2019 Year in Review...

January 2, 2019: 

County Commissioners John Lerohl and Dave Sorensen retired from the board at their last meeting in December.

On Thursday, December 20, the Plummer Lions Club delivered candy bags to the children at Red Lake County Elementary School. The Lions gave out 270 bags of candy. The children were pretty excited to get the candy bags. 

Elmer Hanson drove bus for Oklee Public School from 1954 to 1976. During these 22 years, each student on his bus felt extra special when they received the gift of a Hershey’s Candy Bar at Christmas time. These bars of chocolate were not the regular sized bar, they were the HUGE Hershey’s Chocolate Candy Bar! This Christmas season, Elmer received a package from a former passenger who now resides in Arizona. In the package, was a giant Hershey’s, disguised as a snowman. 

It has gotten cold and the predictions are for 25 below for tonight. Winter storm warnings are out for tonight also.

January 9, 2019:

Icy on the roads again this morning. Schools are two hours late in many instances. We didn’t get as much snow as they did west and south of here but that is okay. More snow is expected later in the week.

On Thursday, December 20th, at the Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, the Red Lake County Rebels boys’ basketball played the Cass Lake Panthers in the second round of the tournament. The Cass Lake Panthers defeated the RLC Rebels 77-42.

Zachary Benson was selected for RLCC’s November Senior High Student of the Month. Leilah VanDam was selected as Junior High Student of the Month November.

Red Lake County Central’s Calyssa Eskeli tied teammate Brandi DeHate’s record for steals in a game (12). Eskeli recorded 12 steals against Laporte on Thursday, December 20th tying DeHates record which was set in the Northland Holiday Tournament against Cass Lake in December 2017.

January 16, 2019:

The prediction for the week is that it will not be snowy but it will be colder. Get your snuggies out and keep warm.

The Minnesota State High School League recently awarded 35 Spotlight on Scholarship certificates to Red Lake County Central High School students in grades 9-12 for their achievements in the classroom and their participation in fine arts and athletics during the 2018-2019 fall season.

Brooks Community Federal Credit Union and North Star Credit Union have completed the merger of the two credit unions effective in late 2018. The combination will provide members of Brooks Community FCU access to new products and services that weren't previously available.

January 23, 2019:

New City of Oklee Council members are Kelly Brekke and Larry (Snook) Olson. They attended their first official meeting on January 14th.

The Red Lake County Commissioners reorganization meeting was held on January 8, 2019 and was called to order by County Auditor Bob Schmitz. All members that were re-elected were sworn in by the Court Administration Deputy before any further business could be held.

This year’s Red Lake County Central 1-Act play is called “The Complaint Department and Lemonade” by Kamron Klitgaard. In this play the students each go into the complaint department with a problem/complaint ranging from not being able to hear, to having a song stuck in their head.

Cold weather has infiltrated our area now and with deep cold comes wind chill. So frostbite and hypothermia can create life threatening scenarios. Be careful out there. Bundle up with plenty of layers.

January 30, 2019:

The 52nd Annual Oklee Moonlighters Snowmobile Safari was held on January 19th with very cold temperatures in the area, but that didn’t stop members from going out and having fun. The frigid temperatures, the trails were beautiful and the sun was shining making for a great ride.

Brooklyn Bakke, daughter of Dennis and Joanie Bakke, on becoming Thief River Falls Skating Club’s newest United States Figure Skating gold medalist. Brookie is an 8th grader at Franklin Middle School and passed her Gold level Argentina Tango and Westminister Waltz this past weekend to achieve this national recognition.

Each year the Red Lake County Central ninth grade physical science class builds CO2 cars and races them in the gym. All of the ninth graders start off with a piece of soft wood in a box that also holds the wheels and axle for the car. They carve out the pieces of wood to make them look like drag cars and make them weigh as close as possible to the required weight.