Attorney stops escaping inmate

Former peace officer chases down a man making a run for it after a court appearance in Isanti County.

When he heard commotion in the hallway at the government center on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, Assistant Isanti County Attorney David Kraemer didn't hesitate.
He dropped the files he was carrying back to his office and dashed towards the noise.
As he rounded the corner near the court administration window, Kraemer saw inmate Cary Barry Kessel of Cambridge running towards the stairs. He was still handcuffed.
Kraemer, trailed by the court baliff, followed him down the stairs. The balliff tasered Kessel for the second time, but he didn't halt.
In the lobby, Kraemer, a former peace officer, caught up with Kessel and stopped him.
It's been 10 years since Kraemer worked as a conservation officer, but his training came back to him.
It's not the first time, Kraemer has stopped an uncooperative suspect. While working in International Falls, he wrestled with a drunk snowmobiler. And as a prosecutor in Douglas County he assisted with escapees if he was around.
"If I'm available I'm going to chase them," said Kraemer. "I'm not going to let them run by.
"The courtroom personnel have difficult jobs to do. If I can help them, I'm going to."
Kraemer added, "You don't know when someone is out of control what they're going to do. The person is not rational. He's got a history of violence. You don't let somebody like that just run out."
Kraemer had noticed during Kessel's bail hearing shortly after 11 a.m. that he seemed agitated and knew he had been a difficult inmate since being locked up on Nov. 8. Kessel had been arrested the week before for second degree test refusal and driving while under the influence of alcohol. The charges were exacerbated by a probation violation for a DUI in 2007. While in custody, the charges related to an incident where he allegedly inappropriately touched a Pizza Hut delivery driver on Oct. 28 were also filed.
On Nov. 12, after the Honorable P. Hunter Anderson informed Kessel that he was to be held without bail, Kessel, who was handcuffed, kicked off his shoes and ran for the courtroom door, according to Isanti County Attorney Jeff Edblad, who had also just left the room. After court officer David Bowman's taser was unable to stop him, Kessel ran out of the courtroom and into the hallway of the second floor of the Isanti County Government Center.
That's where he encountered Kraemer.
After being returned to jail, Kessel kicked out and broke a window in the holding cell.
Kessel is expected to be charged with felony attempted escape from custody and criminal damage to property from the Nov. 12 incident.
As for Kraemer, he's glad no one else was hurt.

No change in commissioner race following recount

ISANTI COUNTY – Over 4,000 ballots were recounted on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008, but the results remained the same.
Isanti County Commissioner Larry Southerland held onto his seat by eight votes.
Challenger Terry Turnquist had requested the recount.
During the recount at the Isanti County Government Center, both candidates were present. The recount began at 1:30 p.m. and lasted until 5 p.m.
Each ballot was examined by hand, and if anyone disagreed with the results it was re-examined, according to Isanti County Auditor Terry Treichel. "There was no issue with the way people marked their ballots," he said.
In the recount, the legality of each vote is not questioned. "Basically, what we're doing is determining the count of votes," explained Turnquist.
The county canvassing board will meet to certify the results on Friday morning.
At that point, Turnquist has seven days to contest the results in the court system if he feels there is any irregularity.
Treichel was pleased that the results remained the same. "The machines proved accurate again," he noted.
The one issue that arose during the recount was that half the precinct judges did not initial the absentee ballots they opened up before running them through the machines. This occurred in Wyanett, Springvale and Maple Ridge Townships.
Treichel pointed out that this recount was a preliminary of the recount that will occur next Thursday and Friday when the results for Minnesota Senator are scrutinized.

Southerland wins by eight votes

Two incumbents ousted in Chisago County

Eight voters made the difference in the race for Isanti County Commissioner in District 2.
Larry Southerland was re-elected by those eight votes.
The people watching the results come in at the Isanti County Government Center on Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008 figured that challenger Terry Turnquist was going to capture the seat as he was in the lead with one township yet to count. But when the results from Wyanett Township were entered, Southerland had won by eight votes.
There will be a recount in the race.
Meanwhile, in southern Isanti County, District 4 Commissioner Kurt Daudt held onto his seat and will serve a second term. He earned 65% of the vote compared to Jaysen Guthmueller's 35%.
A new face will occupy the District 3 seat following the retirement of long-time commissioner Tom Pagel. Allan Duff, current Isanti City Council member, garnered 54% of the vote to beat Gail Genin. This will leave a vacancy on the Isanti City Council.
CHISAGO COUNTY
In Chisago County, two incumbents were ousted from the county board, and one held onto his seat.
Longtime District 3 commissioner Bob Gustafson will be replaced by George McMahon, who received 54% of the vote.
In District 1, Lora Walker takes back the seat Lynn Schultz won from her four years ago. It was a close race, however. Walker garnered 52% of the vote while Schultz earned 47%.
Mike Robinson in District 4 was the sole incumbent commissioner to survive the election. He beat out challenger Bob Carter, earning 64% of the vote.

HOMELESS FOR A NIGHT

Folks sleep in cardboard boxes to raise money for local homeless program.

CAMBRIDGE – Little Lauren Kindem learned about homelessness firsthand on Friday, Oct. 24, 2008.
She spent the night in a cardboard box at the Isanti County Fairgrounds as a participant in the Box City fundraiser. With her were her five-year-old brother Erik, grandmother Teresa Hasbrook and friend Gwen Thomas.
The four were among 109 people who raised over $12,000 for the local homeless shelter program, New Pathways. Planners intend to repeat the event next year on Oct. 23.
This wasn't the first humanitarian effort for Hasbrook and Thomas. They've also spent time in Tanzania and volunteer for a soup kitchen in the Twin Cities. The friends brought along the kids for a night in a cardboard box to broaden their hearts and make them more knowledgeable about the issues surrounding homelessness, observed Hasbrook.
After placing their boxes on the ground and then adding pillows and blankets, the next step was decorating. On their cardboard boxes the foursomes taped up photos of homeless individuals.
"It's becoming more and more of a reality," noted Hasbrook. The thought of those displaced because of foreclosures has "really touched my heart."
Thomas pointed out that the homeless are often those you wouldn't expect. They are people with jobs and kids who are attending school. Teenagers who might be living in their cars or under bridges.
The small group was sponsored by East Central Energy, which employs Hasbrook and Thomas. "It's in keeping with East Central Energy's commitment to community," noted Thomas.
One hundred feet away, 17 members of the EverBlest Choir from the Cambridge Lutheran Church labored over three different cardboard enclosures. They started work on the boxes the night before and then transported the pieces to the fairgrounds where they were reconstructed. They were ready for a cold night.
Angela Gertz was wearing long johns, leggings, two pairs of socks, and a down jacket – and she came with two sleeping bags. Plus, the choir girls had each other to keep warm, she added.
Farther down the line, Brandin Johnson and Taylor Lyons worked to put together their log-cabin-themed box. The teenagers had stayed up until 5 a.m. getting it ready for the Box City event. It was a little worse for the wear after being transported in a station wagon, but they were busy reattaching the paper "logs" before settling in for the night. "We know homeless people," noted their chaperone Patty Carlson. "We want to raise awareness."
With Halloween a week away, Johnson had also brought along a box that fit the holiday. Shaped like a coffin, a sign next to it read: "RIP Homeless Victim. Raise awareness not statistics."
"People die in the Minnesota weather," pointed out Carlson.
Raising awareness of the problem in rural Minnesota was one of the main goals behind holding the Box City fundraiser, noted New Pathways Board member John Roberts.
The money raised will support the Cambridge program. New Pathways supports families that face homelessness in east central Minnesota. At a day center in downtown Cambridge, staff members help parents hunt for jobs and hone the skills they need. At night, families are taken to local churches, including Cambridge Lutheran, Elim Baptist, Faith Lutheran, First Baptist, Grace Bible Fellowship, Long Lake Lutheran, New Hope Community, North Isanti Baptist, Oxlip Evangelical Free, Sts. Peter and Paul, Stanchfield Baptist, Trinity Lutheran and Cambridge United Methodist.
Last year the program assisted 34 families. A maximum of 24 can be served as one time. Since the program's inception in 2000, 301 families have been helped.
To get involved, call 763-691-0121 or email infonpi@newpathwaysmn.com.

PROGRAMS FOR THE HOMELESS

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN): Cambridge site
• Chisago County
• Isanti County
• Kanabec County
• Mille Lacs County
• Pine County

Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN): Brainerd site
• Cass County
• Crow Wing County
• Morrison County
• Todd County
• Wadena County

Isanti House Transitional Housing Program
Serves the families from both IHN programs

FOR MORE INFORMATION
CALL 763-691-0121
BROWSE www.newpathwaysmn.com
EMAIL infonpi@newpathwaysmn.com

TO A POINT: If I were running for office …

WHY DON'T people prepare for office before they run? I've done my fair share of local political reporting the past few months, and I keep asking myself that question.
I would think these new candidates would begin showing up for school board, city council and county board meetings – depending on which it is they'd like to join. Not only would they get a sense for how things go before jumping in with both feet, but they'd also serve the voter better. They would then know what issues are before that body and how they're being dealt with now. And then they could come with their own solutions.
In fact, if I were running for office I'd take the time to read through the minutes of each meeting for the last year or so. Then I wouldn't suggest something that's already been done before. Then I would avoid sitting in meetings for the first few months with nothing to say because I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Most of all, I'd avoid looking like an idiot, and I try to do that whenever possible.
I question why these candidates don't care to arm themselves with the facts of each situation. Perhaps it is because of my training as a journalist, but I want to gather as much information as possible on a topic before I start sharing my opinions on it.
Call me self-absorbed, but I think those candidates OWE it to us voters to be well-informed. I only need point to Washington, D.C. to prove how much ill-informed people can mess things up. (I could use plenty of other adjectives to describe those politicians, but that's off topic, so I'll refrain.)
I've always leaned towards supporting term limits because I think it's good to get new blood onto a board. New people come with fresh ideas. They see things from different angles. They have lots of energy. I think those are very worthwhile traits. Yet, quite frankly, it scares me to elect someone who I don't feel has a good grasp of the current situation. As a voter, I'm checking a name on a ballot because I feel this person will serve me well, that they'll factor in every side to each situation, that they'll treat my tax dollar as their own. I want to know they're level-headed, business-minded and fair. I want to elect a person of integrity. Even if I don't agree with their position all the time, I want someone I can respect.
If I were running for office, that's the kind of person I'd try to be.

Braham man faces attempted murder charges for harming baby

Baby's mother also charged for neglect.

A Braham man is facing attempted murder charges after his girlfriend's 14-month-old baby was treated for a skull fracture.
While Allyn Hanson, 20, first denied having babysat the child on Oct. 24, he later confessed that he had indeed watched the baby all day while the mother was at work.
He told investigators that the toddler had fallen down a set of stairs.
The mother, Deanna Jacobs, 24, also of Braham, brought the baby into the Cambridge Medical Center emergency room at 9:40 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. The treating nurse became concerned at the lack of alarm Jacobs showed when told about her child's injuries. In addition to the skull fracture, there were multiple new and old bruises on the baby's forehead, back, chest and buttocks. There were also signs of fingerprint bruising on the baby's neck.
The toddler was intubated and then flown via helicopter to Hennepin County Medical Center.
STORIES CHANGE
When questioned, Jacobs first told investigators that a babysitter named Rachel had watched the baby and her five-year-old brother while she was working at Wal-Mart. However, she was not able to provide a last name nor telephone number for the sitter. She also said that the five-year-old had been watching his brother when he looked away and the baby fell down the stairs.
She later admitted that she had left the baby with her boyfriend.
Jacobs also told investigators that Hanson becomes violent when he drinks. She said that he had threatened to beat her if she told investigators the truth.
Meanwhile, Hanson told several versions of what had happened to the baby, as well, before finally admitting he had watched the baby fall down the stairs from his viewpoint in the outside doorway.
HISTORY OF ABUSE
According to Dawn Klose, a woman who had been the baby's main caregiver for 11 months, Jacobs had initially given the baby up for adoption but then changed her mind. Jacobs and her children then lived with Klose and her family from November 2007 to June 2008, when Jacobs moved out with the five-year-old to live with Hanson.
When the baby came home after a visit to Hanson in July, he had a black eye. In August, the baby came back from a visit with bruises on the whole side of his face. After a visit in October, the baby had a split lip and marks on his neck. Klose then called the police, and informed Child Protective Services in Kanabec County.
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Jacobs took the baby from Klose.
CHARGES
Hanson is facing four charges, including first degree attempted murder, third degree attempted murder, first degree assault and malicious punishment of a child.
Jacobs is also facing charges, including neglecting a child, endangering a child and aiding an offender.
Both made their initial court appearances on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

CAUGHT VIA LASER

New tool enables deputies to pinpoint speeders in a group and target difficult stretches of roadway.

Figure if you're speeding in a group of vehicles that you won't be pulled over? Think again. New technology makes it easier for law enforcement to pinpoint each vehicle's speed one by one.
The Isanti County Sheriff's Department is now using this new laser technology, thanks to a donation from the Minnesota Safe & Sober program.
"We can work an aspect of traffic we haven't been able to in the past," noted Isanti County Deputy Chris Caulk.
Since the 1960s, law enforcement has been using radars to gauge the speed of drivers. The tools work best on two-lane roads. Radars provide two speeds at a time. When an officer is working a four-lane roadway and a pack of cars comes up, the radar spits out a series of speeds as it reads each oncoming vehicle. A trained officer can accurately determine which speed reading belongs to which vehicle, and issue a ticket confident it will hold up in court.
However, the radar has its limitations, noted Caulk. To work, the deputy's vehicle must be facing the same direction as the roadway. But there are some stretches of road, such as in densely packed neighborhoods with no shoulder, where there is no room for an officer's vehicle.
This is a situation perfectly suited for the new hand-held laser device. An officer can park the car out of the way in a driveway entrance, for example, and get out of the squad to aim the laser at oncoming vehicles. The laser beam quickly locks onto an oncoming car that is located as far as 1,500 feet away, and displays a speed reading as well as a distance reading. An officer then has enough time to jump back into the vehicle, catch the speeder and issue a ticket.
"Our computers allow us to be more efficient in our job," noted Caulk. "A laser allows us to more effectively work traffic."
Traffic is an officer's main responsibility, remarked Caulk. It is a way to be proactive and seek out offenders, rather than be reactive and respond to calls. Within a 10-hour shift, he estimates he spends between three to four hours focused solely on traffic, but as he moves to and from various calls he's always keeping a look out for traffic violators.
By pulling drivers over for traffic violations, a myriad of other crimes are brought to light.
At each stop, a driver's record is pulled and analyzed by an officer there in the squad car, thanks to the computers each car is equipped with. Officers learn whether the driver's license is suspended or there is a warrant issued, and can then react appropriately.
In areas where burglaries are high, a police presence shown through traffic stops decreases the incidences of burglaries, Caulk pointed out.
"Highly visible traffic law enforcement reduces criminal activity, crashes and calls for service, as well as increases the community's feelings of safety," observed Bob O'Brien of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS).
In fact, 39% of felony arrests in 2006 were a result of traffic stops. Many highly publicized crimes were solved because of a traffic stop, O'Brien added, including the Oklahoma bombing. Timothy McVeigh was stopped for not having a license plate.
Traffic enforcement is one piece in an equation the DPS employs to reduce crashes in the state. "We have found that adhering to the three Es (engineering, education and enforcement) will reduce crashes in a community. However, if any piece of the formula is lacking the program will fail," said O'Brien.
The total number of crashes in the state increased 3.5% between 2006 and 2007. In Isanti County, however, crashes went down from 533 in 2005 to 430 in 2007.
To make roads safer, areas are targeted at specific times throughout the year. Through the use of grant funds, extra patrols are put out with the sole purpose of making traffic stops. Over Memorial Day and in October, the focus is on seatbelts; in July it is on speed; and over Labor Day and in December it is on those driving under the influence.
"We're going out and saving lives," said O'Brien.
The lack of a seatbelt, high speeds and driving while intoxicated are the top three contributors to crashes in the state, according to O'Brien. Fifty percent of those killed in traffic crashes were not wearing their seatbelts. On a positive note, the current seatbelt usage is at 86%.
Roads in rural areas tend to be the site of more severe crashes. While 70% of crashes occur in urban areas, they account for only 30% of the fatalities. Over 70% of deaths occur on rural roads.
O'Brien pointed to narrower roads, higher speeds, and fewer people wearing seatbelts as the reason for the fatalities. The goal of the DPS and the Safe & Sober program is to reduce the number of deaths that occur each year.
Because of its success during these saturation periods, Isanti County was rewarded with the donation of the Pro Laser III. It is the first one owned by the sheriff's department, and is worth $3,000. Cambridge and Isanti Police Departments, as well as the local state patrol squads, also use laser guns.