North Dakota
Discover North Dakota's Coolest Secret Hidden Gem
Readers Digest, you know the little magazine that used to be found in nearly every dentist’s or doctor’s waiting rooms, just came out with “The Coolest Hidden Gem” in each state.
Hmmm, what could it be? If it’s secret, it’s got to be something that very few people know about right? The scenic brides around Valley City, the Pembina Gorge, the Turtle Mountains, the James River Valley, the Turtle River State Park, Huff Hills, Lake Audubon, and all of its islands?
Let’s just say their secret spot for North Dakota is NOT so secret to us North Dakotans.
In fact, it’s kind of ridiculous. It’s so well known, it’s international. If somebody I knew came from out of town to visit, this would be one of the first places I would bring them.
According to Readers Digest, “The Coolest Secret Location Spot in North Dakota” is “The International Peace Garden in Rollette County.”
The garden offers a variety of outdoor activities including canoeing, camping, cycling, and various winter activities. Readers Digest says the chapel is one of the most unique parts of this experience. The garden is open daily.
So, how about our neighboring states around North Dakota? What is their coolest secret hidden gem?
Minnesota: Spam Museum in Austin- If you’ve never heard of this before, don’t feel bad. Neither have I, and I’ve spent a lot of time in Minnesota in my lifetime. I’ve just never been a big fan of “Spam” before. Mainly because we were forced to eat it as kids growing up.
Yes, there is a SPAM Museum and it’s free to tour! Located about 100 miles south of Minneapolis in the city of Austin, there’s even a gift shop on your way out if you feel like “piggin’ out”.
South Dakota: Deadwood-Again, not so secret, but at least not as bad as the International Peace Garden. Deadwood is a big favorite for people around the Capital Region. It’s such a gorgeous area with so much to do in all four seasons of the year.
Deadwood is where Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back while playing cards and it’s also where Calamity Jane is buried.
Montana: Havre Beneath The Streets-I can think of literally dozens of other more scenic hidden gems in Montana, but Readers Digest chose Havre, Montana. Apparently, a fire destroyed most of the town at one time, so business owners went underground with their shops.
Tours are available daily, except they do not operate on Sundays during the winter.
Summer’s here and now you have your hidden gems to explore. You better get going. Summer is short in our part of the country.
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Gallery Credit: Abby Monteil
North Dakota
Sex crimes case against Dakota Prairie school counselor dismissed
GRAND FORKS — At the conclusion of a Friday morning, June 21, preliminary hearing in Nelson County court, Judge Kristi Venhuizen dismissed the case against a former Dakota Prairie School counselor alleging that he solicited, lured and sexually assaulted students.
Brendon Thomas Parsley, 48,
was charged with three Class C felonies in February
for crimes he allegedly committed against two students to whom he provided counseling services.
The purpose of a preliminary hearing is to determine if there’s probable cause to support criminal charges being filed. Preliminary hearings can be waived by the defense. If the hearing is held, the state must provide evidence that probable cause exists to continue prosecuting the defendant.
The defense can question any of the state’s witnesses and also may, but is not required to, bring in its own.
North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations Special Agent Derek Madson testified for the state. He testified about interviews with the two alleged victims in the case, during which they spoke about Parsley’s alleged inappropriate conduct.
The crime of solicitation of a minor was filed due to allegations that, when one of the alleged victims was in Parsley’s house, he asked her if she was going to get on the bed and instructed her to leave after she hesitated.
The crime of luring a minor by electronic means was filed due to allegations that Parsley sent Facebook messages that were sexual in nature to the aforementioned minor.
The crime of sexual assault was filed due to allegations that Parsley made sexual contact with a minor as she was leaving a counseling session.
The charge of solicitation was dismissed without prejudice during the hearing, because it had incorrectly been filed as taking place when the alleged victim was under 15 years old. Madson, and the alleged victim herself, testified she was 17 at the time of the offense.
Jayme Tenneson, representing the state, requested that the charge be amended to solicitation of a minor older than 15, which would be a misdemeanor rather than a felony, according to his court statement.
However, the defense argued, and the judge agreed, that it was inappropriate to amend a charge during a preliminary hearing — it should have been done beforehand, when there was time for both parties to present arguments of probable cause for that charge.
It would have to be recharged accurately later.
Mark Friese, representing Parsley, called a private investigator to testify, as well as both the alleged victims.
Tenneson argued that calling the alleged victims to testify was undue harassment. However, by the end of the hearing, Venhuizen said if anyone was at fault for harassing the women, it was the state.
Tenneson failed to amend the information document prior to the hearing after Friese contacted him about the following errors: the luring charge was documented as occurring in 2014, however, the alleged victim testified it happened between 2015 and 2016; the sexual assault charge was documented as occurring in 2008, however, the alleged victim said it happened in 2009.
Amendments can be made to information documents as long as it doesn’t materially affect the criminal allegations, however, failing to do so before the preliminary hearing resulted in an inability to establish probable cause for any of the charges as they were presented.
The case was dismissed entirely, though charges may be refiled.
North Dakota
Obituary for Philip George Freeman at Gregory J. Norman Funeral Chapel
North Dakota
North Dakota AG Wrigley makes first public comments about Epic Companies investigation
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO Prairie Public Radio) – More than a month after KFGO News reported that West Fargo-based Epic Companies closed and is under investigation, Attorney General Drew Wrigley has made his first public comments.
Wrigley was asked about Epic during a news conference in Bismarck where he released 2023 state crime statistics.
“It’s obviously a very concerning matter,” Wrigley said. “There’s not always criminal wrongdoing, but if there is evidence of that, we pursue those investigations. Sometimes, they’re civil in nature, but whatever category it falls under, it’s concerning in nature. It’s being monitored, and it’s being evaluated, and it’s being investigated.”
Epic owns or manages commercial and residential buildings across the region and was hired to run “Norsk Hostfest” in Minot, which is back under local control for this fall’s event.
Epic has laid off employees and a number of contractors and suppliers say they’re owed significant amounts of money.
No one from the company will comment. Several sources say the company is under both state and federal investigation.
Among the agencies investigating is the state securities department.
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