Deerwood Mayor Mike Aulie
In telephone interviews, Aulie and Taylor both said they were unable to comment on the letter until after the Deerwood City Council discusses the matter June 7 during a closed meeting. Aulie said he views Goddard’s letter as a complaint against an employee, which is why the issue will be discussed in a closed session, per Minnesota statutes.
According to findings in Askegaard’s ruling, Taylor recorded conversations with Coughlin and Randolph without their knowledge sometime before April 2018. Coughlin asked Taylor for a meeting and he agreed to meet in person. During the meeting, Coughlin informed Taylor she believed there was a lack of effective communication between the Crosby and Deerwood police departments, specifically in reference to Smith. She claimed she had three examples involving Smith:
“It is not a decision I take lightly,” Goddard wrote, stating it was necessary after reading the findings of the defamation lawsuit filed by former Crosby Police Officer Jesse Smith against the city of Crosby and the police department's top two ranking officers.
What s happening in Brainerd lakes area communities throughout the region. 2:00 am, May 1, 2021 ×
Barrett Petfood Innovations logo on the side of a semitrailer. Brainerd Dispatch file photo
A second Barrett Petfood Innovations facility appears to be in the city of Little Falls’ future, the Morrison County Record reported April 11.
The company, which just opened its extrusion facility in July 2020, has plans to build a freeze drying facility nearby if all goes as planned. This second facility would be a joint venture between Barrett and a Fargo, North Dakota-based company called Anchor Ingredients.
Sarah Barrett told the Record the pandemic is a boon for the pet food business as people add pets to their families while staying home. The extrusion facility was initially expected to employ 35 people, but it instead employs 100 and is running at full capacity. Freeze-dried meat from the future facility would be mixed with kibble produced across the street.