CARLTON COUNTY

Prominent Minnesota attorney admits to hitting I-35 worker while drunk

Tom Olsen — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 21:37:20 GMT

PINE CITY — A prominent Minnesota attorney admitted this week that he was drunk when he struck and injured a construction worker along Interstate 35 last year.

James Patrick Carey, 64, of Edina, Minnesota, agreed to plead guilty to a gross misdemeanor count of criminal vehicular operation resulting in bodily harm. He made the admission in a plea petition filed Tuesday, June 11, ahead of a scheduled court appearance Wednesday.

Carey, the president and managing partner of the SiebenCarey law firm, was arrested in October after clipping the worker near Hinckley. He continued north without stopping and was eventually arrested by Carlton County authorities about 35 miles away.

The agreement between Carey and the Pine County Attorney’s Office stipulates that he will have a 364-day jail sentence stayed for supervised probation of up to four years. He also must complete 80 hours of community service in a field other than legal work and will spend 30 days a year with either an ignition interlock or electronic home monitoring.

Carey, under the terms of the agreement, is also expected to pay a $900 fine, remain law-abiding; refrain from alcohol and non-prescribed drugs; complete a chemical dependency assessment; attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving panel; submit to random testing; and write a letter of apology to the victim.

Sentencing was expected to be scheduled for Sept. 4 to give the victim an opportunity to attend. But Judge Krista Martin notified attorneys Wednesday that she would only accept the agreement if Carey undergoes a comprehensive assessment before sentencing.

Carey, according to a criminal complaint, claimed he was not aware he hit the worker, though he acknowledged leaving the scene, and authorities said he showed signs of impairment.

The complaint says the worker, Joseph Gregory Flanagan, 27, of Duluth, was wearing a high-visibility vest and had just finished removing cones from one of the northbound lanes. He was walking on a dirt shoulder toward his truck when he was clipped by the passing vehicle around 11:40 a.m. Oct. 6.

A trooper who arrived on the scene found tire marks indicating a car had driven onto the shoulder before correcting back onto the road. The complaint says pieces of a side mirror also were found on the shoulder, with a part number identifying it as belonging to a 2016 GMC Acadia.

At least two witnesses also told troopers that they saw the collision. One motorist said the vehicle had been driving onto the shoulder to pass slower traffic in the construction zone, according to the complaint.

A Carlton County sheriff's deputy found a matching Acadia with a missing passenger side mirror near Moose Lake a short time later. Officers wrote that Carey, the driver, had an odor of alcohol and bloodshot, watery eyes.

The attorney allegedly stated he knew he had hit something in the construction zone, but believed it was an orange sign. He denied knowingly hitting a person and indicated he would have stopped. "Carey said he had not been sleeping for a few days due to a death in the family and said he had taken sleeping pills," the complaint states. "He admitted having three glass(es) of wine the previous day."

Authorities wrote that he showed signs of impairment in field sobriety tests and agreed to a preliminary breath test "but was not blowing properly." A manual capture resulted in a reading of 0.12, while a later attempt at a breath test resulted in a 0.143 blood-alcohol concentration.

The legal limit for driving in Minnesota is 0.08.

Flanagan was transported to Essentia Health-Sandstone, where he was treated for injuries, including “severe bruising and swelling on his arm where he had been hit.”

Additional gross misdemeanor counts of criminal vehicular operation and failure to stop for a traffic collision, as well as a misdemeanor impaired driving charge, will be dismissed under the plea agreement.

Carey had been set to stand trial June 24.

A Biwabik native, Carey is a fourth-generation attorney and the son of a longtime State District Court judge. He has been named to the Super Lawyers list since 1998 and was named Attorney of the Year by the Minnesota Lawyer publication in 2011.

SiebenCarey is one of the oldest and largest personal injury and wrongful death practices in the state, representing clients in car crashes, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and many other areas. The firm advertises extensively across the state and employs more than 60 people at offices in Minneapolis, Lakeville and Duluth.

Tom Sieben, a South St. Paul criminal defense attorney and brother of Carey’s law partner, is representing him. Sieben did not immediately return a call from the News Tribune on Wednesday.

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Carlton, Minnesota, songwriter’s ode to hometown wins national contest

Macklin Caruso — Fri, 17 May 2024 15:06:00 GMT

CARLTON — The more Abrianna Schmidt has seen of the world, the more she’s grown to appreciate her hometown of Carlton.

“I love getting to experience new places,” Schmidt said. “But whenever I was visiting them, I always saw myself really appreciating and valuing where I grew up, and kind of yearning to be back home.”

That yearning to go back home inspired Schmidt to pen the song “Small Town Girl,” which was recently announced to be the winner of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “Words & Music: Journey of a Song,” a national lyric writing contest for teens 13-18.

As the winner, Schmidt will travel to Nashville on a full scholarship in June for the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Summer Songwriting Camp, which hosts more than 10,000 aspiring songwriters ages 11-18 annually. Schmidt will be mentored by songwriters, producers and music industry professionals. The week will culminate with campers performing their songs at the Ford Theater in Nashville.

Schmidt, a senior at Carlton High ��, was encouraged to apply for the competition by her father, who found an advertisement for the contest on Facebook while they were on a trip to Nashville. Schmidt had shared some of her music locally, but never on anything of this scale. She didn’t think she stood much of a chance but decided to try anyway.

“I figured I'd give it a shot and put myself out there. I’m trying to always push myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to sharing art,” she said. “It's a very vulnerable experience.”

When she returned home from Nashville, she recorded the song on her phone and submitted it to the contest. After a month of silence, she assumed nothing would come of it. Then one day while Schmidt was doing her homework, she received an email informing her that she won the contest.

“I was ecstatic,” she said. “I think that I was really honored and surprised and I texted my parents and I called my mom and I was crying tears of joy.”

Her winning song is an homage to her life growing up in Carlton. It’s about returning to your roots and appreciating the town that made you, Schmidt said.

“It's sure been fun to travel this whole world, but deep down I’m still a small-town girl,” she sings.

She wrote the song in January after traveling to cities such as Los Angeles, Nashville, Dallas and Oklahoma City. Though she enjoyed being able to see more of the world, the experiences left her appreciating the little things about her childhood and life in northern Minnesota.

Schmidt considers herself a country and folk singer and draws influence from artists like Judy Garland, Fleetwood Mac, Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves.

As a songwriter, inspiration strikes Schmidt at unexpected times. Sometimes it is a word that someone says in a conversation or an unnamed melody that starts humming in her head.

“Something that pops into my head so often, whether it's lyrics or a melody, and I just kind of have to get it down on paper or record it,” she said.

Schmidt grew up dancing, singing and performing in musical theater. She started playing guitar when she was 9 years old and began writing songs when she was 13 as a way to offload her thoughts.

For Schmidt, writing music allows her to examine emotions that can’t readily be summarized by a single word. By exploring the workings of her mind through music, she feels she connects with others in a way she otherwise wouldn’t be able to. This is what inspires her to continue to write music.

“I think it's such a unique way to connect with others,” she said. “And I think that's what prompted me to song-write in the first place and what makes me continue to song-write.”

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Charges upheld against former Cloquet officer; trial date set

Tom Olsen — Thu, 02 May 2024 16:33:39 GMT

CARLTON, Minn. — A former Cloquet police officer accused of financially exploiting a vulnerable adult she met on the job is set to face a trial this fall.

Judge Amy Lukasavitz recently upheld three charges against Laci Marie Silgjord and denied her request to move the case out of Carlton County.

Authorities allege that Silgjord, 36, falsely represented herself as conservator for the incapacitated victim, Joan Arney, and gained control of her bank accounts before she died in October 2020.

Court documents also state that Silgjord failed to notify the woman’s estranged husband, Roger Arney, of her death, later threatened him with arrest, and attempted to inherit more than $150,000 from the estate.

Silgjord’s attorney has claimed in filings that there is no evidence the former officer did “anything improper” or personally benefited from the arrangement, which she said was based on “compassion” and not greed.

Officer sought more than $150,000

Court documents say Silgjord responded to a handful of calls from Arney starting in October 2019, including one related to a potential scam and another about a missing purse.

On Aug. 25, 2020, the officer again paid a visit after Arney mistakenly sent mail to the police station. Silgjord and her partner found the 78-year-old on the floor in “dire medical condition,” apparently having suffered a stroke four days earlier.

Arney was hospitalized at St. Luke’s in Duluth, where doctors indicated she was suffering from dementia and experiencing severe hallucinations and memory deficits.

The officer continued to visit Arney in the hospital and kept tabs on her Cloquet home. When a hospital attorney petitioned a court for emergency guardianship, Silgjord was named the “most suitable and best qualified among those available.”

She also recorded several conversations on her phone that appeared to show her gaining the trust and affection of the elderly woman, whom she called “new grandma.” Prosecutors, however, have called those “opportunistic” clips from a victim who did not know the current year and could not identify herself in a photograph.

Authorities said Silgjord used the guardianship paperwork to dupe a credit union into giving her access to three accounts maintained by Arney containing a combined $43,120. She moved money among them and, at one point, paid a utility bill for Arney’s home.

Arney died Oct. 28, 2020, without a will and with no surviving children. Silgjord reportedly made arrangements to have her cremated without input from her family.

Only later did Roger Arney learn about his wife’s death from a newspaper obituary. The couple, who wed in 1976, had been living apart since 2013 but remained legally married.

Documents indicate Roger met with Silgjord but she falsely claimed to still “have guardianship and conservatorship” and refused to turn over keys to the house. The officer later encountered him at the property and called 911 to report he had taken a laptop — even though he was entitled to do so, according to prosecutors.

Silgjord’s role as a guardian had ended with Joan Arney’s death, and she was never appointed as a conservator.

Later, Silgjord petitioned a probate court to award her $158,213 — the entire financial value of the estate — claiming it was “in Joan’s best interest to donate the proceeds of her estate to build a dog park or community garden in her honor.”

A judge denied that request, finding that Roger was the appropriate heir. The court also rejected Silgjord’s “unreasonable” request for fees, saying she was entitled to just $1,259 for her time and expenses as guardian.

Roger then filed a complaint with the Cloquet Police Department in April 2021. Silgjord was terminated for making false accusations of a crime and falsely representing her legal authority over Joan’s possessions. She later settled with the city and was allowed to resign in June 2022.

Defense denies wrongdoing

Defense attorney Rebecca Duren argued Silgjord’s actions did not constitute fraud. Rather, she contended the case was about a compassionate officer who stepped up to help an elderly citizen in need.

“All of Silgjord’s actions were authorized by law or were processed through the court system,” Duren said. “The only financial transactions Silgjord made were the sole benefit of Arney. Silgjord did not receive any financial benefit whatsoever that was not authorized.”

Duren wrote that Silgjord had a duty as guardian to “provide for the care, comfort, and maintenance” of Arney, and said it would have “breached” her duties not to pay the utility bill.

“There is no evidence of undue influence, harassment, duress and any other enticement,” the attorney argued.

But Assistant Minnesota Attorney General James Clark contended Silgjord crossed a clear line. He said the law makes clear that guardians cannot control an incapacitated person’s bank accounts, as statute requires the appointment of a conservator to do so.

The prosecutor added that the evidence showed she misrepresented her status and that her role as a police officer was known to staff at the credit union.

“To accept (Silgjord’s) conduct,” Clark wrote, “would undoubtedly cause the relatives of the ill and infirm to become hesitant to call on the police or court system for help, for fear that guardians and police officers might swoop in during the final days of someone’s life, abuse their authority and try to seek personal financial gain.”

As for the alleged inheritance plot, Duren claimed her client was simply using the legal process.

“The judge is then left to decide the merit of each claim and determine which claims will be allowed,” the defense attorney said. “This is not a swindle; it is probate court process.”

Clark, on the other hand, contended it was an integral part of the scheme.

“In the context of attempting to swindle money from an estate, it would not at all be unusual for a defendant to take deceitful actions in probate court in furtherance of the swindle,” he wrote.

Court sets trial date

Judge Lukasavitz, who reviewed extensive briefs from both sides, declined to dismiss the case.

She said the complaint makes sufficient allegations that Silgjord exceeded her authority and used a “scheme of deception and fraud” in a bid to obtain assets that rightfully belonged to Roger.

“Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the state, the court determines that probable cause exists to show that (Silgjord) gained control or possession of Joan’s financial resources without legal authority to do so,” the judge wrote.

Lukasavitz said it must be left up to a jury to determine whether the defendant exerted “undue influence” and took a “substantial step” wrongfully obtaining property by swindle.

She scheduled a jury trial to begin Nov. 12 in Carlton, ruling there has not been extensive media coverage that would warrant moving the case to another jurisdiction.

Silgjord is charged with felony and gross misdemeanor financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and felony attempted theft by swindle.

She now lives in Sartell, Minnesota, where her husband Brandon Silgjord, a former St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office official, is serving as police chief.

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Minnesota teen sets goal to see every total solar eclipse through the year 2099

Macklin Caruso — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 01:00:25 GMT

CLOQUET — On Monday, April 8, the moon's shadow will extend across North America from Mazatlan, Mexico, to Newfoundland, Canada.

In the little town of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, the total solar eclipse will achieve peak totality — when the moon completely blocks the sun and reveals the star’s outer atmosphere, the corona — at 1:45 p.m. This will mark the second of eight total solar eclipses that Cloquet teen Kenadie Mickle plans to witness in her lifetime.

Days before departing for Broken Bow, Mickle, 14, looks over a list of every total solar eclipse that will be visible in the contiguous United States during her lifetime. The list concludes Sept. 14, 2099, when the moon’s shadow will cover Cambridge, Minnesota. Mickle will be 89 years old.

“It's weird that I’ll still be alive by then,” Mickle said.

The timeline, titled “Kenadie’s ‘See ‘em’ all’ 21st Century Total Eclipse Schedule,” assembled by her father, David Mickle, will serve as a roadmap for Kenadie in her pursuit to view every total solar eclipse in the lower 48 states. It lists the date of every total solar eclipse, how old Kenadie will be and where to view it.

Though it is far from Kenadie’s last, Monday’s solar eclipse is certain to be one of the most memorable.

For 4 minutes, 16 seconds, Broken Bow will be shadowed in complete darkness as the moon eclipses the sun. This will nearly double the totality of Kenadie’s first solar eclipse in 2017 in Marshall, Missouri, which lasted 2 minutes, 41 seconds.

“The duration of the totality is going to be what's the best part," David said, "because it's going to be longer than someone can hold their breath before they die."

Not only will the sun be totally eclipsed, but the “devil comet,” which derives its nickname from its hornlike appearance, will be making its 71-year-passage across the sky at roughly the same time as the eclipse and could be made visible to the naked eye in the daytime twilight brought on by the eclipse, according to Astronomy Magazine.

Moreover, the sun will be near its solar maximum, giving its magnetic field the appearance of a “tangled hairball,” NASA reported. Streamers — cap-like structures with long pointed peaks — and prominences — bright features extending from the sun’s surface — will likely be visible throughout the corona.

“It is a heck of a sight to see, is what it is,” David said.

Kenadie credits her ambitious goal to her father, who was inspired by his father, “a self-professed astronomy enthusiast,” David said.

Kenadie and David will travel to Broken Bow with Kenadie’s mother and David’s wife, Denise Mickle, and family friends Scott and Beth Emilson and their children, Hendrix Wilkinson, 14, Aili Wilkinson, 13, and Charlie Mayo, 7.

The two families will depart Thursday, April 4, and are expected to arrive in Oklahoma on Saturday, April 6, leaving themselves extra time if the weather appears like it could inhibit viewing the eclipse and they need to reroute.

This will be the Emilson family's first time viewing a total solar eclipse.

“Expectations for me are zero because I've never seen one,” Scott said.

Though Kenadie plans to see as many solar eclipses as possible, the astronomical rarity of the event isn’t lost on Hendrix.

“I'm just having a good time and also seeing something that really anyone won't ever see again in their lifetime,” he said.

This will be the last total solar eclipse Kenadie will see until she is 34 years old and the moon's shadow will pass over Medora, North Dakota, on Aug. 23, 2044.

However, the eclipse Kenadie anticipates the most will be when she is 35 years old, on Aug. 12, 2045, when a total eclipse will engulf Port St. Lucie, Florida.

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Driver allegedly killed man in Moose Lake while playing 'air guitar'

Tom Olsen — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 17:41:28 GMT

CARLTON, Minn. — An Iron Range man allegedly admitted he was sleepy and playing "air guitar" when he struck and killed a pedestrian in Moose Lake last week.

Brent James Keranen, 21, of Pengilly, had been cited hours earlier after hitting a Minnesota State Patrol squad car as he left the Twin Cities, where he had stayed up "very late" the night before drinking with friends, according to a criminal complaint.

Authorities said Keranen was headed home when he "veered" off Minnesota Highway 73 near Jon Brown Drive just after 2 p.m. Thursday, striking and killing the pedestrian, whose identity has yet to be released by authorities.

A roadside, preliminary breath test reportedly placed Keranen's blood-alcohol concentration at 0.06, which is slightly below the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.

The complaint, filed late Friday in State District Court, says the victim had just left the Dollar General store on foot and was walking along the northbound shoulder of Highway 73 when he was hit by the vehicle, which was traveling in the same direction. The Carlton County Sheriff's Office reported the man was found in a ditch and pronounced dead at the scene.

Keranen, according to the complaint, told investigators he was "working a lot of hours" and had been up late drinking alcohol. He admitted, and police were able to confirm, that he had fallen asleep on the drive north and "struck or contacted a trooper’s squad vehicle with his vehicle when leaving the metro area."

The complaint says Keranen told Carlton County law enforcement that he registered a 0.066 on a breath test at that point, receiving a ticket before continuing on his way. He allegedly acknowledged he was tired but said he stopped and consumed a 5-Hour Energy drink.

Keranen allegedly explained that while driving through Moose Lake, a "good song" began playing on the radio, prompting him to mimic guitar playing with his hands. Suddenly, he said, the airbags deployed, though he claimed not to know if he had hit a person.

But the complaint says he went on to make a statement that he was “looking down and jamming out a bit and next thing you know I hit somebody." He also allegedly said his cruise control was set at 52 mph in the posted 40 mph zone.

Officers at the scene suspected alcohol impairment, and while the preliminary test came in below the limit, a search warrant was obtained for a blood draw. The sample was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, where results are pending.

Keranen is charged with a felony count of criminal vehicular homicide for causing a death while operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner.

Court records indicate he was convicted of violating the state's hands-free cellphone driving law in Chisago County earlier this year, as well as driving 95 mph in a 60 mph zone in Itasca County last year.

Judge Rebekka Stumme ordered a $250,000 bond or $25,000 cash option for unconditional release. She also set a $150,000 bond or $15,000 cash option with conditions.

Keranen was released from the Carlton County Jail on Friday night after arraignment. He is scheduled to make another court appearance on Monday, April 1.

Court documents do not identify the victim, or list an age or hometown, and the Carlton County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request Monday for that information.

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Minnesota couple charged with 14 felonies after reportedly abandoning 7 cats, killing 5

Tom Olsen — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:34:00 GMT

CLOQUET — A couple was arrested in Arkansas this week on charges that they abandoned seven cats at their Cloquet home in late December, causing five to die.

Karlee Lynn Strum, 32, and Dominic James Welch, 28, allegedly failed to arrange care for the pets, leaving them without sufficient food and water until they were located approximately 18 days later.

Four of the cats were dead by the time another person found them in the apartment Jan. 16, according to a criminal complaint. Three survivors were taken in by Carlton County Animal Rescue, but one did not survive the first night, said board member Erin Thompson.

"It was too far gone," she said Thursday, Feb. 15. "The body was already shutting down; the body temperature was extremely low. We tried to be really careful because you can't warm them up too quickly or hydrate them too quickly. ... But the other two were able to get to a pretty full recovery. They were treated for upper respiratory issues and given IV fluids."

The discovery of the cats in the residence, 803 18th St., prompted an investigation by the Cloquet Police Department with assistance from Minnesota Federated Humane Societies. The complaint says the pets were in "bad condition" when found, with one person telling officers that the couple had left the area for Arkansas on Dec. 29.

Thompson said arrangements were made to have the "severely dehydrated" survivors seen at Duluth Veterinary Hospital right away the next morning. There was likely some food and water left with them initially, but they were emaciated and dealing with respiratory infections and other health issues.

The body of the final victim, whom rescue volunteers called "Chevy," was sent to the University of Minnesota for a necropsy to assist in the investigation.

Contacted by police, Welch allegedly provided the name of a friend who he said was watching the cats. But that man told authorities he never agreed to do so, providing screenshots showing he rejected the request.

The complaint says Strum also gave the first name of a different person who was supposedly caring for the pets, but she did not provide a last name, contact information or any records of the conversation.

In a follow-up conversation, Strum allegedly claimed her friend would not care for the animals because Welch's friend was doing so. Welch, however, admitted he had never even heard of Strum's friend, telling police that he thought they should bring the cats with them to Arkansas but Strum "did not want to."

The couple planned to return to Cloquet, according to the complaint, but Strum's mother told investigators they instead began looking for apartments in Searcy, Arkansas, fearing arrest if they returned to Minnesota.

Nationwide warrants were issued by the Carlton County Attorney's Office and approved by Judge Amy Lukasavitz on Tuesday. Strum and Welch were taken into custody that same day in White County, Arkansas.

Both defendants are awaiting extradition back to Carlton County, where they will each face 21 counts of mistreating animals, including seven felonies and 14 misdemeanors.

As for the two surviving cats, Thompson said they appear to be well on their way to recovery. Renamed "Roger" and "Frankie," they have regained weight, started their vaccinations and were neutered last week.

Carlton County Animal Rescue is a newer organization that currently lacks a shelter, so the cats have been in foster homes, with donations paying for medical expenses. Thompson said Roger will likely remain with his foster, but Frankie should be available for adoption soon after he clears his final vet check-up.

"They're both really good cats," she said. "They love people and they do great with kids. I think they were just so much wanting attention. For the first week or so, every day I'd come in there with them and be feeding them and hydrating them and giving them medications and stuff, and they just wanted to sit on your lap and climb on you all day long."

Calling the neglect "unacceptable," Thompson said criminal charges likely would not have been possible without the cooperation of witnesses, the necroscopy evidence and the efforts of volunteers and humane agents.

"It's pretty rare that we can get this far on a case," she said. "It's good to see."

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Charges against Duluth psychologist dropped after key witness dies

Tom Olsen — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:41:14 GMT

CARLTON — Charges have been dismissed against a former Minnesota Sex Offender Program psychologist accused of sexually assaulting two clients in the Moose Lake Minnesota Sex Offender Program.

The death of a "critical witness" left the prosecution unable to move forward with the case against Michelle Dawn Brownfield, according to Chief Deputy Carlton County Attorney Jeff Boucher.

Brownfield, 41, of Duluth, had been set to appear in court this week and was scheduled to face an April 30 jury trial on two felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The charges stemmed from allegations that the psychologist maintained inappropriate relationships with two men she was assigned to treat at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program, or MSOP. MSOP is a secure state facility that serves clients committed as sexually dangerous or with sexually psychopathic personalities.

Boucher explained to the News Tribune that the sister of one of the alleged victims died. She was described in the criminal complaint as the "go-between" for Brownfield to communicate with the client, as seen in numerous text messages retrieved by investigators.

"(Her) testimony was necessary to develop critical aspects of the case," Boucher said. "Without her presence, the available admissible evidence was insufficient to continue to trial."

The charges against Brownfield had been pending for nearly three years as several pretrial issues were litigated, including the veracity of a search warrant and access to confidential medical and mental health records.

The complaint said Brownfield developed a relationship with one victim after he was referred to her in 2016. They allegedly engaged in sexual activity in the assessment room at MSOP before he was transferred to a Minnesota Department of Corrections facility from 2017-19.

Authorities said Brownfield used the client's sister to communicate during that time. They continued to talk when he returned to MSOP, but the sexual activity did not resume, according to the complaint.

While investigating, officers said they learned of an illicit relationship between Brownfield and a second MSOP client that began in the fall of 2017. The man told authorities he was aware of her relationship with the other victim and began discussing it with Brownfield.

The client and psychologist then initiated their own sexual contact in the assessment room in February 2018, later having sex in the polygraph room, according to the complaint.

Investigators said they recovered text messages sent from Brownfield to the first victim's sister between October 2018 and August 2020. She reportedly expressed "strong romantic feelings" and also referenced a relationship with another person consistent with the allegations involving the second client.

The complaint added that Brownfield referenced both victims by initials in the text messages and continued communication even after being contacted by the Moose Lake Police Department. Investigators wrote that a review of her phone turned up a "great deal" of graphic material, including sexually explicit photos that corroborated a victim statement regarding a body piercing.

It is illegal under Minnesota law for any employee of a correctional system or secure treatment facility to engage in sexual activity with a resident who is under the institution's supervision. Consent is not a defense.

Brownfield in 2021 entered into a stipulation with the Minnesota Board of Psychology to cease practice pending further administrative proceedings. That order remains in effect.

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Family, neighbors remember Duluth-to-Fargo road visionary

Jimmy Lovrien — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 13:30:00 GMT

WRIGHT, Minn. — Every morning, Brent Bushnell and his siblings walked a mile and a quarter along Highway D to catch the school bus.

The highway north of Tamarack and Wright didn’t appear on any official map, and except for their grandfather’s truck or tractor, they didn’t have to worry about traffic.

But if their grandfather, Gordon Bushnell, had his way, his self-built highway would have been a main artery cutting straight across northern Minnesota, linking Duluth and Fargo.

Gordon, a single-term state senator representing Carlton and Aiktin counties from 1947-1951, tried to pass legislation that would have established the so-called Highway D. But without political support, he set out to build it himself with just a wheelbarrow, a shovel and a tractor.

He’d also recruit some of his grandchildren to help, like having them ride on the grader to keep the pitch of blades in line, said Brent, 60, who now lives in Florida.

“Several of his grandchildren had the opportunity — some would say torture — to ride behind the tractor on the grader,” Brent said.

Gordon worked on it every morning for decades, completing 12 miles by the time he died in 1982 at age 81, a year after a stroke left him unable to continue his work.

His story of perseverance gained national attention in 1978 when CBS featured him during "On the Road with Charles Kuralt" and a few years later on NBC’s “Real People.”

Last month, the News Tribune looked back on Gordon’s project and asked for relatives or friends who knew Gordon to reach out. Several of Gordon’s many grandchildren and great-grandchildren called and emailed with stories about Gordon and Highway D.

So, too, did former neighbors and others who knew Gordon personally and had walked Highway D. The story also jogged the memory of one former University of Minnesota Duluth student now living in England who remembered the story but couldn’t recall the details until reading it in the News Tribune.

Earlier on, Gordon wasn’t alone in pushing for Highway D, but eventually, Minnesota Highway 210 and U.S. Highway 2 would come to handle the cross-state traffic, and the groups fizzled out.

Still, when he wasn’t building the road, Gordon would advocate for Highway D, carrying an informational pamphlet in his pocket everywhere he went. It heralded the highway as a post-World War II development that would save drivers 75 miles as they cut across the state and could connect loggers and farmers in Minnesota and North Dakota to the yet-to-be-completed St. Lawrence Seaway linking the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

He had hoped that the state would see the need, and finish road construction where he left off.

While Gordon’s dream of building a straight-line highway across Minnesota never came to fruition, the Bushnell family, who own some of Highway D, still use the old road as a private recreational trail, linking a network of snowmobile trails on their land.

“We have our own private playground,” said Tim Bushnell, 70, of Proctor, one of Gordon’s grandchildren and Brent’s cousin.

When he was little, he liked to imagine the family property becoming a truck stop along Highway D. That, of course, never happened, but he still called Highway D “a gift.”

To build his road, Gordon would buy 40 acres along his planned route, build the road and then sell the 40 acres with a right of way for the road.

“And when he got to state land … he just took off across that until he got to someplace where he had to buy private land again,” Tim said.

In an email, Lowell Larson said he figures he and his father, John, met Gordon and walked a section of the road in 1978 or 1979, when Lowell was 7 or 8 years old.

"I remember that he talked about coming up on a place where there was some land that he couldn't buy or get an easement through. I didn't know what an easement was, but figured it out based on context," Larson said. "He was frustrated but had decided that he was just going to have to go around it.

"This meant more work for him, but the bigger concern was that it conflicted with his goal of creating the shortest, straightest possible route to Fargo," Larson said. "He decided that was better than giving up. I think maybe there's a useful life metaphor in there for those who wish to see it that way."

Gordon was a hard worker, after all.

While he occasionally recruited help from his grandchildren, Gordon largely insisted he build the road himself.

Clarence Badger, 83, of Cloquet, remembers delivering Gordon loads of gravel with his father-in-law.

But Gordon wouldn’t let them help spread it.

“We had all the equipment to do it, but he said, ‘No, I just want the gravel,’ ” Badger said. “I don’t know how he moved it with his tractor, but he moved it.”

Badger, who also bought property along the Tamarack River from Gordon, remembers him as a talkative hard worker.

“When he set his mind to do something, he was one that would take it and try to accomplish it,” Badger said.

Tim said the work ethic and problem-solving Gordon displayed in his road’s construction instilled those values in his family.

He used the example of Gordon trying to cross a bog near Horseshoe Lake. From one end of the marsh, Gordon laid logs down perpendicular to the direction of the road — called corduroy. Then he came at it from the other side.

“To me, that symbolizes his whole life, when he met an issue, he would attack it from both sides,” Tim said.

Gordon’s efforts were known by locals but rose in notoriety after Charles Kuralt’s visit, and he is forever linked to the legendary broadcaster. Kuralt wrote about Gordon in his book, and many newspaper obituaries written about Kuralt mentioned Gordon.

Gordon and his road embodied the type of story Kuralt liked to tell, and the two remained in touch after that segment.

If Kuralt was in the area, he’d swing by and meet with Gordon, Tim said.

Brent met Kuralt once when flying from Newark, New Jersey, to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Brent said he noticed Kuralt walk from the first-class section to the restroom in the back of the plane.

“So I made a point of getting out of the plane as quickly as I could, and just after we got off the jetway I said, ‘Hi, Mr. Kuralt, my name is Brent Bushnell, I’m Gordon Bushnell’s grandson,” Brent said.

Kuralt knew exactly who Brent was talking about, and the two spoke for 10 or 15 minutes as they walked through the terminal.

“He said he was really sad to hear that my grandfather had the stroke,” Brent said. “But it was just a great conversation … I can’t say enough about (Kuralt).”

He also learned that Kuralt, who lived in Connecticut, would send Gordon information about the Bushnell family, which had a history in the state dating back to the 1600s.

A few years after the “On the Road” segment, NBC’s “Real People” paid Gordon a visit, too.

After watching his grandfather Gordon and grandmother Clara speak in the “Real People” clip on a computer from his Proctor home, Tim choked up.

“It’s a cross between sad and really proud,” Tim said.

Separately, Tim’s son, Aron Badger, 47, of Duluth, told the New Tribune that he doesn’t remember a lot about his great-grandfather. But seeing Gordon driving his old truck in the “Real People” clip brought back memories of riding on its flatbed from Highway D back to Gordon’s house.

Echoing his relatives, Aron said he sees Gordon’s stubbornness and work ethic live on.

“I think that tends to run in the family a little bit,” Aron said.

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The man who tried to single-handedly build a Duluth-Fargo highway

Jimmy Lovrien — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:30:00 GMT

WRIGHT — Google Maps offers three suggested routes between downtown Duluth and downtown Fargo — all ranging between 242 and 257 miles long.

But maybe having to swing south and drive through Brainerd is too far out of the way. Or taking the route through Walker just feels like a detour.

If only there were a highway that followed a straight line between Duluth and Fargo, you could save some mileage because, as the crow flies, it’s just shy of 222 miles.

That was Gordon Bushnell’s dream. As a state senator from Tamarack, Minnesota, representing Aitkin and Carlton counties from 1947-1951, he tried to pass legislation that would have established so-called Highway D.

That didn’t work, so he took matters into his own hands.

He bought up 40 acres of land along the proposed route north of Wright, Minnesota, and used a shovel, wheelbarrow and tractor to clear a path for a road through the woods and swamps. He had experience working in road construction from 1918 to 1927, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.

He managed to build 12 miles of road by the time died in 1982 at age 81, a year after a stroke left him unable to continue his work, according to an obituary that led the News Tribune’s front page June 30, 1982.

“He spent his lifetime building a highway that never was to be built,” State Rep. Douglas Carlson, of Standstone, Minnesota, told the News Tribune at the time.

Bushnell’s efforts gained national attention in 1978 when CBS Evening News featured him during "On The Road with Charles Kuralt." When Kuralt died in 1997, two years after purchasing the WELY radio station in Ely, Minnesota, obituaries for him in newspapers across the country noted his interview with Bushnell.

Kuralt recalled meeting Bushnell in his 1985 book, “On the Road with Charles Kuralt,” according to an excerpt published in the Chicago Tribune.

“Bushnell kept hoping the state would see the wisdom of a straight road across Minnesota and take over the job from him, but the state never did,” Kuralt wrote.

NBC’s “Real People” visited Bushnell later, too.

Bushnell recalled experiencing side pain when he started his road project.

“I went to the doctor, and he said I needed to have my gallbladder out,” Bushnell said in the “Real People” segment. “Well, I wanted to dig that ditch up there, so I thought, ‘Well, if I have my gallbladder out, I can’t dig the ditch.’ So I thought, ‘Well, I’ll dig the ditch first.’ So I started digging and the more I dug, the better I felt.”

Lawmakers never took up finishing this straight-line highway between Duluth and Fargo. Minnesota Highway 210 and U.S. Highway 2 could handle the traffic, the News Tribune reported in 1982.

There was also an effort to turn it into the “Bushnell Recreational Trail,” but that also appears to have never materialized.

Asked by “Real People” if he was wasting his time building the road, Bushnell responded, “I don’t know. Maybe I am, but I enjoy doing it, so what’s the difference?”

Did you know Gordon Bushnell? Do you know where segments of his road are? Let News Tribune reporter Jimmy Lovrien know at 218-723-5332 or jlovrien@duluthnews.com.

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Carlton County man who 'mercy killed' wife dies by suicide in prison

Tom Olsen — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:36:08 GMT

CARLTON, Minn. — A Carlton County man died by suicide at a state prison last week, just two days after he was sentenced to more than 25 years for fatally shooting his ill wife in December 2021.

Raymond Arthur Julian, 67, took his own life at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud on Dec. 20 — the same day he was transferred to the facility to begin serving his sentence for the murder of Tracy Ellen Julian.

Minnesota Department of Corrections spokeswoman Sarah Fitzgerald confirmed the suicide to the News Tribune on Thursday, but the agency did not otherwise comment on the incident. St. Cloud is the intake prison for men committed to prison in Minnesota.

Julian on Dec. 18 was denied the leniency he sought after pleading guilty in September to what he described as a "mercy killing" carried out at his wife's request. They argued for probation — an extraordinary request for intentional second-degree murder — but Judge Amy Lukasavitz imposed a guideline 306-month term.

Defense attorney Andrew Poole told the News Tribune earlier this week that he heard of his client's death but wasn't personally aware of the details.

"The deaths of Tracy and Raymond Julian were a true tragedy," Poole said in an email. "The right to end your life with dignity is recognized in many jurisdictions in our country, but such a right does not exist in the state of Minnesota. Nobody in this case disputed that Tracy was terribly sick. Raymond deeply loved her, and he took her life at her request to end her suffering. As stated by their close friend, 'This is the epitome of a true love story.'"

Julians had a 'suicide pact,' defense says

Julian testified at his plea hearing that he used a shotgun to shoot his 62-year-old wife near the heart and at the base of the skull in a pole barn on their property at 3662 Heiskari Road in Kalevala Township.

But the defendant told the court: "It was a suicide by her, with me as the instrument." Court filings indicate the victim suffered from severe COPD, had undergone heart valve replacement surgery and had been dealing with breathing issues for some 15 years.

Poole noted that Raymond Julian had told a friend that he entered into a "suicide pact" with his severely ill wife days before her death. And Tracy Julian herself also left behind writings about that option.

In a series of handwritten notes from the weeks leading up to her death, Tracy lamented that she could not have "death with dignity," saying she hoped to "keep the gun out of it" but apparently accepting that as a possibility. She also made a list of people to "talk to/say goodbye to" and wrote, "I give up," according to copies filed with the court.

Poole said his client, intent on ending his own life, was in the process of sending packages of mementos to loved ones when Carlton County sheriff's deputies showed up at the residence Dec. 10, 2021. Authorities had been tipped off by a friend, who reported receiving an email from Raymond about the plan to kill Tracy.

"This case has nothing in common with the hallmark traits of a normal murder, where one intentionally takes the life of another as a result of rage, anger, or some other nefarious motive," Poole told the court. "This was intended to be a love-based murder-suicide premised on ending Tracy’s pain and premised on Mr. Julian not wanting to live without Tracy."

'Murder is not an act of love'

But Chief Deputy Carlton County Attorney Jeff Boucher disagreed with the defense's rationalization of the "particularly cruel" slaying, stating: "Murder is not an act of love."

He requested a 30-year sentence.

"There was no suicide note and no communication in the days before her death that these were her wishes," the prosecutor wrote. "And even if there were, this would still be a murder. A person does not forfeit their right to live by contemplating suicide. Contemplating mortality, even imminently faced mortality, does not excuse murder. A suicide note is not a license to kill."

Boucher said probation would have been an unprecedented outcome in recent memory. Not a single one of the 381 defendants sentenced for intentional second-degree murder in Minnesota over the past 12 years have received such a break.

And he argued Julian's actions were no less severe than the typical case. The prosecutor said medical records showed Tracy was ill, "but not prognosed as terminally ill." He wrote that Raymond's actions would have been a crime in all 11 jurisdictions that have legalized assisted suicide, as well as under legislation that was proposed in Minnesota earlier this year.

The prosecutor also cited other troubling evidence against Raymond. He told a friend that he personally had made the decision to shoot his wife. Tracy herself "had no apparent communication with the outside world and did not communicate a desire to end her life to the last person to see her alive besides Mr. Julian."

And within a week of the murder, Raymond was expressing his love for an old romantic partner in messages sent from the Carlton County Jail.

Boucher asked the judge not to be swayed by how the defendant "essentially framed himself in a moral light."

"Lost in all of this is Ms. Julian’s voice," the prosecutor told the court.

Under Judge Lukasavitz's sentence, Julian would have been required to serve at least 17 years in custody before becoming eligible for supervised release. He would have been in his early 80s by that point.

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