County commissioners ratify elected official’s pay

By Robert Williams

Editor

New County Coroner Dr. Nicole Strand was introduced to the Becker County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Strand is a family physician who began coroner duties back in August. 

“It was a pretty big learning curve, but it is going well,” Strand said. “It’s been a good experience.”

Strand is a Detroit Lakes native and a 1995 Frazee-Vergas High School graduate. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota-Duluth earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Cell Biology. She attained her Medical Degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, and completed her residency in Family Medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis. 

Her first Family Medicine job was at the Wadena Medical Center prior to deciding to move her family back to Detroit Lakes in 2015.

She has worked at Essentia since then having transitioned Emergency Room services in 2018 to present. 

Strand and her husband Brent Gjersvig have two daughters ages 13 and 14.

Nicole is the daughter of Debra Strand of Frazee, and the late Jim Strand.

Elected officials

The commissioners ratified the County Auditor/Treasurer, Sheriff, and Attorney’s salaries due to the review and discussion with each of the elected officials regarding their duties, education, qualifications and experience.

• Mary Hendrickson, County Auditor/Treasurer: $123,050

• Todd Glander, County Sheriff: $147,750

• Brian McDonald, County Attorney $157,000

Probation

Brian Rubenstein, Minnesota Department of Corrections District Supervisor announced a new department pretrial supervision model.

“It gives the judicial body and us a different way of monitoring our cases before our client’s and defendants go to court and sentencing,” Rubenstein said.

He submitted for approval from the board a proclamation describing the program:

Pretrial supervision is a program designed to enhance community safety and accountability by providing support and structured supervision to individuals awaiting trial, helping ensure compliance with court-ordered conditions and appearances.

The supervision serves to alleviate unnecessary pretrial incarceration, reducing strain on the local detention system and allowing individuals to maintain community ties, employment, and family responsibilities; and evidence-based pretrial supervision has been shown to reduce recidivism, increase court appearance rates, and support successful reintegration into the community.

Veterans

The commissioners joined other counties in Minnesota in passing a resolution on the observance of Operation Green Light, which encourages the citizens of Becker County in a patriotic tradition to recognize the importance of honoring all those who made immeasurable sacrifices to preserve freedom by displaying green lights in a window of their place of business or residence from November 4-11.