FALL MEANS FORD SUV SEASON! FREE ISANTI-CHISAGOISANTI-CHISAGO Service Open 8 am - 5:30 pm M-F Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center Is Ready To Serve at Hayford Ford HWY. 65, ISANTI • 763-689-5555 • www.quicklane.com THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021 VOL. 115 NO. 12 COUNTYSTAR.COM MARCH MADNESS: Section tournaments prove rocky for area winter sports teams. PAGES 9-10 ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste’ Julia Lines refl ects on interesting fi rst year as Isanti County Administrator BY BILL STICKELS III just really making plans to move really number of organizational challenges [email protected] slowly and get to know everyone at the within the county,” she continued. county and kinda take things in.” “There was just a very old-fashioned, FToA sayL JuliaL M LinesE hasA hadN anS in- FORWeD all SknowU whatV happenedSEA next.SO N siloed! approach to the way that the teresting fi rst year as Isanti County With the rookie administrator in the different departments operated. This is Administrator would be the understate- lead, the county took on all sorts of new no ones fault. I don’t want to be making ment of the century. roles and responsibilities associated it sound like I’m blaming anyone who The North Branch Area High School with the pandemic, from distributing previously worked here.” graduate and former Human Resources CARES Act funding to providing week- Lines said she noticed the different Director for Cambridge-Isanti Schools ly COVID updates, to organizing the departments didn’t really know each took on her new position in January, distribution of COVID vaccines. other, or what they did. So when they 2020, excited for the challenges this started having to collaborate, it just felt new position would entail. Those ‘NEVER LET A GOOD CRISIS GO TO WASTE’ “unnatural.” challenges, however, quickly escalated “I do think a number of opportunities “It was glaringly apparent that we to unprecedented heights as she found came along with the unfortunate pan- needed better collaboration and better herself doing on-the-job training in the demic,” she said. experiences within county operations, middle of a global pandemic. Lines said the primary responsibility which will then translate to better “It has been quite a year. Last early of the county is to be the public health customer service for the residents,” she February I was at the Legislative Con- resource for the county. “Public Health said. ference and I was just so excited to be has worked really closely with the Based on that observation, Lines sug- learning what it is county administra- schools, the businesses, the residents gested to the Board of Commissioners tors do,” Lines said during the North 65 of the county,” she said. “To get PPEs they initiate an organizational study. STATE OF ISANTI COUNTY SLIDE PRESENTATION Chamber of Commerce’s virtual ‘State where they’re needed, to make plans for The recommendations from that study Isanti County Administrator Julia Lines in of the County’ address as she showed reopening. indicated the county should streamline a self-professed “dorky selfi e” at the Leg- a self-professed “dorky selfi e” from the “But one of the things that became their organization from 17 departments islative Conference in Feb., 2020. Lines conference. “I was down there meeting clear to me while we were responding had only been in her new position a couple months before the pandemic hit. our Senators and Representatives and to this pandemic was that there was a SEE LINES, PAGE 8 Vehicle, train collision results in minor injuries STAFF REPORT ing to statements from wit- [email protected] nesses, the vehicle stopped at the stop sign for the tracks Three juveniles are lucky and then proceeded across to be alive after avoiding when it was hit in the rear of a full-on collision with an the vehicle by the train. oncoming train at a local A 16-year-old, who was intersection. in the back seat, was trans- According to a press re- ported by Allina EMS to lease from the Isanti County Cambridge Medical Center Sheriff’s Offi ce, on March for minor injuries. The 21 at 7:03 p.m., Emergency driver and front-seat passen- Communications received a ger, who are both 17 years BILL STICKELS III | COUNTY STAR 911 call of a car that was hit old, were released to their by a train on 299th Ave NE parents with no noticeable Slightly modifi ed smores and Jackson Street NE, just injuries. north of the City of Isanti. Because all three victims The Discover Downtown “Third Thursday” event for the month of March featured a slight variation of the old Upon arrival, deputies are minors, their names are fashioned smores, featuring a roasted marshmallow between two chocolate layered cookies. As the weather found a Chevy Impala that not being released. The exact gets warmer, future “Third Thursdays” will feature more activities on Main Street, including a couple bands had been traveling west- cause of the collision is still performing as part of the City of Cambridge’s “Concerts in the Park” series. bound on 299th Ave. Accord- under investigation. NEW & USED INVENTORY ARRIVING DAILY! HWY. 65, ISANTI • 763-689-5555 • www.hayfordford.com NEWS ADVERTISING ADVERTISING PUBLIC NOTICES CLASSIFIEDS BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES 763-689-1181 ext. 107 763-689-1181 ext. 113 763-689-1181 ext. 104 763-689-1181 ext. 100 763-689-1181 ext. 101 Whenever, wherever you are! [email protected] [email protected] jdetlaff @countystar.com [email protected] [email protected] countystar.com 2 ISANTI-CHISAGO COUNTY STAR CountyStar.com MARCH 25, 2021 ISANTI COUNTY COURT REPORTS Homicide suspected in Rush City The following felony charges were fi led in Isanti County Court on March 15 - 19. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Ronald Dale Lundy, Jr. (DOB 07/06/1977), of Cambridge, was charged Correctional Facility inmate’s death March 15 with one count of assault - 2nd degree - dangerous weapon, and three counts of threats of violence - reckless disregard risk. STAFF REPORT The criminal complaint also states that after Troy Allan Wallin (DOB 07/31/1967), of Isanti, was charged March 16 with [email protected] attacking his mother, Howard then tried to kill criminal sex cond - 4th degree - victim mental impair/helpless. himself – fi rst by hanging, then by cutting his Brandon Allen Grundmann (DOB 03/15/1998), of Brook Park, was charged A man convicted of killing his own mother own throat. He told medics that his mother had March 16 with machine guns and short-barreled shotguns-acts prohibit- with a machete has died in the Rush City prison cancer and diabetes, and he was trying to end ed-own/possess/operate. in a suspected homicide. her suffering. Stephanie Kay Brozek (DOB 06/23/1990), of Cambridge, was charged According to the Minnesota Department of After striking a plea deal with prosecutors to with two counts of drugs - 5th degree - possess schedule 1,2,3,4 - not small Corrections, James Francis Howard, age 56, avoid a life sentence, Howard received a 34-year amount marijuana. was found at approximately 11:30 p.m. on March sentence for homicide that began in 2012 with a Jeff rey Ward Tollefson (DOB 04/03/1977), of Hamburg, was charged March 21 with severe injuries to his face and head in release date of 2034. 19 with drugs - 5th degree - possess schedule 1,2,3,4 - not small amount his cell at the Minnesota Correctional Facility marijuana. (MCF)-Rush City. INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY Donald Douglas Fuchs (DOB 09/28/1989), of Isanti, was charged March Corrections offi cers were doing regular Howard’s cellmate, age 29, was serving two 19 with drugs - 5th degree - possess schedule 1,2,3,4 - not small amount rounds when they discovered Howard’s condi- sentences for assault that began May 8, 2020 marijuana. tion. Offi cers reported that they entered the cell, with a release date of May 17, 2021. took Howard’s cellmate into custody and began The two men were reportedly cellmates with- CHISAGO COUNTY COURT REPORT life-saving measures until paramedics arrived. in a temporary housing unit, which means they Howard was pronounced dead at 12:20 a.m. on were not actively engaged in employment or The following felony charges were fi led in Chisago County Court on March 22. programming. March 15 - 19. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the guilty. CONVICTED MURDERER Chisago County Sheriff’s Offi ce and the DOC’s Howard had been convicted of second-degree Offi ce of Special Investigations are investigating Thomas Matthew Stimack (DOB 04/14/1984), of Fridley, was charged murder for killing his 68-year-old mother in 2011 Howard’s death. Law enforcement states that no March 15 with drugs - 5th degree - possess schedule 1,2,3,4 - not small in the town of Dalton in western Minnesota. additional information will be available until amount marijuana. According to Grand Forks Herald (grandfork- the investigation is complete. Taylor Leigh Reidel (DOB 02/12/2000), of Wyoming, was charged March sherald.com) and other sources, in the criminal According to the DOC, the last time an incar- 16 with two counts of fugitive from justice from other state (extradition complaint describing the event Howard attacked cerated person died following an altercation waived). his mother with an 18-inch machete. Howard’s with another incarcerated person was in 2013 at Xiong Pao Chang (DOB 09/13/1995), of Saint Paul, was charged March 18 mother died of a fractured skull, and several the MCF-Oak Park Heights.