1. The Pope County community was reeling and in shock on April 16  as news quickly circulated of three local law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty the night before.  

Two Pope County Sheriff’s deputies and one officer from Starbuck Police Department were struck by gunfire while in a Cyrus apartment building on Saturday night (April 15) making an arrest for a domestic assault, according to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office.  

One of the deputies, Josh Owen, was transported to Glacial Ridge Hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries, according to the Sheriff’s Office. 

“Yesterday, April 15, Pope County law enforcement lost a brother,” said Pope County Sheriff Tim Riley, who had to pause repeatedly, holding back tears as he addressed media during a news conference on Sunday afternoon in Glenwood.  “Our sympathies and love are with Deputy Josh Owen’s family and families of the other deputies and officers involved,” Riley said. “Deputy Owen had a heart as big as his stature…he loved his family, his brotherhood and his community,” Riley added.  

Bryan Nygard was the domestic assault suspect who died at the scene; other officers at the scene were Pope County Deputy Brody Merrill and Starbuck Police officer Alex Olson.

2. Glenwood became the destination for thousands of area law enforcement officers, first responders, area residents and a the media on Saturday, April 22 as more than 4,500 assembled outside the Memorial Service of Pope County Deputy Josh Owen who was fatally shot in the line of duty on April 15.

One week after Owen was killed in the line of duty, family, friends, fellow law enforcement and the Pope County community converged on Minnewaska Area High School for the service to remember the officer, the colleague and the family man.

It took more than 30 minutes Saturday morning to seat all law enforcement officers in the filled-to-capacity Minnewaska Area School gymnasium.  Besides every seat filled in the gymnasium, the school auditorium was full as was the smaller, auxiliary gym at the school. More than 2,000 law enforcement officers from all over the state, and from other states, attended the service 

The funeral service, officiated by Pastor Bryan Taffe of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Lowry, included eulogies by Lt. Col. John Anderson of the Minnesota National Guard; Pope County Assistant Deputy Nathan Brecht; and Josh Palmateer, a family relative.

3. Downtown Glenwood had a different look late Thursday, Sept. 8  as the historic Fremad and its adjacent buildings were demolished by Riley Brothers Construction.

The demolition work began on Tuesday, Sept. 5, but after a few hours work was halted by some intergovernmental glitches.  By Thursday morning, however, demolition resumed and the entire area was reduced to rubble by about 10:30 a.m.

The Fremad building had been a topic of local discussion since the building was forfeited for taxes in 2014.  

4. The Highway 29 overpass was named the “Deputy Josh Owen Memorial Overpass.”  The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) placed two signs with the new name on the north and south side of the overpass on Sept. 8.

The renaming of the overpass was made possible by state legislation championed by Minnesota State Rep. Paul Anderson in the House and Minnesota State Sen. Torrey Westrom in the Senate at the last legislative session.

The signs were paid for by long-time local law enforcement officer and former sheriff Mark Hedner and his wife, Rosie.   The Hedners donated the full cost of the signs, which came to just over $3,100.  Hedner was in law enforcement from 1968-2000 and served from 1992-1998 as Pope County Sheriff.  

5. After five years of collective efforts from various local stakeholders, Central Square Arts and Cultural Center secured a $4 million portion of a recently passed State Bonding Bill for repairing and restoring its iconic building.

Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, who represents 21A at the legislature, confirmed on Monday that Central Square was included in the long-awaited bill. Anderson was a key figure in securing the inclusion of Central Square in the final agreement. He championed the cause and tirelessly advocated for the center.