Latest News From Minnesota Daily News Dot Com

July 8, 2026

The man who drowned in Lake Movil last Friday has been identified as 23-year-old Matthew James Rayta of Maple Grove. He exited the boat and went under the water and never resurfaced. The Lakes Area Dive Team recovered his body about three hours later. Any autopsy is still planned. Meanwhile, an adult female was pronounced dead after being pulled from a lake east of Bemidji on Monday. The Beltrami County Emergency Communications Center received a call at approximately 4:05pm, on Monday reporting someone was being removed from the water and appeared to be unresponsive near the Mission Road Bridge. Beltrami County Deputies, Leech Lake Tribal Police Officers and Leech Lake Ambulance were dispatched to the area. A bystander and a Leech Lake Tribal Police Officer were able to remove an adult female from the water and began life-saving efforts. The female was transported by ambulance to an area hospital where life-saving efforts continued. The female was ultimately pronounced deceased. The female was transported by a funeral home for an autopsy. The location of the incident on Lake Andrusia is an area commonly used as a swimming beach, and the female was reportedly swimming when she became unresponsive. Both cases remains under investigation.

A Bemidji man, 56-year-old Thomas Jay Drift Sr., faces five felony charges, including child torture, after being accused of years of severe physical abuse towards his children, involving household items, strangulation, and exposure to methamphetamine. He was charged on June 22 and was set to appear in court on Monday. The child torture charge could lead to a 25-year prison sentence and a $35,000 fine. Investigators began their inquiry on April 30, gathering accounts from Drift's children about the abuse. They reported being hit with objects and experiencing strangulation. The children also mentioned Drift's drug use, with one alleging he offered meth while high. Drift has prior domestic assault convictions in St. Louis County in 2010 and 2014.

Two people were injured in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 200 in Cass County last Thursday. The Minnesota State Patrol responded around 4 p.m. in Inguadona Township. A 2025 Nissan Pathfinder was making a left turn when a 2020 Dodge Ram 1500, trying to pass stopped vehicles, collided with it. Jeffry Wayne Umberger, 40, and passenger Jaiden Karrin Breitkreutz, 16, both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a hospital. Other passengers in both vehicles reported no injuries.

In the first six months of Minnesota's Paid Leave program, around 75,000 people have been approved for benefits that help workers take time off for bonding with a child, personal health, or family care. DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek stated that the program is running well and meeting its goals. Signed into law by Governor Walz in 2023, the program aims to support families in Minnesota. Most workers are eligible for paid time off during qualifying events, and early data shows participation from a wide range of the workforce. About $600 million has been paid out, with an average weekly benefit of $1,083. This funding comes from a designated benefit account and premiums collected. The program also emphasizes continuous improvement and offers resources like a guide for new applicants and videos to help employers and families. Forty-four percent of applicants live outside the 7-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, while 64% of applicants are women. Northwest Minnesota had the lowest percentage of applicants in any area of the state, at just 15%.

July 7, 2026

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan attended the Red Lake Nation Independence Day Celebration and Pow Wow yesterday. Today she will be in Bemidji to discuss her plan to fight for universal childcare in the U.S. Senate and meet with parents and childcare providers about the challenges of making care affordable for families while ensuring early childhood educators earn a livable wage. Flanagan is the DFL endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate.

We are about two months away from the start of school, but Sanford Health will be holding a Back-To-School Immunization event today at the clinic on Anne Street. It runs from 10am to 7pm. Walk-Ins are welcome, but call 218-333-4710 or make an appointment on your Sanford MyChart.

Most Beltrami County divisions and services will close at 3 p.m. on Thursday for an employee event. Departments like the Real Estate and Tax Counter and Highway Department will not offer services. They will reopen on Friday, July 10, except for the Auditor-Treasurer's Office, which will be open for absentee voting. The courthouse and Solid Waste facilities will operate normally.

On Sunday, at 2:58pm, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a plane crash at Pine River Airport in Minnesota. A 1984 Beechcraft Bonanza was landing when there was a problem with the landing gear. The plane skidded on the runway before stopping. The pilot, a 71-year-old man from Pella, Iowa, had five passengers, including three juveniles, but no injuries were reported. The plane was removed, debris cleared, and the airport briefly closed. The incident is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Yesterday was an active weather day in northern Minnesota. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for most of the listening area yesterday afternoon, which was upgraded to tornado warnings in Mahnomen County, and Polk County. Most of Minnesota is once again in a marginal to slight risk for severe weather again today and tomorrow. Temperatures here are expected to be in the mid to upper 70's, but temps in South Dakota will be much warmer, with dew points nearing 70. Always get the forecast for your backyard at http://MinnesotaDailyWeather.com.

Young people can once again hunt deer with an adult in several state parks during special application-only youth deer hunts. These hunts provide unique experiences and are often on different dates from the usual youth deer season. This year, hunters must use lead-free ammunition for all special youth hunts in Minnesota state parks and Scientific and Natural Areas, with no exceptions. Previously, there was an exception for youth hunters in the shotgun-zone, but it has now been removed. The special youth deer hunts offer positive experiences and help state parks manage their deer population. These firearms hunts are for youth who are age 12-15 at the time of the hunt and are accompanied by an adult. Hunters can apply for a limited number of permits from Monday, July 20, through Friday, August 14.

The Beltrami County Board will meet today in regular session. On the agenda is approval of Opioid Settlement Funds, and also approve a land exchange. A property owner would like to exchange about 130 acres for another section of land that has been tax-forfeited. By going through with the exchange, the County would gain access to 330 acres of additional tax-forfeited land that has been landlocked. The Beltrami County Board meets at 5pm tonight.

July 6, 2026

An adult male was recovered deceased after exiting a boat and entering the water on a lake north of Bemidji on Friday. The Beltrami County Emergency Communications Center received a call at approximately 5:00pm on Friday reporting an adult male had exited a boat and entered the water that was operating on Movil Lake. The initial reports indicated he had entered the water and shortly after presumed to have become submerged and did not resurface. Beltrami County deputies and other first responders were dispatched to the area. Deputies were assisted by other boaters and bystanders in the area. Department of Natural Resource Officers also arrived on scene. At approximately 5:30pm an object was identified in approximately 25 feet of water that was believed to be a body. Prior to the arrival of the Lakes Area Dive Team, first responders had to evacuate the lake as severe thunderstorms moved into the area. The Lakes Area Dive Team arrived on scene and responded to the area that had been marked by initial responders and at approximately 8:30pm had located the body of an adult male matching the description of the missing person. The dive team assisted in recovery of the body. The decedent was brought to shore by deputies and was transported by a funeral home for autopsy. The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Bemidji Fire Department, Bemidji Ambulance Service, Department of Natural Resources, Lakes Area Dive Team and civilian bystanders. This case remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.

Red Lake celebrates their Independence Day today, commemorating the 1889 agreement. There is a parade, a Community Feast at 5pm at the Red Lake Humanities Center, Grand Entry to the Pow-Wow is at 7pm at the Red Lake Nation Pow-Wow Grounds, and fireworks at dusk tonight.

An avid angler, Rick Karns, is in the hospital after his boat was hit by another speeding boat on a Bemidji-area lake. He was fishing with a friend when the accident occurred, pinning him underneath the other boat. It took emergency responders 30 minutes to rescue him, and he suffered serious injuries, including a broken collarbone, shoulder, ribs, neck, and lower back. He was airlifted to Sanford Medical Center and is in the ICU. His family is raising money through a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses and other costs.

Kevin Cease from Cease Family Funeral Homes expressed gratitude for a generous $36,000 donation from the Bemidji Lions Club Charitable Foundation to help restore Greenwood Cemetery after it was damaged by the storm last June. An article in the Bemidji Pioneer details the damage the cemetery experienced, including around 100 fallen trees and over 75 damaged tombstones. One year later, the recovery is progressing well.

The National Community Band will host a free concert at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, in the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex at Bemidji State University. This 80-member band is made up of adult amateur musicians from across the country and will be conducted by Colonel John R. Bourgeois, former director of the U-S Marine Band. Bourgeois has a long career with the Marine Corps, joining in 1956 and serving as director from 1979 until his retirement in 1996, and just conducted the Celebrate “America’s 250th” concert at Avon Hall in Washington. The concert will feature various musical selections, including a Tchaikovsky overture, a John Philip Sousa suite, marches, and a Broadway medley. The John Philip Sousa Foundation supports band music and promotes cultural understanding through its projects.

Cass County Health, Human and Veterans Services is holding a school supply drive from now through September 4. They suggest donating items like backpacks, pencils, crayons, notebooks, and more. You can drop off donations at various locations, including the Cass County offices in Walker or Backus, and family centers in Pine River, Pillager, and Remer. Checks for donations can be sent to the Walker office. For more information, call 218-839-9106.

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Government offices will be closed yet today in observance of the Independence Day Holiday. Regular office hours will resume tomorrow. All 24 hour programs and businesses will remain open today.

July 3, 2026

The 82nd annual Bemidji Jaycees Water Carnival continues today at the Sanford Center and the waterfront. The midway starts at 1pm, with bingo starting at 3pm. Food vendors at the waterfront open starting at 1pm, there's also a Cornhole tournament today at the Entertainment Tent, with live music tonight from Corey Medina and Brothers starting at 8pm. The band is a 21-and-over event. Tomorrow, kids events start at 10am. Registration for the Kiddie Parade starts at 10am, with the parade at 10:30am. Registration for the color run starts at 9:30am, with the run at 10am. A petting zoo starts tomorrow at 10:30am. A Veterans / America Party starts at 2pm tomorrow. The band Prairie Smoke starts at 8pm tomorrow night, with the Red, White, and Boom Fireworks at dusk. The 82nd annual Bemidji Jaycees Water Carnival wraps up Sunday with Grand Parade at 1pm. More details at http://bemidjijaycees.com. Just a reminder, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, State Patrol, County Sheriff's, and other public safety agencies will target intoxicated boaters and drivers this weekend as part of Operation Dry Water, and a Toward Zero Deaths Drunk Driving enforcement weekend.

Walker is celebrating their 130th birthday as the Country celebrates their 250th. Tomorrow, the parade runs downtown on Main Street beginning at 1pm. A Party in the Park begins at 10am with Fun in the Park and Games for kids and adults. From 2pm-8pm, there will be a Fish Fry and Beer Garden, sponsored by the Rotary and Interact Club. Fireworks on the Bay start at dusk. The show is over Leech Lake, and viewable by land or lake. Just a reminder, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, State Patrol, County Sheriff's, and other public safety agencies will target intoxicated boaters and drivers this weekend as part of Operation Dry Water, and a Toward Zero Deaths Drunk Driving enforcement weekend. As the summer boating season enters its peak with the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds boat operators who create a wake to be mindful of the potential risks to other water users and the environment. Improper watercraft operation can put others at risk, damage docks and watercraft, create shoreline erosion, degrade water quality, and harm habitat essential for many species of fish and wildlife.

As the summer boating season peaks with the Fourth of July approaching, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources advises boat operators to be careful about creating wakes. Improper boating can endanger others, damage property, harm habitats, and degrade water quality. Personal watercraft users must operate at slow or no-wake speed within 150 feet of shore. The DNR also offers recommendations for boaters. They should be courteous at public access sites by launching and loading quickly while keeping ramps clear. Boaters should stay at least 200 feet from shore and other structures to reduce risks. Wake boats should operate even farther away to protect natural resources. Additionally, boaters should reduce speed near shorelines and crowded areas to prevent wakes from affecting habitats. They should minimize repetitive passes to reduce shoreline erosion and respect the diverse activities of other water users on Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.