by Rich Larson
Nicholas Alan Taylor, the man accused of the murder of Chris LaFontaine in Greenvale Township on July 2nd or 3rd will be in
court on Thursday morning for an omnibus hearing as the court clears up any loose ends before setting a trial date.
On the afternoon of July 2, a neighbor witnessed two men running out of LaFontaine’s residence when he knocked on the door. Another neighbor saw the two men come out of a ditch and get into a Dodge Durango that has been confirmed to having belonged to LaFontaine. The neighbor called 911, and Northfield police were soon in pursuit of the Durango. When the vehicle was stopped, all three occupants bolted from the car. Timothy Tuit of Wadena and Stephanie Peabody of Welch were caught and arrested. Taylor was not apprehended at the time but was arrested on July 9th along with Ryann Smith of White Bear Lake in Yellowstone County, Montana. The pair was extradited to Dakota County on July 23rd.
As Northfield police were pursuing the Durango, Dakota County deputies entered LaFontaine’s home and found his body in a basement bathroom with cables tied around his hands and feet. Another cable was tied around his head, holding a rag and a glove in place to cover his mouth. A Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined that LaFontaine had been beaten but died of asphyxiation.
Taylor is charged with 2nd Degree Murder and 1st Degree Burglary in Dakota County, where his bail has been set at $1,000,000. Additionally, he is facing three charges of vehicular theft in Ramsey County and an illegal firearm charge in Hennepin County. Smith was formally charged on Friday with 2nd Degree Murder as well and is being held on $750,000 bail. Tuit has been charged with 1st Degree Burglary and Aiding an Offender After the Fact. His trial date has been set for December 20th.
Budgeting for Capital Equipment and Capital Improvement
As the city moves through the budgeting process for next year, the city council and key members of city staff gathered last week to discuss priorities for the new budget. Among the items discussed were the Capital Equipment Plan and the Capital Improvement plan.
The Capital Equipment Plan is mainly focused on city vehicles. Northfield City Administrator Ben Martig said the city is looking more and more at hybrid and electric vehicles wherever they can to replace older vehicles. This year the Northfield Police Department will purchase its first all-electric squad car, a Ford Mustang Mach E. The City Engineering Department will also purchase two new vehicles. One will be an electric vehicle, but Martig said the technology for electric pickup trucks does not quite meet the demands for the department, so that will be a traditional combustion engine vehicle.
The Capital Improvement Plan focuses mostly on infrastructure. City Engineer Dave Bennett gave a presentation of upcoming street projects along with an update on future bicycle trails. A large concern of the CIP is the city parks. Bennett said upgrades will be made to Babcock Park’s restroom facilities next year, and the hockey rink will be refurbished as well. Martig said the city will be looking for ways to make maintenance of the city park system more of a priority.
“Our parks funding has been low, and it has been challenging with the amount of maintenance and needs that we have to identify how to take care of them, let alone trying to expand any facilities that we have. So, that will be an ongoing topic as we discuss the budget ahead of us.”
The council will gather again tonight for a regular meeting at 6pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with City Administrator Ben Martig can be heard here
Benjamin Bus has new two year contract with school district
The Northfield School District announced last week that it has come to terms with Benjamin Bus on a new contract to keep the 
company in place as the district’s transportation provider.
Northfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said the contract is in place for two years. Benjamin Bus will see an 4% increase in compensation for the 2021-22 school year, and a 3% increase for the 2022-23 school year.
The 2020-21 school year was difficult for everyone involved in the school district, and the same was true for Benjamin Bus, as the company was constantly having to make service changes on a moment’s notice. The company adjusted to different in-person learning schedules, sometimes having no in-person classes but still being asked to deliver lunches for students. When there were students to transport, the drivers had to enforce masking and spacing rules. Dr. Hillmann said that the school district is very appreciative of everything Benjamin Bus has done for the Northfield Community.
“[Benjamin Bus is] a local business that has been so supportive of the Northfield Community and really focuses on making sure that students are safely brought to school on time. And so… we are happy to be able to continue this relationship over at least the next two years, and we would anticipate more than that.”
Hillmann said there are options to extend the contract after two years as well.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
