WOODWORTH, N.D. — The 57-year-old man who drowned Sunday morning, Oct. 26, near Woodworth was a lieutenant with the Knoxville Police Department in Tennessee, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Gordon Gwathney, of Knoxville, died after the kayak he was in tipped over in a slough about 15 miles northwest of Woodworth, according to information provided by the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office.

Gwathney was on a duck hunting trip with three friends.

“This is an incomprehensible loss for our agency and the entire Knoxville community,” Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel said in the Facebook post on Sunday. “Gordon was beloved by our department and so many members of our community. He was a truly exceptional police officer who mentored generations of officers, dedicated his entire life to service and embodied the true spirit of community policing.”

The Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office said Gwathney was duck hunting with three friends in a slough. Gwathney was in a kayak and went to retrieve a duck that was shot in the slough. Winds were 30-40 mph at the time of the accident.

While out on the water, the kayak capsized and Gwathney fell into the water, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office said he was not wearing a life preserver but had waders on.

First responders located and removed Gwathney from the slough before he was transported by Carrington Ambulance to CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington, where he was pronounced dead.

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is investigating the accident.

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MEDORA, N.D. — Forty-six vendors from North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana gathered at the Medora Community Center on Saturday to participate in the 42nd annual Medora Craft Fair. The community center was lined with booths featuring a number of local artisans and small businesses, as well as a dense crowd bouncing between displays. Products for sale ranged from homemade lefse and candies to carefully curated selections of Christmas decorations and handmade jewelry.

Milo Thompson, who has been hosting the event for forty years, says that the Craft Fair reliably drives plenty of traffic towards the Medora area during a time of year when tourism is relatively quiet. Local shops that close during the off-season were even able to open for business on Saturday thanks to the long-running event.

“There’s lots of things for everybody to do, for the kids and for the parents, too. It has evolved into a great day,” said Thompson.

Olivia Feddeler / The Dickinson Press

Over the years, according to Thompson, the event has grown significantly. Most vendors choose to come back, and Thompson works hard each year to get seven to eight new booths in the door.

One of such new businesses was Wood n Woven, of Terry, MT. Angela Therrien, who is in the weaving business alongside her mother, said that one of their goals for the year was to bring their booth to more fairs, and the Medora Craft Fair turned out to be a successful event for them.

In more recent years, Thompson said the event’s proceeds have gone to support local charities and non-profits, such as local medical benefits and school fundraisers.

The Dickinson Press is southwest ND’s community-driven, professional and hyper-local newspaper since 1883.