The Five Forks area of Simpsonville will soon have a new Bon Secours St Francis Health System emergency department the health care system announced during a groundbreaking ceremony Jan 13,000-square-foot facility at 2814 Woodruff Road will feature nine exam rooms including one specifically for trauma care and will also feature CT and X-ray imaging the new emergency department will give patients access to 24-hour high-quality care for a range of emergency medical needs “Greenville County continues to grow by leaps and bounds each day increasing the demand for emergency services,” said Matt Caldwell “It’s up to us to meet that need by growing alongside our community.” The new Five Forks facility comes just two years after the health system opened the county’s first freestanding emergency department in Simpsonville and a year after it opened a new medical center in Fountain Inn in January 2024 “This is just the latest step in our overall strategy to ensure community members are able to get the care they need when and where it’s most convenient,” Calwell said For more information about Bon Secours services, locations, and events, visit bonsecours.com Input your search keywords and press Enter the redevelopment of County Square is one of the biggest — and the most important — developments in Greenville’s recent history when you have a small piece of land and it doesn’t work out as intended there’s a lot more at stake,” said Nancy Whitworth the City of Greenville’s deputy city manager “With this site and its sensitivity to the park and downtown The county-owned property is more than 37 acres equivalent in size to downtown Greenville’s core and located within walking distance of Falls Park and the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail Its redevelopment is expected to be a billion-dollar the redevelopment of a block of South Main Street across from the Peace Center the mixed-use development at the corner of North Main and Washington streets the master planned urban community on Verdae Boulevard and Laurens Road on land once owned by the late reclusive textile magnate John D at 1,100 acres and $1.5 billion when completed and we’ve got to make sure to get it right,” said Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven County Square was not thought of as a part of Greenville’s downtown But Falls Park opened in 2004 and Fluor Field two years later planning started for the Swamp Rabbit Trail a 22-mile multiuse trail that opened in 2009 Because the former mall that now houses county operations will be torn down the developer and the county have a wonderful opportunity to design from the ground up professor emeritus of city and regional planning at Clemson University and former member of the city’s planning commission and Design Review Board “They have the opportunity to be creative and efficient and make it an important part of Greenville “Any time you double or triple the density of activities it’s going to strain existing capacities,” he said “They’ll have to have other ways to get there so you don’t have to get in a car They’ll need to think carefully about the back streets They need to make it attractive and feasible to walk with site lines and well-defined walking routes.” who said the city hasn’t had discussions with the developer said the city will be interested in how the development’s design will minimize impacts on traffic The city will also look at other elements like parking The development will likely require a zoning change “There’s no opportunity to back-door anything.” Kirven said County Square is more than an extension of downtown “It’s a test bed to demonstrate how the future looks in an urban environment,” he said “It’s a clean slate where we can design and create a smart urban environment for the future Acceptable Copy Guidelines for the CJ Guaranteed Service Before issuing a press release over the CJ Guaranteed service you will have to confirm that you have the right to do so and that you have read and 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not be liable for any delay or non-performance arising from any cause beyond its reasonable control All news releases and other information transmitted by Community Journals must contain a clearly identifiable source The source indicates the entity or individual that is responsible for the Content and cannot be the name of an agency issuing news on Your behalf This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York If any provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid the remaining provisions shall nevertheless continue in full force without being impaired or invalidated in any way Any dispute arising under or related in any way to this Agreement shall be adjudicated in a court of competent jurisdiction in the County of New York Nearly two decades after the idea for a Cancer Survivors Park grew from a high school senior project to beautify an area outside a local cancer treatment center Greenville Cancer Survivors Park will hold its grand opening this weekend A public ribbon cutting will be held at 11 a.m “The Dedication to a Vision of Hope and Healing” will feature community leaders sharing the story about the creation of the park and plans for the Center for Hope & Healing a space for community celebrations and survivorship programs The ceremony will include recognition of the Greenville Health System and other contributors who made the park possible “The Garden Party,” will be held from 6 p.m The fundraising soiree will feature music by Trey Francis Guests at the party will be able to walk through the park and hear stories about the design and meaning Tickets are $125 and are available at cancersurvivorspark.org/the-garden-party.php Proceeds will benefit the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance’s education programs A free Cancer Survivors Day Celebration will be held at the park from 1 p.m Activities include walking tours of the park A survivors recognition ceremony and photo are set for 2:32 p.m Registration is requested but not required “We are excited to be celebrating a significant milestone — the transformation of a challenged piece of property into a beautiful park We still have much to do as we transition from bricks and mortar to a focus on incorporating the creative features and resources that are the essence of our vision — creating a space for hope and healing,” said Kay Roper executive director of the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance As the functions of parks grow more complex public-private partnerships have increased as a funding source Greenville’s Unity Park is an example of many of the current trends in building urban parks — a greater reliance on public-private partnerships the conversion of postindustrial sites into green space and construction of facilities that accommodate fluctuation in water levels to help water quality and flooding issues “Parks are no longer simply places for recreation That’s why public-private partnerships are so important,” said Catherine Nagel “Really where public-private partnerships shine is that they bring in more resources and skills.” While Greenville has been known for public-private partnerships for downtown development projects such as the Hyatt Mayor Knox White said Unity Park is the city’s first example of a true public-private partnership on a park The city has earmarked $20 million in hospitality tax revenue for the new park over 10 years and wants private partners to contribute another $20 million Separate from the city’s fundraising efforts is one led by Community Journals’ chairman and co-founder Doug Greenlaw to raise money for a veterans memorial in the park Greenlaw is a founder of the Upstate charter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart “Public-private partnerships have become a critical funding tool in the toolbox,” said Kevin O’Hara vice president of urban and government affairs for the National Recreation and Parks Association public-private partnerships are good for parks.” Chicago’s Millennium Park was a result of a public-private partnership Mayor Richard Daley originally proposed construction of a parking garage with a landscaped greenroof on land that had been parkland The original plan financing called for $120 million from parking revenue bonds and $30 million from private resources plans for the park had changed drastically A cycle center provides heated bicycle parking There are outdoor art galleries and a promenade and the Pritzker Pavilion that hosts the Grant Park Musical Festival Underneath the park is a 4,000 space parking garage the park was the Midwest’s most popular tourist attraction There’s a wide range of how park public-private partnerships are structured “There’s a real range of public-private partnership models to consider,” she said “The key is to fit the model to your community Some cities have a strong base of philanthropic organizations City Park would also mirror the trend in other cities where postindustrial sites are turned into parks and green space those sites are on waterfronts and riverfronts areas that some cities turned their backs on and became nasty places to which people didn’t want to go a waterfront cargo yard was turned into one of New York’s signature parks The city redirects real estate taxes from residential and commercial developments in the project zone creating a self-sustaining revenue stream that is far less dependent on concessions and permits for special events than signature parks in other major cities “Parks are helping to revitalize cities and put them on the map,” Nagel said “It’s exciting that those projects are not just happening in the largest cities but in medium and small cities as well.” CHAMBERSBURG- A multi-mile chase down Wayne Avenue and Highway has led to a trio of felony charges and more for a Fayetteville man BJ Robert James Smith failed to post bail of $200,000 after being charged with felony possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance Smith remains incarcerated at Franklin County Jail Members of the Pennsylvania State Police Incident Reaction Team for Troop H say they were on Wayne Avenue near Sheller Avenue in Chambersburg when they spotted a motorcycle and its rider that matched one believed to be owned and operated by BJ Robert Smith around 6:50pm on Thursday Smith had a DUI suspended Pennsylvania driver’s license and was found to not be displaying any plates on the bike After trying to stop the vehicle in a normal traffic stop Troopers say the bike took off southbound on PA-316 That pursuit traveled about 8.5 miles down Wayne Highway and reached speeds of over 100mph with the bike ridden by Smith utilizing the oncoming lane and shoulder to pass vehicles PSP say Smith’s bike crossed into multiple grass yards to make wide turns After crossing over both lanes of Orphanage Road and into another yard PSP say the bike turned back onto PA-316 and began traveling northbound towards Chambersburg Continuing the chase for about another mile the opposite direction PSP say that Smith’s bike left the roadway and into a wheat crop farm field eventually positioning their cars to cause Smith’s bike to become trapped between them and a wire fence PSP say that BJ Robert James had a cloth cinch bag on him which was found to have a metal canister of suspected crack cocaine inside of it more of Smith’s belongings were searched by consent and PSP say they found two plastic bags containing suspected crack cocaine The owner of the farmer’s fields that were the scene of the latter part of the chase was interviewed by PSP after it had concluded Troopers say that the owner confirmed to them that it was a planted wheatfield resulting in the agricultural vandalism charges The Tri-State Alert is a News Talk 103.7 FM publication.  Any views or opinions expressed in this publication are of the host author or group and not the publication, owner(s) AI technology assists in content creation on this site; verify independently for accuracy Privacy Policy HOPEWELL – Police are looking for the suspect who committed the city’s sixth murder of the year Wednesday night near the intersection of Tabb Avenue and Berry Street in Hopewell’s Five Forks area While officers were responding to the initial call the victim showed up at HCA TriCities Hospital The victim’s identity has not been released An investigation into the homicide is ongoing Anyone with information about the shooting or the suspect is asked to contact Det That information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Solvers at (804) 541-2202 or the P3Tips app The 2024 murder count is the same as at this time in 2023 More: Preschooler brings gun to Petersburg school. Police have arrested the child's mother More: Army major, two sergeants charged with fraud for illegally claiming COVID-19 loans GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man changed his plea Monday the day before he was scheduled to stand trial and was sentenced to 10 years with five suspended for violent crimes including endangering others by starting a fire inside their residence pleaded guilty to two counts of Class B felony endangering by fire or explosion causing danger of death or bodily injury and showing extreme indifference He also pleaded guilty to Class C felony preventing arrest and Class B misdemeanor domestic violence causing bodily injury One additional count of Class B felony endangering by fire was dismissed Law enforcement was dispatched to a reported domestic incident on Oct according to an affidavit filed in the case A woman told police Laducer had punched and kicked her She was visibly pained and her neck appeared to be swelling Laducer had started a fire inside the residence while the woman and her two children were inside Law enforcement observed large amounts of smoke and found flames on the second story of the home who physically resisted but was ultimately arrested He was sentenced Monday to 10 years with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation he will begin three years of supervised probation We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Dorothy Cox created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices I'm your Jackson neighborhood reporter As someone who was born and raised in Jackson I'm so excited to be sharing our story with the rest of mid-Michigan I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw this post from the Five Forks the quality of ingredients that goes into that everything just takes a little more." These days Vredeveld tells me that she recently compared the prices of ingredients from when they started their business in 2020 She says those prices have gone up as far as 500% "As much as we'd like to keep our cost of goods within industry standard range it's just completely blown out of the water." A pound of butter going through several hundred dollars of butter a week Even a certain chocolate they use has gone up $100 since November "We're fighting really hard to keep working at our dream and doing what we're trying really hard to do everything we can to pivot and make it work We definitely have some major issues and major concerns around lack of availability and pricing of our core business ingredients," explains Vredeveld Vredeveld says they haven't raised their prices but these rising costs may change that soon something she says they'd really hate to do "It truly has boiled down to: How do we efficiently manage this Vredeveld tells me that the dream of owning a business relies on support from customers during these tough times "Any business that's local very much relies on the people that come in and support them." Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Neighborhood News Follow us on X Like us on Facebook TedX Five Forks Youth volunteers (from left) Sarah Meade Aahanna Das and Kevin Sony have worked with Head Organizer Amanda de Leon and Co-director Lucia Ramos Calleros to create South Carolina's first student-led TedX talk High school students have led the charge on organizing planning and producing every facet of TEDx Five Forks Youth GREENVILLE — High-school students from across the Upstate are coming together to create a first-of-its-kind youth event for South Carolina as organizer and Christ Church Episcopal School junior Amanda de Leon has been told is the state’s first version of the popular event with youth organization The idea first came to her in May 2024 after watching some of the popular TED and TEDx talks online As part of the YMCA Greenville’s Youth in Government program she quickly connected with other students across Greenville and Pickens counties willing to help make this event happen and I think it was mostly just due to the fact that there's a lot of high schoolers in the community looking for these kinds of opportunities — which is exactly what I wanted to bring to Greenville,” De Leon said She and three co-directors — GREEN Upstate High School senior Zayd Kidwai Easley High School senior Lucía Ramos Calleros and S.C Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities senior Addison Moore — have created and led committees for finance A few adults have been involved along the way but the bulk of the planning and preparation has been done solely by students They have faced challenges getting the word out and securing a venue, but that hasn’t deterred the group from moving forward, she said. Following the freezing weather on Jan. 10, the TEDx event is now set for Jan. 24 at the Kroc Center Greenville. the highlight of the night will be the student speakers presenting topics they’re invested in and showcasing ideas that may resonate with the audience people — regardless of where they come from their educational background — they're going to be able to find an idea that they're passionate about and find The event features 10 student speakers who have been working with volunteers to edit their speeches and perfect their delivery and topics range from politics and light pollution to substance abuse and money management de Leon is hopeful this is not the last TEDx Five Forks Youth event I'm hoping that this can be something that's carried on without me,” she said TED was started in 1984 to discuss technology, entertainment and design. TEDx was launched in 2009 to create local independent versions of the popular think-tank speaking sessions For more information, or to purchase tickets for the TEDx Five Forks Youth event, visit tedxfiveforksyouth.com. Follow Caitlin on Twitter/X @CatHerrington News tips/online questions: greenville@postandcourier.com Subscription questions: subserve@postandcourier.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Contact: Eric Schreiner Download the NPS app to navigate the parks on the go A $23 million Bon Secours St. Francis Health System emergency department is under construction in the Five Forks area of Simpsonville The 13,000-square-foot facility will be located at 2814 Woodruff Road and provide patients with 24-hour care for various emergency-medical needs It will include nine exam rooms with one specifically for trauma care The facility will also feature CT and X-ray imaging A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the project in late January Construction is expected to be complete by spring 2026 Steve White Auto Group announced it’s acquisition of Volvo Cars of Greenville in late January Volvo Cars of Greenville was previously located at 2668 Laurens Road The real estate was not included in the dealership purchase Steve White Auto Group now has 150 employees was founded by Steve White in Georgia in 1965 The auto dealership purchased Audi Greenville and Volkswagen Greenville in late 1999 and has sold the brands for 25 years Chick-fil-A opened in its new location in Simpsonville in early February the 6,000-square-foot store features an expanded dining room with 100 seats Chick-fil-A Simpsonville closed its former store at 669 Fairview Road Jan GRAND FORKS — Five years after the discovery of COVID-19 onboard his Grand Princess cruise left him quarantined aboard the ship a Grand Forks man easily recalls details of the trip It was the last vacation he spent with his wife who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and died within six months "We had a lot of people cheering for us," Paul Kolstoe recently told the Grand Forks Herald In spite of Kari's 2018 diagnosis of stage four neuroendocrine cancer they decided to proceed with their long-held Hawaii plans hoping the cruise would serve as a reprieve Altru Cancer Center staff even found a way to schedule Kari's radiation therapy appointments — which helped manage her pain — to accommodate for the cruise "The medical people were all cheering us on to get on the cruise and get going," Kolstoe said Kari even checked off a bucket list item: touring an island by helicopter As the ship sailed in circles off the coast many throughout the country — and beyond — followed the complex journey "Suddenly our existence became known to the news media and that grew fairly rapidly," Kolstoe said "There were several people on the ship who they were talking to but I think Kari kind of became the 'poster child' for the ship People were concerned for her because they knew she needed to get back home for her next round of radiation therapy Her pain worsened as treatment was delayed yet she was didn't want to be seen as a "sad story." "She didn't want us to be victims," Kolstoe said and that was important — but everybody on the ship had something important to get back to." this was her mission: showing that it's possible to face adversity with a positive attitude and faith This was perhaps the best distraction she could have had he supported her by being her cameraman and discussing possible questions with her in advance of interviews and we could position her with pillows and things like that to try and minimize the pain," Kolstoe said but could only do so much to make his wife more comfortable She recalled a nice chair on the uppermost deck of the ship were able to be removed and brought inside Her husband rolled up a pair of jeans to rest his head on at night; she repeatedly expressed how sorry she felt for him One of their daughters ordered body pillows from Target “He was trying to come up with ideas (of how to get them to us and he thought) he might just go to the fence of the base and throw them over One person had to go downstairs to collect their meals three times each day Rules were made in one moment and changed or discarded entirely the next People herded together — despite instructions to stand 6 feet apart and not interact — asking what the others knew especially in the early days of the pandemic and it was especially difficult for those already prone to anxiety psychotherapist and owner of Therapy Works Midwest She met with clients who never before felt their anxiety impacted their lives enough to warrant treatment All of the unknowns had caused their mental health to drastically worsen Providers were generally able to quickly and easily transition to telehealth but were forced to participate if they hoped to continue providing care during a time when more people needed it that change has been positive for accessibility," Dockter said Paul Kolstoe was able to work remotely during the final months of his wife's life which they spent together at his parents' lake cabin staying in a living space inside the garage keeping their distance to reduce any chance of infection "My youngest grandson had been born in the early summer," Paul Kolstoe said but she could see him through the screen door.” The COVID-19 pandemic was traumatic for many people for the fear it caused as well as the impactful life events that had to be altered or foregone entirely the pandemic was something like background noise Because they had known for more than a year that Kari was terminal "nothing was going to come along that was going to interfere with our commitment to each other to get through that," Kolstoe said The couple had also lived through a traumatic experience decades earlier; they lost their home in the Flood of 1997 Kolstoe believes that experience prepared them for this one more than any of his professional training or experience Knowing they'd gone through something so difficult yet powered through and came out the other side Paul Kolstoe recorded his wife's funeral to later show his mother who was in an assisted living facility and couldn't attend and I stood outside her apartment and showed her the funeral through the window and we talked through the window," he said That is the most challenging thing Dockter observed about the pandemic — the inability to be with loved ones to support them during illness or to say goodbye because then there's difficulty with closure," she said particularly those in assisting living or nursing homes "The people who are already lonely and depressed were more lonely and depressed," she said so he stays with me," he said with a laugh Kolstoe still lives in Grand Forks and works as clinical director of the Life Skills and Transition Center in Grafton He originally planned to retire about two years ago and travel the world with his wife but his retirement plans were derailed after her death I'm planning to work another three years," he said "That's quite a change in strategy and lifestyle but you have to deal with what life deals you especially willing to work in developmental disabilities Sportsclub Fitness & Wellness announced Dec 18 it will rebrand as Acac Fitness & Wellness Centers by mid-January One of its locations is 712 Congaree Road in Greenville the sites have received a number of improvements brand new locker rooms in the Five Forks location Additional upgrades are planned for these three locations but details have not been announced “When we entered into the Greenville market about two and half years ago we decided to maintain the Sportsclub brand due to its strong reputation in the market,” said Chris Craytor “Our plan has always been to re-invest heavily into the clubs which we have done over the last two years before introducing our Acac Fitness & Wellness name to the market We’ve made millions in capital improvements since taking the reins we’re now proud to welcome these locations officially to the Acac family.” Acac Fitness & Wellness Centers also has locations in Virginia and Pennsylvania. For more information, visit acac.com EAST GRAND FORKS – Following a good showing at the Minnesota State VEX Robotics Competition the East Grand Forks team is preparing to head to the VEX World Championship this spring and it has been very exciting to see the team the whole time,” Coach Nathan Blair said “I knew they were going to do well (at the competition) The Minnesota State VEX Robotics Competition was held Feb and is the state’s largest competition for K-12 robotics The East Grand Forks Robotics program came home with five invites across its three teams to the Worlds Competition The teams also earned four awards recognizing their design Sixty high school-level teams and 54 middle school-level teams competed This was the fourth year qualifying for the state competition for the East Grand Forks senior team SynthWave The team made it to the quarterfinal round of the head-to-head competition and won the skills tournament with the highest score of any team throughout the season which recognizes the most effective use of coding techniques and design for game challenges Luke Massmann and Sebastian Olson got two invites to Worlds East Grand Forks had two teams competing in the Metal Robot middle school division The Constructors made it to finals in the head-to-head tournament and won the skills tournament The Constructors team is made up of Braiden Anhorn The Robo Turtles made it to the quarterfinals in the head-to-head tournament recognizing their team's approach to engineering its robot The Robo Turtles team is made up of Zoe Baez Nathan Blair also won the Mentor of the Year award and Jessica Johnson won Volunteer of the Year for the time she has put into helping the team compete The team is currently fundraising to help fund its trip to the world competition in early May Around 800 high school teams and 500 middle school teams from across the world will be competing in the VEX V5RC Worlds Competition in Dallas More information on the fundraising can be found on the East Grand Forks Robotics Facebook page went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday surrounded by his family at the Chambersburg Hospital the son of the late Harold Fox and the late Helen Barr DuWayne formerly worked for Hagerstown Canteen Service where he made lifelong friends but worked the last 11 years for AAA Paving and Excavating fishing for small mouth bass on the Susquehanna River spending time at his cabin with his friends and family DuWayne was a member of the Waynesboro Moose Lodge 1191 the Waynesboro American Legion Post 15 and the Waynesboro Owls Club DuWayne is survived by his wife of 42 years DuWayne is preceded in death by his father and stepmother A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 1 p.m. at the Five Forks Church In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in DuWayne’s memory to the Antietam Human Society The family has entrusted DuWayne’s care to Kelso-Cornelius Funeral Home in McConnellsburg Online condolences may be expressed at the funeral home’s website MORE OBITUARIES Family was the most important thing in his life and he watched college and professional sports of all kinds spending his free time hunting and fishing He loved animals and spending time with his grandchildren Dan was a lover of all things PSU and a staunch supporter of the legendary Joe Paterno Following a stint as a cryptanalyst with the NSA Olson took a job with IBM where he worked as a financial analyst for 26 years in a crash involving a lawn mower in Greene Township the public is invited to another ‘Paint Night With Patty’ in our downstairs area at Zion Reformed Church Penn State Extension Spring has sprung and while the change is welcome it is often when horticulturists see problems emerge that got The Franklin County Free Press is your local news website We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from Franklin County PA The Franklin County Free Press is a Neil Publishing, LLC Any views or opinions expressed in this publication are of the individual or entity who submitted it and not the publication Our publication is open to the public to weigh in on matters of public interest Call or Text: (717) 862-5656   Email: info@fcfreepress.com GRAND FORKS — Owen McLaughlin had a brief moment during Wednesday's weekly press conference The usually reserved UND forward began explaining what mentality his team needs this weekend against Minnesota Duluth immediately froze after he realized his mistake and covered his mouth His teammates were entertained by the gaffe and wondered if it was the precursor to a big weekend McLaughlin delivered the biggest game of his UND career McLaughlin tallied five points as UND hammered Minnesota Duluth 6-1 on Saturday in Ralph Engelstad Arena to complete a series sweep McLaughlin scored a goal and set up four tallies during a five-goal The onslaught was fueled by a five-minute major on Minnesota Duluth's Jack Smith who checked UND's Dylan James into the boards from behind UND scored three times in the span 2:13 on the major power play to blow open the game We had a lot of intensity in the second and third Sacha Boisvert and Cameron Berg each had two-goal games while defenseman Jake Livanavage tallied three assists "It's definitely fun — everyone going crazy in the stands," said Boisvert It's definitely a good environment to be a part of." McLaughlin became the third UND player to have a five-point game in the last decade Jackson Blake did it nearly a year to the date — against the same Bulldog team who is now on the top line of the Carolina Hurricanes had a goal and four assists against Minnesota Duluth on Feb Forward Collin Adams tallied five assists against Miami in the 2021 National Collegiate Hockey Conference quarterfinals the last to do it was Mark MacMillan on Oct "What I've noticed about Owen is the pace of his game," UND coach Brad Berry said "We know he has the God-given ability to make plays and be an offensive player But the pace of his game has increased — even on puck battles and going and trying to get the puck back He's playing with two good players in Cameron Berg and Dylan James They're complementing each other on that line but the pace of his game has really increased." UND (17-12-2) continued its dominance over Minnesota Duluth (11-17-2) The Fighting Hawks have won eight in a row against the Bulldogs and have outscored them 37-11 in those games There hasn't been a single one-goal game in that span UND is 12-1 in the last 13 against their U.S Highway 2 rivals UND chased Minnesota Duluth's starting goaltender in three of the four games this season It was Adam Gajan twice in Duluth in November who was pulled after allowing five goals on 18 shots "It's always tough to win back-to-back and sweep in the NCHC," Berry said "I'm proud of our guys the way they battled back tonight." UND stayed a point ahead of Denver for fourth place in the NCHC standings and moved within a point of third-place Omaha It sets up a heated race between three teams for the final two spots of home ice for the NCHC quarterfinals with two weeks to go in the regular season plays at league-leading Western Michigan and hosts Omaha Cloud State and plays a home-and-home with rival Colorado College "After beating Denver last weekend and sweeping this weekend we definitely have momentum going," Boisvert said "We're going to have a great week of practice then hopefully sweep next weekend against Western." UND scored six times without a 5-on-5 goal The Fighting Hawks had gone 3-for-19 in their previous nine games "There's a purpose now as far as moving pucks quicker," Berry said They're moving pucks quick and then there's a shot mentality going on Semptimphelter came within a minute of being the first goaltender to shut out Minnesota Duluth this season Warroad (Minn.) High grad Jayson Shaugabay scored a power-play goal — Semptimphelter put the Bulldogs on that advantage by pushing the net off its pegs to get a whistle — to break it up Semptimphelter still had an outstanding night The senior goaltender is 4-1 with a .947 save percentage in his last five starts "What he's doing is giving our team a sense of strong confidence in the locker room here," Berry said "Even if we get hemmed in a little bit or they get an outnumbered rush there's a great chance he's going to make that save now because when you have a goaltender that makes that save HOPEWELL — Less than 24 hours after a press conference was held to address a recent uptick in violent crime shots were fired outside of the Five Forks Food Mart on Berry Street in Hopewell 8 requested people to avoid the 2500 block area of Berry Street due to police investigating shots fired I drove down to take a photo of the convenience store located on the corner of Berry Street and High Avenue so I stopped to see how she was feeling about the crime incident in her neighborhood 'We just want answers' Hopewell gathers to 'Protect the Peace' and support mothers of gun-violence victims "I was in the house when I heard the shots I came out on the porch and saw a lot of police and detectives at the store," Dorothy Flowers said as she pointed I asked Flowers how it made her feel having this happen so near her home "It don't bother me none as long as it's not at my house." Victim airlifted, expected to survive Man shot in mouth Sunday; he is Hopewell's sixth shooting victim in 16 days her nephew Alexander Allen III and his cousin Joseph "JoJo" D were found shot to death inside a home on Ruth Harris Way Flowers has lived in the home she inherited from her father since March this year there's been no shootings this close even when my father lived here They need to do something about the violence in Hopewell." A Hopewell Police Department media release dated Aug the Hopewell Police Department has worked relentlessly to combat violent crime Collaborating with several state and federal agencies along with REAL LIFE and numerous community organizations the department achieved a significant reduction in violent crime rates Homicides were reduced by 71% and overall violent crime decreased by 40% the landscape of public safety changed dramatically on July 20 prompting an urgent response and renewed efforts from law enforcement and community leaders." The community is invited to the Protect the Peace Cookout on Wednesday at Arlington Park located at 2700 Court House Road in Hopewell It is being hosted by the Hopewell Police Department a Richmond based nonprofit dedicated to creating pathways to attain and sustain a thriving life for those who desire change Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe GRAND FORKS — Clerks at five Grand Forks businesses sold tobacco products to underage buyers during the Grand Forks Police Department's compliance checks Tuesday did compliance checks at 20 different businesses that have tobacco licenses according to a press release issued Thursday morning The checks were carried out in compliance with SYNAR grant funding through the Grand Forks Public Health Department and North Dakota Department of Health individuals under the age of 21 enter establishments that sell tobacco products — under police officer supervision — and attempt to purchase said products and promptly display identification if/when asked for it The businesses where tobacco products were sold to the underage buyers include the Rock Bottle Shop Simonson's Station Store located at 310 Gateway Dr and Petro Serve USA on 1220 University Ave The clerks who sold the tobacco products were issued citations and the stores will face administrative sanctions Minn.- The Hibbing/Chisholm boys hockey team entered semifinal play on Friday in hopes of their first state title game appearance since 1994 Hibbing/Chisholm matching up with East Grand Forks in the Class A Semifinals The Bluejackets had a 5 to 2 lead in the 2nd period but the Green Wave didn’t give up scoring five unanswered goals for the 7 to 5 win Hibbing/Chisholm had five different goal scorers in the contest They’ll next play for 3rd place on Saturday against Orono at 9:30 AM Most days find Hailey Minten working with her mother at their seasonal boutique in Five Forks where they work “within 20 feet of each other,” according to Hailey Minten the family has worked together to create a business that means more to its customers than items on the store’s shelves Each brings a different strength to the operation from Tourville’s design skills and Hailey Minten’s business focus to mom Kerry Minten’s ability to do “everything,” according to Hailey who said her father also gets in on the work “We call him Maintenance Man Dave,” Hailey Minten says Kerry Minten opened and ran a store in Wisconsin before the family moved to South Carolina and settled on the coast where Hailey started school at Coastal Carolina University Hailey fully credits her mother’s vision and determination in opening that first store with inspiring all that has come since she and her mother opened a shop in Myrtle Beach And when Hailey graduated and Tourville finished interior design school in Wisconsin the family decided to make Greenville their new home While they considered opening a business downtown they ultimately chose the Five Forks area of Simpsonville five years ago It has become a community favorite for shopping and connection We always like to keep it fresh and change it up all the time.”  More Women in Business: Sarah Kidane, Sarah's Savory from rich fall colors to sparkling holidays to summer sunshine for graduations and Mother’s Day the family team listens to customers and offers new inventory based on their requests – like expanding their apparel offerings “The three of us are also the buyers,” Minten says “Because we're working in the store every day we're looking for this,’ we know the next time we buy to look for that Our customers definitely are influential here We do really strive to get the brands and the trends that our customers are looking for.”  But the reality is that customers can shop anywhere Minten says the personal connection many find at Rustic II Refined is what creates community and turns shoppers into friends The family is working toward expanding to a new location creating a spot with both a larger storefront and space where people can gather and connect over a class or fun evening out both in what they offer and how they celebrate each other and their customers like doing a limo tour of displays of Christmas lights with proceeds benefiting a nonprofit and participants making memories together “They always come to us as their safe space,” Minten says it's kind of touching – they come in because they get a cup of coffee From rough weeks at work to the loss of family members customers know where they can turn to find a listening ear and whatever they need to help with gifts Minten says one customer came in recently following the loss of her mother shopping for items that resembled her mother’s style More Women in Business: Tea-lover brews up a business plan “It’s things like that that I feel like we're helping the community through – the really highs like weddings and baby showers and gender reveals and things like that – but we're also helping them through the lows,” she says I feel like that's really the community that we've created Shop in the store or learn more and shop online at rustic2refinedsc.com -- A teenager was critically injured in a shooting outside a convenience store in Hopewell Friday afternoon Officers were called for a report of a person who had been shot in the 2600 block of Berry Street just after 4:35 p.m. The shooting happened outside the Five Forks convenience store they found a 16-year-old boy suffering from multiple gunshot wounds The victim was taken to an area hospital with injuries police described as life-threatening No details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting were released "The investigation into this incident continues," Taylor said "Members of the Hopewell Police Department Criminal Investigation Unit have initiated an investigation into this incident." Anyone with information about the case was asked to call Lead Detective Shawn Grant of the Hopewell Criminal Investigations Unit at 804-541-2284 Persons with information on this crime and who wish to remain anonymous may contact the Hopewell Prince George Crime Solvers hotline in Hopewell at 804-541-2202 or provide their tip using the P3tips mobile app This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share. EAST BATON ROUGE — Three people have been arrested after an early afternoon pursuit in Shenandoah with East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies in connection to a shooting on Woodlawn Acres Ave It comes after a shooting that happened on Friday 2025 in the 15000 block of Woodland Acres Ave deputies say two unidentified men approached the home and opened fire The home and vehicles were riddled with bullets with holes and evidence markers visible from the roadway Deputies say they learned that an unknown shooter from inside the Woodland Acres Ave home allegedly returned fire through a closed door Those bullet(s) ended up going across the street and hit two vehicles. All the suspects fled the scene  It’s why EBRSO deputies obtained arrest warrants for Dylan Brownware That’s in the Shenandoah area and the two are believed to be connected to the shooting on Woodlawn Acres Ave Prior to executing the warrant by the SWAT team EBRSO’s Gang Intelligence and Enforcement Unit saw a vehicle leave the home at Five Forks Dr It’s why deputies attempted to stop the vehicle but instead That pursuit ended when the vehicle crashed into a tree at 5625 Port Hudson Drive and three individuals allegedly ran from the vehicle All three men were captured a short time later in the neighborhood All three handguns were recovered by deputies Brownware is charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property firearm/machine gun handling and resisting an officer EBRSO says Brownware also has an active arrest warrant through the New Orleans Police Dept for principle to attempted second-degree murder for a shooting that happened in November 2024 was also arrested after the pursuit and he’s charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder Kevin Davis also has an active bench warrant through 19th JDC for illegal carry of weapons and resisting an officer He is not believed to have been involved in the shooting on Woodlawn Acres Ave. But he was arrested and charged with firearm/machine gun handling and resisting an officer was arrested the following day and charged with five counts of principal to attempted first-degree murder Booking photos have not been released at the time of this article’s publication Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.  Help support UWK and their mission to continue providing you “The News You Deserve. Unfiltered.” Sign up to become a monthly patron via Patreon Drop us a line and we’ll be happy to follow up Let's ConnectFollow along on your favorite social media platform and get the latest updates directly in your feed Download our app or join our newsletter for instant access to breaking news and in-depth stories from anywhere — A man was hit by an SUV in Hopewell on Thursday night The crash happened in the Five Forks area at the intersection of Arlington Road and Raleigh Street Sources say the driver did stop after the crash An update has not been given on his condition This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share. COVID-19 closed schools throughout the region students on either side of the Red River stayed home following executive orders from Minnesota Gov What was intended as a few days’ closure turned into months of remote learning and then another year of hybrid and distance programs To commemorate the anniversary of the first school closures educators and School Board members for what they took away from living through a pandemic and its aftermath (Grand Forks Public Schools spokesperson Melissa Bakke said the district would not comment for the story after the Herald reached out to Superintendent Terry Brenner.) Brian Loer speaks with the experience of a man who has been a high school principal for 16 years and an educator in East Grand Forks for 32 years “It was an awful experience for everyone involved,” said Loer We had to do a lot of different precautions and different things that upset the apple cart.” Remote and then hybrid classes were “just a royal pain,” but Loer does believe there was one upside: it forced educators to learn how to teach distance learning only around 20 of East Grand Forks’ sixth- through 12th-graders attend school virtually but schools and colleges like UND are increasingly adapting online learning as a model where East Grand Forks’ students can enroll “It definitely is changing the way we educate everybody,” Loer said a former member of the advisory board for St says she and her family had no trouble adapting when schools began formulating their social distancing and masking procedures ahead of the fall semester Her youngest daughter is “medically fragile,” in her words and the Quinns recognized the initial safety procedures prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control as essentially the same ones the family had been expected to follow visiting the hospital during cold and flu season So while she has sympathy for the parents who resisted the masking she knows the school made the right decisions we cannot succumb to the loud minority,” Quinn said Michael’s and Grand Forks Public Schools during the pandemic so she saw all the different ways people viewed and dealt with the pandemic and our lasting change from this has been to recognize that other people can have a different view and we want them to protect our position in this and we will respect theirs,” Quinn said Dave Wheeler took away from COVID-19 all the ways that distance learning didn’t work somebody there for them on a daily basis to coach them through the work and support them in that way,” he said Wheeler was an elementary school principal in Thompson he took a job as superintendent of Manvel Public Schools the state allows Wheeler to hold virtual learning days in lieu of makeup days Wheeler picks the makeup days whenever he can whether they’re doing it online or or they’re doing it at school “But protecting those kids that are most at risk really became a focus for us.” When he’s not making sure his students are getting into school he’s making sure there are people there to teach them eight or 10 people would apply for an open job The first weeks and months of the pandemic was actually a positive experience for her daughters Michael’s would deliver sack lunches to their home during remote schooling with little supportive notes inside written by kitchen staff “We still felt very connected to the school during that time,” Gibbs said Classes were stripped down and schedules structured to minimize students’ exposure One of her kids didn’t go on a regularly scheduled class trip; her other daughter didn’t get to take art class and others’ struggled to keep up academically; physically isolated they missed memories and important parts of growing up that will carry the pandemic and the years that followed for longer They’ll carry bits and pieces of it,” she said we’re still living in the era that COVID ushered in She remembers sitting in socially-distanced Grand Forks School Board meetings feeling the anxiety of trying to make the right decisions about when students could go back into the classroom what precautions the district had to take regarding COVID some community members were increasingly rejecting the scientific guidance issued by public health agencies in lieu of disinformation “I think about the hours we spent listening to people talk about how we were killing their children with masks,” Shabb said to sit there through that when you’re just trying to do your best.” Shabb watched the COVID-19 pandemic expose many fissures that had gone unnoticed before the pandemic struck She would hear about kids Zooming into virtual classrooms while taking care of their younger siblings since their parents had to work and there was no daycare who declined to run for reelection to the School Board in 2024 those fissures – socioeconomic and cultural – are the legacy of the pandemic “The judgment that we have with other people now and we haven’t really ever gotten away from that,” she said Greenville’s Chestnut Coffee Shop is expanding to Clemson Over the weekend of Aug. 16, the shop announced on social media that it will add a location in the former Stumphouse Cafe/Creamery space at 115 Market St but in Tigertown,” said co-owner Brandi Ward Ward said the Clemson store will be decorated with orange accents and university memorabilia The plan is to open in early September to coincide with the first home football game against Appalachian State Earlier this year, Chestnut announced plans for a Five Forks location across from Sportsclub on Scuffletown Road Ward’s background is in interior design and is thus “The coffee and the experience is the same but the atmosphere is just different at each [Chestnut],” Ward said The coffee shop‘s flagship location in the Verdae community of Greenville serves Methodical Coffee-roasted beans and a neighboring market with locally-sourced provisions and home items If you had the money to live large in South Carolina A look at some of the state's wealthiest cities and communities may give you a couple of ideas The cities were identified based on a four-factor scoring system: median household income where one island getaway took the throne for richest community in the state An Upstate town was also listed among the top 20 More: Travelers Rest among 15 best US small towns for a summer vacation. What other towns made the list? lined with 10 miles of protected shores and sunshine It is also home to award-winning resorts and championship golf courses the largely private island has over 1,000 total households surpassing the number of households in most of the state's wealthiest cities Its median household income is the highest in S.C and its mean household income is also the state's highest at $366,392 Kiawah Island had the second highest median home value at $1,442,000 Median property taxes also exceeded $8,000 per year More: 10 South Carolina state parks to put on your summer bucket list: 4 are in the Upstate More: Richest city in NC is minutes from Asheville: See the top 10 in Forbes analysis More: Colorful pianos are popping up in Greenville, with more to come: What to know Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News Port Angeles’ Leia Larson won the 3,200-meter run, Teanna Clark… Continue reading The East Jefferson boys soccer team won a critical… Continue reading Port Angeles senior Faerin Tait ran to victories in… Continue reading The Port Angeles girls softball team took care of… Continue reading Sequim and Forks combined for 34 base hits in the… Continue reading Runners and walkers will… Continue reading Sequim rallied to knock off second place North Kitsap 7-4… Continue reading The Port Angeles baseball team is entering a softer… Continue reading Senior Simon Barlow notched a hat trick as East… Continue reading © 2025, Peninsula Daily News + Sound Publishing, Inc. + Black Press Media The Greenville News asked candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek before ballots are cast and challenger Missey Marsh have to say about the race for Greenville County School Board District 27 Marsh: I work in project controls for an engineering firm Dulin: My husband and I have four children and completed my Early Intervention Credential through USC School of Medicine After calling Charleston home for nearly two decades I moved back to the Upstate for educational resources and to be closer to family Marsh: I've been a proud resident of Simpsonville and Fountain Inn for 18 years three of whom graduated from Greenville County Schools; one is currently enrolled and booster roles in five schools in district 27 during the last 16 years I am the co-founder and President of the Fountain Inn High School Booster Club I led efforts raising over $653,000 for FIHS Athletics My volunteer work reflects my motto: "Do the work” and how long have you lived there?Dulin: I am a resident of Five Forks I have lived in Greenville for nine years now Marsh: I have lived in the Simpsonville and Fountain Inn Communities for 18 years Dulin: It has been an honor to represent my area and make sure parents' voices are heard on our School Board I will continue to seek input and opinions from residents of our area because I care about their wishes and values for our school system The main concerns parents and residents have are that campuses are safe for children and employees every single day making sure great teachers are in classrooms and that they have higher salaries providing resources for students to be successful and reach their individual potential and that we are responsible with tax collection and spending Marsh: I am running for the School Board to leverage my experience and dedication to positively impact our children and staff My priorities are eliminating unfunded state mandates and fostering a collaborative community that supports parental choice I aim to prepare our children with the skills and values needed to lead and succeed by teaching them the power of their voice and the importance of civic engagement Dulin: We have approved new schools and additions to existing schools in my area and will continue to do so to prevent overcrowding I am very much looking forward to working with County Council to address the unprecedented growth in my area in particular and will continue to ask that developers and corporations contribute fairly rather than being offered huge tax breaks which put the burden of new infrastructure on existing residents and small businesses Marsh: We need better communication on the impact of growth on schools We need an open line of communication to inform cities and county councils about the expected increase in student numbers with each annexation or rezoning Regular meetings will help officials understand current school capacities and keep the district updated on potential developments It is crucial to collaborate on covering additional needs to ensure students receive quality services and teachers and staff have the infrastructure that match the pace of growth Dulin: Three of my own children are in our schools daily and I deeply feel the need for safe campuses Our Board has been proactive in funding SROs for all middle and high schools and will continue to hire more as they are available until every school has a dedicated officer every day We agreed to purchase multiple weapons detection devices and fund the teams to operate those on multiple campuses daily we have advocated to the State to consider a waiver so retiring officers can accept these jobs right away without waiting a year or losing their benefits Marsh: To improve safety in Greenville County Schools I propose: Enhanced Communication Training: Ensure all students and parents know how to report safety concerns and understand emergency protocols Community Engagement: Involve parents and community members in safety initiatives to create a strong Regular Safety Assessments: Conduct frequent audits to identify risks and ensure accurate reporting of safety concerns Increased Security Measures: Collaborate with local law enforcement to add more School Resource Officers (SROs) and additional weapons detection systems Decisions about books that should be allowed in classrooms or school libraries is a common issue in school board meetings How do you plan to approach requests for reconsiderations?Dulin: In previous decisions if material reaches the level of sexual content that the law defines as "criminal to provide to children" then I have voted to removed that material The majority of the residents in my area do not want graphic sexual content to be available and provided to their children by schools It is inappropriate for a non-parent adult to give a child material that is explicitly Did you know that GCS has over a million different titles in its libraries and classrooms Students do not lack a variety of appropriate books and material to choose from Marsh: Our district must adopt a common-sense approach that supports parents and promotes literacy Schools should partner with parents to provide a well-rounded education as research shows that access to diverse books at home is key for developing strong reading skills and improving test scores While ensuring that inappropriate books are kept out of schools we must focus on providing access to age-appropriate enriching books We should advocate for statewide policies that enhance access to books and reduce the district's financial burden empowering parents and supporting student achievement GRAND FORKS – Grand Forks School Board members signed off on continuing student proficiency goals in math and literacy even as the state assessment measuring those goals is set to change Board members voted to continue with five-year goals to increase student achievement in early literacy and reading as well as math in regular assessments conducted in the fall and spring The district is aiming to reach those goals by September 2028 The state Department of Public Instruction is currently transitioning from the old North Dakota State Assessment to the new ND A-PLUS assessment which will be administered for the first time in spring 2025 That will require the School Board to approve new proficiency goals since the original five-year goals were established based on the old NDSA assessment and administrators don’t know how student achievement will compare on the new ND A-PLUS assessment The school district will continue to administer its own Renaissance Star assessments in the fall which are benchmarked to the old NDSA assessment Superintendent Terry Brenner said administrators recommended the School Board sign off on the existing five-year goals so schools can establish their own proficiency targets with the fall assessments so all the schools have a target feeding into the district goal,” Brenner said Brenner said board members will be presented with and asked to sign off on annual benchmarks for reading and math at the School Board’s next meeting on Nov Board members were also set to sign off on a goal to increase Native American graduation rates to 80% or better by spring 2025 but deferred after board consultant Marcia McMahon asked the board to table that until the next meeting disrupting education and stifling business activity The novel coronavirus – better known as COVID-19 – was unleashed on the world and introducing the terms “social distancing” and “contract tracing” into the common vernacular as frontline warriors in the battle with a mysterious and unprecedented rival Five years after an official state of emergency was declared this is the first in a series of Herald articles exploring the massive impact of a virus that shook society and ushered in untold suffering and grief “This was a brand new event,” recalled Michael Brown He likened it to the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 which claimed an estimated 50 million lives worldwide more than 70 million have died as a result of COVID-19 It killed people you cared about,” Brown said former director of Grand Forks Public Health said she became aware of “this strange respiratory illness that was occurring in China” during a state health department webinar session in December 2019 we all thought it would be like the original SARS or MERS or whatever of those other diseases that were quickly contained.” as the first cases were identified in the U.S. Swanson and her colleagues began to grasp the “concerns about the infectiousness of the disease,” she said the first COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in North Dakota and Minnesota Doug Burgum declared a state of emergency and schools were closed UND hockey games and state high school basketball tournaments were canceled this has never happened before,” Swanson said “It was kind of a really sentinel moment for me Her initial focus – among many responsibilities – was to identify cases of respiratory illness and it took time to get test results; some had to be isolated until results were known Among them were people living at Grand Forks' Northlands Rescue Mission and the unhoused and others who needed to be placed in alternative housing Finding safe housing “was a lot of work,” Swanson said “but we felt that it was really crucial to preventing the spread (of COVID) in the community.” given these and other immediate demands related to preserving and protecting public health but I don’t think I thought it would be as long as it was “But I knew that there would be a period of time where we would have to be containing the virus as best we could and I knew that Public Health would be on the front lines of that.” the COVID-19 pandemic went on to wreak havoc – touching everyone COVID-19 ranked as the third-leading cause of death in North Dakota and in Grand Forks County according to records kept by North Dakota Vital Statistics it ranked behind heart disease and cerebrovascular disease (Cerebrovascular disease refers to conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain and spinal cord.) the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed March 11 according to the state Department of Health and Human Services the first cases – two people in their 30s – were reported March 29 It wasn't long before it became fatal in North Dakota The first COVID deaths began occurring that March according to North Dakota Vital Statistics 1,165 people lost their lives due to COVID-19 That figure continued to drop substantially each year; in 2024 148 reported cases of COVID and no deaths due to COVID were reported the first case of COVID-19 occurred in Ramsey County and was announced March 6 according to the Minnesota Department of Health The first case in the northwest region of the state occurred in a Beltrami County resident on March 14 which borders North Dakota across the Red River from Grand Forks the first report of a COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020 There were 88 cases in the most recent January Polk County's first deaths attributed to COVID-19 occurred in May 2020 The highest number of deaths occurred in November 2020 In each of the remaining months in that time frame 10 or fewer deaths have occurred; no deaths were recorded in 21 of them – including nine months in 2024 nearly 1.96 million COVID cases have been reported the number of deaths dwindled from 5,926 in 2020 to 922 in 2024 The decrease in deaths can be attributed to the success of COVID-19 vaccinations improved understanding of how best to treat COVID-19 and more robust immunity in the general population as people received multiple vaccinations and survived COVID-19 infections which improves their immune systems’ ability to recognize and fight new COVID-19 infections “we didn’t know a lot of details about how (COVID-19) was spread but in the past GFPH “had done a lot of preparation and planning for pandemic flu and that was a very big part of our emergency preparedness work for years prior to COVID but things did unfold differently than some of our planning.” Marcus Lee has been regional emergency preparedness and response coordinator at GFPH for about 11 years a plan was in place for public health emergency preparedness “but we didn’t know what kind of a different idea COVID was going to be … (The department’s plan) wasn’t completely new but it was something that we made adjustments to on the fly.” In tandem with the state health department he marshaled the resources and personnel to run COVID-19 testing at LM Windpower and UND’s Fritz Pollard Athletic Center He credits the state health department and the North Dakota National Guard with providing much-needed personnel to conduct the tests and Altru Health System for running them The partnerships that Grand Forks Public Health built with institutional partners were “tremendously important for our capacity to respond,” Lee said Steve Gander remembered “a sense (of) I feel like we’re living right now in history what is this thing that we’re going to be dealing with?” who was mayor of East Grand Forks at the time and now represents District 1B in the Legislature recalled a meeting with local business owners who told “absolute gut-wrenching stories” about how personal reserves had been decimated The decision to commit $260,000 – supported by the City Council and city staff and every resident he talked to – was made to support small- to mid-size businesses to keep them viable realized that federal and state funds were not going to be quick enough He also highlighted the role of K-12 teachers “If there’s an educator out there who in any way wonders do I make any difference at all in this world I’d say take a look at the pandemonium that took place when these kids were not in the classroom,” he said … The environment that these teachers create inside of that classroom but it’s a place for kids to gather and socialize and develop these skills and partner with other kids Gander also praised East Grand Forks first-responders The most important lesson gleaned from the pandemic I don’t care if you’re five months old or 100 years old “there was a lot of push back” on masking and isolating “we made the right decisions with people staying home and wearing masks I think people’s lives are more important than the banter back and forth.” Too many people are not doing many of the “minor things,” like hand-washing “It’s a real issue; people get sick and have to be isolated it’s very threatening and very serious,” said Brown who serves on the board of Valley Senior Living He reflected on the loss of life during the pandemic “It makes you sad to think that could have been prevented if people were careful.” public health epidemiologist with Grand Forks Public Health also noted that the elderly are vulnerable as well as others “who don’t even know they’re at increased risk,” such as cancer patients who are taking immune system-suppressing drugs He acknowledges that some trust in the public health community may have been eroded as the landscape changed and new information was discovered about COVID-19 “I think people are navigating a very complex and difficult information environment where it is difficult for people to determine what the true risks are of disease and how effective prevention measures are,” McBride said I think it really is based upon being able to find credible accurate information and trust the sources of that information Because there is so much misinformation out there and it has made it very difficult for people to understand exactly what risks COVID-19 or other communicable diseases pose and what things they can do to protect themselves I think that’s the really big challenge that we have,” he said Swanson credits the success of the COVID response to her staff and collaboration with other organizations as well as an effective vaccination campaign “We really had a community that really embraced vaccination,” she said Swanson said she feels fortunate she did not lose any relatives or close family members to COVID who lost loved ones and lost them early in the pandemic they weren’t able to visit them; (victims) got acutely ill And I feel for the health care workers that had to witness so much suffering And I feel for all the people who have lost loved ones during that time frame And I don’t think we reflect on that enough Child received minor injuries and is being cared for by family members 2024) – The Gwinnett County Police Department reported the arrest of James Collins after a video shared online showed him striking a 3-year-old child GCPD reported that investigators were notified on August 10 about the video that had been shared online several thousand times They were able to verify it by surveillance from the Kroger located at 3050 Five Forks Trickum Road Collins was located by the detectives at his residence and subsequently arrested GCPD report that the child had minor injuries and is being cared for by family members The Department of Family and Child Services was also notified Collins was charged with cruelty to children in the first degree and is currently in the Gwinnett County Jail Editor’s Note: Please note an arrest or charge does not constitute a conviction You must be logged in to post a comment Petersburg National Battlefield will reopen the Appomattox Plantation House part of Grant’s Headquarters at City Point in Hopewell as well as Five Forks Visitor Center in Dinwiddie except for 30 minutes to allow for a lunch break at noon Park rangers will be available on site to provide information and highlight the powerful history of these places City Point is at 1001 Pecan Avenue in Hopewell and Five Forks Visitor Center is at 9840 Courthouse Road in Dinwiddie If you are interested in volunteering with visitor services at Petersburg National Battlefield, find current opportunities at volunteer.gov 'We are thrilled' LEGO Group plants 1,440 trees to revitalize green spaces in Chesterfield County parks 'All are under threat' Virginia: Preservation Virginia's 2024 top 10 list, most endangered historic places two from Michigan and three from throughout North Dakota are facing felony charges after they were allegedly found in a vehicle with nearly 200 grams of fentanyl which law enforcement believe they were transporting from Detroit All five defendants are charged with Class A felony possession of at least 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to deliver and Class A misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession The Class A felony charge has a maximum 20-year prison sentence a Grand Forks County trooper was informed the Turtle Mountain Narcotics Task Force was tracking 23-year-old Olivia Rain Patneaud's cell phone according to a declaration of probable cause filed in the case The task force believed the young woman had gone on a trip to Detroit with the intention of transporting fentanyl to the Turtle Mountain Reservation Patneaud was believed to be traveling back to North Dakota with two men The task force said she had taken a bus to Fargo and they determined she was in a vehicle that had driven past Hillsboro There was no available vehicle description He initiated a traffic stop and spoke with the vehicle's occupants the trooper completed a probable cause search on the vehicle law enforcement located a bag of fentanyl that weighed 90.31 grams allegedly found in the back of a rear passenger seat told law enforcement she drove to Fargo to pick Patneaud up because Patneaud kept calling her Belgarde said she was unaware Patneaud picked up fentanyl and said she didn't know when the drugs would be been put in the back of the vehicle seats The declaration said various drug paraphernalia eight fentanyl pills inside a Coke can and 15.5 Suboxone pills were also found throughout the vehicle allegedly told law enforcement he was working for the task force and drove to Fargo with Belgarde because he knew the task force was looking for Patneaud He said he planned on attempting controlled buys from Patneaud Law enforcement had knowledge that this was untrue Patneaud herself allegedly told law enforcement she met Melvin Earl Byrd and Jomell Emery Helm while they were in North Dakota and She said she didn't know anything about the fentanyl in the vehicle and was only with the men because she is an addict Patneaud is facing an additional Class A misdemeanor charge for possession of a schedule II narcotic drug She allegedly admitted to possessing the Suboxone found in the vehicle Emery and Byrd denied any knowledge of the fentanyl including the bag found in the seat backs of both seats they were in Court records say that Patneaud is from Rolla LaRocque is from Belcourt and Belgarde is from Dunseith All five had their initial court appearances Monday and will next appear for preliminary hearings and arraignments at 9 a.m The family of Alma Cooper Smith created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories