Looking back at Bemidji's top stories as we turn the page on 2023
Dec. 30—As another year draws to a close, the Pioneer takes a look back at some of the big stories that took center stage during 2023. From fun community events and standout accomplishments to tough decisions and impactful changes, here are a few highlights from a wild ride of a year.
As a true testament to Minnesota's Northwoods, outdoor activities flourished in the Bemidji area during 2023. Monumental accomplishments were celebrated, including
Lake Bemidji State Park marking its 100th anniversary
and ringing in
40 years of the infamous Finlandia ski race.
Bemidjians came out ahead of the
state-wide minnow shortage
during
Minnesota's fishing opener
making for a terrific summer of fishing, helping
Pat McSharry and Dan Fuller reel in a first-place finish
in the Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic fishing tournament in June. In the spirit of community, the
Birchmont Winter Bash Fishing Derby
hosted its second annual event in February and raised
$10,000 for the local college and high school fishing teams.
Chronic Waste Disease remained at the forefront
again this year as deer hunters in the area prepared for another firearms season opener. A variety of individuals of all ages bagged their trophy bucks this year from
94-year-old Rosemary Pulczinski
to the children who participated in the
United Special Sportsman Alliance annual Dream Hunt.
Bemidji plays host to many tourism-driving, community-loving events each and every year and 2023 was no exception.
Many of the usual mainstay events drew thousands to the shores of Lake Bemidji and beyond this summer, from the festivities of the
Bemidji Jaycees' Water Carnival
and the
Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival
to the creativity and dedication on display at the
Watermark Art Festival
and
Beltrami County Fair,
Bemidji was a buzz of activity.
With several new additions to the light displays and
upgrades to Paul Bunyan's Christmas Tree,
the event that really kicked things up a notch this year was the First City of Lights Foundation's annual
Night We Light parade and celebration
in November, drawing thousands of people to line downtown Bemidji to welcome in the holiday season.
One of the most notable occurrences in local government this year was the
removal of Nate Mathews as Bemidji's city manager
in April, which came after a
surprise addition to the agenda in January
questioning his performance.
Several meetings and
a five-hour review later,
Mathews resigned before further action could be taken by the Bemidji City Council, leaving many in the community with unanswered questions.
A new city manager was selected in early October,
with Richard Spiczka chosen from three finalists. Spiczka officially took on the role in December.
At the county level, the project for the new Beltrami County jail continued, but not without some road bumps. After the county's initial choice for a location
received significant public backlash,
with over 150 community members gathering to speak out against it at a public hearing, the county selected
a second location in August
as its final choice. This property is located at the south end of town, on Pioneer Street Southeast.
Also related to the county's jail project,
voters overwhelmingly chose to fund the effort through a local option sales tax
with the option receiving nearly 97% of votes during November's general election. The other option, which received less than 300 votes county-wide, was to fund the project through increased property taxes.
Housing issues were a prominent topic in Bemidji this year, especially when the community was rocked in late June with the news that the
residents of the Red Pine Estates would have less than a week to evacuate
the building after structural concerns were uncovered.
The 47 residents, many of whom were senior citizens and live on fixed incomes, had few options,
but members of the community rallied to their aid.
Volunteers, nonprofit organizations and businesses worked together to move the residents out and into nearby hotels, where they would stay until they could secure more permanent housing.
While ultimately successful, the chaotic evacuation prompted
the city, county and other groups to consider how to improve emergency responses
and what preventative measures could be taken to avoid similar situations in the future.
By the end of September, and through tremendous effort undertaken by volunteers and community organizations,
all of the former residents of Red Pine had been relocated
to more secure and permanent housing.
If you strolled through downtown Bemidji recently, you probably noticed
a few changes in the retail landscape
as things were moving this year, quite literally.
It started this summer when Kevin Johnson moved his myBemidji store across the street on Beltrami Avenue NW, opening a space for Wick N Scents, which moved from the Paul Bunyan Mall. Ritter Lane Soap Company also opened on Beltrami Avenue.
Merry Piglets gift shop opened on Third Street next to the former Wells Fargo drive-up bank. Ally's Corner became just Ally's when it moved into the former Sadie Rae's Quilt Shop at 405 Beltrami. And
218 Clothing + Gift merged
and moved in with Yellow Umbrella on Third Street.
Also in 2023, the former Turtle River Chophouse reopened as the TRC Bar & Grill. On Bemidji Avenue North, a
new Caribou Coffee cabin,
the
Kin Asian Market opened for business
and the owners of Mi Rancho started the
Mi Taqueria street taco truck.
The
Bemidji Area Schools
Board of Education kicked off the new year with five new members following the 2022 election. Along with incumbent Ann Long-Voelkner, the board has navigated a number of challenges and changes as it learned to operate in the midst of an unusual board structure.
Each board member has not only grown into their respective positions but has addressed a smattering of important issues including
a down-vote of the board's recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance
in January, the
continued bus driver shortage
throughout the district and
the sale of Central Elementary to Red Lake Nation
in November.
At the collegiate level, Bemidji State University has had to address a concerning budget deficit as a result of revenue loss due to decreased enrollment.
A May audit noted an $11 million deficit for the 2023 fiscal year, which led to
difficult budget cuts including faculty and staff layoffs
along with the
termination of BSU's lease with the Diamond Point Boathouse,
leaving the future of the Outdoor Program Center in flux.
Efforts to recruit and retain students through higher education funding bills — notably the "North Star Promise" scholarship program — are at the forefront of turning around the institution's financial fate.
Several high-profile cases made headlines in 2023. In March, a two-week
jury trial began for Janelle Johnson,
who was charged with second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of her brother-in-law, Jesse Farris, at his Bemidji home on Christmas 2020.
The jury, along with a courtroom full of family and friends of both Johnson and Farris, endured several days filled with witness testimony, crime scene photos and forensic evidence.
During Johnson's testimony at the trial, she claimed that her husband was the one who shot Farris, claiming that she only told law enforcement and family members that she was the one who shot Jesse to protect her husband from going to prison.
On March 23,
Johnson was found guilty
and was
sentenced in May
to 28 years in prison.
In September, the community was left reeling after the reported
sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl
resulted in the arrest of 22-year-old Oscar Luna, of Mission, Texas. During the investigation, 11 undocumented immigrants were also detained and processed by the U.S. Border Patrol.
This resulted in the incident garnering national and statewide attention and many of the news outlets picking up the story claimed that the situation is connected to a broader immigration issue.
In November, the Pioneer
sat down with Bemidji Police Department officials
to ask questions about the status of the investigation and gain insight into the process of handling undocumented immigrants on a local level.
The Pioneer highlighted the talents of many local artists, writers, actors and musicians this past year, but none matched the popularity of the story about
Mike and Maggie
(that's Mike Tangen and Maggie Carlson).
The fun-loving teachers-turned-edutainers are grandparents now and songs the pair brought to audiences of all ages still resonate some 22 years after they left the stage. Mention the names Mike and Maggie and you might send a retiree into a quick chorus of "The Cat Came Back," one of the most popular tunes the duo sang.
In addition to the entertainment scene, local authors were busy publishing books in 2023. A few standouts include Will Weaver's gripping
"Power & Light"
novel that came out this fall, and Cecelia McKeig's
"Bermidji2"
history book covering the period from 1940 to 1960 published in November.
Red Lake Nation made impressive strides in its work toward improving tribal sovereignty this year. After being contested for more than a century,
intentions were announced to restore tribal boundaries
to include the entirety of Upper Red Lake. Doing so is a way for the tribal council to "right a historical wrong" as well as protect the lake from environmental threats.
Tribal Chairman Darrel Seki Sr. noted in his
State of the Band address in March
that if the United States declines the band's request to restore the east boundary, the tribe would likely seek litigation.
Two years after breaking ground on its first charter school, Red Lake Nation also
officially opened Endazhi-Nitaawiging
— "The Place Where it Grows" — with a ribbon-cutting and celebration in November.
Per its mission, the school aims to prepare each K-8 student for college with an enhanced knowledge of the Ojibwe language, culture, leadership and environmental stewardship.
"This school allows us to build our children to continue to build our way of life," Tribal Secretary Sam Strong said at the ribbon-cutting. "Most importantly, it keeps our kids home, keeps our kids here learning who we are."
The Pioneer was on the scene to cover a bevy of wins and losses in the Bemidji area in 2023, but the moments that stood out went beyond the box scores.
Bemidji High School came together in February for a
unified basketball game
at the BHS Gymnasium. The Lumberjacks hosted Mengaha in front of a packed crowd, exemplifying the communal side of sports.
The BHS faithful packed the gym again a week later to honor a beloved custodian. Eric "Big E" Nelson was
diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma
in November and underwent hospital treatment. The
Bemidji boys basketball team honored Nelson
before a game against Esko with a tribute that tugged at the heartstrings.
The Jacks also made headlines for their successes this year. This spring, Nick Yavarow won a Section 8-3A boys golf championship, and Mike Fogelson became
Bemidji's winningest coach.
In the fall,
Margie Anderson
and the volleyball team made a
Cinderella run
to the Section 8-4A title game, while the football team capped off a thrilling playoff win with
Sam Gish's blocked field goal.
Mia Hoffmann also
took second place
at state in cross country, logging the best finish by any runner in BHS history.
The Bemidji wrestling teams split after another
successful trip to state
at the end of the 2022-23 season. They welcomed the new season by
honoring legendary coach Howard Schultz.
On the college front, Bemidji State athletics dazzled from start to finish in 2023. It began with a Make-A-Wish night at the Sanford Center when the men's hockey team honored
9-year-old Isla Moran
in her battle with Shone's Syndrome in February. Jere Vaisanen's goal led to over
800 stuffed animals being thrown on the ice,
later donated to the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota.
The men's basketball team ended the winter season with a thrilling
NSIC Tournament win at home
over Augustana. The men's golf team turned heads by
winning the NSIC title
in the spring, earning a spot in the Super Regional Tournament.
The Bemidji State volleyball team had the biggest upset of the year on Oct. 14 when they beat the
eighth-ranked Huskies
for the first time since 2016. The women's soccer team picked up where they left off in 2022 by
tearing through the NSIC Tournament
on its way to another championship.
Bemidji State football had another history-making season. After a
sell-out crowd packed Chet Anderson Stadium
for the Beavers'
homecoming game
on Sept. 30, the BSU fans returned to their chilled seats on Nov. 25 for Bemidji State's
first-ever second-round playoff game at home
against Central Washington.
The Beavers had a little more history in the tank to cap a successful year. Trialing by four goals, the men's hockey team staged its
largest Division I comeback
in November against Michigan Tech.
This collection of stories was written and gathered by Pioneer reporters Annalise Braught, Daltyn Lofstrom, Dennis Doeden, Madelyn Haasken, Maggi Fellerman, Jared Rubado, Christian Babcock and Nicole Ronchetti.
