Hundreds of residents signed recall petitions after months of mounting frustration over city spending; the city claims the petitions aren’t valid – Council meetings here are packed to the gills lately The lifelong International Falls resident addressed the council in February something she had done only once before about tax hikes Residents have been in an uproar for months over the city spending millions on police headquarters — and not because they don’t support police Benedix used to be married to someone in law enforcement “We all think that they do a great job,” she told the council But many in this Canadian border community are frustrated that the city is renovating a different building for police after turning down offers to share Koochiching County’s new $26.5 million sheriff’s office and jail Police also could have stayed in the old law enforcement center that it shared with the sheriff’s office since 1981 But despite residents and the county pleading with the city to share space in the name of cost efficiency and collaboration “That is such a controversial topic in town,” Mayor Drake Dill said in an interview “I don’t even know if I want to comment on it … The public answer that the police chief is giving the public is we just want our own identity.” Dill added: “It’s an insufficient answer in the name of transparency.” Now another $1.6 million to $5 million could be spent on the police — an agency with a dozen full-time officers — and residents say they can’t afford all of it at once. Not when this blue-collar town of 5,600 people is shrinking as the cost of living is snowballing and she returned to the next meeting on March 3 physically shaking in rage Someone on the council was also on hot mic saying a disparaging term for a person with developmental disabilities The muttering was directed at resident Sharon Ball who was also speaking out against the police project when her taxes have already risen 40% on her fixed income Ball told the council she felt abused at the Feb “We don’t think that the police aren’t necessary,” she said “We just don’t know if we can afford everything Benedix told Kalar that he called her “a very vile and disgusting word.” “My taxes are getting raised and I’m worried about it Kalar responded by saying that he didn’t “recall saying that Ed Bates moved to International Falls a decade ago from across the Rainy River in Canada and started paying close attention to city finances after the pandemic often sharing updates in a local Facebook group He had already considered initiating recall petitions against all four City Council members over issues surrounding the police headquarters project Bates launched the petitions against all but the at-large member He garnered enough signatures for the other three called businesses where Bates got permission to have a table for folks to sign Callers harassed employees for hosting recall efforts Bates asked council members to resign; when they wouldn’t city administrator Betty Bergstrom informed Bates in letters that he didn’t get birth dates of signees and failed to prove malfeasance so she said the petitions were insufficient The city charter doesn’t require signees to provide birth dates and says petitions need “a general statement of the grounds for the removal sought.” The petition statements said: “Failure to be transparent and inclusive in the presentation of public issues and mismanagement of taxpayer funds.” Bergstrom declined to comment for this story when a reporter stopped by City Hall on Thursday Bates intends to question the dismissals at a meeting Monday night before the charter commission Dill, the mayor, who was elected in November, is not subject to recall efforts. Kalar ran for the vacant mayor seat, and Dill, son of late Rep. David Dill was a write-in candidate who had never served on the council Bates called the victory “a resounding big middle finger to the rest of the City Council.” Dill campaigned on fiscal responsibility and repairing the city’s relationship with the county “There’s enough uncertainty in the community already with a looming trade war and what the fallout from that could be,” Dill said in his office Thursday “Is a lack of Canadian customers going to be a new normal for those businesses?” Dill asked the council to withdraw its plan to proceed with the police project and has tried in vain to get a third-party audit of city finances He established rules of decorum for the council after the hot-mic vulgarities Council members have since asked the mayor to enforce rules for residents speaking at council meetings: no profanities or singling out council members Benedix told the council that enforcing this code of conduct on residents is insulting and hypocritical “The citizens have lost faith and trust in you and to be honest it’s downright disgusting,” Benedix said at the April 7 meeting to the crowd’s applause The two law enforcement agencies in this small community shared a joint law enforcement center for 42 years The jail was in poor condition and subject to annual state inspections but the rest of the facility is fairly turnkey the council instead voted to spend $3 million to renovate the Kootasca community center the council proceeded with a $1.6 million renovation estimate by using city employees to do some work County administrator Adam Coe wrote to Dill and Bergstrom in February saying the county was open to negotiate terms at the old law enforcement center Bergstrom responded in a letter the following month that the city was declining lease offers Synergy is lost without the agencies sharing space stands by the council’s decision to not move into the county’s old law enforcement center — or the new one But asked if that was the best long-term decision Police Chief Mike Kostiuk did not respond to multiple requests for comment Sheriff Perryn Hedlund said the size of the new facility was cut in half with police out of the picture it was revealed that the Kootasca project would have two phases; it remains to be seen how much it will all cost Benedix and other residents are paying close attention She’s been to more council meetings this year than her entire life in International Falls Sign up for the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Lakes Country newsletter, covering Brainerd, Bemidji and beyond. Kim Hyatt reports on North Central Minnesota. She previously covered Hennepin County courts. Mankato The university will go from 306 academic offerings to 216 About 90 people marched through Redwood Falls where Mato Dow has been missing since 2017 On the city’s first night without an overnight homeless shelter I wandered the streets with the city’s unhoused as they tried to stay awake and avoid jail and a $1,000 fine When I attended my first Icebox Days back in January 2017 officially known as the Icebox of the Nation felt more like the Refrigerator of the Nation The water-resistance of my Red Wings was tested and much of the sunny proceedings—toilet seat toss something called Smoosh Racing—were observed through a fixed squint And while the winter sky over this village of about 6,000 can typically look and feel like a galvanized lid that weekend it gleamed a cloudless Barbicide blue a cool and spectral 4.5-hour drive north of the Twin Cities earned its frigid moniker decades ago from the American general interest magazine Collier’s professionally-testing-the-endurance-of-car-batteries-cold (there’s a Cold Weather Testing Facility adjacent to the city-owned airport) The lowest recorded temperature is -55 degrees well below the potential for both hypothermia and frostbite “Sears Diehard did shoot a commercial here in the ’60s using real conditions with a car on the ice,” says Paul Nevanen Testing Coordinator/Manager at the Cold Weather Testing Facility and Director of the Koochiching Economic Development Authority (KEDA) “Automakers have been coming to northern Minnesota and International Falls since the early ’60s as part of their cold weather evaluation and the cold weather testing industry has become an important part of our winter economy.” The inaugural Icebox Days was held in 1981 “with the goal of providing recreational opportunities and entertainment for local folks and tourists as well as boosting the local economy during the slow months of retail sales.” This was the first year of the fabled Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run (FYGBR)—then a 10K but the abbreviated 5K was introduced in 2003—arguably the festival’s main event says: “The 10K race has never been cancelled… and was shortened to a 5K only once when the windchill conditions hit 72 below zero with a -28 degree actual temperature.” Runners’ armaments include “scarves and various home-brewed remedies to combat the cold.” Connor adds that “there has never been a casualty.” Courtesy of International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce In Jim Harrison’s “Brown Dog,” the titular protagonist mentions: “Sometimes in winter I’ll stand outside in shirtsleeves just for the fun of getting cold.” And maybe there’s something to that When asked if she could live anywhere else on earth local native and Administrator of the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce “I’d live in the Black Hills of South Dakota This year marks the 45th anniversary of Icebox Days, taking place Jan. 17-25. Arnold says visitors can expect a greater event schedule at Smokey Bear Park including “Icebox Idol”—their take on ABC’s “American Idol”—turkey bowling it encompasses great spirit (especially when it’s cold!) The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office says that on Tuesday afternoon the body of an International Falls man was pulled from the Rainy River As reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS’ sister-station WDIO authorities say he was identified as 64-year-old Roger Tupper who had been reported missing in November of 2024 His remains were reportedly floating against the ice near Nelson Landing in Birchdale authorities say he had attempted to enter Canada by kayak near the Kuttes Landing but never made it to his destination an extensive search was performed by multiple agencies using air and underwater assets,” the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office said in a release Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555 *This article was updated with the names of those charged.* — A drug bust in Koochiching County  lead to the arrest of 6 people and the recovery of approximately 9.5 ounces of suspected methamphetamine the Koochiching County Deputies executed a search warrant on a vehicle and their occupants on the 1500 block of 1st Ave Deputies arrested a passenger inside with outstanding warrants and towed the vehicle to Koochiching County Law Enforcement Center and found approximately 67 grams of suspected methamphetamine and $3,200 in cash Koochiching County Deputies also executed another search warrant at the 700 block of 9th St Deputies there located 190 grams of suspected methamphetamine and $2,300 in cash The county deputies then executed a third search warrant this time at a residence on Town Road 116 in Rainer There Deputies and International Falls Police Officers located another 10 grams of meth were all arrested and charged with 1st Degree Sale of Controlled Substances was arrested and charged on 5th Degree Possession of Controlled Substances was arrested and charged for Probation Violations — A yearly meeting between three northwest Minnesota cities is making a comeback after being interrupted by COVID and city staffing changes It will be held at the end of the month in Thief River Falls Crookston Mayor Dale Stainbrook said it’s good to get together with the other cities and see what changes have happened since the last meeting “It’s good to get together and just communicate with other council members,” he said Some chairs will be provided for those interested in attending and said it is passed between the three cities The meeting will be held at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls Tri-Cities is held to gather the three cities together and talk about topics affecting them Stainbrook said the cities could take any issues talked about to St Crookston City Council decided to bring up topics relating to a regional water cooperative Philipp said Thief River Falls wants to discuss sanitation Minnesota Department of Transportation projects and a demo for an app one of the cities has In the East Grand Forks City Council’s recent meeting council members discussed the meeting briefly but didn’t mention any specific agenda items for the Tri-Cities meeting The three cities haven’t been able to hold the meeting since 2019 and Crookston’s city administrator moving to a different position during the planning process delayed them from returning Philipp said the three cities had started talking about holding the meeting again last fall but decided to wait until elections had gone through in case new members were elected Since it has been some years since the meeting has happened that they would even see each other,” she said The newbies see what’s going on in other communities According to a Facebook post by the International Falls Police Department officers were called to a disturbance between two men at an apartment complex on the 600 block of 5th Ave They discovered that a firearm had been shot in one of the units when they were investigating and that the suspect had fled the scene and was still armed the suspect was taken into custody by the IFPD and a Koochiching County Sheriff’s Deputy following a tip that was received Law enforcement says this was an isolated incident and that there is no further threat to the public Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864 The International Falls Broncos beat the Fort Frances (Ont.) Muskies at International Falls High School on Tuesday International Falls' Zach Youso scored the game-winning goal The second period ended with a 3-2 lead for the Broncos Ozzy Hanson tied it up 3-3 with a goal halfway through the third period Zach Youso took the lead with a goal three minutes later The Broncos will take on the Muskies in the next game on Friday Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 14:02:47 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); BIWABIK — An International Falls man died Saturday following a skiing accident at Giants Ridge Ski Resort in Biwabik was extracted from the hillside by ski patrol staff according to a news release from the Gilbert Police Department Biwabik Ambulance Service transported Hufnagle to Essentia Health-Northern Pines in Aurora Gilbert PD has not released details of the incident and the investigation is ongoing with assistance from the Giants Ridge Ski Patrol freestyle trick competition and the Slush Cup where skiers and snowboarders attempt to skid across an icy pond The law enforcement news release did not state whether the accident was related to the event Council members voted Monday to explore alternatives for a divisive police headquarters project that sparked recall petitions – After months of pushback against a multimillion-dollar police headquarters project city leaders here are potentially reversing course The City Council voted unanimously to re-engage with Koochiching County about police moving back into the old law enforcement center the department shared with the Sheriff’s Office for 40 years This comes after a vote to proceed with renovating an aging Kootasca community center for police a plan residents opposed at a time when their taxes have risen by 40% Council meetings in recent months have become heated, with officials caught on a hot mic saying disparaging words to citizens speaking out about the police project and city spending Their applause erupted Monday in council chambers crammed with 50 people on creaky wooden pews in what was once a courtroom But the city also rejected recall petitions against the council signed by more than 500 residents accusing the city of overspending and lacking transparency who motioned to go back to the table with the county said in an interview that he was influenced to reconsider the police project not by petitions “I can only imagine how many other citizens and business owners are staying silent for the same reasons,” Mason said in her letter read by Mayor Drake Dill at the meeting Mason told the council to show courage and hit pause on the project and work with the county She said city finances are troubling with “a declining population alongside rising government costs and property taxes — an unsustainable trajectory." Wegner said he didn’t go into that meeting intending to ask the council to collaborate with the county But he decided it was “for the good of the community to give it one more chance.” The law enforcement agencies split in 2023 when Koochiching County raised rent for the first time since 1999 Then the city passed on the opportunity to move police into a $26.5 million Sheriff’s Office and jail now under construction Police are renting space temporarily on the third floor of the Backus Community Center Police Chief Mike Kostiuk said in an interview from his stopgap office that it’s not an ideal space for his officers “The Police Department just wants a place to go and we don’t know what direction we’re going,” Kostiuk said Some in the community blame Kostiuk for moving out of the old law enforcement center and have accused him of creating a rift between the agencies who has been chief since 2021 and with the agency for nearly 20 years disputed that and said the agencies continue working closely together “I think it’s easy to just assume that ‘He must be leaving because he’s difficult and the police don’t want to work with the sheriff’s department,’ ” he said But Kostiuk said it comes down to the city and county negotiating rent “If the [old] law enforcement center can be shown to be the best option for our Police Department and most cost-efficient “If that building is sound and requires minimal improvements it’s obviously built to house a law enforcement agency Kootasca is in poor condition and sits in a residential neighborhood Renovation estimates came in around $5 million just for the first phase with an unknown price tag on the second phase Most people opposed pouring money into the aging building The county made a negotiable offer for the city to move back into the old law enforcement center for $160,000 per year The Kootasca site would cost about $120,000 per year not a lease since it’s a city-owned building Some residents have questioned whether investing in Kootasca would be a waste if the agency were to dissolve. More than 35 police departments across the state have done so in the past decade. “We’re not worried so much about where we end up but just that we still have our Police Department and we’re still serving the community,” Kostiuk said He also doesn’t view the recall petitions as being against the department At Monday’s meeting, city administrators explained the petitions were insufficient by lacking the birth year of each signee and by failing to prove malfeasance. Those requirements are not mentioned in the city charter but are outlined in state statute. Petitioner Ed Bates said recall efforts are far from over as it still remains to be seen if the city abandons Kootasca A previous motion to renovate it was never rescinded Bates said he believes “the recall petitions played a part” in the council reconsidering Several residents told council members that they should still resign because hundreds of people signed the petitions but Wegner said he hopes the council took a step in the right direction Monday “I still worry what the outcome will be,” he said “but hopefully it’s a positive start for the community.” Sign up for the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Lakes Country newsletter, covering Brainerd, Bemidji and beyond. The International Falls Broncos defeated the Fort Frances (Ont.) Muskies 4-2 on Friday The hosting Broncos took the lead early in the first period The Broncos' Anthony Yerxa made it 2-0 late in the first Carson Crandall scored early in the second period assisted by Bauer Lindvall and Anthony Yerxa assisted by Jackson Tucker and Niko Ruppenstein The Muskies narrowed the gap again early in the third period when Ashton Armstrong scored Anthony Yerxa increased the lead to 4-2 with a goal only seconds later Both teams were called for seven penalties The Broncos will play the Muskies on Saturday International Falls and the University of Minnesota Dance team round out a week of Cheers & Jeers An extra cheer to former Mayor Shawn Mason whose letter indicating she feared speaking out because of the hostility proved persuasive Changing course can sometimes be the wiser choice Tesla founder Elon Musk’s prominence in the administration of President Donald Trump has made his vehicles a national target for political protest In Minnesota intentional property damage of more than $1,000 can be prosecuted as a felony But Moriarty gave the prolific Tesla vandal a break explaining that she made the decision “in the best interest of public safety.” What does that mean Part of Moriarty’s job is explaining her choices and logic otherwise her behavior risks looking like selective non-prosecution The voluminous chorus of local and national criticism she now hears is warranted Cheers to the state Senate for rejecting a sloppy attempt at reviving a bill to legalize mobile sports betting made a motion on the Senate floor Wednesday to pull the bill out of a Senate committee where it stalled in February and route it to the friendlier Commerce Committee Frentz’s attempt at resurrection failed with a bipartisan group of 50 senators rejecting the move Regardless of where one stands on access to mobile sports betting this sort of procedural end-run isn’t the way to pass major legislation Chalk it up as another victory for the anti-gambling forces who have created a formidable coalition with a fraction of the money available to the pro-betting lobby work multiple jobs and dig in couch cushions to pay for college retirement’s been extremely profitable for Frans His salary at the U before his retirement was $436,349 Frans was the commissioner of the Minnesota Management and Budget Office overseeing the entire state workforce and budget for which he was paid almost $155,000 annually Finke opined that trans humans have always existed and that “no law no hate-fueled campaign will ever change that We will continue to build a state that honors and affirms the lives of all who call it home.” Additional cheers to the behind-the-scenes lawyers advising Ellison including state Solicitor General Liz Kramer and Jess Braverman We can’t wait to see where she shines next If you can’t get enough Cheers & Jeers, I invite you to tune into WCCO Radio every Friday around 2 p.m., where I join Chad Hartman to talk C & J and other news important to Minnesotans. Rochelle Olson is a columnist on the Minnesota Star Tribune Editorial Board focused on politics and governance. Columnists Craig wants to take on systemic corruption and Trump Banning a nonprofit organization from moving is an overreach KAXE contacted every candidate twice using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office to invite them to participate in our Election Guide Candidate responses have not been edited and are published as submitted our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics though responses have not been uniformly fact-checked we are unable to proactively fact check every statement made by candidates But we will make every effort to make note of inaccuracies if they come to our attention Please contact our news team at news@kaxe.org with questions or comments or to report any errors KAXE's Election Guide only includes candidates in contested races. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else is on the ballot Election Guide Homepage and what is your role?I own Ball’s Dog Retreat Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.I have 3 college degrees ranging from Behavioral Sciences to law enforcement and Counseling I worked in Criminal Justice and law enforcement for over 15 years and have been a small business owner for over 13 I have lived in this community for over 30 years and have 2 adult children who were born here and have their families here I have a deep passion for our community and felt that I was the most qualified person for the position Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.I’m no longer running & am asking our community to write Drake Dill in on the ballot Why are you running for office?I’m no longer running Please describe specific policy goals.I’m no longer running but am endorsing & campaigning for Drake Dill renters and owners are struggling to afford housing what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?I’m endorsing Drake Dill for Mayor What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?Once again High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.When I was running this was extremely important to myself and my constituents Our current Mayor Harley Droba has voted to raise our taxes for almost 4 years and every year that he’s been in office our taxes have been raised through frivolous spending and due to an incompetent City Administrator I believe that we need to raise the budget for our Police Department and start curbing spending in other areas starting with our City leaders We also need better investments that will bring in more tourism and add activities for our families and community How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?As I mentioned I have dropped out of the Mayoral race in order to endorse Drake Dill I have listened to his plan and have investigated his background I was so impressed that I made the decision to back his campaign completely I am a Heavy Equipment Operator (specifically: Chipper Line) Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.I have received leadership training through the Army National Guard equipping me to tackle challenges with effective planning My experience as a union member has further deepened my understanding of teamwork alongside my military background I've held various jobs that provide valuable insight into the working lives of our residents my experiences living and traveling in different cities have helped me learn from and embrace new ideas Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.As mayor I know that my main job is to provide strong leadership and a clear vision for our community's needs This means making informed decisions that impact our residents’ lives with a focus on implementing policies and laws that truly matter I will manage our community’s budget wisely ensuring that we use our resources effectively for everyone’s benefit.Collaboration is another responsibilities which I plan to work closely not just with our elected officials we can bring together all those who want to help improve our community Why are you running for office?Having seen previous generations take their turn in office I believe it’s now time for my generation—Millennials—to step up and lead We need a voice at the local level that not only listens to us but also learns from those who came before I’m running for mayor to advocate for Millennials and younger generations showing that we are here and ready to work hard for a better tomorrow we can create positive change and ensure our community reflects the betterment of all Please describe specific policy goals.Family-Friendly EventsWe need more family-friendly events in our parks and others to have fun activities to enjoy with their kids throughout the year We can create some policies to allocate funds and approve the types of events allowing local businesses to sponsor these activities.Revamping the Blight SystemWhile our blight system works I believe we can make it even better with some changes.Affordable HousingWe need to focus on affordable housing whether it’s through city initiatives or by supporting others in making this happen I propose guidelines that cover how much housing we need This plan would also consider job opportunities related to housing development.Road SafetyTo improve public safety and work with the Department of Transportation on this goal The plan would involve placing signs in selected areas to enhance safety.Childcare SupportI also want to develop a policy that supports childcare and daycare services in our town This is important because it helps parents and guardians have the time they need to work or improve their skills.I have a few more priorities I’m working on what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?While I can’t make any promises just yet I do have some exciting plans in the works One initiative I’m particularly hopeful about is the creation of city-owned and operated apartment complexes Although the exact details are still being researched I believe this could be a viable solution that benefits both the city and our residents—a true win-win situation further contributing to our community’s growth and stability next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?One important focus is waste operations Local businessman Wade Friend has been actively promoting this initiative and our county waste sites support it as well I believe increasing recycling efforts would greatly benefit our community and the environment we could revise the blight policy to allow businesses to recycle more effectively implementing a program to motivate residents to recycle would have a positive impact some towns offer rebates on garbage services based on recycling participation which resulted in a significant increase in recycling rates—sometimes doubling or tripling—over two years This kind of approach could help us reduce waste and combat climate change more effectively and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.Budget cuts can effectively reallocate our current tax revenues we can redirect funds to services that are more critical exploring tax breaks at both the state and federal levels can provide valuable information to our residents We'll ensure that details about any available tax assistance programs or rebates are communicated before tax season How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?I plan to enhance transparency and trust in government by sharing information through various channels Keeping residents well-informed empowers them to support our goals and assist their neighbors Engaging with the community in this way fosters a collaborative environment and strengthens public trust My goal is that this approach will help build trust between local residents and our government KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate This candidate declined KAXE’s invitations to participate in the Election Guide Return to Election Guide Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us Six people have been arrested following multiple search warrants in Koochiching County According to the Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant on a vehicle and its occupants in the 1500 block of 1st Avenue East in International Falls The report says a passenger in the vehicle was arrested on outstanding warrants Authorities say the search of the vehicle and the individuals turned up approximately 67 grams of suspected methamphetamine and $3200 in cash Deputies served another search warrant at a home in the 700 block of 9th Street at 8:55 p.m The report says Deputies located approximately 190 grams of suspected methamphetamine and $2300 in cash A third search warrant was executed on Town Road 116 Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office Deputies along with International Falls Police locating approximately 10 grams of meth Five of the six individuals have been charged A 45-year-old from International Falls was also arrested on a Probation Violation The International Falls Broncos won when they visited the Lake of the Woods Bears at Lake of the Woods High School on Tuesday The visiting Broncos took the lead early in the first period The Broncos made it 2-0 late in the first when Cooper Crandall scored The second period ended with a 6-1 lead for the Broncos The teams meet once more at International Falls High School on February 3rd The Broncos will take on the Bears in the next game on Friday Sign In Register FORT FRANCES — More than 60 people from Canada and the United States walked to the middle of the border crossing bridge between Fort Frances and International Falls on Saturday to meet at the plaque marking the International Boundary Line The idea for residents to come together on the bridge started with Mary Watters She said she came up with the idea and posted it on social media last Monday night where it took on a life of its own and pretty much organized itself Mich. had done this… maybe a month ago but they just yelled and cheered each other (on) from across the Detroit River “And then there was a little piece in the Wall Street Journal about International Falls (and) Fort Frances that the gist was how lonely we were for each other (and) what the border was like And so… I was thinking about Detroit and I thought friends hugged and there aren’t words for how wonderful it was for everybody And my heart is still so happy,” said Watters she said they held hands across the span of the bridge from country to country and sang even if they didn’t know the words, We are family “It couldn’t have been a more wonderful day because we need some good news right about now,” said Watters Watters has a long history with both countries Her biological dad was a bush pilot in Quetico and after a divorce leaving all their friends on the Canadian side It was through many trips through customs that her mother married a customs officer and ended up in Fort Frances where she was culturally raised in a Canadian Ukrainian family she went to International Falls for high school everybody in Fort Frances, who I knew they called me Canuck,” said Watters “And so I was a teenager without a country for a little while but I was really at home on that bridge.” Watters said she reunited with her best friend as the first two people to hug on the bridge the bridge was not only a meeting spot to connect with family and friends but also for allyship and fun the drinking age in Minnesota was 21 and Ontario dropped its drinking age to 18 there would be Canadian folks that would walk us to the bridge because we didn’t want to drive over,” said Katherine She said she would come over almost every weekend order a drink (and) dance our little tootsies off,” said Katherine not much has changed other than the Ontario drinking age rising to 19 their gathering also meant happiness for the two communities Ryan said she crosses the border once or twice a week to visit her family “We all have family that live on both sides of the border I never ever dreamt anything would ever separate the two communities,” said Ryan To revitalize connectivity between the two communities she encourages people not to let any anger or hatred come into their hearts and to keep their hearts open to the people on both sides Ryan hopes all the bad stuff will go away with what’s going on with politics and Canada border to show solidarity amidst increased political tension between the two countries “Hands and Hugs Across The Border” rallied more than 100 people between International Falls ON to exchange greetings on the bridge that connects the countries “It was to honor all of the connections between international falls and Fort Francis We met right in the middle of the bridge where the international border line actual demarcation is,” said Mary Waters one of the organizers and participants in the event Participants could be seen holding flags and signs expressing their belief in a continued friendship between the border towns “And we just want hands off our friendship Because we’re family,” said Waters 6 May 2025 14:03:34 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the Proctor Rails have clinched the series against the International Falls Broncos Proctor's Cooper Annala scored the game-winning goal The Rails took the lead halfway through the first period Kaden Korpi scored early in the second period assisted by Anthony Yerxa and Grae Shikowsky The Rails made it 2-1 with a goal from Breckin Ross William Yerxa narrowed the gap to 3-2 with a goal early in the third period Kaden Korpi also tied the game 3-3 with a goal only seconds later assisted by Carter Thompson and Carson Crandall Cooper Annala scored the game-winner for the team The Fort Frances Muskie won their game at Ice for Kids Arena against the International Falls Broncos on Tuesday The Muskie will go up against Crookston at 7 p.m while the Broncos will battle against Rock Ridge at 7 p.m The top-seeded Esko boys basketball team tipped off round one of the Section 7AA tournament Tuesday with a big 78-35 win over 16th seeded International Falls Esko improves to 20-7 overall and advances to the quarterfinals. They will take on No. 8 Pillager Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at Hermantown High School. For the full bracket, click here. International Falls ends their season 2-24 PROCTOR — With four of their regular season matchups decided in overtime prior to Tuesday's Section 7A quarterfinal against International Falls fourth-seeded Proctor found itself in all-too-familiar territory at the end of regulation facing a 3-3 deadlock against the upset-minded Broncos With momentum squarely in the visitor's favor after scoring two unanswered goals in the third period the Rails were going to have to dig deep in order to prolong their season “We said we don’t want our season to end yet so put everything (you have) out there,” recalled senior forward Tanner Ross so just give 100% effort and then just go win the game.” The Proctor faithful on hand at Aspirus St Luke’s Sports and Event Center waited just 36 seconds into the extra frame before senior defenseman Cooper Annala collected a loose puck and fired it into the open net for the game-winner — sending the Rails back to the semifinals at Amsoil Arena for the second year in a row The 4-3 triumph sets up a rematch with top-seed Cloquet-Esko-Carlton who previously knocked off the Rails 4-3 in overtime on Dec Proctor’s overtime experience also extends to games against No Little Falls and Rochester Lourdes during the regular season “We’ve been here a lot,” said head coach Jeff Laspi make sure we’re being smart on faceoffs and getting into our guys solid hockey and just having faith in what we can do The Rails looked to be well on their way to a convincing win through the opening 17 minutes of play after testing International Falls goaltender Kane Thompson early and often with a 14-3 shots on goal advantage by the first intermission The offensive-zone pressure ultimately led to the opening marker by Austin Bryant who collected a loose puck off an initial shot by linemate Tanner Ross and wired it into the open net Bryant returned the favor late in the second period with a no-look backhand pass from the half wall onto the waiting stick of Ross in front of the net “Since we’ve been playing for so long I knew he was going to get me that puck,” said Ross “So I caught it on the backhand and I put it on him and it just squeaked right through My mindset was "catch it and shoot it right away because anything can happen.” The Broncos struggled to generate zone time over the duration of the opening frame but kept goaltender Brayden McLean on alert with transition scoring chances The best of which came late in the period with a partial breakaway for Zach Youso set up by a chip pass through two defenders by leading scorer Anthony Yerxa at neutral ice Yerxa would not be denied midway through the second period after dishing out the primary assist on the Broncos’ game-tying goal at 7:06 by Kaden Korpi International Falls outshot Proctor 7-3 in the middle frame but took a two-goal deficit into the final intermission thanks to a power play goal by Breckin Ross assisted by Tanner Ross and Bryant The 3-1 score stood until midway through the final period when William Yerxa navigated through multiple would-be Proctor checkers for an unassisted power play goal The Broncos scored again on the very next shift with Korpi finding the back of the net for a second time it gave them a bunch of momentum,” said Laspi (They) had the momentum for a good five-six minutes there and give credit to our guys They pulled the momentum back and just kept grinding…” The 36 seconds of overtime were spent entirely in the Broncos’ end with Rails winning the opening draw and never relinquishing the puck Thompson made a sprawling save on the game-winning goal sequence but was unable to freeze the puck as a defenseman swept the puck out of the crease and onto the stick of Annala but we knew if we did our jobs we were gonna come out how we wanted to,” Annala said Proctor goaltender Brayden McLean finished with 14 saves The Rails (14-11-1) will take on CEC at Amsoil Arena on Saturday The International Falls Broncos suffered a 5-3 defeat on the road at Proctor High School to the Proctor Rails on Saturday The Broncos started off strong and took the lead at the beginning of the game with Bauer Lindvall scoring in the first minute The Rails tied the game 1-1 in the first period when Alvaro Ramazzini scored assisted by Breckin Ross and Cooper Annala The second period ended with the score being tied at 3-3 Tanner Ross took the lead with a goal halfway through the third period assisted by Austin Bryant and Breckin Ross Austin Bryant also increased the lead to 5-3 with a goal one minute later assisted by Alvaro Ramazzini and Tanner Ross The Broncos will play against the Rails on Tuesday CST at Lake of the Woods High School in the next game local elections can be filled with quirky characters Whether they chose the highest playing card or watched their names drawn from hats some Northern Minnesota candidates saw their tied vote totals come down to luck last week State law endows the local canvassing board to break a dead heat “by lot,” which means using luck alone when the voters split evenly incumbent Mayor Gary Butala and challenger Jeff Bloom each earned 143 votes A neutral person drew Bloom’s name from the hat Lisa Johnson has been the Wrenshall city clerk since 2011 and couldn't recall a tie vote before “It seems so goofy for it to come down to that,” she said Butala has requested a recount in the race which will be completed by the county on Dec city council candidates Patricia Lund and Laura Simi each received 33 votes for the second of two available seats The city used a different strategy to determine the winner there “We had a deck of cards with two through nine and they were mixed up and they were put on the table in front of everybody that was there and both candidates drew a card,” City Administrator Kathy Lake explained Lund said she would have been happy with either outcome but is ready to serve A third tie of 27 votes apiece occurred in Federal Dam The winner of a special election for two city council seats was also determined by a hat draw Between candidates Cindy Lemm and Linda Monette Carlton County Auditor-Treasurer Kevin DeVriendt noted the power of a single vote is demonstrated by these types of races But perhaps it’s those who choose not to vote at all who tip the scales more 20 voters opted not to select a mayoral candidate but in some mayoral races in Northern Minnesota International Falls’ mayoral contest had several names on the ballot and no incumbent after Mayor Harley Droba ran an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to challenge Republican legislator Roger Skraba Write-in candidate Drake Dill likely received the most votes Dill thanked those who supported his campaign and said the “results are very humbling.” Write-in votes for the I-Falls mayoral race totaled 1,600 and according to the city’s canvassing results who announced she was instead campaigning for Dill but I wanted to see a lot of changes in our community and I knew that Drake Dill could get it done,” Ball said “He was kind enough to thank me for all of my help after the results of the election came in Longtime Eveleth Mayor Robert Vlaisavljevich lost to write-in candidate who pulled in just over half of the city’s vote in a three-way race with Larry Bol according to unofficial election results from the city said he’s thought of running for a long time By the time he decided this was the year he’d do it “There was a small group of people in Eveleth — business owners citizens in general — that just started reaching out saying We would really love it if you would try to go in the write-in,’” he said Roen said he and his family knocked on every door in the city in September and October what everybody said — no matter what their personal concern was — was the fact that they felt like everything was stagnant,” he said “That the city was not looking forward to how to make tomorrow better they were just getting through everything and just moving on.” Just a few minutes down the road in Gilbert write-in candidate Ben Crosby came just short of beating former Mayor Karl Oberstar Jr but in the grand scheme of things I think we did our best,” Crosby said two days after the election “I know write-in campaigns are inherently difficult.” Crosby said he never wanted to get into politics When he learned Oberstar was running unopposed Crosby intended to have his name on the ballot but a discrepancy — that has since been fixed — between the filing dates in the city charter and state law caused him to miss the deadline “I feel pretty confident had I been on the ballot we would have had a different outcome,” he said Roen and Crosby said it was a coincidence that two serious write-in campaigns took place in neighboring cities But both pointed to community desires for change and increased transparency as reasons for running Roen said the sense of stagnancy is being felt across the East Range “The reason why his was close and mine ended up the way it did was people are looking for a difference “And it just so happened to be that the names for those changes happened to be on a write-in ballot.” 2025 between the International Falls Broncos and the North Shore Storm saw International Falls' Anthony Yerxa in deadly form Anthony Yerxa scored an incredible four goals in International Falls' 6-0 win Kaden Korpi scored the other two s for International Falls The Broncos took the lead late in the first period The Broncos made it 3-0 with a goal from Anthony Yerxa only seven seconds into the third when Anthony Yerxa found the back of the net again The Broncos increased the lead to 6-0 early in the third period when Anthony Yerxa netted one yet again The Broncos will play against the Storm on Thursday CST at International Falls High School in the next game The International Falls Broncos continue to stay strong When the team played the Greenway Raiders at Greenway on Thursday International Falls won the game 3-0 and now has four successive wins the Broncos took the lead when Zach Youso scored assisted by Anthony Yerxa and Carson Crandall Anthony Yerxa then tallied a goal five minutes into the period In the end the 3-0 came from Anthony Yerxa who increased the Broncos' lead The Raiders were whistled for no penalties The teams play each other again at International Falls High School on February 4th The Broncos will play against the Raiders on Saturday CST at Dryden Memorial Arena in the next game The Red Lake Falls Eagles defeated the International Falls Broncos 6-4 2025 was all square after two periods but in the third Red Lake Falls managed to pull out a win The team took the lead early in the first period The Eagles tied it up 1-1 with a goal from Jacob Harmoning in the first period Four goals were scored in the second period the score being tied at 3-3 going in to the third period The Eagles took the lead within the first minute when Gavin Girdler scored Boe Nelson made it 5-3 with a goal five minutes later assisted by Gavin Girdler and Brock Seeger Boe Nelson also increased the lead to 6-3 with a goal six minutes later assisted by Xavier Payment and Brock Seeger Asher Keep narrowed the gap to 6-4 with a goal four minutes later assisted by Cooper Crandall and Anthony Yerxa With this win the Eagles have seven straight victories and the Broncos will line up against the Pirates at 2 p.m