North Dakota
Fargo officer killed in ambush remembered as ‘brave young man’
Jake Wallin was once a small boy who sought comfort in the arms of family, terrified of fireworks that lit up the sky. On Saturday, the Fargo police officer was remembered for growing up to be a military veteran and dedicated officer whose “final act of valor” was staring down the face of a man intent on bloodshed.
Wallin, 23, was killed July 14 when a man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, multiple guns and explosives ambushed officers responding to a routine traffic crash. Two other officers and a civilian were wounded before a fourth officer returned fire, killing gunman Mohamad Barakat. Police said the actions of the fourth officer likely spared the city a bigger, bloodier attack.
Wallin, who had been sworn in as a Fargo police officer in April and was still in field training, was cremated in his uniform. On Saturday, the Fargo Police Department escorted his cremains to Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, for his funeral service, which was attended by loved ones, dignitaries and law enforcement agencies from across the country.
The man who fired on police officers in North Dakota earlier this month chose to use a gun that was modified with a binary trigger.
The North Dakota attorney general said Friday that the gunman used a weapon that allowed him to fire rapidly during the July 14 attack.
Authorities in North Dakota say a man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition and explosives unleashed a “murderous barrage of fire” as he ambushed officers who were investigating a crash.
Funeral services have been set for the Fargo, North Dakota, police officer killed in a shooting that also left two other officers injured.
The police procession of 10 squad cars and three buses carrying department employees left Fargo early Saturday for Pequot Lakes. Dozens of people were at the memorial honoring Wallin at the site of the shooting as the procession went past, KFGO reported.
Wallin previously served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from November 2020 to July 2021, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard.
He received final military honors at a private interment.
“He served his country, came back here and wanted nothing more but to serve in a position with purpose and meaning — his exact words — and he did that,” Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski said at a media briefing after the shooting.
Zibolski on Saturday recounted Wallin’s impressive quality as a candidate in his officer interview last fall, how he excelled in the police academy, and strived for a job with meaning and purpose.
The chief shared that body-camera footage of the shooting showed Wallin “hurried to create distance, intuitively” after his fellow officers were hit, pulled his gun out and was taking aim at the gunman when he was fatally struck.
“His final act of valor was to selflessly face the shooter and attempt to neutralize him to save others,” Zibolski said. “His actions were valorous and exemplify the highest standards of the policing profession.”
Aunt Jodi Wallin recounted her nephew as “the little boy I adored who grew into the young man I admired and was oh so proud of.”
Wallin had recently purchased a house for himself and his fiancée, and “was so proud of becoming a new homeowner that he ran right out and bought himself a lawnmower and mowed his new lawn,” his aunt said.
“I remember him as a small boy with his little arms wrapped so tightly around my neck, burying his face into me to try to avoid the fireworks that he hated so much at that age,” she said. “From that timid, small boy, he grew to be a driven, ambitious, brave young man.”
Chaplain Jordan Helming, who served with Wallin in Iraq, recalled his dedication as a soldier and his positive personality amid a changing mission as well as restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Jake could see the big picture in life, and he realized that it took long, disciplined, steady efforts to get you to the top of the mountain,” Helming said.
Wallin’s parents received two Fargo police awards and the Minnesota Distinguished Service Medal in honor of their son at the service.
Law enforcement agencies from other states attended Wallin’s funeral. A caravan including Sioux Falls police and South Dakota Highway Patrol left Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Friday to make the five-and-a-half hour trip for the funeral, KELO-TV reported.
Dignitaries at the funeral service included Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
A public memorial service is planned for Wednesday in Fargo. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will attend and give remarks, his spokesman said.
On Friday, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley provided more details about the attack, which also wounded Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes and bystander Karlee Koswick, who had been involved in the crash.
Barakat was a Syrian national who came to the U.S. on an asylum request in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2019, Wrigley said.
Over the past five years, he had searched the internet for terms including “kill fast,” “explosive ammo,” “incendiary rounds,” and “mass shooting events,” Wrigley said.
Perhaps the most chilling search was for “area events where there are crowds,” which on July 13 brought up a news article with the headline, “Thousands enjoy first day of Downtown Fargo Street Fair.” On the day of the attack, the downtown fair was in its second day and was less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the crash scene.
Barakat also searched for information on the Red River Valley Fair, which was a 6-mile (10-kilometer) drive from the scene, the attorney general said.
Wrigley said Barakat had an “obvious motive to kill” and was driven by hate, but it was not directed toward any particular group — including the police.
Evidence suggests instead that Barakat came upon the crash by “happenstance” and his ensuing ambush was a diversion from his much bigger intended target, Wrigley said.
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North Dakota
Applications now available for 2024 North Dakota swan license
![Applications now available for 2024 North Dakota swan license Applications now available for 2024 North Dakota swan license](https://cdn.forumcomm.com/dims4/default/19e2211/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1050x657+0+0/resize/1704x1066!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum-communications-production-web.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F77%2F1c%2F078eeaa14b03ad995f83ab964fe8%2Ffws-tundra-swan.jpg)
BISMARCK – Hunters can now apply for a 2024 North Dakota swan license
on the Game and Fish Department’s website
at gf.nd.gov, the department said Monday, July 22.
North Dakota residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply. The resident swan license is $10, while the nonresident fee is $30. The application deadline is Aug. 21.
North Dakota’s statewide tundra swan hunting season opens Sept. 28, and 2,200 licenses are available. Successful applicants will receive a tag to take one swan during the season. Since swans are classified as waterfowl, nonresidents may hunt them only during the period their nonresident waterfowl license is valid.
All swan hunters, regardless of age, are required to have a general game and habitat license when applying. In addition, nonresidents must have a waterfowl license, and residents 16 and older need a small game or combination license.
North Dakota
Zebra Mussels In North Dakota Lakes: Will It Really Be That Bad?
![Zebra Mussels In North Dakota Lakes: Will It Really Be That Bad? Zebra Mussels In North Dakota Lakes: Will It Really Be That Bad?](https://townsquare.media/site/505/files/2024/07/attachment-zebramussels.jpg?w=1200&q=75&format=natural)
Zebra mussels are going to ruin all of our lakes right?
Okay, I know I’m going to take some heat on this, but here goes. We’ve been hearing about zebra mussels for a long time now. How they will destroy ecosystems, ruin beaches, clog up water intakes, compete with native species, etc.
You’ve seen the commercials and billboards from North Dakota Game and Fish, “Clean, Drain and Inspect.” Zebra mussels are a problem, but is it really all doom and gloom? More on that in a moment.
Zebra mussels are now in several North Dakota lakes and rivers, and you can bet more will be added in the future.
They include the Red River, Lake LaMoure, Lake Ashtabula, Lake Elsie, the James River, and the Sheyenne River all in eastern North Dakota.
So far western North Dakota has been spared, but you can bet zebra mussels are coming. Here’s a map and more on ANS-infested waters in North Dakota.
Humans are considered the primary transporter of zebra mussels, but there are other spreaders. According to Researchgate, waterfowl can transfer zebra mussels at the larvae stage.
What are we going to do about millions of migrating waterfowl each year? Not to mention other shorebirds, reptiles, and even mammals.
I’m very familiar with zebra mussels. I have a cabin on Enemy Swim Lake in northeast South Dakota. We’ve had zebra mussels present in the lake now going on for 3 years.
(A very small zebra mussel that was found on our beach this past weekend.)
Enemy Swim is located about 5 miles south of Pickerel Lake in South Dakota. Pickerel Lake has had zebra mussels for a few years longer than my lake.
Despite joint efforts from Fish and Game, cabin owner volunteers, and interns from Fish and Game with inspection points at the boat ramp, zebra mussels still found their way into my lake. I know we all did our part to prevent it, but I sometimes think that eventually, nature will take its course.
Will zebra mussels really ruin a lake?
There’s a lot of big claims and theories out there. No doubt it will affect your beach life. You will have to wear water shoes because zebra muscles can be sharp and could cut your feet. I know I swim with my water shoes normally anyway, as I don’t like creepy crawlies touching my feet in the water.
Will zebra mussels cause your lake property values to crash?
To be honest, no sign of that anywhere. Much of Minnesota’s lakes are infested with zebra mussels. People are still spending millions of dollars for cabins on Minnetonka, Pelican, or Detroit Lakes area lakes.
Even Pickerel Lake, next to my lake has people snatching up some very expensive million-dollar cabins. You can’t even find a cabin for sale on my lake. According to swnewsmedia, there’s no link between a drop in property values and zebra muscles.
Zebra mussels will actually clear up the water they infest.
This might improve the fishing, depending on the lake. Species like Smallmouth Bass, Perch, Walleyes, and even panfish are known to gorge on zebra mussels. You might catch bigger fish because of this.
With cleaner water means you will have more sunlight and more vegetation in the lake. Again, this is thought to improve the size of the fish. Fish will have more places to hide and grow bigger. It may cause anglers to adapt to new strategies to catch fish. In some cases, it could make fishing more difficult.
As far as whether zebra mussels will destroy the ecosystem of lakes?
I’m going to come right out and say it. I think this is highly exaggerated. I’m not a biologist and don’t claim to be one.
Zebra mussels have been in the Great Lakes since the 1980’s. The Walleyes and Smallmouth Bass have never been bigger. People are still catching fish and lakes are still alive.
Zebra mussels have been in Minnesota lakes now for decades and the cabin owners I know say nothing has changed except a little extra cleaning on the docks when they pull them out each year.
Lakes like Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs, and all of the lakes around Detroit Lakes are still alive and well.
Let’s face it: Even the highly prized Walleye is an invasive species to lakes in our area.
In conclusion:
When zebra mussels reach your favorite lake it will certainly change the ecosystem. Your “lake life” will likely have to adapt to some necessary changes.
However, will zebra mussels turn your lake into a barren wastewater? I don’t think so. Adapt or die. That’s life in a nutshell.
Do I want zebra mussels in our lakes? No, of course not. However, I’m being realistic. Sometimes you have to look for the good with the bad.
North Dakota’s Top 11 Lakes According To Our Fans
Plant Some Of These In Your Garden to Keep Mosquitoes Away
Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart
North Dakota
Color of Hockey: Rangers prospect Emery 'comfortable' heading to North Dakota | NHL.com
![Color of Hockey: Rangers prospect Emery 'comfortable' heading to North Dakota | NHL.com Color of Hockey: Rangers prospect Emery 'comfortable' heading to North Dakota | NHL.com](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size50/v1721432129/prd/yqw6oevmuuwklhqmkrpt.png)
Murphy played quarterback for North Dakota from 1960-62 and was its coach from 1978-79. He left a lasting impression on Eric Emery, especially after Cal Fullerton went 12-0 in 1984. Murphy died Oct. 29, 2011.
“I guess I kind of transported into EJ, the sense of respect I have for Gene Murphy and what he did for us at Cal Fullerton,” said the elder Emery, who went on to become a linebacker for the BC Lions, Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League from 1985-87.
“He brought us together and he actually told us that we were going to be champions because he saw the capability in us. I just had to have him (EJ) go look at North Dakota because Gene came from there and a lot of his coaches that he brought with him came from there and they were such good guys. So I figured North Dakota must have something going on.”
There’s also a North Dakota connection between the younger Emery and NTDP coach Nick Fohr, who was born and raised in Grand Forks and regularly attended UND games with his father Roger, who was an off-ice official right up until when he died of cancer in January 2023.
“Oh yeah, we talked about it, for sure,” Fohr said. “Pretty cool place for me and it’s pretty cool to have somebody like EJ interested in that place.
“When people think of an EJ Emery, a Black kid that that’s looking to play hockey, rarely are they going to place him in North Dakota, right? We had some really good conversations about the city, the town and what it’s like. From talking to EJ and his family, they (UND) did a really, really, really good job in the recruiting process in making him feel comfortable, letting him see what it’s like and meeting some football players and other people. It just felt like home to him is how I took it.”
North Dakota hockey coach Brad Berry said Emery had been on the team’s radar since he played for Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, British Columbia, in 2021-22.
“When we got to the recruiting process, he got to know us, we got to know him and it felt comfortable,” Berry said. “When we recruit players, we have a criteria of what we want in a player: It doesn’t matter where you come from or who you are. It matters what you are as a person, and he checked every box that we had.”
Emery (6-foot-3, 183 pounds) is UND’s first Black player since Akil Adams, a defenseman who appeared in 18 games from 1992-94.
North Dakota has had diverse rosters since. Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, a United States-born player who is Indigenous, played there from 2005-08. Center Jordan Kawaguchi, a Canada-born player of Japanese ancestry, played for UND from 2017-21 and was team captain in his final season.
Emery’s selection by the Rangers and commitment to North Dakota delighted Adams, who played in the minor leagues and Germany after he left the university.
“I’m still a North Dakota guy through and through,” said Adams, who lives in Detroit. “He’s definitely in the right place and I’m happy to see that there’s actually somebody else there. I just think it probably speaks volumes about the kind of player he is.”
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