Public Safety

New social media and domestic violence laws took effect Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Councilor proposing RFPs said Virginia needed to explore all options to address its budget. A standing-room crowd supported the departments’ current makeup.

Dennis N. Hyatt was traveling north on a Harley-Davidson Cruiser at 4:49 a.m. June 18, 2026, on Highway 371, making a left turn on Pine Beach Road north of Baxter.

The string of incidents was an uncommon run for the Iron Range city, which features a handful of locally owned shops and an active bar scene at night.

The Bemidji Fire Department responded to the multi-family structure fire in the nearby city of Wilton on June 10, 2026.

The Cass County, North Dakota, Coroner's Office reported that TeeJay Alvarez, 31, of Fosston, died June 9, 2026, as a result of injuries from a gunshot wound.

This means the potential for severe wind gusts of 75-80 mph or more, embedded tornadoes, hail up to the size of golf balls and locally heavy rainfall with flash flooding possible.

A neighbor on Gun Lake called 911 after hearing calls for help and seeing a person struggling. Other neighbors joined rescue efforts and brough Randy Benson to shore.

The man was reported missing on June 1, 2026, six months after he was last seen by family and friends. He was last seen in Keewatin or Nashwauk.

The 29-year-old Cody Kent, 29, was with friends and family May 30, 2026, at Little Emily Lake Park. This is the second drowning in the lake this spring.