I hope people will re-aquaint themselves with the green dot waking trail around town.
New signs have been post on untility post. Exercise is valuable for phisical and mental health.
The Roughriders 4-H club posted signs and repainted the green dots and smilie faces (: ) on Saturday marking the Green-dot walking trail. The cost of the paint and signs will be shared by Horizons and a grant from Northern Plains RC&D.
The Rolette block party was a great success. People attended despite the rain. Lots of GRATE FOOD and Conversation.
The games were fun for all ages: tug-o-war, turtle races, minnow races and the Merry-Mixer (you had a sheet of paper with events that you had to get people to sign who had done the events). The kids all received a back-pack. The National Guard lead some games.
Reconnecting with your neighbors and learning about other peoples interests and goals is a good thing.
The sheriff of Rolette County, N.D., has been removed from office pending a hearing to address a laundry list of charges filed by Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.Richard Turcotte is accused of “misconduct, malfeasance, neglect of duty in office or gross incompetence,” according to Stenehjem’s complaint.
The state only needs to prove one of those charges for Turcotte to be ousted, Stenehjem said Tuesday. “But I think we probably could prove all of them.”
The complaint says that Turcotte:- Failed to comply with corrections regulations, leading to closures of Rolette County jail. Turcotte did not have properly trained staff supervising inmates on “repeated occasions.”
- Allowed individuals not licensed as peace officers to serve as deputies.
- Failed to instruct or require deputies to arrest and keep individuals in custody as directed by district court.
- Authorized, or did not object to, directions from deputies to not arrest individuals for offenses because the county jail was closed.
- Did not keep written records of county property, including firearms, pepper spray, cameras, computers, uniforms or other equipment used by employees of the sheriff’s department or the county jail.
- Did not have deputies or other employees return their uniforms or other equipment after their employment ended.
- Did not set up drug and alcohol testing procedures for offenders or people out on bail.
Stenehjem said the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been scrutinizing Turcotte and his office for the past several months at the request of Rolette County State’s Attorney Mary O’Donnell.
O’Donnell received the BCI’s findings earlier this month and consulted with the Rolette County Commission. It was eventually decided Stenehjem should handle the matter.
“.?.?. it is clear to me that I cannot make legal/prosecutorial decisions about these allegations because, as Rolette County State’s Attorney, I have a conflict of interest, and I also would be a witness in any legal proceedings that may potentially evolve from an investigation,” O’Donnell wrote in a July 18 letter to Stenehjem.
That letter says the allegations include “dereliction of duties by the Sheriff, and missing/stolen inventory from the Sheriff’s Office.”
Stenehjem said he reviewed the investigation report and filed a civil complaint with Gov. John Hoeven. The complaint was served to Turcotte late Monday, a release from Stenehjem’s office stated.
Hoeven has temporarily removed Turcotte from office until an Aug. 13 hearing is held in Bismarck, Stenehjem said.
The County Commission must appoint an interim sheriff within five days of receiving notice of Turcotte’s removal. The commission met Tuesday to discuss its course of action but did not choose a replacement, said County Auditor Valerie McCloud.
On July 16, the county commission closed the Rolette County jail, located in Rolla, because of a series of violations of state laws and regulations, said Steve Engen, director of staff development and facility inspections for the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Engen said the jail was previously shut down Jan. 7 after a DOCR investigation found the facility lacking trained staff. It reopened July 7, he said.
During the closures, the county’s prisoners have been held at other county jails in the area, Engen said.
The Rolette County jail, which is allowed to house inmates for as many as 90 days, held an average of 13 people per night in 2007, according to Engen.
Messages left for O’Donnell at her office Tuesday were not returned.
The Rolette County Sheriff’s Office referred questions to the Attorney General’s office.
Turcotte said he had no immediate comment on the allegations.
“I really don’t want to talk about it because I haven’t made up my mind about what I’m going to do,” he said.
Turcotte, 61, served as a police officer in Belcourt, N.D., for about 17 years before being elected sheriff in 2006 and taking office in January of last year.
Stenehjem said it’s rare for the state to seek the removal of an elected official.
“It needs to be a very serious allegation, and I think that exists here,” he said. “I have grave concerns about the administration of justice in Rolette County.”
june08-010.JPGRolette had several Vacation Bible Schools this summer. Here is a picture from the Ebenezer/Assembly of God Outrigger Island. Fun Fun Fun. Valle Lutheran/ Sacred Heart Catholic churches had Metigoshe Day Camp of “It not Fair, It’s Grace”.
Dan Smith has a showing of photographs at the Taube Museam in Minot. Taube Museam is at the “A” on the map.
I am sure it would be worth your time if you are in Minot. Dan’s art will be at the Taube until June 6th. The museum hours are Tues - Fri 10:30 to 5:30 and Saturday 11 to 4.
Lillian & Coleman Taube Museum (701) 838-4445
Yahoo! Maps - 2 Main St N, Minot, ND 58703-3104
Can you believe it! Jodi Lagasee formerly of Rolette was named the Teacher of the Year by the Devils Lake School District on May 1st. She walked her students down to the gymnasium for some announcements.. and she was one of them. Check out the article at www.devilslakejournal.com! We can do great things here at home and abroad.
The American Legion Thursday nite bingo is getting out of hand. The pot is big and so is the crowd. They need people to be floor walkers, help with clean up, bingo card sales, and the concession stand. The Legion does so much for the veterans and their families and not to mention how much they support our students. If you are free for the next thursday and want to help. Please contact Gordy Boucher; lets help them have a great great bingo nite for all they have done for us; our community and our country. 
Its hard to know who is working harder during this session of Leadership Plenty; the instructors or the students. With a smaller groupof people involved, the dynamics are much different…and all are working their brains hard. We are entering the 4th session; which we have a meal plan for. Hopefully the food will revitalize our tired brains. See we are working hard!
A group of concerned citizens in the Rolette community is taking it upon themselves to remodel the memorial halls kitchen. This is being done to increase use of the facility. It is also being done with the questionable blessing of the American Legion Post, the auxiliary, the city and the county commissioners. We do have the full support of RADA and they are our parent organization. Just to get permission to start this project has been strange. The county owns the building, the city pays all the bills, and the legion rents it! Crazy how life evolves. Gordy has given us his blessing although he doesn’t know why we would want to start this without any money. The city and the county also give us their blessings and blessing alone. Although the city offered their tax id number for us; so they are our fiscal agent. The thought process has boiled down to getting actual costs and estimates. Now the process of finding the right grant for the right project begins. Therefore we are calling ourselves the “Kitchen Nightmare”. Not to be confused with the popular show that can be found at http://www.fox.com/kitchennightmares/. Keep checking back for more info. and progress. I am sure there will be a time when your help will be needed.
