Minnesota briefs: Coast Guard cutter headed to new home in Duluth

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spar is traveling from Baltimore to its new homeport in Duluth, where it will replace Alder.

The crew's duties will include maintaining aids to navigation, domestic icebreaking, search and rescue and law enforcement, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.

Spar was commissioned in 2001 and originally based in Kodiak, Alaska. The 225-foot buoy tender left in 2020 for the Coast Guard Yard to undergo maintenance, like other ships of its kind, to have its systems evaluated and major repairs made. Alder left Duluth for Baltimore in mid-June 2021 and is expected to move to its new homeport, San Francisco, this summer.

Spar's crew will sail through the St. Lawrence Seaway and across the Great Lakes to Duluth.

CHRISTA LAWLER

ST. CLOUD

Leaders tell Walz public safety programs at risk

St. Cloud leaders on Thursday told Gov. Tim Walz the exodus of law enforcement officers in the past two years, as well as the low number of new applicants for public safety jobs, is threatening community engagement programs.

Walz visited St. Cloud to promote his $300 million public safety proposal, which would earmark an additional $1.2 million per year to St. Cloud for three years for recruitment and retention incentives, as well as engagement programs.

Walz said the funding is based on a per capita formula. Mayor Dave Kleis then reminded the governor that as a regional center for employment and health care, St. Cloud provides public safety services to more than double its resident count.

"Our population is 70,000 but our daytime population is 180,000, so our police force is designed for 180,000 people," he said.

Nearly 45% of St. Cloud's budget goes to public safety. This year, the police budget is $22 million, up about 10% over 2021.

JENNY BERG

DULUTH

Duluth police deputy chief retires

Deputy chief of patrol Steve Stracek retired from the Duluth Police Department last week.

In his 25 years with the force, he was also a patrol officer, lieutenant and commander of the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. He was hired as police chief for Cloquet in 2014, and resigned in 2017 following a controversial investigation that left him exonerated by the City Council. He then returned to the Duluth department.

"A year ago, Steve Stracek was tapped to lead the Patrol Division as Deputy Chief," Chief Mike Tusken said. "I did so knowing his remaining time in this career was short. But his contributions would be many and he held up his end of the bargain."

Lt. Mike Ceynowa, who has been a patrol and investigative and professional standards lieutenant, will replace Stracek.

JANA HOLLINGSWORTH