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Shaw: She did not have to lay there and suffer

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Shaw: She did not have to lay there and suffer


In a survey at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair, people were asked, “Should terminally ill adults have the option to end their lives with the assistance of health care providers?” An overwhelming 73% said yes, while just 18% said no. It’s time for Minnesota legislators to listen to the people of the state and pass such a law.

We know these laws work in other states. Mona Henkels of Fulda, Minnesota, had a very dear friend, Elfi Rice, who used to live in Faribault, Minnesota. Elfi later moved to the state of Washington.

In 2015, Elfi was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She valiantly fought her cancer, and received numerous chemotherapy treatments, but they didn’t help.

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Mona Henkels is pictured with her friend Elfi Rice.

Contributed / Mona Henkels

“Elfi was in a lot of pain,” Mona told me. “She was sick, very weak and lost her appetite. She was choking on her food. We couldn’t even understand what this eloquent woman was saying. She had fought all she could fight.”

Realizing that she was terminally ill and only going to get worse, Elfi made the decision to die with dignity. After she was examined by two physicians and found to be of a sound mind, Elfi was approved for Washington’s program.

Surrounded by her family, Elfi took two pills in a drink and went to sleep. An hour later she was gone.

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“I’m very grateful that she was allowed that option,” Mona said. “I was so glad that she did not have to lay there and suffer. There was nothing to be gained. She had lived a great life. She wasn’t going to submit to the indignity and inhumanity of waiting to die.”

David Sturgeon of Tonka Bay, Minnesota, will never forget the brutal death of his father.

“My father had skin cancer,” David told me. “He was miserable. He couldn’t do anything for himself. He was choking on fluid filling his lungs, was horribly uncomfortable and clearly in pain. He wanted to get medical assistance to die, but that wasn’t a legal option. Instead, he got the death he dreaded.”

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David Sturgeon is pictured with his father shortly before his death.

Contributed / David Sturgeon

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That had a huge impact on David. Nine years after his father’s death, Tom Warren of California, who was like a second father to David, was also dying and suffering. So, Tom chose death with dignity. David was with Tom and his family when Tom took his medication.

“He told everybody he loved them and went to sleep,” David said. “Totally peaceful. To be a witness to that was incredible. It was what he wanted. I wish my dad could have had that opportunity.”

Every terminally ill person should have this opportunity. What’s the point of prolonging misery and suffering? In most states, we treat our dogs and cats more humanely when they are dying than we do our fellow human beings.

“I can only hope when my time comes, my passing will be like Tom’s,” David said.

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“It’s just the right and humane thing to do to provide this option,” Mona said.

Jim Shaw

InForum columnist Jim Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV news director.





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North Dakota

Runners will soon trek across North Dakota to bring awareness for families grieving the loss of a child – KVRR Local News

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Runners will soon trek across North Dakota to bring awareness for families grieving the loss of a child – KVRR Local News


FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For more than 400 miles, 12 runners will trek across North Dakota to carry the stories of love, loss, and resilience from community to community.

“After having run Haven since 2017, the 10.15 Project came, and it just is so exciting because it’s really looking at pregnancy and infant loss and putting it in a new light. And really giving people the opportunity to do something that you can see and it’s meaningful,” said Jen Burgard, Founder and Executive Director of Haven.

The 10.15 Project was co-founded by Haven, an organization that supports grieving families. The relay begins on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. And during the four days, the team hopes to bring awareness to families.

“It gives you pieces of solitude, of quiet, of reflection, and also a purpose. It gives you meaning, and I think endurance is one of the biggest pieces of this. It’s the endurance required to navigate pregnancy and infant loss is extreme. And I think this really mirrors that,” said Burgard.

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While many of the runners come from different fields, many have also experienced a loss themselves.

“When it happened in my family, it was kind of something we were all struck by. You realize how common it is. And you know, I want to bring light to that,” said Ty Casey, Runner and Learning and Development Specialist at TrueNorth Steel.

Casey has multiple runs planned over the next few months, but with this run in particular, he hopes this will bring awareness.

“If this is one thing that can help bring light to it and help people be more open and help people to talk about it, and take some of the grief away that would be totally ideal for us just to help out a little bit,” said Casey.

The relay begins on October 15 in Medora and will end on October 18th in Fargo.

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North Dakota

Behind the Badge – Spring Fever

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Spring Fever

District Game Warden Sam Feldmann

As winter begins to fade and ice fishing begins to slow, everyone gets the itch to be outside on nice days when it’s warming and the sun is shining. People are beginning to think about their garden or outdoor projects around the house they have been pondering all winter.

While others have been thinking about open water fishing, getting the boat ready, hitting the field to look for shed antlers in a favorite spot they’ve been watching deer all winter, or slipping into the field to lure a spring gobbler into shotgun range with a new call they’ve been practicing with all winter.

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With the excitement of warm weather and getting out to enjoy everything a spring day has to offer, I would like to remind everyone of a few things while enjoying what North Dakota has to offer.

This year is a registration year for all motorized watercrafts. This doesn’t just mean you have to renew your registration. It means that when you get the new red stickers sporting “28” on them that they must be affixed to both sides of the bow of the boat.

Another reminder is that if you are going shed hunting, there are a few things to remember. Shed antlers are legal to possess. This time of year, our officers receive lots of calls about shed hunters locating “dead heads,” which are animals that have died and the antlers are still attached to the skull plate.

If you happen to locate a dead head, you cannot possess it without contacting your local game warden and receiving a permit for the animal. Also, if you are going to shed hunt on posted private property or a Private Lands Opens To Sportsmen tract, you need to obtain permission to do so. Wildlife management areas and other state and federal lands are open to shed hunting, but a good rule of thumb is to check the regulations on public property before heading out.

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If you are going to be chasing turkeys this spring through the timber, there are a few things that should be remembered. Make sure you have your tag with you when you are in the field. Remember that your tag is only legal for one bearded wild turkey. If you are lucky enough to harvest a turkey you fooled into coming to your calling and decoy, you must tag it before doing anything else.

One last reminder for the spring activities. Remember that all licenses, whether it’s a hunting license or fishing license, expired March 31 and needed to be renewed as of April 1, 2026

With these few reminders out of the way, remember to have fun and enjoy what the great state of North Dakota has to offer.



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Retired Game & Fish Director facing new charge of molesting a child – KVRR Local News

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Retired Game & Fish Director facing new charge of molesting a child – KVRR Local News


MANDAN, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – Former North Dakota Game & Fish Director Terry Steinwand has been charged with molesting a child.

The Class “A” misdemeanor was filed after a Morton County District Court judge rejected a proposed plea agreement to a felony charge and prosecutors dismissed the charge while retaining the right to file an amended charge.

Steinwand is from Mandan. The 72-year-old is now charged with one count of sexual assault-offensive contact. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Steinwand was originally charged in September, 2025, when police say he admitted to sexual misconduct.

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Steinwand worked for the Game & Fish Dept. for 40 years. He led the agency for about 15 years and retired in 2021.





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