THE MCFEELY MESS

McFeely: Contract dispute dry docks popular Itasca State Park boat tours

Mike McFeely — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:32:00 GMT

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — The operators of a longtime, popular attraction at Itasca State Park dry-docked their business this summer, claiming the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources changed rules to force them out. The DNR says it requested changes to better fit "the traditional historic aesthetic of the park."

Either way, the old riverboat Chester Charles II isn't puttering around Lake Itasca, namesake of the uber-popular park near Park Rapids that famously serves as the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

"We're new business owners, and they changed the rules on us and made it all but impossible for us to make money," said Karen Acker, who with her fiancee Scott Bedell owns the Chester Charles II and operated Lake Itasca Tours for four summers.

Ben Bergey, the DNR's regional manager for parks and trails based out of Bemidji, said the agency is limited in what it can say by Minnesota's data privacy laws.

"Solicitation was canceled for failure to reach a negotiated agreement," Bergey said, adding the state might look at re-issuing the boat tour contract next year.

Bergey said the state allows two outside vendors to operate businesses inside the park. The vendors sign a contract with the state to meet certain criteria, including paying a percentage of their revenue to the state. The park's other outside concession contract, for Itasca Bike and Boat Rental, was awarded to Itasca Sports earlier this year.

"The request for proposals (RFP) is a competitive process where the state outlines minimum requirements, deliverables, and terms of the proposal," Bergey said. "Interested vendors respond to the RFP with their proposal to meet the requirements and scope of work. The state evaluates all proposals based on a predetermined scoring criteria established in a manner to deliver the best value to the state. The RFP process typically allows a responder to propose a solution and allows the parties to negotiate the final terms of the contract."

Bedell and Acker came to Minnesota in 2020 from Omaha, Nebraska, where they sold real estate, to buy the diesel-powered 65-foot, 40-ton Chester Charles II from its previous owner. The boat tours inside Minnesota's most famous state park had been conducted since 1985 by the Coborn family, at first with the 55-passenger Chester Charles and since 2007 with the 141-passenger Chester Charles II.

The tours provided a guided, narrated historical tour of the famed lake and occasionally hosted weddings and live music tours during which catered food was served. Alcohol is not allowed inside Minnesota state parks.

"Those scheduled events were a very large percentage of the money we made," Acker said.

But after operating on a year-to-year basis their first four summers in Minnesota, the state last year told Bedell and Acker it was opening the contract for bids and they'd have to complete a proposal. The state said the next contract would be for five years with the possibility of an additional five years.

When they received the RFP — months later than they were promised, they said — Bedell and Acker said they were surprised to see the state made multiple changes in its requirements, all of which would cut into their profits.

"All these things they wanted would impose more money on us or take away the chance to make money," Acker said. "The amount was taking all the profit away from us. We'd basically be doing it for free."

Bedell and Acker previously paid 6% of their gross revenue to Minnesota to be allowed to operate in a state park. The DNR changed that to 10%, which Bergey said the state is moving toward in all future concession agreements.

The state set the maximum passenger capacity on the boat at 60 and said the boat couldn't be longer than 55 feet, meaning the Chester Charles II was too large.

"We'd have to sell our boat and buy another, smaller one," Bedell said. "Logistically and practically, that's very difficult."

The new requirements restricted private or special-event cruises. The state wanted to eliminate them entirely, but Bedell and Acker said they negotiated a five-event maximum because they had four private events already scheduled for 2024.

Instead of allowing catered meals, food would be limited to "light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages," according to the RFP. The state also banned amplified music, which Bedell and Acker say was directed at their music tours and wedding parties. They said their music tours featured a pianist and an acoustic folk singer.

"It's not like we were playing rock music," Bedell said.

The state wanted a ticket booth moved from the dock area to a building 100 feet from the lakeshore.

The contract would've required $2 million in commercial liability insurance on private vehicles driven by Bedell and Acker, plus two part-time employees. The state also wanted $10 million in marine liability insurance on the boat, a figure the owners say isn't available or affordable.

Bedell said one other vendor submitted a proposal but pulled out, leaving him and Acker as the lone bidder. The state gave their proposal a poor rating based on a points system.

"We came up here with a 10-year plan based on what had been done for many years," Bedell said. "Then they gave our proposal a poor rating when they changed the line of scrimmage on us. It almost felt like we were being pushed out."

Again citing data privacy laws, Bergey declined to comment on Bedell's and Acker's bid but referenced the state's RFP when asked about the specific requirements raised by the couple.

"The Lake Itasca Guided Tours concession is intended to provide a park-themed guided tour that enhances the visitor experience at the park, fits with the nature-based recreation approach and is conducted in a manner that is not detrimental to the park or surrounding environment," Bergey said. "It is also the goal of the DNR that any concession operation would not detract from the enjoyment of the park by visitors who are not participating in a tour."

The RFP said the "park desires a tour boat fitting the traditional historic aesthetic of the park and National Historic Landmark District." It included several photographs as examples of smaller craft that would be preferred to a boat the size of the Chester Charles II.

The RFP specifically said, "catered events, amplified music and entertainment-only excursions are not part of this proposal."

Asked about the changes, Bergey said state parks are always seeking to improve visitor experiences.

"Based on Itasca State Park visitor feedback, including visitors not utilizing past boat tours, these items were changed for this solicitation," Bergey said.

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McFeely: That time O.J. Simpson fever gripped Fargo

Mike McFeely — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 16:48:53 GMT

FARGO — O.J. Simpson is dead. Cancer got him. Or as the Drudge Report blared: "Cancer Murders O.J."

Har har. My contribution on Twitter was:

He has to be buried in a white Bronco, right?

Har har. Another wag's contribution:

It's a shame that OJ won't get the chance to find the real killer.

O.J. Simpson was either a brutal murderer or a wrongly accused Black man, depending on your point of view.

The former college and NFL football star who turned into a successful pitchman (Hertz) who turned into a popular actor (Detective Nordberg in "The Naked Gun"

was

hilarious) who turned into a cultural icon after being charged and tried for murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman was a uniquely American phenomenon.

He was found not guilty, of course, in the Trial of the Previous Century in 1994-95 before embarking on what he claimed was a lifelong quest to find Nicole's real killer, something the world at large LOL'd at because it seemed O.J. was intent on visiting every golf course in the country in his search.

But there's no denying O.J. drew a crowd and headlines wherever he went.

That includes right here in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

It was a quiet summer evening in 2008 when word began to spread that O.J. Simpson was in the now-defunct JT Cigarro bar in southwest Fargo, hanging with his then-girlfriend Christie Prody.

This wasn't before cellphones or social media, but it was before smartphones were common and instant-news platforms like Twitter and Instagram were all-encompassing. And so, largely, O.J.'s presence in Fargo spread the old-fashioned way — by word of mouth.

Forum editor Matt Von Pinnon received a phone call from a fellow Forum employee saying The Juice was at JT Cigarro. And like any good reporter, Von Pinnon jumped into his car and drove there. Sure enough, there was O.J. with a blonde who looked eerily similar to his late ex-wife.

That was Prody. She was the sister of one of the bar's co-owners, Barrett Prody.

"The metro area is still abuzz today following a Tuesday visit here from O.J. Simpson," read the first paragraph of Von Pinnon's report, which was published online June 24 and in the next day's print editions.

"The former football great and acquitted murder suspect was spotted at JT Cigarro bar Tuesday night and is believed to be in town this week with longtime girlfriend, Christine Prody, who is from the area," the article continued. "And just after 1 p.m. today, Simpson teed off at Thumper Pond golf course in Ottertail, Minn., according to an employee in the course's pro shop."

In the print edition of the newspaper the next morning, Von Pinnon's story was tucked inside on A7. The updated report read:

"O.J. Simpson spent Tuesday night in Fargo sitting behind a table at JT Cigarro surrounded by interested onlookers and at least one burly bodyguard.

The south Fargo bar, which will lose its ability to allow smoking next Tuesday, was abuzz as word spread throughout town that the celebrity and one-time murder suspect was among them.

Many took cell phone photos with Simpson. Others who couldn’t get as close simply snapped photos from afar.

Simpson was seated behind a table in the rear corner of the room. Typically he was surrounded by at least 15 people, just soaking in the moment. A massive bodyguard created with chairs a perimeter around the area and stood guard to allow people in or out.

Simpson, donning his trademark white golf visor, seemed to enjoy the spectacle, often smiling, high-fiving people and posing for photos cheek to cheek.

Some in the bar said Simpson arrived around 8 p.m. Though the reason is not perfectly clear as to why he was in Fargo on Tuesday night, one witness said his girlfriend is from the area. It was also unclear who was part of Simpson’s entourage.

By 11 p.m., word had clearly spread throughout the community that Simpson was here as the bar became more and more busy and media personnel could be seen trying to confirm that it was in fact Simpson. A manager from JT Cigarro refused at least two media people access to Simpson. Later, however, one TV station was able to ask Simpson a few questions.

While the scene was borderline bizarre, some regulars at the bar seemed nonchalant about Simpson being among them."

Von Pinnon remembers entering the crowded bar and trying to get close enough to take a photo of Simpson and perhaps ask a couple questions.

"There were too many people around him. I couldn't get close," Von Pinnon said.

Still, it was the talker of the day.

Simpson, then 60, and Christie Prody, then 33, had been dating on and off for about 13 years. They met when she was a 19-year-old cocktail waitress in Los Angeles. Prody told "Good Morning America" that she was checking out his Brentwood estate when he came outside and introduced himself.

Their relationship became tabloid fodder. They lived together in a $1.1 million mansion in Miami, a home to which police were called numerous times for various alleged misdeeds. Simpson once called 911 because the inhabitant of an apartment he was in had been "doing drugs for two days." It's believed he was referring to Prody, although Simpson denied it.

Later, in an interview with "Good Morning America," Prody said Simpson was abusive, compared her constantly to his dead ex-wife and that she believed Simpson was guilty of the murders.

When Simpson was convicted for kidnapping, robbery and other offenses related to a 2007 hotel confrontation in Las Vegas with sports memorabilia collectors, Prody stood by him.

According to a 2012 Forum story, Prody's brother Barrett created a nonprofit and website to raise money for Simpson to appeal his conviction. Barrett said Christie had nothing to do with the fundraising effort.

Simpson was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Life has been a chore, too, for Christie, who was originally from the Twin Cities area but lived and worked around Fargo-Moorhead and in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

According to news reports, while dating Simpson, she was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession and animal cruelty after a cat left alone in her apartment starved to death.

In 2012, she was charged in Clay County District Court with stealing prescription pills on two separate occasions after a Moorhead family installed a surveillance camera trained on where the medicine was kept. Prody was working as an in-home nursing assistant.

She was sentenced to 45 days in jail after reaching a plea agreement.

In 2017, "Inside Edition" did a story that profiled Prody as a jobless drug abuser who was renting a home in Fargo. It said Prody's mother was caring for Prody's young daughter.

Prody told the TV show that she habitually used cocaine and meth when she was dating Simpson.

“A lot of people we knew partied or drank or used,” she said.

For one hot minute, the O.J. Simpson circus made a stop in Fargo.

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McFeely: It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't a debacle and that's a win for Bison women

Mike McFeely — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 22:02:51 GMT

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — It wasn't always pretty, but it wasn't a debacle. For North Dakota State's women's basketball program, that's a win worth talking about.

"It was kind of an ugly game," Bison senior guard Heaven Hamling said. "But we fought through it."

The Bison beat Denver 72-60 in the quarterfinals of the Summit League tournament on Saturday afternoon, with curious South Dakota State fans making up most of the crowd at the quarter-filled Denny Sanford Premier Center.

Oh, and the University of North Dakota's women's team was there, too, openly cheering for Denver. Bison coach Jory Collins did not call a timeout with 5 seconds left in retribution.

The victory was the 20th of the season for NDSU, the first time the program has reached that milestone since playing a full NCAA Division I schedule. That's a positive. The victory was just the fourth for the Bison in the conference tournament — ever. That's a positive. The Bison are in the tourney semifinals for the second time — ever. That's a positive.

But the biggest positive is that the Bison went debacle-free as the No. 2 seed.

It was a year ago when NDSU came to Sioux Falls as the Summit League's second-best team and dropped an egg the size of South Dakota. Deer-in-headlights stuff. The Bison fell behind 41-29 by halftime and lost to seventh-seeded Kansas City 71-64. High expectations met reality. NDSU looked slow, unathletic and hesitant against the Roos.

There was none of that this go-around. Collins, in fact, said last year never came up.

"We were the team that got upset last year and a lot of people asked me about that. We didn't talk about last year for one second in the last week. There just was nothing to talk about," Collins said. "That was a different team, a different time. This is a different group with a different mentality. They are a confident group. I think they believe in each other quite a bit and expected to come out and play well today."

Indeed, past deeds had little to do with what transpired Saturday. Collins plays four true freshmen and a redshirt freshman. They had nothing to do with what happened last year.

"It wasn't the greatest last year," Hamling said, "but I don't think we talked about it at all. We're a really young team, a lot of new players. The freshmen maybe watched it, but they weren't really involved with it. So we just came in today and played with our hearts and played like we know how to play."

Hamling was terrific with 25 points and 8 rebounds and the wonderful Elle Evans had 17 and 7, but Denver was insistent on taking away NDSU's 3-point arsenal. The Bison went just 5 of 14 from deep, far below their averages (8 of 20). That helped Abbie Draper get 16 points and 7 rebounds as she dominated the paint, especially in the first half.

There were warts. Denver "muddied it up," in Collins' words, in the second and third quarters and NDSU could never quite put the game out of reach. The Bison led by 13 in the opening moments of the second half, but turnovers and a stagnant offense allowed the Pioneers to pull within 50-46 with 4:35 left in the third quarter.

Was a repeat of last year in the offing?

No. NDSU outscored Denver 10-3 the rest of the quarter for a more-comfortable 60-49 lead. The Bison held off a couple of mini-runs in the fourth.

"They wanted to get us to play out-of-system and try to make scramble plays," Collins said. "We made some, missed on others. Got the ball in bad spots in others. When it got to four, I thought we settled in and responded with a pretty good run."

The concern was with how NDSU handled the press. The Bison don't have a true quick, ball-handling point guard to break down a defense. NDSU is lengthy, but not particularly athletic. It shows up on the defensive end, too.

This is NDSU's best team of the Division I era, but there are still nits to pick. They're not going to get past the Jackrabbits — or maybe even through the semifinals — with a dodgy performance.

The age-old adage applies. A win is a win is a win.

Which is always better than a debacle.

"I think they believe in each other, they believe in each other's ability. I think they believe in each other as teammates. I think they believe when things aren't going our way that we're going to be the team that's going to get it fixed faster and more efficiently. They've shown the ability to do that in a lot of tough games," Collins said. "I'll go back to November and December when we played four or five teams that are going to be in the NCAA tournament either on the road or at neutral sites. We learned a lot about ourselves that way. I think they learned that we can believe in each other. As we went on, we were going to get better and better."

A berth in the championship game, which would be a first for the Bison, is one victory away.

"My goal every year has been to get to the title game and win the championship," Hamling said. "I'm sure that was the goal of a lot of us, so we have to go ahead Monday and play the same way we played today — or probably a little better — and hopefully we'll be in that championship game on Tuesday."

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McFeely: NSIC could vote on Jamestown's admission to league Tuesday

Mike McFeely — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 03:47:43 GMT

FARGO — Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference presidents and chancellors will meet Tuesday to discuss whether to accept the University of Jamestown into the league, sources at multiple schools say.

Jamestown wants to move its athletics program from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to the higher NCAA Division II level and needs an invitation from a conference to do so. The school, located in Jamestown, N.D., applied for membership to the NSIC in May.

NSIC commissioner Erin Lind and Jamestown athletic director Austin Hieb did not respond to requests for comment.

One rumor making its way around the league might enter the discussion about Jamestown. Wayne State of Nebraska, a longtime NSIC member, is said to be interested in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, a 14-member conference with schools in Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

If Wayne State was to leave the NSIC, it would drop the league's membership to 14 teams. That's an even number that makes it easier to schedule in sports that require travel partners like men's and women's basketball. Adding Jamestown would then bring the NSIC up an odd-numbered 15 members.

But that's a recent rumor and the NSIC has spent significant time and resources looking into Jamestown.

Representatives of the NSIC took a site visit to Jamestown last month, spending two days on-campus and in the community doing due diligence. The league contingent met with the university president's cabinet, coaches and student-athletes. It also took tours of facilities.

After the site visit, Lind told The Forum everything was on track for the presidents and chancellors to "take action" on Jamestown's application before December 1. Sources said at the time there would likely be a vote around Thanksgiving on whether to invite the Jimmies to the conference.

Jamestown needs a 2/3 vote, 10 of 15 institutions, to get into the NSIC. It would begin play in the fall of 2025.

Jamestown, having been kicked out of its current home in the Great Plains Athletic Conference after this academic year, will join the North Star Conference for 2024-25.

Multiple sources said the league could take several courses of action during its meeting, anything from discussing Jamestown's application but not taking action to voting to accept or decline the school.

The most likely would be that, after discussion, the question will be called and the presidents and chancellors will have a formal vote.

While nobody connected to the NSIC will tip their hand on Jamestown's chances of being invited to join the league, Hieb and other sources have said the October visit went well. Jamestown officials believe their school is a good fit because of geography, league make-up and facilities among other things.

The NSIC already has two members in North Dakota — Minot State and the University of Mary — plus other schools like Minnesota State University Moorhead, Northern State (S.D). and Minnesota-Crookston within easy driving distance. Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, Minnesota and the league's two schools in Sioux Falls, S.D. are also within 300 miles.

Jamestown, a Christian university, would be the NSIC's fifth private institution, joining Mary, the University of Sioux Falls, Augustana University in Sioux Falls and Concordia-St. Paul.

The conference lost a member when Upper Iowa left after the 2022-23 school year to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference. That dropped NSIC membership to 15, which affected sports like men's basketball and women's basketball that play two conference games per weekend and have travel partners to make scheduling easier.

If the current NSIC members hold and Jamestown is added, having 16 teams split into two eight-team divisions is how the league operated prior to Upper Iowa's departure.

College athletics is in an era of super-sized conferences, which offers a safety cushion in the event of losing schools with further realignment.

After the NSIC site visit to Jamestown, Lind wouldn't offer an opinion on whether the school would be admitted or not. She did, though, hint that there is strength in numbers for college conferences.

"In my position, I have the opportunity to talk with leaders of all the other Division II conferences in the country. And in our talks, I hear often about their struggles," Lind said. "And when I hear about the struggles of smaller conferences, it's about scheduling and resources and all the issues that might arise because you're a smaller conference. I don't think that's a place our league wants to go."

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McFeely: Can we find the key to eternal youth in a fish?

Mike McFeely — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:15:00 GMT

FARGO — Can a humble and underappreciated fish be the key to discovering the fountain of youth? A researcher who graduated from Fargo Oak Grove High �� and Concordia College considers the fish at least worth studying.

According to a recent study published in Scientific Reports and led by Alec Lackmann, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth originally from Fargo, three species of buffalofish living in a reservoir in the Arizona desert are living to be more than 100 years old. It's just the second genus of animal for which three or more species are known to live longer than a century.

Lackmann and his colleagues believe the fish could lead to further study across disciplines like gerontology and senescence, which is the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics as a living organism gets older.

Essentially, the question is this: What can we learn from 100-year-old fish and their ability to postpone agedness?

"What is the buffalofishes' fountain of youth?" Lackmann said. "There could be something interesting there."

Buffalofish, Latin name

Ictiobus

, are a genus of fish native to the central United States, including Minnesota and North Dakota. They are the largest of the freshwater suckers, long disregarded as "rough fish" or "trash fish" because of their superficial resemblance to invasive species like carp.

But Lackmann helped shine light on the remarkable nature of buffalofish in 2019 by publishing a study conducted in Minnesota while he was working on his Ph.D. at North Dakota State University. With the help of bowfishers and others, Lackmann collected samples of bigmouth buffalo from Minnesota lakes and aged them using ear stones (otoliths) and bomb radiocarbon dating.

Of the nearly 400 fish aged in the 2019 study — which included the Otter Tail and Pelican river watersheds near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota — five exceeded 100 years and nearly 200 fish were in their 80s and 90s, often with many decades in between successful reproductions. The oldest was 112 years old and came from Crystal Lake. The study also found the fish accrue black and orange spots as they age.

It was previously believed buffalofishes' life span was in the range of 25 years.

The 2019 study eventually led an angler in Arizona to contact Lackmann about buffalofish in Apache Lake, a reservoir on the Salt River near Phoenix. Stuart Black and a group of catch-and-release anglers recently discovered how to catch buffalofish on rod-and-line. The fish were large and had distinctive orange and black spots on them.

Wanting to learn more about the fish, they eventually found Lackmann's research from Minnesota. Black reached out to Lackmann about the fish in Apache Lake, inviting Lackmann and a group of researchers to the lake, where any fish caught would be donated to science.

What Lackmann and his research team found was remarkable. The bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo and black buffalo aged were consistently old, with the vast majority 85 years old or older. All three species had fish more than 100 years old.

"To our knowledge, it is the only known lake in the world that has three species of fish greater than 100 years old currently living together," Lackmann said. "It is incredible."

The species aren't native to the Arizona desert, but records show the government stocked buffalofish into Roosevelt Lake — a reservoir upstream of Apache Lake — in 1918. Those fish were likely from a hatchery in Iowa. Evidence indicates some of the buffalofish from the 1918 stocking are likely still alive today and that many of the buffalofish in Apache Lake hatched in the 1920s.

Buffalofish have long been a neglected group of species because they're viewed as rough fish by many.

"Little did we know, we were neglecting some of the most fascinating fishes in North America," Lackmann said.

In Canada, for example, bigmouth buffalo more than 120 years old have been discovered, and gaps between successful reproduction can approach 50 years.

"Their biology is astonishing. It is amazing that a life strategy like this could evolve," Lackmann said.

Lackmann thinks the longevity of buffalofish will eventually play a role in studying the aging and senescence of animals broadly, potentially even to gain insights into our own aging process.

By living to such old ages with such frequency, it appears likely the buffalofish can avoid disease susceptibility common in most other animals.

We know how humans deteriorate physically as we age and how difficult it is for elderly people to recover from injuries and disease. That doesn't appear to be the case with buffalofish, at least for individuals in their 90s and 100s.

"Such fish are generally robust and in good condition," Lackmann said.

Research published in 2021, led by his colleague Derek Sauer, who earned a master's degree from NDSU and is now completing his Ph.D. at University of Auckland in New Zealand, found that bigmouth buffalo in their 80s and 90s were still improving physiologically relative to younger individuals.

"How do they do that? If you're in the field of gerontology, it could be very important to understand what these fish have that allows them to improve at such an advanced age," Lackmann said. "They should be monitored so that we can further study and understand their DNA, their physiology, their ability to fight infection and disease."

Do so and we might just find the fountain of youth in the most unusual spot — a once disrespected fish in the Arizona desert.

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McFeely: 'It's like a fairy tale' for Cody Mauch's family, friends as former Bison makes NFL debut

Mike McFeely — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 20:43:12 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — Tailgating options are limited outside U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. The Gold Lot, a parking lot off the northwest corner of the stadium wedged up against the light rail train tracks, is one of the areas in which Minnesota Vikings fans can drink Busch Light and grill bratwurst in the great outdoors before kickoff.

The usual purple sea of Adrian Peterson and Randy Moss jerseys was infiltrated Sunday by an island of red and light orange jerseys bearing the number 69.

The Mauch family from Hankinson, North Dakota, and surrounding areas had arrived.

Carter Mauch, a large young man wearing one such jersey, estimated there would be 400-to-500 people from Hankinson and Richland County inside the big stadium once the game inside between the Vikings and the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers began.

"It's crazy. It ridiculous. It's exciting," Carter said. "There's too many adjectives to describe it."

The occasion? The official regular-season NFL debut of Carter's brother, Cody, the Hankinson High �� graduate and former North Dakota State All-American offensive lineman, taken in the second round of April's NFL Draft.

The big redhead with missing front teeth who enthralled national TV types with his backstory of being a scrawny walk-on tight end from a tiny rural town who transformed into a massive and dominant college lineman would start at guard for the Bucs. There was some question about that because Mauch was listed as questionable late last week with a back injury.

"He's playing," Mauch's high school coach Jason Monilaws said a few hours before kickoff, smiling the sly smile of someone in the know. "We got the text."

It was the perfect set of circumstances. Mauch's hometown is three hours away from the city in which he played his first real NFL game. It wasn't in New York or Seattle or Phoenix. It was in Minneapolis, against the team many Hankinson residents and Bison fans root for. Couldn't have scripted it any better.

That was good news for all the Mauch fans who made the three-hour trip to the big city, including Cody's mom Stacey, dad Joe and eight brothers and sisters. Including all the cousins, uncles and aunts there were probably 100 Mauchs alone at the game.

Who was left back home?

"We're just excited. I mean, I don't know when it's going to set in that this is happening," Joe Mauch said. "Is it going to be when we see him run out on the field? I don't know."

"I just said to Joe, 'When is this going to set in?'" Stacey Mauch said. "We're buying the jerseys, we went to all the draft parties. When is it really going to set in? I don't know if it's going to be just, boom, or what."

The Mauchs were surely seeing the support in Minneapolis. The number of Mauch jerseys — including some sweet ones in Tampa Bay's classic "Creamsicle" orange — was impressive. A pair of Vikings fans making their way through the Gold Lot took note.

"What's with all the Buccaneers fans?" one asked.

"There's a kid that plays for them from NDSU," said the other.

"Oh yeah, that big red-headed guy," came the response.

That makes it official. Mauch is already a legend.

"We've had so much support from the community. And I don't mean just Hanksinson. You've got your surrounding communities, you've got your surrounding farms, NDSU," Joe Mauch said. "We were just talking, there's a bunch of people walking around here with Cody jerseys and we don't know who they are."

Said Stacey: "Yeah, we're like 'Who's that?' We're looking at each like, 'I don't know.' "

The Mauchs, of course, were regulars in the West Lot at the Fargodome before Bison games. This is a family that likes to have fun.

https://twitter.com/MonilawsJason/status/1700919972535378125?s=20

"It does kind of give me Bison tailgate vibes," Carter Mauch said. "Just kind of how everybody you look at is family, friends, having a good time. Just like a Bison game."

Except, of course, Cody is now playing in the NFL. And the opposing defensive line has Danielle Hunter instead of a couple of guys from Western Illinois or Indiana State.

"It's crazy. It's like a fairy tale," Monilaws said. "You got a small town of just under 900 people and you've got a kid you watched grow up who in junior high and ninth grade was just a scrawny little dude. Then he takes off and goes to NDSU and chases his dreams, works hard and becomes a phenomenal lineman in college and gets drafted in the second round.

"You can't write that story."

That's incorrect. Mauch wrote it. The proof was in one of the few tailgate lots in downtown Minneapolis and on the field inside U.S. Bank Stadium. The kid from Hankinson started at right guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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McFeely: 3M selling 'breathtaking' 680-acre resort near Park Rapids valued at $15 million, report says

Mike McFeely — Thu, 04 May 2023 14:27:32 GMT

PARK RAPIDS, Minn. — A remote getaway and conference center near Park Rapids owned by one of Minnesota's legacy corporations will soon be on the market. The 680-acre Wonewok resort complex will be sold as Twin Cities-based 3M continues to make cuts, according to a report in the Business Journal.

The company's CEO, Mike Roman, told analysts during an earnings call in April that 3M is "reducing rooftops worldwide, including exiting our conference center in Northern Minnesota," the Journal reported.

"Heartbreaking news has come to Northern Minnesota today as legendary Minnesota company 3M announces the closing of Wonewok Conference Center near Park Rapids, Minnesota," Bemidji Woolen Mills owner Bill Batchelder wrote on Facebook. "This is truly a sad day in the 121 years history of 3M."

3M is a multinational conglomerate in industry, worker safety, health care and consumer goods. The company was founded as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing in 1902. As of 2021, it had 95,000 worldwide employees but has been cutting employees and property recently in an attempt to reduce costs in a restructuring.

The company recently said it would lay off 6,000 employees across the world, including 1,100 at its headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota.

The Journal reported 3M owns and operates the center, which is valued at nearly $15 million, according to Hubbard County property records.

The Wonewok property has dozens of guest rooms in several cottages. The resort has about six miles of undeveloped shoreline on Big Mantrap Lake. A private lake named Petit Lake is stocked with trout, and the center was staffed by fishing guides to help guests clean their catch.

The buildings are surrounded by undeveloped habitat that attracts a variety of wildlife, and about 20 miles of private, groomed trails for riding ATVs, snowmobiles and horses, according to the Journal. The conference center had 40 people on staff to help guests plan activities, create special-order meals and provide customer service exclusive to each group visiting the resort.

A 2006 story by the Journal said Wonewok was used by 3M officials to connect with global customers. Employee meetings or incentive trips consume the rest of the time.

The facility was created in 1929 by a Chicago businessman. Former 3M CEO Herbert Buetow authorized the purchase of Wonewok in 1955 to create "a place away from the office to share ideas and to dream,” the Business Journal reported.

At the time of the 2006 story, the property was valued at $12 million "although if it were chopped up for individual cabins, development sources say it could easily be worth four times as much," the Journal said.

The then-mayor of Park Rapids, Ted Godfrey, said in 2006 he'd visited the secluded center for building inspections and snowmobile safety classes and it is "just breathtaking."

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McFeely: In a fit of seriousness, Republicans introduce bill to secede from Minnesota

Mike McFeely — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 19:31:52 GMT

MOORHEAD — Now you know Minnesota Republicans are getting serious. Blanked in statewide elections for 17 years and currently in the minority in both houses of the Legislature, they've discovered what they believe to be the magical elixir.

This is very serious stuff to illustrate the well of good ideas they have to attract more voters and make the state a better place.

Drum roll, please.

Republicans introduced legislation that would allow counties bordering North Dakota and South Dakota to secede from Minnesota.

Finally, they've figured it out.

Tired of picking on transgender children, supporting unpopular abortion restrictions, painting the state's most voter-heavy areas as dangerous, repeating the word "woke" countless times, whining about COVID-19 restrictions from three years ago, banning books, trying to stack school boards with loony-tunes — an approach that's only cost them multiple elections already — state GOPers decided to buckle down and offer a real solution.

Secession.

Leading the charge is northwestern Minnesota Rep. Matt Grossell, a former Clearwater County sheriff's deputy and Blackduck police chief best known thus far for getting a DWI and earlier being arrested in a St. Paul bar for being drunk and belligerent, who introduced what he's calling the Rocks and Cows Act.

See, that shows how serious the GOPers are. The name is a dig at Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Giggle.

Grossell's bill, which has more than a dozen GOP co-sponsors, calls for the formation of a commission that will "study and recommend to the legislature a pathway for counties that border the states of North Dakota or South Dakota to be separated from the legal boundaries of Minnesota and annexed into the boundaries of one of those states."

Forget that citizens of those counties could currently move to either of the Dakotas with ease, Grossell's bill furthers the most American of ideals: If things aren't going the way you like, secede.

No reason to change your policy stances that have proven unpopular to the majority of citizens. No reason to conform to the norms of democracy. No reason to admit your side needs to appeal to more people.

You just bail.

It worked well for the southern states in 1861, so why wouldn't it work well for Traverse, Big Stone, Polk, Kittson and Pipestone counties now?

New Minnesota GOP motto: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em (in the Dakotas)!

Never mind that the DFL controls both houses of the Legislature and the governor's mansion, so this is nothing more than a performative exercise meant to get attention.

And there's the question of whether it's even constitutional. Who cares?! It'll win a unanimous decision in the Court of Owning the Libs. That's what matters.

Know this, Minnesota: Your Republican legislators are literally doing nothing that could be considered competent governing, nor are they working toward improving their chances in the next elections, but they are introducing bills that will attract social media comments and talk-radio phone calls by the dozens.

That, my friends, is the mark of a serious political party. It's about dang time.

The Republicans are finally done messing around — by trying to turn some of the state's counties into Mississippi and Alabama.

Good luck trying to beat that in 2024, Minnesota DFL.

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Former Vikings receiver Adam Thielen will sign with Carolina

Mike McFeely — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 23:42:13 GMT

Former Minnesota Vikings receiver Adam Thielen is signing with the Carolina Panthers.

The Detroit Lakes (Minn.) High �� and Minnesota State Mankato product will sign a three-year contract, according to media reports.

The Vikings released Thielen on March 10. By cutting the 32-year-old, 10-year veteran, the team made room under the NFL's salary cap.

Thielen became a free agent, able to sign with any team.

The Panthers traded veteran receiver DJ Moore and others to Chicago for the first pick in April's NFL Draft, so the team was in need of receiving help.

Thielen met with the Panthers last week, according to media reports. There was said to be mutual interest between Thielen and the team in putting together a deal.

ESPN reported Carolina also met with former Detroit receiver DJ Clark, There's still a chance the team could sign him, too, according to the network.

Thielen had 70 receptions for 716 yards and six touchdowns in 2022, his seventh season as a starter. He began his career on the practice squad before earning playing time on special teams.

https://twitter.com/Panthers/status/1637597636348846081?s=20

He's played in 135 NFL games, compiling 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns.

Thielen attended MSU Mankato, an NCAA Division II school in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, on a $500 scholarship. He signed with the Vikings after a 2013 rookie camp tryout and has been with the team since, compiling 534 receptions and becoming the face of the franchise and one of the top receivers in the league.

Thielen's best year was 2017 when he had 113 catches, a mark that ranks fourth-best in Vikings history. He made the Pro Bowl after that season, his second straight selection to that squad.

He made nearly $64 million in his time with the Vikings, according to Spotrac.

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Vikings release Detroit Lakes native Adam Thielen, ending decade-long run in home state

Mike McFeely — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 15:09:32 GMT

The Minnesota Vikings released receiver Adam Thielen on Friday, ending the Detroit Lakes (Minn.) High �� graduate's run with his home-state team.

Media outlets broke the news on social media Friday morning and it was later confirmed in a press release by the team.

"Adam will forever be a part of the Minnesota Vikings family and history. Setting the standard with his play on the field, being a selfless teammate, and making a permanent impact in the community, Adam’s influence is significant," Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a press release. "We are grateful for everything he brought to the Vikings organization since arriving in 2013, and I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to work with him over the last year. ”

The Vikings cut the 32-year-old Thielen to make room under the NFL's salary cap. The Vikings released him to save $6.41 million in salary cap space, according to Spotrac, a web site that tracks professional sports salaries.

https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1634204525136433159?s=20

"The sides had discussions about a restructured deal that would've lowered Thielen's $19,967,647 cap number. Instead, he'll be a free agent, and there will be a market," NFL.com reporter Tom Pelissero wrote on Twitter.

Thielen becomes a free agent available to sign with any team.

Thielen famously attended Minnesota State Mankato, an NCAA Division II school in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, on a $500 scholarship. He signed with the Vikings after a 2013 rookie camp tryout and has been with the team since, compiling 534 receptions and becoming the face of the franchise and one of the top receivers in the league.

“Adam’s story is one many know and admire and an incredible example of what a relentless pursuit of a goal can ultimately accomplish," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement. "For over a decade, Adam honed his craft to become one of the most well-recognized wide receivers in the NFL."

Thielen had 70 receptions for 716 yards and six touchdowns in 2022, his seventh season as a starter. He began his career on the practice squad before earning playing time on special teams.

He's played in 135 NFL games, compiling 534 catches for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns.

Thielen's best year was 2017 when he had 113 catches, a mark that ranks fourth-best in Vikings history. He made the Pro Bowl after that season, his second straight selection to that squad.

Thielen's first NFL touchdown came on a punt he blocked and returned for a touchdown at the University of Minnesota's Huntington Bank Stadium, when U.S. Bank Stadium was under construction.

Thielen made nearly $64 million in his time with the Vikings, according to Spotrac.

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