5 things worth knowing today: Holmberg’s verdict, Altru takeover, recovery phase, art grants, holiday in Somalia – InForum

Former North Dakota Sen. Ray Holmberg has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of commercial sexual exploitation of children, but it will likely be months before he learns his fate, attorneys said.

So what punishment awaits the Grand Forks Republican, once one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state?

Holmberg, 80, signed a plea agreement June 18 in which he pleaded guilty to traveling to Prague with the intent to engage in “illegal sexual activity” with children. The agreement, made public Monday, June 24, is preliminary and must be approved by U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland in North Dakota.

In return, one count of receiving and attempting to receive child sexual abuse material will be dismissed.

If Holmberg does not back out of the agreement or Hovland rejects the plea deal, the former state senator will be sentenced in federal court. Sentencing guidelines range from 37 to 46 months, according to the agreement.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the guidelines. That means they will likely seek three years and a month in prison, said Tim Purdon, a former U.S. attorney for North Dakota.

“I assume they will argue that this was an individual who had a tremendous amount of power, was a respected member of the community, and did something truly horrible, and that individual should spend some time in federal prison,” Purdon said of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota.

Read more from April Baumgarten of The Forum

Altru Health System, a 3,400-employee company based in Grand Forks, has reached an agreement with CommonSpirit Health to acquire CHI St. Alexius Hospital in Devils Lake.

The announcement came Friday morning, June 28, during an event attended by Altru and CommonSpirit officials, Senator John Hoeven and Mayor Jim Moe, and is the culmination of more than a year of efforts to bring change to community health care options in northeastern North Dakota.

“I think (Devils Lake area residents) will be very, very pleased and very relieved, starting with the employee base. They are worried about how it will play out because it is their job and their livelihood,” said Hoeven, RN.D.

No specific timeline for Altru’s acquisition of the company was presented at Friday’s event, but it is hoped the deal will be completed by the end of the year.

“Today is a great day,” Altru CEO Todd Forkel said during Friday’s event. “You can feel the emotion here.”

Moe said “everything will work out,” adding that the acquisition is in the best interest of the community.

“It’s a great day for Devils Lake,” he said.

Friday’s news is the latest development in a long conversation about health care in Devils Lake that has gained steam in 2022 and in recent months has included public meetings attended by residents, health care leaders and Hoeven.

Read more from Korrie Wenzel from Forum News Service

A drier weekend will likely reduce the impact of expected rainfall early next week after nearly two weeks of flooding in Minnesota, officials said during a news conference Friday, June 28.

“We’ve had some relief over the last few days with some sunny weather,” Gov. Tim Walz told reporters during a news conference Friday in St. Paul. He said it was time to start thinking about starting the transition and recovery period. “We know this is difficult and causes a lot of stress.”

Throughout the state, heavy rains led to flooding, primarily in the northeastern, southern, and Twin Cities parts of the state. Homes and businesses suffered damages likely worth millions of dollars due to flooding.

At one point, authorities believed a dam near Mankato on the Blue Earth River would fail. These concerns were allayed when the river turned around the hydroelectric dam, which caused erosion of the riverbank, destroying an Xcel Energy substation and causing a house to fall into the river. Authorities are now concerned that a change in the river’s direction could affect the bridge downstream.

Areas in northeastern Minnesota also suffered severe flooding, with the city of Cook being hit the hardest.

Dan Hawblitzel, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the Twin Cities, said 1 to 2 inches of rain is likely next week, but a drier weekend will help floodwaters subside, saving already hard-hit areas of southern Minnesota.

The current concern, Hawblitzel said, is flooding along the Mississippi River, which will likely cause moderate flooding from Hastings to Winona and other areas downstream.

Read more Mark Wasson from Forum News

On Thursday morning, the Arts Partnership announced it will award $116,000 in grants to individuals and organizations that will help build a stronger community through the arts.

The announcement was made during State of the Arts, an annual meeting of the organisation that promotes and disseminates creative arts in the region.

“The state of our community is complex,” said Tania Blanich, the organization’s executive director.

While he is reluctant to blame the Covid 19 pandemic, its effects are still being felt across the arts sector, especially when it comes to encouraging people to get out and take part in events.

Echoing comments she made at the 2023 State of the Arts conference, Blanich said it has been a year of great change for the local arts scene, as seven organizations seek new leaders.

These changes have opened up new opportunities, she added.

“New leadership means a new perspective and that’s exciting,” she said Thursday morning.

Blanich said a recent study found the arts have a $55.4 million economic impact and generate $10.1 million in taxes for the community.

Read more from John Lamb from Forum

On Friday, Broadway Square was filled with people attending the first-ever celebration of Somali cultural heritage in Fargo.

The event featured lively music, traditional food and joyful dancing, but for some, Friday’s gathering was a chance to overcome some of the challenges faced by new Americans by connecting with the broader metropolitan community.

Dozens of children happily played with the park’s iconic blue blocks while their parents and other metro residents chatted in the warm afternoon sun.

Read more from Melissa Van Der Stad from Forum