near the end of its 30-year life, he said. Both Crookston and Fosston are in Highway 2 corridor projects, while Roseau is in a Highway 11 project.

The process of inspecting the signals for removal involves an intersection control evaluation. MnDOT looks to see if there is enough traffic through the intersection to warrant having a signal. If not, the signal is considered for removal.

There also is a financial aspect to removing the signals. Urban reconstruction projects can be expensive, Melcher said, as well as maintaining traffic signals. Upkeep can cost as much as $10,000 a year, he said.

“When you extrapolate that, or you put that cost on the system — so all across the district and all across the state — it’s a huge number that goes into just upkeep,” Melcher said.

Rather than rural areas with less traffic being the cause for unwarranted signals, Melcher said it's more a matter of the evolution of traffic engineering, while also trying to be more mindful of where MnDOT is making investments and spending dollars.

Some residents have concerns. For example, residents in Fosston attended a public meeting held by MnDOT to discuss the possible removal of the city’s only traffic signal. The question-and-answer segment of the meeting lasted more than two hours. The chief concern was safety, and if the removal of the signal would make that stretch of Highway 2 unsafe.

“We think of a traffic signal as safety,” Melcher said. “Traffic experts understand that traffic signals are not safety devices. Oftentimes, you’ll see an increase in crashes when you put a traffic signal in.”

It was beneficial to MnDOT to hear from residents, Melcher said, as it gave the agency more qualitative data than the quantitative data it had already collected about the signal. Melcher said he understands resident concerns and how it can feel like an outside agency is not being mindful of what the community values.

Melcher has noticed similar conversations, especially in outstate Minnesota, regarding some of the newer traffic solutions like roundabouts, J-turns, reduced-conflict intersections and diverging diamond intersections. People don’t have experience with them, which can lead to pushback when they are implemented, he said.

Something he wants residents to know in northwest Minnesota is that MnDOT members are also residents driving on the roads. For instance, Melcher lives in Bemidji, he said, but he also drives through areas like Fosston and East Grand Forks and other communities.

“I live, I work, I play in all of these same areas,” he said. “We all live up here. It’s not just folks down in the metro area that are trying to apply these decisions across outstate Minnesota.”

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Minnesota won a Confederate battle flag from Virginia at Gettysburg. Here's why it won't give it back.

Tracy Briggs — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 18:00:00 GMT

There might not be a lot of mystery surrounding

how

the Civil War turned out when it ended in April 1865. In the simplest of oversimplified nutshells:

The Union defeated the Confederacy. The nation was restored. And slavery was abolished.

Cue documentarian Ken Burns for the rest of the details.

But one Civil War mystery still brews long after Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. It involves a question over who is the true owner of a Confederate battle flag seized at the Battle of Gettysburg — the original regiment who marched with it or the enemy who took it away?

In other words, Virginia or Minnesota?

Hear Tracy Briggs narrate this story:

Let’s start at square one with the help of documentation provided by the Minnesota State Historical Society and the 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment.

Minnesota’s entry into The Civil War

Let’s start at the very beginning. Minnesota had been a state for just three years when it became among the first states (and some claim the very first state) to commit soldiers to fight for the Union in the Civil War.

Just one day after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, Minnesota Gov. Alexander Ramsey offered up 1,000 men for national service.

Within two weeks, the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was filled with 1,009 men from St. Paul and nearby towns. The Regiment was part of the Army of the Potomac and engaged in fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run in Virginia and the Battle of Antietam in Maryland.

But the regiment might be most remembered for its efforts at the Battle of Gettysburg from July 1-3, 1863.

The Battle of Gettysburg

According to Patrick Hill’s story, “Colors of Valor — the 28th Virginia Regiment’s Flag in Minnesota,” published for the Minnesota Historical Society, that summer of 1863, the Confederates were within striking distance of Philadelphia, with some historians theorizing that Gen. Lee was hoping to strike coal fields near Harrisburg to cripple the industrial power of the North.

The rebels were on the move, consolidating their forces at Gettysburg.

“At that moment, the Army of Northern Virginia was the most successful fighting force ever assembled in the Western Hemisphere, and it was intent on delivering a decisive blow,” wrote Hill.

The First Minnesota and the rest of the Union Army of the Potomac was sent to Gettysburg, where by all accounts they faced an uphill battle. They had been defeated three out of the last four major engagements in the South, and this could be the turning point of the war.

A Minnesota house painter saves the day

The fighting at Gettysburg had been raging for two days, when the First Minnesota (at the center of the Union line) was ordered to make a diversionary charge into the Confederate line. It was costly, according to the Minnesota Historical Society, with 82% of the unit being injured or killed.

But a private from St. Paul was not one of them. Marshall Sherman was a house painter by trade who had moved to the Minnesota territory from his native Vermont in 1849.

“He was a gentleman by most accounts, a small, quiet, soft-spoken man,” Hill wrote. “But it may have crossed his mind as he ran over the ridge at Gettysburg on the hot afternoon of July 3, that being a gentleman was not going to help him.”

What faced him and the others was described by Hill as “complete pandemonium” and “an image from hell.”

It was believed that whomever won this charge would prevail in the battle. When it was done, Northern forces had won, and the soft-spoken house painter from St. Paul had seized the Confederate battle flag of the 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment to prove it.

So where did the flag go after the battle?

According to records, the flag of the 28th Virginia was one of 25 flags captured that day. It was taken to the War Department and was officially recorded as property of the U.S. government on July 10, 1863.

When the war ended, Southern states intent on rebuilding weren’t that concerned with getting their old flags back. But by 1887, with the war 22 years in the rear view mirror, talks began about returning flags to the original owners.

Eighteen years later, in 1905, Congress passed a resolution stating that any flag "now in the custody of the War Department" be returned to their original regiments. "Now" becomes the most important word going forward.

Did Minnesota’s seized prize from Gettysburg have to go back to Virginia? It depended, largely upon exactly

where

the flag was at the moment the resolution was passed. And by all accounts, it was clearly in the Land of 10,000 Lakes in 1905, among the lefse, loons and hot dishes.

But how did Minnesota get the flag out of the War Department in the first place? This is probably the biggest mystery and at the heart of who has a legal claim to the flag.

If the flag was property of the War Department in 1905, presumably it should be returned to Virginia. However, with it being in Minnesota in 1905, was it still considered a possession of the War Department?

Was it just

on loan

to Minnesota or was it

a gift

to the state, thus not needing to be returned to anyone?

Did Minnesota get the flag as a party favor?

According to the Minnesota State Historical Society, the First Minnesota always claimed to be the first three-year state regiment offered for Union service.

So on February 6, 1864, with little time left in their service, the Minnesota Congressional Delegation hosted a celebration of the unit at Washington’s National Hotel. It was quite the shindig with special guest Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, the banquet speaker.

However, Stanton wasn’t just at the party to have a glass of whiskey and pat Minnesotans on the back. According to historians, he had an ulterior motive.

By the winter of 1864, long after the Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Northern forces were starting to falter a bit. Even as he was sending the regiment back to Minnesota to their farms and loved ones, Stanton knew it was in the Union’s best interest to re-enlist these veterans and recruit more.

Would he be willing to resort to a little gift-giving for incentive?

According to Hill’s account, “it was common for Stanton to approve loans or grants of trophies of war, including captured Confederate flags, to increase patriotic fervor and display military accomplishment.”

He believes Stanton brought the flag to the banquet, where it eventually went home with the Minnesotans and was seen in a parade in St. Paul just a week later. It is believed then, that the man who originally grabbed the flag, Marshall Sherman, borrowed it to get his photo taken with it. It appears he never gave it back. But was he even required to?

Either way, the patriotic bribe seemed to have worked with successful recruitment in Minnesota, including Sherman himself. After reenlisting, he was later injured in a battle in Petersburg, Virginia, where he lost his leg. He eventually had this unusual photo taken of him with his prosthetic leg removed and sitting beside him.

The flag on display

It appears after taking the photo with the flag, Sherman loaned it to the St. Paul Cyclorama from 1886 to 1888. Cycloramas were popular forms of entertainment in the 1800s. For a small fee, people would walk into the huge, circular display covered in a panoramic image, thus immersing themselves in whatever event the image portrayed. In this case, it was the Battle of Gettysburg.

Following Sherman’s death, the flag was most likely given to the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veterans group, and later given to the Minnesota Historical Society, where it would occasionally come out for special events.

Virginia wants it back

For most of the 20th century, Minnesota’s possession of the flag was a non-issue. But as the 100th anniversary of The Civil War was getting closer, interest picked up.

In 1960, the Virginia Historical Society asked the Minnesota Historical Society for the flag and was denied.

Then, in 1965, for the centennial celebration of the end of The Civil War, one Minnesota Historical Society assistant director wanted to play "Minnesota nice" and offered to give the flag back to Virginia as a gesture of reconciliation. But he hadn’t gotten official approval before making the plan, so he was stopped dead in his tracks. It was determined that the flag was part of Minnesota history now, and it would stay there.

In 1998, the call came from a group of 28th Virginia Infantry reenactors, many descendants of men who were in the original battle, who wanted the flag back as per the 1905 Congressional resolution.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Historical Society sought the advice of assistant attorney general Peter J. Berrie, who ruled the state need not give the flag back because “the six-year statue of limitations for reclaiming lost goods in Minnesota had expired. The claim was 128 years too late.”

Two years later, Virginians fought again to get their flag back with the state legislature passing a resolution requesting the return of the flag, despite the controversy over the symbol.

"It's a matter of state pride," Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke) told The Washington Post. "Minnesota has refused to return the flag, and they ought to. I don't know why they need it."

But Minnesota apparently wanted it for the same reason Virginia did — state pride — not in honor of the men who fought for the flag, but for those who sacrificed life and limb to defeat it.

Nina M. Archabal, then director of the Minnesota Historical Society, told the Star Tribune, “the flag’s story clearly transcends state boundaries. Legally and ethically, the bond between this flag and the people of Minnesota should not be taken lightly.”

Hill pointed out that the flag had most likely only been carried by the 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment for 18 days. On the other hand, as of 2021, it has been in the state of Minnesota for 157 years, where it is occasionally put out for the public to see. However, Director of Research for the Minnesota Historical Society Bill Convery says it is currently in long-term storage and not on display.

At this moment, there are no active requests out of Virginia to get the flag back. But that’s not to say the matter has been settled for good.

Editor's note: This archival story was first published on April 29, 2021.
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Frisch: Crankin Summer Bass

Mike Frisch — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 17:00:00 GMT

ALEXANDRIA — I live near Alexandria, Minnesota, which is famous for its good bass fishing. The area features deep lakes, shallow lakes, and lots of largemouth bass.

With this diversity of waters, the area offers everything a bass angler could want in terms of fishing patterns and techniques. Anglers can fish deep, clear, and what I call “weedline lakes” utilizing Ned Rigs, dropshots, and Texas-rigged plastics in depths from 12-20 feet of water.

Anglers choosing to fish the area’s shallow lakes often find less water clarity and lots of bass holding in shallow places like reeds, under docks, and around fallen trees, and the classic “jig-n-pig” baits often shine.

With all these options, sometimes it’s hard to decide where to fish. During summer, however, particularly on windy, overcast days, I prefer casting crankbaits on the deep weedline on clear, deep lakes. Wind and clouds often get the bass up roaming, and they’re more prone to hit a moving bait. Bass are numerous and fun to catch on the weedline, bonus pike, a walleye or two, and even some big panfish often show up.

The deep weedline is usually located along drop-offs where shallow flats give way to deeper water. Weeds that grow on the flat and down the edges eventually stop as water depths increase and a lack of sunlight prevents plant life. Lots of fish call weedlines home during summer and, in some lakes, a good portion of the largemouth population lives there. A crankbait is a good choice while moving down the weedline looking for schools of bass, and then it is usually a great way to catch a bunch once a school is located.

Various crankbaits will put weedline bass in the boat, with the Pro Model 3XD and 5XD baits being my long-time favorites. Recently, these baits have gotten a makeover in the new Elite Series with premium hooks and new pro-driven colors. I’ve quickly become a fan of Pro Phantom Perch and Sunny color patterns. Many of the lakes I fish have deep weedlines in the 12-18-foot depth ranges, and the 3XD and 5XD work great in these depths.

Holding the boat out from the weedline and moving down paralleling the edge while casting ahead of the boat works well. When a fish is hooked, several more can often be caught from the same area.

Sometimes the schools will hold on irregularities along the weedline, maybe points or turns, or maybe along a change in weed type. Regardless of what holds them, a crankbait is a great way to quickly find active schools. Sometimes, it pays to switch to some sort of soft plastic to strain a productive area for a few more bites when the crankbait bite slows. However, it’s often just as effective to move on down the weedline and find the next school.

Crankbaits fished in this style often work well on baitcasting rods and reels that allow for long casts. Lew’s has rods in their XD Cranking Series designed specifically for fishing the XD baits. Pairing these rods with a quality baitcast reel like a BB1 Pro makes for a top combination.

Spooling with fluorocarbon line often works well when cranking. Fluorocarbon sinks, so it helps get a bait a bit deeper, plus it has good abrasion resistance for working along and through weeds. Also, fluorocarbon is nearly invisible underwater, and it has a bit less stretch than monofilament, so it helps facilitate positive hooksets. CONTRA fluorocarbon in a 12-pound test has helped put lots of crankbait bass in my boat.

If more fish in the boat is your goal, consider giving largemouth bass a try. Head to the weedline of your favorite lake, tie on a crankbait, and start casting, and you’ll probably encounter some fast fishing action.

As always, good luck on the water, and remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure.

Mike Frisch co-hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series. Visit

www.fishingthemidwest.com

or follow Fishing the Midwest on Facebook for more "fishy" stuff.

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Finding Faith: Small lake offers surprising glimpses of creation

Devlyn Brooks — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 14:30:00 GMT

When was the last time that you scooped up a handful of lake water? Felt the cool refreshment of one of nature’s most vital gifts?

When was the last time you got your nose into a handful of soil? Enjoyed its earthy aroma? Felt its velvety nature as it slipped through the cracks of your fingers?

When was the last time you stopped still to enjoy the scenery of a forest, prairie or mountainscape? Let the majesty of the enormity of it all whisk your imagination away?

I’ve been blessed this summer to spend some time on a small lake in northern Minnesota, and I have been struck by how creation still has the power to surprise and move me.

For instance, one night while quietly gazing at the last orange rays of the sunset, I saw a beaver slowly swim across the front of the dock, creating a beautiful “V”-shaped fan rippling out behind it on glasslike water. Never in all my years of coming to this spot had I seen this happen.

What a joyful surprise!

Another time this summer, there was a collection of six loons that had gathered not far off the end of the dock, and I’d also never seen six adult loons gather either. What a cacophony of beautiful sound they made!

I also saw a heron fly parallel to the beach right over the dock and land in a tree on the bank just some 15 yards or so from us. Again, I’d never seen a gull land in a tree!

While all of these remarkable first-time experiences have made my soul sing and given me great joy, they also reminded me just how disconnected from creation we all are. Well, not all of us. More specifically, how disconnected our white, Westernized culture is.

It wasn’t always this way, of course. Once upon a time, it was necessary for all of us to interact with creation on a daily basis. In one way or another, we were all dependent on the flora, fauna and inanimate natural resources gifted to us by the Creator.

But as we modernized and mechanized and consumerized our society, the necessity to interface with creation has been minimized. Many of us go all week long, moving from climate-controlled homes to climate-controlled vehicles to climate-controlled public spaces and back again. We very rarely need to encounter nature.

Friends, this is our loss, and also contributes to our massive lack of concern about the gift of creation that we are so quickly spoiling.

This week, go outside. Get your snoot in a handful of dirt! Witness the beauty of a bird that’s new to you. Touch the grass; eye up a beautiful flower. Take in the vast array of life besides us.

It’ll do your soul, and faith, some real good. Amen.

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41st annual Lake George Blueberry Festival returns July 25-27

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 13:00:00 GMT

LAKE GEORGE — The 41st annual Lake George Blueberry Festival is set for July 25-27, with activities for all ages including live music, sporting events, a car show, and of course, blueberry baked goods.

Friday, July 25

From 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 25, at Trinity Lutheran Church, there will be a homemade from-scratch pie and ice cream social. Blueberry, peach, strawberry-rhubarb and apple pies will be available. During the social, the 2025 Blueberry King and Queen will be crowned on the Lake George Stage.

Following the social, attendees are encouraged to stay for live music by the Golden Harbor Quartet starting at 7 p.m. at the Lake George Bible Chapel. Community members are asked to bring their own chair.

At 7:30 p.m., sand volleyball will kick off at Lake George Community Park.

Saturday, July 26

A full day of events will take place on Saturday, July 26.

A "Run Through the Pines" 5K run/walk will wind through the beautiful trails of Lake George. Registration starts at 7 a.m. with the race starting at 7:30 a.m. There is a $10 cash-only fee to enter. The first 50 participants will receive a T-shirt and medals will be awarded to the first three overall finishers and first two finishers in each age category.

At 10:30 a.m., teams of two can compete in canoe races on Lake Paine. Registration is free and will start at 10 a.m. at Lake Paine Beach.

A strong man competition will be held at noon at Lake George Community Park. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m.

Hungry participants can stop by the food stand at Lake George Community Park for lunch from noon until they are sold out.

At 1 p.m., a bean bag tournament will take place at Lake George Community Park.

Festival goers can see vintage and classic cars during the "Cruising Back to Lake George" car show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake George Community Park. Admission is free for all and awards will be given for People's Choice, Best in Show and Furthest Distance Traveled.

A free kids carnival with bike drawing will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the town hall.

Also from 1 to 3 p.m., participants can play bingo at the Lake George Senior Citizens Center.

Bumps on a Log will provide live music from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Woodland Store.

A fireman's ham and bean feed from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the fire hall will be followed by a raffle drawing.

At 5 p.m., a tug-of-war competition is set to take place in front of town hall. Participants need to gather a team of eight people to compete.

The day will close with dancing to The Snowmen at the Woodland Store backyard stage from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Sunday, July 27

A variety of events are scheduled for Sunday, July 27, starting with a fireman's blueberry pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the fire hall.

A kids pedal tractor pull will take place in front of Tin Lizzie Antiques. Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. and the pull starts at 11:30 a.m. It is free and sponsored by Sanford Health, Paul Bunyan Communications, Park Rapids Ford and Kabekona Collision.

A horseshoe tournament will be held at Lake George Community Park, with registration starting at noon followed by the tournament at 1 p.m.

The festival will wrap up with a 3 p.m. church softball game at Lake George Community Park.

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Are the worst of the storms behind us?

Michael Johnson — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:30:00 GMT

Maybe it’s my poor memory or perhaps my deficient record keeping, but it seems like we are having another year of unusual and severe weather happenings.

Sure, things started out kind of quiet this spring. In fact, we were, for once in what seemed like a while, enjoying a longer-than-usual spring. It was a spring that actually happened. I liked it. In contrast, 2023 and 2022 seemed to go straight from winter to summer.

Then again, summer has been a mix of a blast furnace and a broken furnace, often seeing 40-degree shifts from one day to the next.

And those huge shifts have brought with them severe weather more often than not. I think I personally had at least four tornado watch alerts during the month of June. Even some came in May. I was lucky enough not to actually see a tornado or suffer the effects of one so far. But thanks to social media, we don’t have to miss anything. Seems like any tornado formation gets posted online, and with the recent high activity of tornadoes in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, I’ve been seeing reports from more storm chasers than I ever knew existed.

I imagine the highways must be getting crowded by people heading toward these tornadoes rather than away from them. If they are helping provide early warning to residents, great. If they end up causing accidents in their chase, they are simply adding to the difficult work of emergency responders.

Perhaps my favorite post from one storm chaser in particular was on the last day of June, he announced he headed south because he felt the worst of the storms hitting the upper Midwest was probably over. I pray he is right.

We moved from our home in Verndale, Minnesota, not long after a tornado remodeled our entire landscape. It left our property rather devoid of trees, which was sad for anyone who cares about having trees as much as I do. We tend to shape our outdoor activities around those giant wonders. I know readers out on the open prairie love their wide open spaces, but I enjoy the shade and sounds of a mature grove of trees on a hot summer day.

Our current property is marked by damage from a tornado that passed through some 15 years ago. The large trees bear the scars and misshapen crowns of a powerful wind. Twisted metal from outbuildings can still be seen wrapped around trees nearby.

I know some places have had back-to-back damage this year from straight-line winds and tornadoes. That can be disheartening and scary. I’ve been thinking that if this persists, home builders like my brother will have to start building underground bunkers, and not just for those who think the world is ending, but for those of us who think their home underground stands a better chance than one above ground. Of course, that’s not likely to happen here in swamp country, where much of my region lives where groundwater is just a few feet below the surface.

There have been worse times, I know.

Preliminary reports show that we’ve notched 48 tornadoes in Minnesota this year. June 20 is a day many in our readership will remember for spawning tornadoes across a huge area of the northern Plains and Northwoods. Our average is 46 annually. But 2010 had 48 tornadoes in one day — June 17, 2010. That’s the most tornadoes in one day ever recorded in the state. That’s the day a tornado blew down my neighboring town, Wadena. Across the state, there were three fatalities, the most since Aug. 6, 1969. In that year, the infamous “Northwoods” outbreak killed 12 people with an F-4 rated tornado that had a surveyed width of 1-2 miles, according to the Minnesota DNR.

Meanwhile, North Dakota has racked up 34 preliminary tornado reports, the most since 2011.

In my research for writing this column, I came across one tidbit that I wish I had known before. It turns out, Otter Tail County, where I live, leads the entire state for the number of tornadoes recorded since 1950, by a long shot — 87 tornadoes on record.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the basement.

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