MARK EMPTING

Former Clay County jail employee accused of sexual contact with inmate

WDAY News — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 23:23:20 GMT

MOORHEAD — A former Clay County correctional officer is in jail, accused of having a relationship with an inmate.

Chloe Nord, 23, is facing two felony charges for criminal sexual conduct.

According to a criminal complaint:

Investigators found notes, letters and messages sent using the jail's messages system between Nord and a male inmate.

The alleged relationship took place between November 2024 and Jan. 20, Nord's last day working for the jail.

The inmate told investigators Nord had sexual contact with him twice. Nord denied touching the inmate but admitted to communicating with him.

She said she fell "under his spell."

In a statement to WDAY News, Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting said the jail is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for both inmates and staff.

His office did not learn about the allegations of misconduct until after Nord was no longer employed at the jail, he said. Empting himself requested the investigation.

Nord is currently in the Cass County Jail. Her first court appearance has not been scheduled.

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2 Moorhead veterans honored for lives well-lived and missions accomplished

Tracy Briggs — Sat, 17 Apr 2021 18:00:00 GMT

MOORHEAD, Minn. — At times, Bob Elliott and Norman Felde looked like a couple of naughty schoolboys misbehaving at a school assembly as they sat on the tiny stage at Moorhead’s American Legion Wednesday, April 14. When the speakers talked about Elliott’s and Felde’s days in the service, the two veterans shared a couple of giggles and even a little mock outrage at tales, perhaps, being told out of school.

"I'm not sure which one of us he's talking about," said Elliott, with a grin, when an anecdote was being shared about driving a Jeep too fast. (It was definitely being told about Elliott.)

But the speakers weren’t there to embarrass Elliott, who turns 90 next month, and Felde, who turns 98 in June. Instead, the two veterans — Bob was a Marine Corps private from 1950 to 1952 and Norman was a corporal in the Army during World War II — are receiving certificates of appreciation, special pins on their lapels and even homemade quilts, all tokens of appreciation for lives well-lived and missions accomplished.

“We Honor Veterans” is a program from the Hospice of the Red River Valley, which seeks to let ailing veterans in end-of-life care know how much they’re appreciated when they can still enjoy it.

“They served our country. We need to serve them and honor them with dignity,” Tracee Capron, Executive Director of HRRV, said. “It’s about honoring life as long as they’re alive."

Tracie Mallberg, HRRV Medical Director, agreed.

“It’s so nice to bring family together for a celebration before they attend the funeral,” she said.

Family and friends showed up in force to watch retired Air Force Colonel Jim Stirling do the pinning, telling each man they “set a high bar” in their lives and careers.

Felde was born in 1924 in Barnesville and moved to Fargo in the sixth grade, where younger brother Philip Felde remembers playing baseball with him.

“I was his warm-up catcher. I soon realized that I needed to buy a catcher’s mitt, he was throwing it so hard,” Philip said.

Felde was a top athlete in high school and at what is now Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he earned the degree that allowed him to teach and coach for decades.

Bob Gerke taught at Moorhead’s Thomas Edison Elementary �� when Felde was the principal there.

“A wonderful man, you couldn’t beat him,” Gerke said as he looked at Felde still on stage after the ceremony shaking hands with his adoring fans.

Elliott’s friends and family also showered Bob with praise.

“He’s just awesome! The most kind, family-oriented man,” said daughter Deb Aakre.

Elliott’s mother might not have thought the young Bob that awesome when he tried to enlist in the service before he was old enough. He said he “misstated” his birthdate. But the recruiter figured out Elliott was just 16, called his mother and sent him home.

Elliott returned at 19 to make it official. He became a proud Marine, worked as a Jeep mechanic and earned quite a reputation.

“The story has been told that, after test driving the Jeeps, they were usually returned in worse shape than when they started,” someone wrote in his biography for the ceremony.

Funny then, that after leaving the service, Elliott would make a lifelong career out of being a Minnesota State Patrolman. He was stationed in Detroit Lakes and lived in Hawley, Minn.

Hospice of the Red River Valley has been doing the pinning ceremonies for veterans like Felde and Elliott for about three years. They’re usually done where the veteran lives. But because both Felde and Elliott reside at Farmstead Living in Moorhead, COVID-19 restrictions limited the number of people into the residence.

Farmstead leaders say they couldn’t be happier to bring Felde and Elliott out for a little party.

“They’re both very spunky. They like to have a good time and joke around with everyone. They’re lighthearted and enjoy every bit of life,” said Lisa Martin, the Executive Director of Farmstead Living.

And what did the guests of honor have to say about all of this — the crowd of people here standing, clapping and singing just for them?

“It’s unbelievable, just unbelievable. We didn’t do anything,” Elliott said.

"It’s very nice, very nice. We don’t deserve all of this,” Felde said.

Of course, the crowd wholeheartedly disagreed.

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Clay County eyed as potential venue for George Floyd trial; sheriff says it would be a 'nightmare'

David Olson — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:00:00 GMT

MOORHEAD — Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting has this advice for court officials eyeing Moorhead and the Clay County Courthouse as a possible venue for a trial involving defendants in the killing of George Floyd: Keep looking.

Empting's worry is based on the possibility that the four defendants in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last spring could stand trial together and a change-of-venue motion filed in Hennepin County District Court could result in the trial moving to a different county. Clay, Dakota and Stearns counties were mentioned in court papers as possibilities.

After reading about the potential change of venue in a media report, Empting said he sent an email to Clay County court officials Tuesday morning, Sept. 15, alerting them to the possibility Moorhead could be the site of one or more Hennepin County trials.

Clay County would be a poor location for such trials for several reasons, Empting said, noting the county probably couldn't provide the manpower or space they would require.

He added that the proximity of the courthouse to Robert Asp Elementary ��, which is across the street from the courthouse, is a major concern.

The trial of the George Floyd defendants, Empting said, "is going to be a national media circus, and it would not be a very safe environment, I feel, for the students."

Such a trial and the potential demonstrations surrounding it would likely create a poor learning environment, according to Empting.

Four men face charges in the death of Floyd, including Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.

Chauvin is charged with one count each of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Three other former police officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, are each charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

Empting said it remains unclear whether a change of venue will be granted and whether the defendants will stand trial individually or together.

He said a consolidated trial would tax the space available in the Clay County Courthouse, and it is unknown what dangers the COVID-19 situation might pose if a trial is moved to Moorhead.

"I think it would be a tremendous nightmare with the amount of people this is going to bring in here," Empting said.

Moorhead Police Chief Shannon Monroe echoed Empting's worries, citing the proximity of the courthouse to an elementary school and the potential strain on the police department's resources.

Even during normal times, Monroe said, it can be challenging for the department to meet its daily call load. Moorhead police "would need a lot of assistance" if a trial was moved to Clay County, he added.

In asking for a change of venue, defense attorneys representing Thao said under the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure, a change of venue may be granted if the court determines a fair and impartial trial cannot be had in the county in which the case is pending.

The attorneys also stated a change of venue must be granted where it appears likely an impartial jury cannot be obtained in the county in which the crime was committed.

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R.D. Offutt Co. grants spread Christmas cheer to Minn., ND volunteer fire departments

David Olson — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 02:28:58 GMT

DILWORTH, Minn.-Some area volunteer fire departments are getting Christmas presents from R.D. Offutt Co.

The company is awarding grants of various sizes to 41 volunteer fire departments in areas where R.D. Offutt does business, with the total value of the gifts reaching about $500,000.

One of the recipients is the Dilworth Fire Department, which is using its award to help pay for new radios, including radios for department vehicles and individual firefighters.

"The cost of these radios was rather significant for our fire department," said Dilworth Fire Chief Mark Empting. "This donation is definitely going to greatly contribute to that. We'll be able to purchase all of the radios that we need between our city budget and this fantastic donation through RDO."

R.D. Offutt wasn't disclosing specific grant amounts, but the reaction from those receiving the gifts has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Jean Zimmerman, executive vice president of RDO Equipment Co.

Zimmerman said when she notified one fire department about the grant they were receiving, she was told the money was "going to save lives."

The Dilworth grant is made possible by the R.D. Offutt Co.'s Community Builder program, which is supported by the Offutt Family Foundation and open to employees of R.D. Offutt Co., parent company of RDO Equipment Co. and R.D. Offutt Farms.

The program gives grants to charities that team members are actively engaged in.

In addition to Dilworth, some of the other Minnesota fire departments in the region receiving grants through the Community Builder program include: Hawley, Hitterdal, Rothsay and Vining.

North Dakota communities are receiving grants, too, including: Casselton; Christine, Davenport; Fingal, Glenburn and Kindred.

Items fire departments plan to use the money for include special equipment to empty grain bins quickly when someone is buried, as well as air compressors, tools and gloves.

Clay County Sheriff Bill Bergquist, who is also a Dilworth firefighter, said the Community Builder grant is a welcome gift.

"It's great," Bergquist said, adding that sometimes years go by without the department seeing a substantial donation.

Zimmerman said that during the grant application process, it was difficult to pick out who was going to receive money.

"So, since it's Christmas time, the Offutt Family Foundation decided it's Christmas and everybody gets a little something," she said.

In addition to Community Builder grants, R.D. Offutt encourages employees to get involved in their communities by paying individuals for eight hours worth of volunteer time a year.

Troy Kind, an RDO employee and a member of the Dilworth Fire Department who wrote the Community Builder grant application, said that while many volunteers put in more than eight hours a year, the financial incentive is a nice perk.

"It's greatly beneficial that RDO is willing to do that," Kind said.

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