BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 VOL. 57 NO. 24 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
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The bright spot that is drug court JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
“Wow, a full house today,” Judge Melissia Mogen said as she walked into her courtroom for drug court last week. Many of the people were participants, or “part of the team,” as Mogen puts it. Many were excited for the graduation of Lois Keenan. The Burnett County Drug court program had its sixty-fourth graduation April 11. Keenan joked she was willing to sleep in the parking lot overnight in anticipation of graduating from the drug court program. Before the session started one of the team members leaned over to tell Keenan, “I’m so excited for you.” And Keenan was beaming with excitement herself. The session was wrapping up when Mogen called the soon-to-be graduate up and asked her how she was doing. “Wonderful, glorious, magnificent,” Keenan responded, still beaming. “Thank you to everyone in this room.” Mogen told Keenan, “I am so proud of you. You have made drastic and substantial changes in your life. “Lois, when you came here with your Washburn County cases, that’s not the Lois I see here today,” Mogen said, referring to a possession of methamphetamine charge. Mogen gave Keenan her certificate along with a quilt and a button that
Driver in roundabout accident dies a week later JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
SIREN–– A Minnesota man involved in a police chase and accident in Siren has died, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office. David Friel, 61, Finlayson, Minnesota, was driving a truck that was fleeing a
traffic stop in the Village of Siren April 5, and seven days later was pronounced dead at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, according to the police report. Siren Police Chief Chris Sybers said it was not clear what caused Friel’s death
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The scene at the roundabout in Siren after the police chase. The truck was going as fast as 95 mph on State Road 35/70.
SEE ACCIDENT, PAGE 2
JONATHAN RICHIE | SENTINEL
Rockin’ in downtown Grantsburg Grantsburg was packed with music lovers at four local establishments for the 20th annual Pinko Jam this weekend. Here are The Swongos playing at Hummer’s Rendezvous Saturday afternoon. More photos on page 28.
SEE KEENAN, PAGE 2
Sen. Schachtner touts Burnett County as a “cool spot” for tourism and lifestyle HARRIET RICE
“Burnett County has been my ‘go to’ place since childhood,” State Senator Patty Schachtner told attendees at the
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Burnett County Tourism Coalition’s (BCTC) quarterly general membership meeting held at Brickfield Brewery last week. “There is so much to offer here.”
Shachtner was elected to office in 2018. Raised on a farm in St. Croix County, she is a lifelong western SEE TOURISM, PAGE 2
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