BENSON

Former Benson, Minnesota, teacher pleads guilty to criminal sexual conduct

Dale Morin — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 22:14:09 GMT

BENSON — A former Benson Public ��s teacher, accused of having sexual contact with male students in his classroom, pleaded guilty to four felony charges Tuesday, Oct. 22, the day his trial had been set to begin.

Roger Joseph Ebnet, 61, formerly of Benson, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct at the Swift County Courthouse in front of a packed courtroom. Deputies from the Swift County Sheriff's Office brought extra chairs into the courtroom.

Under oath, Ebnet said that the inappropriate contact between him and four students was for his sexual gratification, as his attorneys reviewed the four charges with him.

Friends and family sitting behind Ebnet bowed their heads throughout most of the proceedings, while tissues were passed around by people seated behind the prosecutor's table after Ebnet admitted guilt to the first charge.

The plea hearing scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday before District Court Judge Melissa Listug began about an hour late after attorneys met twice in the judge's chambers.

Per the plea petition, which was filed Monday in Swift County District Court, five other counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in the same case will be dismissed.

In addition, a separately filed criminal case against Ebnet regarding decades-old allegations brought forward by two adult males will be dismissed.

According to the plea petition, the maximum sentence the court could impose for Ebnet is 25 years in prison.

A date for sentencing is yet to be determined as additional court proceedings are required to determine if aggravating factors will be applied.

As part of the plea agreement, Ebnet agreed to waive the right to jury determination of aggravating factors, sometimes called Blakely factors, that prosecutors put forward when seeking to justify a more severe sentence.

In the case of a jury trial, these separate arguments are made to a jury only after a guilty verdict is rendered. In this case, a court trial instead has been scheduled before Judge Listug, starting Friday.

She had earlier granted the state's motion to present to the jury two aggravating factors: particular vulnerability of the victims due to age — the boys were age 7 or 8 at the time of the charged contact — and that the victims were intentionally selected because of their sex or gender.

The prosecution and defense have agreed that forensic interviews of seven victims and social worker questionnaires from three witnesses are among the materials Judge Listug may consider.

According to the initially filed criminal complaint, Ebnet was observed in a surveillance video recorded on Dec. 1, 2022, having sexual contact between himself and three other boys aged 7 and 8. Ebnet allegedly had three separate minor males seated between his legs at various times.

Ebnet is observed in the video placing the boys’ hands behind their backs and under his own groin area as he moves behind them. The initially filed complaint describes one instance where Ebnet allegedly placed a boy’s hand on his groin for approximately four minutes while class was in session. The other children in the class have their eyes closed during this instance.

Ebnet was initially charged with three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct based on the video footage. However, the list of victims grew to at least nine former students as police began to follow up after Ebnet’s arrest.

Four other boys, aged 9 to 15 when interviewed, also told law enforcement about their own accounts of alleged inappropriate contact with Ebnet when each was a student in his class. All described Ebnet allegedly touching them or placing their hands on his own body, according to an amended criminal complaint filed in January of 2024.

Most of the identified victims are still currently minors, but two adult males also came forward to report that Ebnet had sexually abused them when he was their teacher.

The first adult male came forward to police almost immediately after news of Ebnet’s arrest. When prosecutors filed the additional charges in January, the second adult said he had read the charging document and then came forward himself.

Charges regarding those decades-old allegations from the two adults were filed in June of 2024 in a separate criminal case, charging Ebnet with two additional felony counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

Judge Listug had granted a defense motion in May to sever from the original file the charge involving the first adult. That charge was then refiled a month later, alongside a charge based on the second adult's allegation.

Near the conclusion of Tuesday's hearing, Meeker County Attorney Brandi Schiefelbein, who has served as special prosecutor, noted for the record that both of those men — and a third adult victim for which charges were not filed — had given their blessing to her to dismiss their cases entirely in order to "sweeten" the plea deal.

Schiefelbein said the adults had done so in the interest of the juveniles involved, sparing them from testifying. None of the families objected to the conditions within the plea petition, according to Schiefelbein.

Ebnet has resided in Morris since 2023, after posting $25,000 conditional bail.

The trial had been scheduled in Meeker County after Judge Listug granted a change of venue in July of 2023. According to court records, 18 witnesses would have been called by the defense, including Ebnet’s two adult sons. Four former educators, coworkers and friends were also listed as character witnesses for Ebnet.

Ebnet was a teacher for more than 30 years, and was previously named a 2017 Educator of Excellence by the Minnesota Rural Education Association.

According to West Central Tribune archives, Ebnet led a Northside Elementary effort that in 2013 brought a celebrity visit and more than $12,000 in prize money to Benson ��s through a "Give with Target" promotion. A concert by country music artist Luke Bryan headlined the event.

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10 felony sexual conduct charges filed against former Minnesota second-grade teacher

Tom Cherveny — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:41:10 GMT

BENSON — A former Benson elementary school instructor now faces 10 felony charges of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

Prosecutors filed an amended complaint on Jan. 25, adding seven new felony charges against Roger Joseph Ebnet, 61, of Morris, formerly of Benson.

The initial investigation by the Benson Police Department led to the Dec. 5, 2022, filing of three felony charges of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree. Those charges allege sexual contact with three male juveniles, described in the complaint as ages 7 and 8.

The amended complaint filed in Swift County District Court lists a total of eight alleged victims — the original three observed by police in a video recorded Dec. 1, 2022, and five other males interviewed by law enforcement after the initial case filing. One of the five, now an adult, contacted police the day after learning of Ebnet's arrest.

The adult told an investigator with the Benson Police Department that he had been a victim of criminal sexual touching by the defendant while he was an elementary student during the 1993-1994 school year, according to allegations in the amended complaint.

Identified as Victim A, the man said he experienced a “whirlwind of emotions” on learning of Ebnet’s arrest and “regrets not speaking out sooner,” according to the amended complaint.

The other four identified victims specified in the amended complaint are currently of juvenile age, ranging from 9 to 15. In interviews, they described alleged criminal sexual contact — the defendant touching them or placing their hands on him — when they were his students during the 2014-15, 2020-21, and 2021-22 school years.

Ebnet was employed as a second-grade teacher during all the time periods referenced in the charges, according to the complaint.

The investigation that led to the original charges began when a parent in Ebnet’s second-grade classroom contacted the school resource officer. Officer Paula Wilson placed a video camera in the defendant’s classroom.

The video is described in the complaint as showing the three minor males seated between the defendant’s legs separately and at various times. The complaint states that Ebnet appears to have the children close their eyes and face away from him.

He is observed in the video placing the boys’ hands behind their backs and under his own groin area as he moves behind them, according to the complaint.

Ebnet was arrested in December of 2022 on three felony charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The seven new charges are in addition to the original three.

The court previously approved a change of venue to Meeker County. It also approved a restrictive order making most exhibits in the case confidential prior to trial in order to protect the child victims’ identities.

Ebnet, who has been free on bond, is scheduled to return to court on March 1 for a motion hearing. A jury trial is scheduled from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1 in Meeker County District Court. Meeker County Attorney Brandi Schiefelbein is serving as special prosecutor for the case.

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Sisters plead guilty to theft from township, church in Kandiyohi County

Dale Morin — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:27:15 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — Two sisters alleged to have stolen nearly $100,000 from a church and a township in Kandiyohi County each pleaded guilty to four counts of felony theft.

Debra Kaye Hamborg, 61, of Sunburg, and Annette Marie Dingmann, 60, of Benson, each pleaded guilty in back-to-back hearings Sept. 1 in Kandiyohi County District Court. In exchange, several remaining theft counts against each of them will be dismissed.

According to the plea petitions for both Hamborg and Dingmann, there will be no more than 30 days in executed jail time, and an additional 60-day staggered sentence may be waived if they remain compliant with pending conditions.

Per court records, $99,641.88 will be paid in restitution to both the Sunburg Free Lutheran Church and Norway Lake Township.

Hamborg pleaded guilty to two counts of theft by swindle and theft by taking transferable or movable property without consent. She admitted to knowingly taking funds and then attempting to cover it up while she was treasurer for both the church and township.

Dingmann also pleaded to two counts of theft by swindle and two counts of taking property without consent. When questioned by the judge, she admitted knowing the checks Hamborg wrote to her and other family members were from the accounts of both the church and township.

Dingmann also admitted to working with her sister in order to get money into accounts owned by her and two other family members. She maintained, as outlined in the complaint, that she was the only one in her family who knew the source of the funds.

Hamborg and Dingmann were both represented by Theresa Patock. Both agreed on the record, before they waived their rights to a trial, that they were sufficiently represented by Patock and had discussed at length the issues, including potential pitfalls and conflicts, that come from being represented by the same attorney.

Both women are currently on conditional release, including having no contact with the Sunburg Free Lutheran Church leadership or Norway Lake Township board members. They are also excluded from the church and Norway Lake Township building.

Hamborg is not allowed to leave Minnesota without court written approval.

Both women are currently scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 26 in Kandiyohi County District Court.

According to the criminal complaint, the alleged theft from Sunburg Free Lutheran Church totals more than $81,000 over five years from 2018 to 2022. It states there were fraudulent checks or charges totaling more than $18,000 from Norway Lake Township over two years, from 2020 to 2022, times at which Hamborg had access to both organizations’ funds.

A deputy met with a member of the church in February 2022 after Benson Bank notified him of suspicious checks being cashed.

The following day, deputies spoke with Hamborg at her residence. She said she knew law enforcement was there because she had been writing checks that she shouldn’t have. According to the complaint, she mentioned that her sister had been having financial problems after being the victim of identity theft and that she had written a couple checks to help her and her family out.

Hamborg eventually provided carbon copies of the checks and the checkbook for the church.

Upon review, it was found that a total of $47,000 worth of checks had been written out to three family members and a dairy farm owned by the family from May 2, 2021, to May 2, 2022.

A partner in the dairy farm told the investigating detective that he noticed numerous checks over the past few years had been written from their farm checking account to two of his family members, including Dingmann. He said large deposits going into the farm account were comparable to the checks written out to the two relatives, according to the complaint.

Another bank provided copies of checks from the Sunburg Free Church account from 2016 to 2018. Bank staff estimated that the amount the church lost was higher than the one provided on the copies, according to the complaint.

Court records indicate a detective made contact with a Norway Lake Township Board member, who reported that a review of the township’s financial records had begun due to suspicions that Hamborg, the treasurer at the time, was embezzling money.

The board member reported to law enforcement that checks had been written out to several of Hamborg’s family members.

He explained the township signs checks only at monthly meetings and that checks issued on other dates would be suspect, according to the complaint.

He said the Norway Lake Township account is set up to require signatures of both the chairperson and the treasurer on checks and he suspected that Hamborg had been forging the chairperson’s signature in order for the checks to clear.

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Gustavus Adolphus women’s hockey team member killed in crash

Staff reports — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:15:46 GMT

CHIPPEWA COUNTY, Minn. — A 19-year-old member of the national champion Gustavus Adolphus College women’s hockey team was killed and three of her teammates were injured Sunday in a two-vehicle crash in Grace Township of Chippewa County.

Jori Lynn Jones, 19, of Little Canada, died in the crash at the intersection of Highways 40 and 29 at 12:41 p.m. Sunday, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The intersection is located about 25 miles west of Willmar and is a four-way stop.

Jones and team members were in a 2019 Chevy Equinox driven by fellow team member Gianna Kate Gasparini, 19, of Lakeville. The Equinox was eastbound on Highway 40 and approaching the intersection.

A 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by Brandi Kay Rasmussen, 28, of Benson, was southbound on Highway 29.

One of the vehicles failed to stop, causing the collision, according to the State Patrol. The vehicle failing to stop was not identified in the report.

The driver and fellow Gustavus Adolphus teammates were transported to the CCM Health Hospital in Montevideo for non-life-threatening injuries. The passengers included Kayla Marie Bluhn, 20, of Chisago City, and Lily Kay Mortenson, 19, of Champlin.

The driver of the Dodge Caravan was transported to the CentraCare — Benson Hospital in Benson for non-life-threatening injuries.

All of the drivers and passengers in both vehicles were wearing seat belts and alcohol was not a factor, according to the accident report.

The Gustavus Adolphus women’s hockey team won the NCAA Division III championship in March. The Star Tribune reported that Jones and the injured teammates were freshmen. Jones had played hockey for Roseville prior to playing for Gustavus. Gasparini played for Lakeville North, Mortenson for Benilde-St. Margaret, and Bluhm for Chisago Lakes, according to the newspaper.

The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, Montevideo Police, Benson Fire and Emergency Medical Services, and LifeLink responded to the scene.

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Woman charged with murder in west-central Minn. man's overdose death

Dale Morin — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 22:59:39 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — A 19-year-old woman is charged with murder and manslaughter in a Willmar man's overdose death last year.

Mercedes Leigh Carpenter, of Maynard, made her first appearance Tuesday in Kandiyohi County District Court on three felony counts: third-degree murder — distribution of a controlled substance, second-degree manslaughter — culpable negligence, and third-degree sale of a narcotic.

She was arrested on a warrant Monday afternoon in Redwood Falls. Carpenter is alleged to have helped the Willmar man contact another male party in order to purchase drugs.

Early the next morning, the Willmar man was found collapsed in his residence and declared deceased. He was identified as John Jesse Olvera in the criminal complaint. It did not list his age.

The Kandiyohi County Attorney's Office also filed the same three felony charges against a 26-year-old male from Benson. There is an active nationwide warrant for him. As of Wednesday afternoon, court records showed the warrant was still active.

Judge Jennifer Fischer on Tuesday ordered Carpenter held on $500,000 unconditional bail or $50,000 bail with conditions that include no contact with the victim's family and no use of alcohol or mood-altering drugs. Carpenter remained in the Kandiyohi County Jail as of Wednesday afternoon. Her next court appearance will be a remote hearing scheduled for Aug. 29.

Criminal complaints filed in District Court said data extracted from Olvera's phone showed he had exchanged messages with Carpenter and the Benson man in order to purchase Percocet pills. Percocet is an opioid pain medication that combines acetaminophen and oxycodone.

According to court documents, Willmar police received a call around 5:12 a.m. Sept. 26, 2022, about a man passed out in a shower.

The collapsed male, later identified as Olvera, was pronounced dead at the scene around 5:23 a.m. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s final autopsy summary indicated the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.

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Change of venue OK'd in sexual contact case against former teacher

Tom Cherveny — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 16:45:35 GMT

BENSON, Minn. — A district court judge has granted motions allowing for both a change of venue in the sexual contact case against former Benson elementary instructor Roger Joseph Ebnet and for the state to argue for an increased sentence if he is convicted.

Ebnet, 60, of Benson, was charged in Swift County District Court with three counts of felony criminal sexual conduct in the second degree on Nov. 30, 2022, for alleged sexual contact with three boys, ages 7 and 8, in his second-grade classroom in Benson.

In her ruling filed July 18, District Judge Melissa Listug approved a defense motion to move any pretrial hearing or jury trial for Ebnet to Meeker County. The judge concurred with a motion by defense attorney Daniel Mohs that it would be impossible to procure an impartial jury in Swift County due to pretrial publicity in the case.

The prosecution did not oppose the request for a change of venue. The judge stated in the ruling that the change of venue may also be approved due to the convenience it represents. The special prosecutor for the case is Meeker County Attorney Brandi Schiefelbein.

The judge also ruled that there is probable cause that aggravating factors may be present to allow the state to argue for an increased sentence if Ebnet is convicted on any of the counts. The judge agreed with arguments by the prosecution that the alleged victims present “particular vulnerability due to age” and that Ebnet allegedly “intentionally selected the victims because of their actual or perceived gender.” Both represent aggravating factors.

The ruling follows a May 31 hearing in Swift County in which the investigating police officer testified. �� Resource Officer Paula Wilson, who has 21 years of law enforcement experience, began her investigation after receiving a report from a parent with a daughter in Ebnet’s second-grade classroom.

The parent reported that her daughter was not getting help in school because the defendant allegedly “spends most of his time with his favorite student, a boy who sat on the defendant’s lap,” according to the court ruling.

The report reminded Wilson of a similar report from years prior, and she pursued the installation of a camera in the defendant’s classroom. The camera was installed without the defendant’s knowledge and focused on a rug and reading area.

Ebnet allegedly had three separate minor males seated between his legs at various times on Nov. 30, 2022. The complaint states that Ebnet appears to have the children close their eyes and face away from him.

Ebnet is observed in the video placing the boys’ hands behind their backs and under his own groin area as he moves behind them, according to the complaint.

The case is scheduled for a settlement conference on Sept. 18.

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Federal assistance OK'd for Minnesota recovery from April flooding

West Central Tribune staff report — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 20:26:07 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Minnesota communities affected by severe storms and flooding April 11-30 will now have access to federal disaster assistance in their recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Thursday, July 20, that federal funding to repair or replace facilities damaged by the spring storms and floods will be available to the state, certain private nonprofit organizations, and eligible local and tribal governments.

The following counties will have access to the federal funds: Aitkin, Big Stone, Carlton, Chippewa, Clay, Grant, Houston, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Morrison, Norman, Pine, Pope, Renville, Roseau, St. Louis, Stevens, Swift, Traverse and Wilkin. The Prairie Island Indian Community will also be eligible.

According to the news release, Joseph P. Cirone has been named federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of damage assessments.

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UPDATE: ND man killed in west-central Minn. crash

Forum News Service — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:41:45 GMT

BENSON, Minn. — A North Dakota man was killed Tuesday morning in a crash that forced the closure for several hours of Minnesota Highway 9 east of Benson.

At 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, the Minnesota State Patrol posted a report that the crash was a fatal accident.

According to the report, the fatal injury was suffered by 35-year-old Jordan Lee Robb Kuchera, of Grand Forks. He was the only occupant in the vehicle, he was wearing a seat belt, and alcohol was not involved.

According to the report, a Kenworth semi, driven by 64-year-old Jeffrey Robert King, of Spicer, was westbound on Highway 9 as a Volkswagen Tiguan, driven by Kuchera, was traveling southbound on County Road 31. The Volkswagen failed to stop at the intersection, and the vehicles collided.

King was uninjured in the crash. He was wearing a seat belt, and alcohol was not involved.

The roadway was closed for several hours by the Minnesota Department of Transportation before the accident scene was cleared and traffic was opened up again.

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Marching bands to take over Benson, Montevideo and Litchfield next week

Shelby Lindrud — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:11:00 GMT

BENSON — Lovers of high school marching bands and their performances are in luck. Starting June 12, there will be three marching band parades over three days in three different west central Minnesota towns. Marching bands from across the state will be participating in the parades, to be judged on their performances while also sharing their skills and talents with the crowds lining the streets.

"I think it is really awesome to have these events. It gets the students together. They get to make music, put on a beautiful show that can be brought into the communities," said Bailey Benoit, co-director of the Litchfield Marching Dragons Band. "It is a really fun way to share this art that we make."

The marching will begin at 6 p.m. June 12 in Montevideo for the third annual Fiesta of Marching Bands. Litchfield will hold the fourth annual Parade of Bands at 6 p.m. June 13. The three days of marching band festivities concludes at 6:30 p.m. June 14 with the 36th Pioneerland Band Festival in Benson.

"That week is just packed with them," said Oliver Leafblad, director of the Montevideo High �� Marching Band. And for those who haven't had their fill of marching bands, one of the largest parades, the Vikingland Band Festival in Alexandria, is scheduled for June 25.

Bands travel across the state during the first weeks of summer to compete in marching band parades, where judges award points for the performances. Unlike most parades, where the bands play throughout the route, during judged marching band parades, the bands perform at three specific spots along the route and are judged at one of them. Judges are looking at both the musical quality of each band plus their movements while performing. Each band has 100 yards and just over four minutes to perform their shows.

"What you do in that four minutes and 30 seconds is totally up to you," said Brock Duncan, director of the Benson High �� Marching Band. While it can be a challenge to create a show that will work in various widths of streets, over the years directors and bands have risen to the challenge. "There is quite a bit of movement in the shows, trying to maximize as much of the 100 yards (of) space as you can."

Montevideo Fiesta of Bands

This year will mark the third year of both the Montevideo Fiesta of Bands and the newly reformed Montevideo Marching Band. In just three years, the band has doubled in size, from about 30 members at the start to 65 today.

"We'll be twice the size and (with) new uniforms this summer," Leafblad said.

The Fiesta of Bands itself, which is part of the city's overall Montevideo Feista Days celebration, will welcome four marching bands who will be competing this year: Dassel-Cokato, KMS, Fergus Falls and Lake City. Montevideo will march and perform, but won't be in the running for awards at the end, which is common for the host band.

The parade route starts at the intersection of South 12th Street and Mckinley Avenue, heading north to the intersection of South 12th Street and Sheridan Avenue, continuing to the intersection of Sheridan Avenue and South 17th Street, then south to Park Avenue. During the Montevideo parade, the bands are judged at the third performance space, just north of the Montevideo tennis courts on South 17th Street. The first performance stop is just past the intersection of South 12th Street and Park Avenue, while the second stop is on Sheridan Avenue, in front of the baseball fields.

This year, there will be two food trucks along the route to provide needed sustenance for paradegoers. Scotty Biggs BBQ will be stationed where the bands turn onto Sheridan, while Mi Mexico will be on hand at the parade's end.

"Come out, get your spots early, get some food and cheer the kids on," Leafblad said.

Litchfield Parade of Bands

Litchfield is marking its fourth annual Parade of Bands, with co-directors Benoit and Kelly Taylor taking over the Litchfield Dragons from longtime director David Ceasar for the first time in the competition season. The band itself has been around for over 60 years, but the parade is a newer event for not only the bands but the city as well.

"We wanted to really showcase the city of Litchfield," Taylor said. The parade is run by the Litchfield Visitors Bureau. "It's not only a time for the band to show off, but all the community to show off."

In addition to 120-member Litchfield band as the host, there are 11 bands competing in the Litchfield parade. The bands are from Lake City, Milaca, Montevideo, Foley, KMS, Benson, St. Peter, Sartell, Dassel-Cokato, St. Michael — Albertville and Champlin.

The route is the same as years past, starting on 10th Street and North Armstrong, turning onto Fifth Street, then back onto Gilman Ave. The three performance stages are by the Wagner building on Armstrong, one midway on Fifth Street, and the third in front of the judges on Gilman Ave, near the ball fields.

"It is a really cool visual, to see so many kids involved in something where everybody is a player, there is no bench. Everyone is a team player," Taylor said. "It is a really good time and a really good example of positive youth activities."

Benson's Pioneerland Band Festival

Benson has a long history of bringing high-quality marching to its streets. The Pioneerland Band Festival is celebrating its 36th year in 2023. It was started by a group of Benson band parents as a fundraiser for the marching band and has blossomed into what it is today. Organizers wanted to have the parade on a day that had special meeting and, since its first event, has always been held on Flag Day, June 14.

"The city comes out, everything is red, white and blue. It makes for a nice celebration," Duncan said.

There will be 11 bands competing in this year's parade: Sartell, Montevideo, Waconia, KMS, St. Anthony-Spring Lake Park, Alexandria, Litchfield, Fergus Falls, Bemidji, Dassel-Cokato and Champlin Park. Benson will march as the host band.

"It is a big deal and a lot of fun," said Duncan.

Most marching band parades just focus on the bands and have few, if any, other groups or floats take part. Benson does invite some local service groups such as the Girl Scouts and such to walk in the parade between the different bands, to help spread everything out. There is also a grand marshal each year and this year the honor goes to the Benson Lions Club.

"They've made popcorn for this parade for 36 years," Duncan said. "We are honoring them for the work they do in our community and it often goes unnoticed."

The route for the band festival starts on Minnesota Highway 12 near the Benson Runnings, marches to and then up Highway 12/ County Road 29/ 14th Street North and ends at Montana Avenue. The three performance spots are on Highway 12 near Sandy's Cafe; between Wisconsin and Kansas Avenues on Highway 12, where the bands will be judged; and then finally in front of the Roosevelt Park and the Swift County Courthouse.

"Come early and get a good spot," Turner said, adding people start putting up chairs to mark their spots a day or two before the parade. "It is one of the kick offs for the summer for us."

Celebrating the bands

At each of the three parades, all of the participating bands will gather at the high school football fields for an awards ceremony full of cheers, chants, fun and friendship.

"If you haven't been to an awards ceremony, they are something else," Leafblad said.

Each of the parades give awards for first, second and third place. They also usually give out awards for things such as best color guard, winds, brass and people's choice. Litchfield's People's Choice is decided by interviewing people in the crowd.

"Definitely my favorite award we give out at our parade," Benoit said.

The bands of Montevideo, Litchfield and Benson will all be participating at other parades across the state, including each others'. Benson will finish its summer marching season by traveling to Breckinridge, Colorado, for the community's Fourth of July Parade.

It can make for a very busy few weeks. But the bands and communities wouldn't do all the work if it wasn't well worth it.

For the communities, residents are able to get out and support their high school bands in a unique setting and cheer on all the hard work the students put into it. And for the bands, it gives them a similar experience to their fellow sports team, the ability to compete and have fun with their friends.

"We do it because it just fun," Benoit said. "The kids love it."

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North Dakota man dies in west-central Minnesota jail

Forum News Service — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 19:34:22 GMT

BENSON — A man died early Tuesday morning in the Swift County Jail in Benson.

According to a news release from Sheriff John Holtz, the 45-year-old was in custody after being arrested Monday by the Benson Police Department for driving while impaired.

The sheriff did not identify the man but said he was originally from Bismarck, North Dakota.

The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating.

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