I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
May 18, 1997
By Devlyn Brooks
Staff Writer
Three Bemidji students hospitalized after a school bus accident Thursday were released from the hospital Friday, a North Country Regional Hospital spokeswoman said.
And a fourth victim -- a flood evacuee student attending school in Bemidji -- who was airlifted to St Luke's Hospital in Fargo, N.D., was listed in satisfactory condition, according to hospital staff there.
Twelve-year-old Jessica Kranschuck of East Grand Forks was initially flown to St. Luke's with head injuries in serious condition after the accident and was later upgraded to satisfactory condition Thursday evening. Hospital staff said Friday the girl was still in satisfactory condition.
Ryan Buchhalz, 14, of Solway and Christina Lorshbough, 14, of Pinewood were admitted to North Country Regional Hospital for injuries Thursday and were kept overnight, but were released Friday. Julie Schmidt, 14, also of Solway was admitted to NCRH for a possible concussion and was kept overnight, but also was released Friday.
According to Bemidji schools Superintendent Rollie Morud, no new information about the cause of the accident was known Friday.
The school bus, coming from Solway, was headed eastbound about 8 a.m. two miles west of Bemidji when it drove onto the shoulder of the road, entering the ditch, and it was brought back onto the pavement. After hitting the pavement, the bus slid back into the eastbound ditch, turning over and coming to a rest facing westward, authorities said.
The other 18 students and the bus driver also were taken to North Country Regional Hospital Thursday for minor injuries, but were released the same day.
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