Operation Float Your Boat, Lake Bemidji July 4 2012

    The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office Recreation Safety Division
wants you to be safe while watching the fireworks from Lake Bemidji on
July 4th.  Deputies and  the Emergency Operations Team consisting of
volunteers from the Beltrami County Mounted Posse, Community Guard,
Coast Guard Auxiliary and others will be conducting boat safety
inspections on Lake Bemidji during the evening prior to the fireworks
display.

OPERATION "FLOAT YOUR BOAT" will take place on July 4, 2012, at three
Lake Bemidji boat access locations:  Cameron Park, Diamond Point and
the Northwoods Access. Deputies and volunteers will be on hand to meet
each boat operator prior to launch to determine if the boat has
operational front and back lights as well as safe and sufficient
personal flotation devices on board.  Our goal is to provide a safe
boating environment for all families and friends enjoying watercraft
activities during the fireworks event.  Please take time to outfit
your boat with the items needed to safely enjoy the show next
Wednesday night and enjoy the holiday evening on the lake.

Questions should be directed to the Recreation Division at 218-333-8359.

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT RESULTS IN A DEATH - Beltrami County June 26 2012

On June 26, 2012, at 5:50 PM, the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office
received several 911 calls reporting that a communications tower
climber had fallen from a cell tower located in Lammers Township, near
Solway, MN, approximately 10 miles west of Bemidji in Beltrami County.
Emergency vehicles and personnel responded to the scene to find a 19
year old male who had fallen from a distance of 153 feet to the ground
and was killed on impact. The male, who will remain unidentified until
all family members are notified, is from North Dakota.

            Responding to the scene were the Beltrami County Sheriff's
Office, Minnesota State Patrol, Solway Fire Department and North
Country First Responders. North Memorial Air Care was cancelled
enroute.

            No other details are available at this time.

UPDATE on the TRAIL BRIDGE- Paul Bunyan Dr SE - Please broadcasts as soon as possible

PRESS RELEASE UPDATE-  The Trail Bridge project at Paul Bunyan Dr S
and 1st St SE-  tentatively the Trail Bridge project closure will move
forward on Tuesday July 3 2012-  night of.  Folks need to stay tuned
due to the fluidity of this project.  More than likely, with the
holiday invovled it may be postponed longer.

Road construction closure Schroeder Rd and additional info on the Trail Bridge Project in Bemidji

The Trail Bridge project on Paul Bunyan Dr S and 1st St E (earlier
email advised the closure is cancelled for tonight) will most likely
occur in two weeks.  We will send out information on that beforehand.

In Grant Valley Township,  Schroeder Rd SW (from Bemidji High School
on Division St W (Co Rd 14), 1 1/4 miles west) will be closed
effective today through Friday June 29 (evening) from Division St to
505 Schroder Rd SW (approximately 1/4 mile) -  detour will be Big
North Rd NW to Grant Valley Rd SW and then south on Schroeder Rd or go
further west on Division, then north on Archery Rd SW, east on Grant
Valley Rd and south on Schroeder.   Grant Valley Township will be
cutting out a section of road and rebuilding it.   No traffic allowed.


ATTN Records- for those picking up vehicles at Ellis Towing they will
need to take the detour to get to the tow yard.

PEOPLE'S VOICE to hold public discussion on reservation issues

Members of the Leech Lake, Red Lake, and White Earth reservations,

including tribal leaders and non-native people of the surrounding

communities, are invited to take part in a public discussion on issues that

affect everyone in the the area

The People's Voice open meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, June 23 at the Peoples Church, Ninth Street and America

Avenue NW, in Bemidji. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. A lunch will be

provided.

The purpose of the meeting is to give all people the opportunity to

speak and listen to issues and concerns of reservation and surrounding

community life.

"All issues are on the table," say organizers, including poverty, high suicide

rate, racist language, crime, education, casino and gaming issues, health

and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, sovereignty, tribal government,

constitutional rights, federal Indian policy, human and civil rights.

Also invited are Governor Mark Dayton, Rep. John Persell (DFL-Bemidji),

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken. State Sen. John Carlson

(Republican-Bemidji) has indicated he has previous commiitments and

cannot attend. "We are awaiting responses from other invited elected

officials," said organizers.

The People's Voice is a follow-up gathering of Native American and

concerned citizens to the Council of Conversation held in Minneapolis on

April 21 at the Division of Indian Works.

It is sponsored by the Native American Justice Task Force, consisting of

Native Americans, concerned citizens, and the Joint Peace with Justice

Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Individuals who have questions or for per-registration may contact Curtis

Buckanaga, 218-407-2801.

"We hope to see you there," he stated. "The more voices, the better."

ARREST MADE BURNING CROSS-BIAS CRIME

On May 25, 2012 at approximately 12:40 AM, Beltrami County Sheriff's
Office was notified of a citizen's call regarding a burning cross in
the reporting party's yard in Northern Township.  Officers responded
to the scene and interviewed the victim who was home alone at the time
and spotted a single individual fleeing on foot from the area of the
burning cross.  The citizen had doused the flames prior to deputy's
arrival.  Deputies discovered a racist message and other racist
artifacts on the cross and began investigating the scene for further
clues.

Today, June 6, 2012, Beltrami County Deputies assisted by the Bemidji
Office of the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau Of Criminal Apprehension,
arrested Derek Daniel Barnes, age 20, and Ryan Fairbanks Andree, age
19 both of Bemidji, in relation to the cross burning incident.  Both
are currently in custody at the Beltrami County jail being held under
suspicion of Terroristic Threats and use of Explosive/ Incendiary
Devices.  The investigation is being forwarded to the Beltrami County
Attorney's Office for review and charging decisions.  The case remains
under investigation at this time.

CRASH ON THE ALVWOOD RD JUNE 1, 2012 RESULTS IN THE DEATH OF A VICTIM

 A 13 year old girl from Blackduck, Minnesota, died Sunday, June 3,
2012 in a hospital in Fargo, ND, after sustaining life threatening
injuries in an automobile accident that occurred in Summit Township,
Beltrami County,  on June 1, 2012. The girl was trapped in the vehicle
that overturned on the Alvwood Rd, approximately 3 ½ miles east of
Blackduck, was extricated and then airlifted to a hospital in Fargo,
ND.   Tragically, she was not able to survive her injuries.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and the Minnesota State Patrol
are continuing the investigation into the crash.  No further
information is available at this time.

Those wishing to leave condolences for the family can visit the Cease
Family Funeral Home web site at
http://www.ceasefuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries .
Sheriff Phil Hodapp

SALUTE TO A PUBLIC SERVANT- K9 HUNTER

             Today, the law enforcement community salutes and honors
a truly noble public servant.   Hunter, the 14 year old German
Shepherd who was a lifelong partner to Sgt. Ernie Beitel, passed away
on June 4, 2012.  He served from 2000-2008 with the Beltrami County
Sheriff's Office.

               In 2000, Sgt. Ernie Beitel, who  had a vision of
building a successful Community Owned K9 Division for the Sheriff's
Office,  successfully wrote a Minnesota Department of Public Safety
grant ($5,000.00) to purchase a narcotics detection dog.  He then
began, along with many hours of assistance from his wife Colleen,  a
letter writing campaign to raise the remaining money (over $26,000.00
was donated from various citizens and others) to offset the costs of
training a dog.  In addition, the money raised was used as seed money
to fund additional dogs.  The Nielson Foundation also contributed
$25,000 towards the purchase of a specially trained drug interdiction
dog as part of this eventual group of 4, to include Bosco, Kayos and
Chris.

               Hunter was the first of this outstanding team of dogs.
He was originally owned by a young doctor and his family in Iowa who
discovered that Hunter was cut out for greater things in life.  His
life as a K9 public servant began when he and Sgt. Beitel met when
Hunter was 15 months old in August of 2000.  Together they spent 14
weeks in training with the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office Canine
Program.  On their initial working shift as active duty partners in
December of 2000, Hunter made his first felony arrest by tracking and
locating an automobile thief.  Thus began a stunning career and
shining example for the dogs that would join the team.

               Hunter was a dual purpose dog trained in both
apprehension as well as narcotics detection and was part of many
arrests and successful prosecutions.  He was an enthusiastic and
fearless partner who provided many hours of search and rescue missions
and assistance to the citizens of Beltrami County as well as
surrounding agencies.   In addition, he won many awards in field
trials over the years.

               Hunter retired in June 2008 when he began to suffer
from hip dysplasia.  That same spring before retirement,  Deputy Dan
Rockensock, along with his K9 partner, and Sgt. Beitel, along with
Hunter, traveled to a Narcotics Field Trial held in Edina.    Dan's
dog scored 1st place and Hunter finished 11th in a field of more than
50 dog teams.  His heart and mind were still focused on his job as a
highly trained public servant.

Hunter spent his last four years in retirement with his beloved
partner, Sgt. Beitel and his family.  He enjoyed hanging out with his
dog buddies, Jake and Reegan, even though he was always the protector
and in charge of all things dogs should be doing well in life.  When
he lost his hearing, Sgt. Beitel  was able to communicate with him
using the hand signals learned at K9 school.  Hunter never forgot the
oath that K9 dogs adhere to, just as law enforcement officers do, and
that was to "protect and serve".  Even to the end, when he was tired
and in so much pain that it was time to die with dignity, he did his
best to continue in his role as a protector and comrade to his
partner.

The Beitel family will forever miss Hunter and the joy and dedication
he brought into their lives.  They, along with the Beltrami County
Sheriff's Office, would like to thank all of the citizens and
businesses that have donated to the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office
K9 Program.  Special thanks goes to Pets Plus for food and care
products, the Beltrami County Humane Society who raised the money to
buy Hunter body armor, the Nielson Foundations and all the others who
supported this team allowing them to serve our citizens with
professionalism and pride.

Lord Byron probably said it best in his inscription on the monument of
his beloved Newfoundland dog, "near this spot are deposited the
remains of one who possessed beauty without vanity, strength without
insolence and courage without ferocity".  Thank you Hunter for your
service-End of watch June 4, 2012.



Mrs. Beryl Wernberg
911 Supervisor/Emergency Management Director
Beltrami County Sheriff's Office
Bemidji MN  56601
218-333-8320 (office)   218-755-9322 (fax)
beryl.wernberg@co.beltrami.mn.us<mailto:beryl.wernberg@co.beltrami.mn.us>
Pager 218-759-7560 or 218-333-9111