Postal Customer PRSRT-STD Carrier Rte. Presort & ECRWSS THE Ⅵ p. 5 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sports PERMIT NO. 4 NORTHERN Bandits swept by EGF Thief River Falls, MN 56701 Ⅵ Opinion p. 4 Defund the police? Customer first. Community focused. “Northwest Minnesota’s Regional Newspaper” www.trftimes.com www.border.bank SAT | JULY 4 | 2020 218-681-8085 | Member FDIC 324 Main Ave. N., Thief River Falls, MN 56701 • Vol. 30, No. 27 Construction keeps humming along in Thief River Falls. This week, crews many cone zones in and around Thief River Falls and motorists are asked have been installing curb and gutter on the new roundabout at Highway 32 to stay alert, especially at night, stay off cell phones and mobile devices, 13 children and Mark Boulevard. Concrete installation was also progressing. There are obey posted speed limits and be patient. have had inflammatory disease in Construction keeps humming along by April Scheinoha jects/2020/thief-river-falls. River Falls, is expected to roundabout this week. The interview with the Northern Minnesota Reporter Tuesday’s update focused remain in effect for at least roundabout is expected to be Watch, RLWD Administra- on the Highway 32 resurfac- another week or week and a paved at the end of July. tor Myron Jesme said that by David Hill Construction keeps hum- ing project. Milling was ex- half, according to Project The Red Lake Watershed box culvert is expected to be Editor ming along in the Thief pected to start Tuesday on Manager Andrea Weleski. District has installed its box in place in mid-July. Another River Falls area. The Min- Highway 32 in the City of St. The public is reminded to culvert underneath High- box culvert will be installed Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state nesota Department of Trans- Hilaire. Paving was ex- use the signed detour route. way 32 as part of the West- under Pennington County epidemiologist and medical portation provided its pected to start Wednesday. Once the detour ends, side Flood Damage State Aid Highway 7, west of advisor, reported Wednesday weekly construction update The crew was then expected both northbound and south- Reduction Project. The Highway 32. Jesme expected that between May 17 and Tuesday, June 30. to move north as part of the bound traffic will be able to RLWD is preparing for the that box culvert would be in- June 19 they have had 13 re- Updates are held every resurfacing project, which use the bypass road for the installation of two other box stalled in late July. Detours ports of children with multi- Tuesday at 10 a.m. Access ends at the intersection with roundabout, which is under culverts within the next will be required for both box system inflammatory the weekly registration link Oakland Park Road in Thief construction north of San- month. culverts. syndrome in Minnesota. on the meetings tab of the River Falls. ford Health. Weleski said One box culvert will be in- According to the CDC, project website at A detour for Highway 32, curb and gutter was ex- stalled under Highway 1, multisystem inflammatory www.mndot.gov/d2/pro- from St. Hilaire to Thief pected to be installed at the west of Petro Pumper. In an syndrome in children (MIS- C) is a condition where dif- ferent body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gas- trointestinal organs, can be- TRF Council per-diem come inflamed. Children with MIS-C may have a fever and various symptoms, payments come under fire including abdominal (gut) pain, vomiting, diarrhea, Council member hosted by Thief River Falls With regard to “Open neck pain, rash, bloodshot Radio. Prudhomme also re- Line,” Holmer said he ap- eyes, or feeling extra tired. questions mayor’s ferred to Holmer’s trip to peared on the program with Officials do not yet know Washington, D.C.. Holmer Erik Beitel, Pennington what causes MIS-C. How- per diem requests had gone to the nation’s cap- County emergency manage- ever, many children with ital as part of “A Discussion ment director. MIS-C had the virus that with the Nation’s Mayors on “I honestly don’t see how causes COVID-19, or had by April Scheinoha Reporter Transforming America’s this can be abused,” said been around someone with Communities” in January. council member Steve COVID-19. Prudhomme told Holmer, Narverud. Of the 13 cases, 11 had It’s a given that, after being elected to serve on the “You’re blasting through our Narverud added that he evidence of having COVID- budget.” doesn’t think the public’s 19, only two were not con- Thief River Falls City Coun- cil, there will be many meet- Holmer replied that he trust is being abused. firmed by lab tests, but had asked the council about trav- Narverud, a county em- a history of exposure to indi- ings to attend. City Council members receive per-diem eling to Washington, D.C., ployee, said there is a “huge viduals who tested positive before going on the trip. He difference” between City for COVID-19. Seventy- payments to attend some of those meetings in addition noted everyone said it was Council and the Pennington seven percent were male, fine. Holmer didn’t stay County Board, which is paid eight required intensive to their normal salaries. However, one council mem- overnight, and Bergan “considerably more” than care. The average age of the Travel covered Holmer’s the council. children was 5. Most of the ber feels the mayor is taking advantage of the city’s policy. flight. “We’re not the county,” children, 73 percent, had no Holmer added that he has Prudhomme replied. prior medical condition. At the Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, spoken on behalf of the city County Board recently In May, the CDC sent out in both Washington, D.C., raised its own salary by a health advisory for physi- June 30, council member Rachel Prudhomme said and St. Paul. He noted that about 2% to $21,500. That cians warning that children he helped the city secure increase is effective Jan. 1. may be impacted more than Mayor Brian Holmer was charging the city to appear $80,000 in funding after a –––––––––– previously thought by windstorm. Page 6 COVID-19. The advisory on “Open Line,” a radio show Downtown pavement markings were completed this week in was issued regarding case Thief River Falls. One of the street pavement signs was this. studies of many children It’s called a “sharrow.” who have become severely ill with symptoms similar to Minnesotans asked to remain Kawasaki Disease. What’s this about? Lynfield also reported that the state had received vigilant over the Fourth of July Downtown pavement mark- rules of the road, and for cy- another shipment of remde- ings called “sharrows” were clists to follow the rules of the sivir, a broad-spectrum an- by David Hill they are not invincible and Gov. Tim Walz said that he placed on city streets this week. road and be alert as well.” tiviral medication that is Editor reminded them that neither was keeping an eye on bars. The sharrows were requested After viewing the sharrows reducing recovery time of are their loved ones. “Even if Wednesday, Malcolm said by the Bike Thief River Falls in downtown Wednesday night, COVID-19 patients. Lynfield Health officials in Min- you are statistically less there had been a lot of con- group. The signs are simply Kajewski said he was disap- said the state had received nesota are encouraging resi- likely to experience compli- versations with leaders in there to alert motorists that bi- pointed because they were too 1,685 vials. Remdesivir is dents to remain vigilant over cations from COVID-19, you the hospitality industry, and cycles may be present and to far to the right of the traffic administered in five- or 10- the Fourth of July holiday can still spread it to those more specifically with folks improve safety. They are not lanes and too close to the inter- day course. Each five-day and observe COVID-19 guid- who are.” in the bar and restaurant dedicated bike lanes. A new bi- sections in some cases. When course uses up six vials. She ance. Last week, health offi- sector. She said they were cycle trails map is also being placed that close to the intersec- said this was the state’s sev- Commissioner of Health cials identified four bars getting good cooperation. completed in Pennington tions and that far right of the enth shipment of the med- Jan Malcolm said July 4 is that were connected to the Regarding guidance for so- County, and it brings, or will traffic lane, it gives motorists ication. often a time for friends and spread of COVID-19 over the cial distancing, she said they bring, people downtown so the the impression that bicyclists Lynfield also announced family to gather. It’s tempt- weekend of June 13 and 14. sent out more materials and pavement marking signs help will be turning. If bicyclists stay the completion of a sero- ing to go back to normal, but Because of this spread, they would be making an effort at people identify safe streets. that far to the right, he said prevalance or the level of a there’s a new normal that were working with the in- aggressive and effective Glen Kajewski, a member of they face the risk of running pathogen in a population, as requires everyone to protect spection arm of the health communication with the the Thief River Falls Bike Club into car doors when they are measured in blood serum themselves, their loved ones department, hinting at pos- public.