The Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force announced yesterday that its agents have arrested a man believed to be a major dealer of Fentanyl in Rice County.
The statement said the task force has been investigating sales of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing Fentanyl, which are commonly referred to as M30 Pills, by 35-year-old Jerrell Bryan Skelton of Faribault.
During the investigation, Skelton was observed meeting with individuals for short durations where it appeared he was selling controlled substances. Task Force agents obtained controlled substance related search warrants for his person, vehicle and residence. On Friday, they apprehended Skelton in his vehicle, with a plastic bag containing 26 suspected M30 Fentanyl pills in Skelton’s hand.
After Skelton was arrested agents executed a search warrant at Skelton’s residence and located an additional 378 M30 Fentanyl Pills and approximately 4 grams of cocaine.
When sold individually M30 Fentanyl pills are typically sold for approximately $15-$20 a piece. The street value of M30 Fentanyl pills seized is approximately $6000-$8000.
Task Force Commander Scott O’Brien said, “M30 Fentanyl Pills continue to be the main cause of overdose deaths in our communities and across the nation. Just one pill can result in instant death for our youth and others that are addicted to this dangerous drug. This seizure likely saved many lives in our community and I’m proud of the agents who continue to arrest and hold these dangerous criminals accountable.”
Skelton was charged by the Rice County Attorney’s Office for multiple controlled substance related felonies. This is the third time Skelton has been arrested for possession with intent to distribute M30 Fentanyl pills in the past six months.
Hispanic/Latinx artists encouraged to submit for Street Banner competition
The Northfield Arts and Culture Commission and the Friends of Downtown Northfield have announced a competition for artists to design a new downtown banner to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The banners will be hung on light poles along Division Street in time for Northfield’s sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration on September 15, and will remain there for all of Hispanic Heritage Month and into November.
A statement issued by the Arts and Culture Commission recognized that Hispanic and Latino artists have been historically underrepresented within the City, and said it is committed to furthering inclusivity and equity in the art community. To that end, they are encouraging anyone who identifies as a member of the vast Hispanic and Latinx community or claims heritage to the culture to enter. With that said, all local artists are eligible to enter their work.
The banners will be printed vertically on durable vinyl. Since the call for banner art asks for only a design, any medium or artistic form that can be digitally rendered is acceptable such as illustration, painting, photography, collage, or fiber.
The artist of the selected design will be paid $1,500 for their work. Submissions are due June 23, 2023, and will be judged in July. Preference will be given to artists who live or work within the Northfield school district boundaries. For more information on how to submit a design for the competition, visit the City of Northfield website at northfieldmn.gov
Holden memoire talks about the good and the bad
Retired Northfield Educator Jim Holden has published a memoir of his twenty years at Northfield High School, telling stories about the good times he had and witnessed, and perhaps other chapters in Northfield’s history some would like to forget.
Holden’s new book is called Retracing Footsteps: Memories of Teaching at Northfield High School. It is a nostalgic trip to the transformative decades of the 1970s and ’80s when he was an NHS English teacher and attempts to give readers a sense of what school life was like during those years of social unrest, racial tension, war protests, cultural upheaval, advancing technology and many school innovations. The book is geared especially to former Northfield high school students, teachers, and staff, but he also hopes it will be of interest to other Northfield residents who lived through those years.
Holden tells many stories in the book, some concerning the ABC program, which brought disadvantaged youth from around the country to four high schools in Minnesota, including Edina, Rochester, a private high school, and Northfield. The program, which began between 1966 and 1968, was well received by some. Carleton College donated a house in 1968 in which the ten male students lived, hosted by Dick & Barb Crowter. Five more female students, he said, lived with host families. However, not everyone was happy with the presence of the young, black students. Petitions were circulated suggesting the “outsiders” should pay tuition to attend Northfield High School. Reading from his book, Holden said, there were more upfront racist actions as well.
“There were also a number of racist incidents that first year. For example, someone placed a burning cross in the front yard of the ABC House and on occasion cars would drive around on Sunday evening full of kids who were yelling racial epithets. In addition, an NHS student, Pierce Johnson, said that when he attended sports events at NHS, everyone from the other high schools would accuse the ABC program of importing athletes to join the sports programs.”
Holden said his book does not dwell solely on the bad times. There are other stories as well, including the inception of the NHS Athletic banquet, which hosted Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson as speakers in its first two years.
Jim Holden’s self-published book, Retracing Steps: Memories of Teaching at Northfield High School, is available for purchase by emailing Holden at holden@stolaf.edu
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Jim Holden can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
