2020 Year in Review: Elections, protests, cold cases and more highlight west central Minnesota year in news | West Central Tribune

In addition to the pandemic, which is the headline for 2020, this is the other headlines of the year in the Midwestern Minnesota that were voted by the West-Middle Forum journalists.

The murder of Mabel "Mae" Agnes Boyer Herman in 1974 remained unresolved for decades, until the Wilma Police Department established a cold case team that used newer investigation and analysis techniques to finally bring 79-year-old Algene Leeland Vossen Arrested in the murder in July.

The cold team was able to use the DNA from the sweater Herman wore on the night of the murder to link Watson to the murder.

May Herman’s grandson, Andrew Herman, said: “I’m proud of the Wilma Police Department because they never gave up and apparently did a great job at the crime scene, which has kept it for many years. These evidences." "For me, something like this might even happen, which is very impressive."

After the initial extradition struggle with the state of South Dakota where he lived, Watson was sent to Candiyoshi County Prison, with a bail set at $1 million.

Vossen was released from prison in October and is currently on medical leave in Iowa, awaiting his trial in Candiyoshi County in 2021.

The 2020 election has brought many changes, but many changes remain the same. The Republicans once again in Candiyoshi County and surrounding areas, where Republican Rep. Dave Baker and Tim Miller, together with State Senator Andrew Long, easily won re-election and performed well.

Nationwide, the Republican Party was finally able to defeat the US representative Colin Peterson who lost to challenger Michel Fischbach. This change also means that Peterson will no longer be chairman of the Agriculture Committee, which will undoubtedly have an impact on agriculture in the Midwest.

However, despite Donald Trump's outstanding performance in out-of-state states, he still could not deliver to Minnesota. Former Vice President Joe Biden (Joe Biden) won Minnesota and ultimately won the country.

On the Kandiyohi County Council, Harlan Madsen, the longtime commissioner of District 5, retired, and Duane Anderson of Lake Lillian will take over. And, after recounting the votes, Steven Gardner defeated the expired Steve Ahmann in the second district.

After councilors Kathy Schwantes, Fernando Alvarado and Shawn Mueske did not run for re-election, Willmar City Council added three new members. Michael O'Brien is elected in Ward 1, Justin asks Ward 3 and Tom Butterfield in Ward 4.

In the small community of Watson in the west, a card draw broke the relationship between city council candidates. Nathan Jordahl picked the high card to win a seat on Carter Lokken; both sides received 42 votes in the election.

The murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 shocked the world. The incident involving former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin triggered protests and civil unrest from Minneapolis to Paris.

The video showed that Giovan knelt on Freud's neck for nearly 9 minutes when the man was handcuffed and turned down on the street. It spread quickly and caused condemnation from the world.

Wilma is no exception. Hundreds of people participated in many protests and rallies to show their solidarity with Freud and the black community.

The protest chanted "I can't breathe". This was Freud's last sentence, and Shavin knelt on his neck.

Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder.

What happens when only white organizations enter your town? Protests, city halls and national attention mark the final months of the Asatru Folklore Convention (organized by the Southern Poverty Law Center) in Murdoch this year

Designated as a white supremacist organization-opened a shop in an old church in the town this summer.

The Murdoch City Council approved a conditional use permit in December, allowing the organization to use the old church as a place of worship after a community boycott, led by the newly formed Murdoch Regional Anti-Hate League.

MAAAH organizer Victoria Guillemard (Victoria Guillemard) said after the decision of the Security Council: “We have a very specific goal in mind, and that is to let the Asatru Folklore Assembly know how much they are in this small town. unwelcome."

After the vote, the town’s mayor and council also assured residents of the town, which prompted the city to sign a patrol contract with the Swift County Sheriff’s Office.

The statement read: "We can assure you that we will always support the Hispanic community in our city." "This decision will not change that. This is a great town, and I am very happy that they are involved. Our Murdoch and Hispanic citizens throughout the region are of great value to our community. The diversity we have makes Murdoch an ideal place to live."

District schools have made great strides in improving facilities. Benson School District completed improvements worth $26 million and reached the end. Students at Northside Elementary and High and Junior High schools begin their school year in newly expanded and remodeled facilities. The 600-seat performing arts center and new band room in the area have also been realized.

The MACCRAY district began the journey to the new PreK-12 campus in Clara. The Board of Trustees approved $39.9 million in bonds for the project, with a 20-year real interest rate of 2.08%. The board of directors approved the plan for the new factory by a vote of four to two. The campus will include a new kindergarten sixth grade elementary and junior high school, a converted junior high school and an auditorium with a capacity of 500 seats.

The bold school council wants voters to push the area onto the road to new facilities. The board approved a $57.4 million referendum for voters in February to build a new preK-12 facility near the Olivia Hospital and Clinic campus. The second question calls for approval to invest $5.2 million in bonds for the new sports and events complex.

This has been a difficult year for the newspaper industry. Many community newspapers across the country have either closed down or adapted to changes. This summer, "Middle Western Forum" ended its long history of hiring newspaper carriers to deliver newspapers, and instead delivered newspapers through the United States Postal Service. This fall, the Tribune shut down its large printing press, which is currently printing at a plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which is owned by Forum Communications Company, the parent company of the Tribune.

The Tribune, which is printed six days a week, is now printed twice a week and delivered on paper, but the electronic version is printed seven days a week. In addition, the website of the Tribune

, Updated throughout the day.

Regional hospitals have joined new branches to take advantage of the economy and leverage provided through partnerships. Renville County Hospital and Clinic signed a 30-year lease agreement with HealthPartners and operated as Olivia Hospital and Clinic. The agreement includes a commitment to the health center.

Granite Falls Health joins a wholly-owned subsidiary of Avera Marshall. The agreement includes the potential for a new 30-acre hospital next to skilled nursing and assisted nursing facilities operated by the health system. Mick Memorial Hospital and Lichfield Clinic approved the agreement with Carris Health. County hospitals remain independent, while Carris Health and Litchfield Clinics jointly provide provider-based care models and integrated care with hospitals.

Carris Health and Swift County-Benson Health Services extended the management contract for three years to achieve integration. Carris Health pledged to invest $1.5 million to implement a new electronic medical record system. Despite the outdated COVID-19 release, its release proceeded smoothly.

After 30 years of operating its own multi-sorting recycling program, Candiyoshi County decided to sign a contract with the Western Central Health Bureau to bring single-sorting recycling to most residents. It is hoped that this move will improve the number of recycling and extend the life of the county’s landfill.

In the past, community service participants in the county would recycle in Willmar, and Western Central Industries employees would sort recyclables at the county recycling center. With the new system, these jobs were eliminated and the county recycling center was closed. Drop-off locations throughout the county were also closed.

Wilma police officer Nicole Wortham (Nicole Wortham) was injured in a nightmarish domestic incident, and the suspect was eventually killed.

Wortham, holding a knife and a box opener, confronts Wilma's suspect, 38-year-old Jose Reyna Lozano. After disobeying the instructions, Wortham tasted Lozano and fought many struggles. She eventually released the weapon, and another officer also released the Taser when the incident occurred.

Once, Lozano cut his throat. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

After being stabbed, Wortham was taken by ambulance to Carris Health-Rice Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to a hospital in St. Cloud. She was released from the CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital and was able to return home by escort team and ambulance.

Wilma police chief Jim Felt said that after the incident, law enforcement agencies worked together.

He said that Officer Willmar came early due to shifts, while staying up late was for shifts of 20 hours or more. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department helped cover up the police’s phone calls. The Minnesota State Patrol transported family members to St. Cloud.

Felt said that in those chaotic days, his department also received a lot of community support-so much that it took a few days to reply to all the messages and gifts.

Several violent crimes were resolved in 2020.

In September, Braxton Monte Anderson, 35, of Montevideo, was sentenced to 68 months in prison for murdering a vehicle. The jury found that he was convicted of causing the death of 20-year-old Appleton passenger Brittany Lynn Schulz in a crash in August 2019.

In November, 18-year-old Jeremiah Adam Torke of St. Cloud was sentenced to 103 months in prison for shooting a man in June 2019. There was a bullet in the victim's body because it could not be removed without causing harm.

In April, 50-year-old Gordon Gene LaBatte of Renville pleaded guilty to an attack. A man was stabbed and beaten with a hammer. He was found guilty and sentenced to 51 months in prison. His younger brother, Loren Wayne LaBatte of Renville, 48, pleaded guilty to teaching assistantship and was sentenced to probation. The victim was alleged to have a relationship with Loren LaBatte's ex-wife.

In November, Zane Robert Pederson of Spicer, 32, pleaded guilty to a house invasion in Winona in November 2018 for rape and burglary. He broke into a woman’s house and raped her several times within a few hours. He threatened her life and the life of the child. According to the plea agreement, he will be sentenced to 250 months in prison in February.