Area news March 16
Area news March 16
New quarterback – Former Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Kyler Murray is signing a one-year deal with the Vikings, the team confirmed Thursday. Murray, selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals, now joins a QB room that includes former No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy and second-year QB Max Brosmer. Minnesota hopes Murray’s experience will add depth and competition heading into the 2026 season.
With Murray already owed $36.8 million from Arizona, his one-year contract with the Vikings will be for the veteran league minimum, according to NFL reports.
Murray spent the first six seasons of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, where he started 87 games.
Obstetrics services
The less populated a rural county is, the more likely it is to lose obstetrics services, especially “noncore” counties that have no towns with more than 10,000 residents. Among those noncore counties, 148 (or 11%) lost all hospital-based obstetrics services, 15 of those between 2022 and 2023.
“The rural/urban split is not new by any measure,” Julia Interrante, lead researcher of the report, said in an interview with The Daily Yonder. “But those communities that are experiencing loss of services still have women giving birth in them — 5.8 million reproductive-age women live in counties without hospital-based obstetrics, and 2.6 million of those live in rural counties.”
Public hearing on department shut down
Monday, March 16 the Blackduck Police Department was having a meeting about shutting down the police department. They would contract for law enforcement services with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. They have a new facility and a new squad car, said Blackduck Mayor Maxwell Gullette. But no police officer.
Since 2022, at least one police department in the state of Minnesota has shut down per year. The City of Motley previously discussed potential disbandment in 2023, and the City of Bagley is currently reviewing its department for such a move.
Sing Day at BSU
The annual Bemidji State University Sing Day was held with more than 200 high school students who came to sing and learn alongside the college choir. Two of the pieces sung at their end-of-day concert were composed by a BSU professor, with one composition being created especially for the event.
Bemidji State University Director of Choral Activities and composer Isaac Lovdahl has been composing and conducting for many years.
The choir will be touring around the region performing the new piece written by students. Concerts will be held in Fargo, Duluth, Rochester, Stillwater, and finally in Bemidji from March 25 through the 29th.
Certified candidates for Red Lake
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians has certified candidates for an upcoming general election in May. There are four candidates certified for the Tribal Chairman’s race, including two who have previously served in that role.
Incumbent Darrell Seki Sr., who was first elected in 2014, is seeking re-election and a fourth term as Chairman. Also certified is Floyd “Buck” Jourdain, who served as Chairman from 2004 to 2014. Seki topped Jourdain by about 100 votes in the last election back in 2022.
Two other candidates in the Tribal Chairman race are George Chi-Noodin Spears Jr. and Tim Sumner, who is currently serving as the Beltrami County Commissioner for District 4. Sumner lost a close race for Tribal Secretary to incumbent Sam Strong in 2022.
The top two vote-getters in a May 20 general election will move on to the run-off election unless a candidate receives 50% of the vote or greater.
The Red Lake Tribal Council also certified numerous candidates for elections for Red Lake, Redby, Little Rock, and Ponemah District Representatives. Two candidates were certified for Tribal Secretary, Martina Marie Beaulieu and Robert L. May, and in the Tribal Treasurer race, only incumbent Vernelle Lussier was certified.
Full list of certified candidates for May 20 general election:
Tribal Secretary - Martina Marie Beaulieu and Robert L. May
Tribal Treasurer - Vernelle Lussier (incumbent)
Red Lake District - Charles G. Martin Jr., Cherilyn R. Spears, Clem H. May Sr., David F. Desjarlait, Frank L. Defoe, Julie Ann Stately, Marcus Tyler, Nicole Desjarlait, Terry Jourdain
Redby District - Harold E. Graves Jr. (incumbent), Crystal Beaulieu-Donnell, John W. Dudley, Joseph D. Strong, Kevin Jones Jr.
Little Rock District - Angela Strong-Chaboyea, Christopher Jourdain Sr., Jason Defoe Sr., Lisa R. Beaulieu, Michelle Barrett-Cobenais, Michelle Reynolds
Ponemah District - Eugene R. StandingCloud (incumbent), Allyssa M. Dow, Chele D. Kalstabakken, Delwyn Holthusen Sr.