Bears Den Landing and Pine Point Landing Closed by DNR for Repaor

Bears Den Landing and Pine Point Landing in the southwest corner of
Beltrami County are closed to visitors. The DNR has closed those
locations due to a number of trees down making travel impossible.

Our unsung heroes, Beltrami Electric, Ottertail Power, Paul Bunyan
Telephone, Midcontinent and other vendors continue to work long hours
to restore power and amenities to residences. If you have questions
or concerns, please call your local provider and make sure they have
your address and contact numbers. Many crews have come in from other
locations to assist.

Finally we appreciate all of the citizens in our County that have
stepped up to help their neighbors, friends and family. We are truly
blessed with compassionate and caring citizens who go out of their way
to help others.

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.