By Tyler Trieglaff

Notes from the Chief

Notes from the Chief and the Farm…Spring time is here and it is already time to keep ahead of the city ordinance police by keeping your yards and lawns mowed and tidy.  City citations will be issued again this mowing season with more enforcement of said ordinances. We may also use a private contractor to mow yards that are in constant violation. Property owners can be fined, as well as have to pay for the cost of mowing plus 10% administrative fee. Please call the PD office at (218) 334-4993 if you have any questions.

On to the farm…The magic number is 61 calves on the ground. We hit the plateau with the last 17 cows to come in, taking their own sweet time. The last 17 cows have been moved to a new pasture with fresh grass to munch on while the large herd will be moved in a day or two as they have chewed down their current pasture. We are still feeding some hay and corn silage as the pastures are not fully ready yet. 

Last week we separated the bulls from the pregnant cows and this past Friday they each received their yearly physical, a Bull Soundness Exam (BSE). The veterinarian will measure the scrotal circumference and gather a semen sample to rate the virility of each animal. This is a very important part of our operation because you don’t want a bull in the pasture that is shooting blanks. Just like a firearm, you want that thing to be fully loaded when it comes time for breeding or self-defense.  

If a bull is infertile and you don’t know it, you can end up with a bunch of open (not pregnant) cows. By the time you find out that your cows are open in October, you have lost several months of calf development, and you will be losing money. We have four bulls to test and still may buy another bull for the breeding season. It depends on how we stock our pastures as to how many cows will be with each bull. A general rule of thumb is that a bull can breed as many cows in a breeding season by as many months old as he is.  

Right now, we have a trio of three-year-old bulls, born in early 2023 and one old guy who is 4-5-years-old. Now I’m not saying that we will put that old guy with 48-60 cows, but we may try him with 30 or so. We like to keep the cow to bull ratio a little lower so he can get most of the job done in that first three-week heat cycle. I will report back next week on how the bulls liked their annual exam.

Friday, May 9

10:19 a.m. Vehicle unlock.

1:44 p.m. Report of vehicles driving too fast on Main Ave E. Extra patrol requested.

2:13 p.m. Caller concerned with the lack of safety awareness at the beach construction project. Caller called the contractor and things were made better.

4:42 p.m. A Cash App card was found in a donation. Turned over to police.

8:42 p.m. Traffic stop for driving conduct.

9:19 p.m. Vehicle unlock.

Sunday, May 11

1:24 a.m. Warning to juvenile for curfew violation as he was on his way home.

1:12 p.m. Resident reporting the theft of some kayaks. Officer remembered seeing a vehicle with kayaks the day before. Officer found the driver who told the officer that she picked the kayaks up as part of the city wide clean up. Kayaks were returned to the rightful owner.  

2:22 p.m. Assist with a medical.

4:50 p.m. Traffic stop for stop sign violation.

Monday, May 12

8:33 a.m. Party reporting that her vehicle was possibly hit the night before.

8:52 a.m. Resident reporting that someone left some tires on his curb and did not want to get charged for them as part of the city wide clean up.

9:38 a.m. Male party from Arizona calling in for a welfare check on a relative. Officer talked with landlord and the male in question moved out before March 1.

10:17 a.m. Erratic female asking to sleep at a business. Female did not want help from officer and left on her own accord.

12:43 p.m. Assist with a medical.

2:48 p.m. Report of an assault that happened near the high school a month ago. Under investigation.

Tuesday, May 13

7:55 a.m. Assist with a gas drive off.

9:24 a.m. Assist with a medical.

10:38 a.m. Report of a court order violation. Under investigation.

7:20 p.m. Traffic stop for stop sign violation and speed.

9:03 p.m. Verbal domestic between male and female. Officer gave a ride to a hotel in DL to a very intoxicated male party.

Wednesday, May 14

5:55 p.m. Complaint of two young kids riding their bikes in the middle of Lake St S causing traffic to slow down and stop. Officer talked with parents and kids about riding safety.

6:08 p.m. Report of a hole in the roadway on Birch Ave W. Cones were put around the hole and County Hwy and Public Works notified. 

Thursday, May 15

12:11 a.m. Assist with a suspicious male at the Sheriff’s Office in DL. Original complaint may have originated in Frazee so Frazee officer responded as well. 

11:37 a.m. Bus driver calling with a question about possible traffic violation on bus route today.

12:01 p.m. Background check.

3:58 p.m. Report of rotating clouds east of town, officer went to the area to check it out.

4:43 p.m. A watch was turned in that was found at the city beach. Owner was located using the power of social media.

9:16 p.m. Report from OnStar of a crash on St Hwy 87 near the golf course. Officer responded to the area but did not locate anyone in the ditch or any signs of distress.