Thursday, November 26, 2009
Volume 97; Number 24
A community newspaper serving Browerville, MN and surrounding areas. USPS 067-560
County will
review “No
net gain
resolution”
By Jan King
A 'no net gain' resolution will
be reviewed by the Todd County
Board of Commissioners. The
resolution, which was passed a
number of years ago, states that
the State of Minnesota may not
gain ownership of any more total
acres in the county.
County Administrator
Nathan Burkett brought the
issue before the board during
their November 17 meeting. He
said the resolution deserves a
review. From an administrative
perspective, Burkett said the
resolution does not make a
whole lot of sense. "We need to
bring more people to the county
because of our natural
resources. It's like shooting us
in the foot," he said.
Commissioner David Kircher
said he was glad this resolution
was resurfacing. He said he
knows of people who have want-
ed to donate their land to the
state, but the county board
would not accept the transac- Continued on page 9.
Fire department responds
to suspicious house fire
At 11:17 pm, November 21, the sheriff’s department responded to a suspicious house fire at 27302
County 16. The fire in the vacant house was extinguished by the Browerville Fire Department, with
assistance from the Clarissa Fire Department. Anyone with information regarding this inci-
dent is asked to contact the Todd County Sheriff’s Department.
Wed Nov. 25
Snow Showers
36°/28°
tion. This is a violation of a per-
son's individual rights, Kircher
said.
Commissioner Randy
Neumann said he originally
authored the resolution. He was
concerned about the loss of tax
revenue due to state ownership
of land in the county. Neumann
said he has no problem with
changing the resolution as long
as the payments from the state
are the same as the property
taxes paid by individual
landowners.
This resolution will be dis-
cussed again sometime in the
future.
CONDITIONAL USE PER-
MITS
Commissioners approved a
Conditional Use Permit for
Saukinac Campground on Sauk
Lake. The permit will allow an
expansion of the existing camp-
ground by 13 additional camp-
sites, as well as changes to exist-
ing buildings.
The permit comes with condi-
tions from the Todd County
Planning Commission for ero-
sion control and drainage into
Sauk Lake. This is an impaired
body of water, Neumann said.
He hoped the expansion would
be done properly. This has been
a long, difficult process, said
Commissioner Gerry Ruda, and
Thu Nov. 26 Fri Nov. 27
Snow Showers Partly Cloudy
37°/23°
www.bladepublishing.net
Tragedy leads to
benefits for children
By Nancy Leasman
When a tragic event happens was to appear in court the fol- person that Carl was, their lives
within a family and cir-
cle of friends, initiating
positive action can, in
small ways, help to
assuage the terrible
anguish. The death of
Clara Moyle’s son, Carl,
has led her and others to
hold annual snowmobile
runs and create a memo-
rial cookbook. The pro-
ceeds of both go to help
children in need.
Three years ago, Carl
Moyle was bludgeoned to
death in a jail cell in
Sherburne County.
Arrested for driving
without insurance, an
offense that doesn’t nor-
mally call for incarcera-
tion, Carl was asleep in a
cell with an open door on
the evening of August 8,
2006. The man in the
neighboring cell, Bruce
Three years ago, Carl Moyle was bludg-
Christenson, had been
eoned to death in a jail cell in Sherburne
transferred from solitary
County.
confinement in Oak Park
Heights maximum security lowing morning. Oak Park learning to navigate the legal
WEEKLY WEATHER REPORT
Sat Nov. 28
Mostly Cloudy
42°/25° 44°/26°
75¢
prison for a one night stay. He their memories of the fun loving
will forever be connected with
Bruce Christenson. “You’re
involved for the rest of your
life,” says Clara of the perma-
nent connection between a
murderer and the victim’s
family. Having already
attended nearly two dozen
court proceedings, the Moyle
family will be notified of any
change in Christenson’s 30
year prison sentence and peti-
tions for parole for which he’ll
be eligible after serving his
sentence.
Clara sees so much need for
change within a system that
doesn’t offer much support for
a victim’s family. “When
you’re told of a murder, it’s
like being dropped in a foreign
country and you don’t know
the language and you have to
learn it in five minutes.”
Clara says it was so difficult
mourning the loss of her son,
and her husband Larry, who
died of a heart attack 21
months after Carl’s death, and
Heights is classified as a level process. “I got an education of
five institution holding adult things I didn’t want to know. The
males who are considered to be world educates you,” she says.
extreme risks to the public. Two years after Carl’s death,
Sherburne County jail’s policy Clara connected with a court
was to allow prisoners to mingle liaison or victim’s advocate who
during their first 72 hours of con- explained upcoming proceedings.
finement and failed to check “When you lose a child, you
Christenson’s history of violence should be assigned a liaison per-
before allowing him to have con- son,” says Clara and wishes
tact with other prisoners. Dianna could have been involved
“He took a rail off a wall and sooner. “When you go into a mur-
said he was going to kill some- der trial, there’s so much you
one,” says Clara of what she was don’t want to see. She explained
told as Christianson’s motive for everything and was present
killing her son. Christenson was when the plea was made. She
in the Sherburne County jail to helped with writing the victim
face charges of an attack on impact statement.”
another prisoner in St. Cloud. Clara says that Bruce
According to a document filed Christenson has apologized to
in the United States Court of the Moyle family but she didn’t
Appeals, “At the time of that sense any real remorse. “He said
attack, Christenson had been he was sorry but it wasn’t gen-
serving a 108 month sentence for uine, referring to ‘that little inci-
first degree aggravated robbery, dent on the 8th of August.’ He
theft of a motor vehicle, theft, said he killed Carl because he
and first degree test refusal. wanted to wear a crown when he
Christenson's scheduled appear- went to hell.”
ance before the state district “I don’t really have any feel-
court was in relation to the sec- ings toward him. I’m very angry
ond degree assault with a deadly because he killed my son who
weapon charge arising from the was a fun person; a good person,”
St. Cloud incident.” says Clara.
While the Moyle family has Clara joined Parents of
lost their son, brother, and father Murdered Children, an organiza-
(Carl’s son, Gavin, will be five in Continued on page 20.
December) and they have only
Sun Nov. 29 Mon Nov. 30 Tue Dec. 1 Wed Dec. 2
Snow Showers Snow Showers Mostly Cloudy Snow Showers
41°/21° 36°/20° 36°/19° 33°/20°