701 Rundown: Jan. 3, 2022

Here’s your weekly rundown of some of the most interesting headlines from newspapers across North Dakota.

Linner sentenced to life without parole

If there was any doubt how long Jonathan Linner, formerly of Oakwood/Grafton, would serve in prison for his Aug. 12 conviction of continuous sexual abuse of a minor, Northeast District Judge Barb Whelan put it to rest Dec. 15 in the Walsh County Courthouse at his sentencing hearing, executing the maximum punishment for a AA felony - life in prison without parole.

In reading his sentence, Whelen finished by saying “You have the opportunity to appeal the conviction and my judgment.” Linner, who is 51 years old, has 30 days to file an appeal.

He has been in custody since May 25, 2020, basically since he was released from prison for terrorizing, a Class C felony. By pleading guilty to domestic violence with a dangerous weapon (terrorizing) he had to serve a minimum sentence of two years in prison.

When he took the stand, Linner argued that he did not have sexual contact with his daughter and did not place a gun to his wife’s head. The jury took just 45 minutes to render a guilty verdict.

(Story by Todd Morgan, The Walsh County Record)

Bottineau High School raises money for cancer support

Bottineau High School, this semester, raised over $2,000 for the Turtle Mountain Cancer Society, and did so through a unique contest.

“We chose Turtle Mountain Cancer Support, Inc. (TMCS) because we have had numerous staff, teachers and students who have been impacted by cancer, and we wanted to show our support to them, for them supporting some of our own,” said Nate Simpson, distributive education and business education teacher at Bottineau High School. “They are a great organization that assists families in some of their hardest times.”

The high school raised money during “No Shave November,” and Simpson explained how the annual event raises the money.

“The idea behind No Shave November is that men put away their shaving materials or money they would spend on shaving, and donate that money to cancer research and support,” he said. “We had several staff members who participated and had their own bucket in the hallway by the office in which donations were made.”

(Story by Scott Wagner, Bottineau Courant)

Traill County Board gets an earful from Minnesota Man

The Traill County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday received an earful from a Minnesota man who claimed a Traill County Sheriff’s deputy acted improperly during an exchange earlier this fall.

Joel Walsvik told commissioners he was attempting to change a flat tire on his Dodge pickup, along the side of the road near Hatton, when a deputy stopped and asked for his driver’s license.

The deputy snapped a photo of the license with his phone before agreeing to delete the picture after being questioned about the legality of his actions, Walsvik said.

“I did absolutely nothing wrong. I mean nothing,” Walsvik said. “There isn’t a law that says (authorities) can take a photo of your license - at least none that I’m aware of.”

The exchange eventually turned combative, as Walsvik demanded to know if it’s legal to take a picture of someone’s driver's license when they’re not suspected of any crime.

“This is a free country. I spent 35 years in the military ensuring that,” Walsvik told the board. “I’m not giving up my rights.”

Walsvik was promised that a letter will be sent to him prior to Jan. 31 in response to his concerns.

(Story by Cole Short, Hillsboro Banner)

Rolette County Commission expands on appointment

The Rolette County Commission was asked to expand on how it was able to appoint a new member with little to no discussion and no interviews.

The board appointed Alice Lunday to the position last month. She was one of 13 candidates up for the commission’s consideration. The vote to appoint her was originally tied, before the Rolette County Treasurer cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of appointing Lunday.

Robert Monette attended the meeting last week and asked how the board came about making the decision so quickly.

“The decision was made without considering any others who applied,” Monette said.

Monette was told that the reason for the abrupt decision was to avoid any deadlocked votes during a lengthy interview process.

(Story by John Rosinski, Turtle Mountain Star)