Minnesota briefs: St. Cloud mayor names new assistant police chief

St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis announced Thursday the appointment of St. Cloud Police Cmdr. Brett Mushatt as assistant police chief effective Nov. 30.

Mushatt will fill the role left vacant by Jeff Oxton, who will become police chief when Blair Anderson retires this fall after a decade of running the department. Kleis announced Anderson's retirement and Oxton's promotion in August.

Mushatt grew up on the southeast side of St. Cloud and graduated from Tech High School. He then attended St. John's University to study social work and play football — and remains in the record books for career interceptions during his tenure, Kleis said. He then received a graduate degree in public safety executive leadership from St. Cloud State University and completed the FBI National Academy.

After joining the St. Cloud Police Department in 2002, Mushatt served as patrol officer, school resource officer, sergeant and lieutenant. He is currently serving as commander of operations.

JENNY BERG

Documentary on Duluth explorer headed to Banff

A film featuring Duluth explorer Emily Ford is again headed to the Banff Center Mountain Film Festival, this time for a new adventure.

In 2021, Ford and Diggins completed a 1,200-mile winter journey on Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail. The documentary about that adventure, "Breaking Trail," premiered at Banff last year.

The new film will be shown in Banff, Alberta, on Nov. 5, and can be streamed Oct. 29-Nov. 4 as part of the Online Film Festival.

JANA HOLLINGSWORTH

Loggers clearing tornado-damaged land

Salvage loggers over the next few weeks will be clearing out downed timber from a summer tornado on state land adjacent to State Hwy. 34 and stretching northwest to the Otter Tail River.

A local logger is harvesting the timber, which will help the forest regenerate, meet habitat management objectives and reduce the possibility of wildfires and insect and disease outbreaks, according to a release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

"The tornado threw a little wrinkle into some of our long-term timber management planning on the WMA, but forests are resilient," said Rob Baden, Detroit Lakes area wildlife supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The logged areas will also provide fuelwood-gathering opportunities for the public. Call the Detroit Lakes Area Forestry Office at 218-846-8281 to obtain a permit.