Gretchen Hjelmstad
Assistant News Director
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Gretchen is the Assistant News Director. She worked at Valley News Live as a reporter, producer and news manager from 2007-2017, then returned to the team in 2021. Prior to being promoted to Assistant News Director, Gretchen produced lifestyle show North Dakota Today, various newscasts and managed digital content. She has degrees in Broadcast Journalism & Mass Communications Technologies, and Sociology from North Dakota State University.
Education
Updated: Sep. 17, 2023 at 5:41 PM CDT
|By Bobby Falat, Stacie Van Dyke and Gretchen Hjelmstad
The ATV rider has been identified as 61-year-old Jon Eric Darling, of Fargo,
Updated: Sep. 9, 2023 at 10:38 PM CDT
|By Zoë Jones and Gretchen Hjelmstad
A 41-year-old man has been arrested Saturday evening for arson after hours of a standoff.
Updated: Sep. 7, 2023 at 10:46 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Hunters who purchase their license on or before September 7 are automatically entered into the lottery for the deer permit area or special hunt area they declare.
Updated: Sep. 7, 2023 at 8:44 AM CDT
|By Erick George and Gretchen Hjelmstad
Otter Tail County Officials arrested a suspect in Perham, MN late Wednesday night in relation to a possible drive-by shooting in Frazee, MN.
Updated: Aug. 28, 2023 at 9:54 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Responding officers learned that three children, all under the age of 5, had been found covered in blankets in the backseat of a vehicle that had been towed from Minneapolis.
Updated: Aug. 25, 2023 at 1:44 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Detectives found three fires throughout the unit, including on the bedroom floor, living room floor and the kitchen/dining room area.
Updated: Aug. 25, 2023 at 10:00 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The bear’s coat often hides the collar, especially in the fall, and most of the collars are black. But all collared bears have large, colorful ear tags.
Updated: Aug. 17, 2023 at 1:01 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The dispensary, which will resemble a food truck, will allow the tribe to expand its cannabis business into other markets, but only on tribal lands.
Updated: Aug. 17, 2023 at 9:36 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski have released body camera footage from the deadly ambush shooting on Fargo Police Officers on July 14.
Updated: Aug. 4, 2023 at 7:26 AM CDT
|By Ashlyn Hill and Gretchen Hjelmstad
BNSF Railway is working on cleanup and investigating the cause of the derailment.
Updated: Jul. 17, 2023 at 7:57 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
"He was proud to serve in both the uniform of his country and his community," said Jonathan Norling, who served in the military with Wallin.
Updated: Jul. 15, 2023 at 12:32 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad and Gray News staff
Three police officers were reportedly shot in Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday.
Updated: Jul. 14, 2023 at 11:00 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
There is a large police presence in the area of 25th Street and 9th Avenue South. Avoid area for safety.
Updated: Jun. 23, 2023 at 3:31 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad, Stacie Van Dyke and Emily Van de Riet
A 13-year-old boy was killed by a boat propeller while he was attending a Christian summer camp in Minnesota.
Updated: May. 8, 2023 at 1:14 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Dash is a two-month-old Dutch Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix.
Updated: Apr. 20, 2023 at 3:15 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
"I’m angry that this happened, I’m angry that his beautiful life was cut short, and I’m angry that my son’s father was taken from him far too soon. It wasn’t supposed to be this way."
Updated: Mar. 14, 2023 at 11:00 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
"What will not change is that Mr. Rodriguez will draw his last breath in a federal prison,” Schneider said.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2023 at 9:57 AM CST
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Newly filed court documents explain what the victim says happened on the morning of February 9.
Updated: Jan. 25, 2023 at 12:24 PM CST
|By Ashley Brovold and Gretchen Hjelmstad
Police in Fargo, North Dakota, said they responded to a call at St. Mary’s Cathedral for a topless woman damaging property.
Updated: Dec. 13, 2022 at 12:45 PM CST
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The proposal would require mobile wireless providers to block texts from invalid, unassigned, or unused numbers.
Updated: Nov. 15, 2022 at 1:38 PM CST
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Four additional tests per household will be available in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 3:31 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The crew is expected to reach the International Space Station Thursday evening, where they will remain on board for a 150-day science mission.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2022 at 12:56 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The Attorney General claims Fleet Farm repeatedly sold handguns to straw purchasers — people who illegally purchase guns for others who cannot legally purchase guns themselves.
Updated: Sep. 26, 2022 at 12:19 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Lake of the Woods, Lake Park Audubon and New York Mills Public Schools are all included in this round of grant awards.
Updated: Sep. 20, 2022 at 1:27 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Officials allege the defendants devised and carried out a massive scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program.
Updated: Aug. 31, 2022 at 12:24 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The treatment requires multiple trips to the cancer center daily or weekly and often months at a time.
Updated: Aug. 16, 2022 at 1:11 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
A teen who was home alone discovered the man in the bathroom of the home.
Updated: Aug. 3, 2022 at 5:06 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office plans months in advance, working with law enforcement partners around the state.
Updated: Aug. 3, 2022 at 1:57 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Bia's skills will help law enforcement find stolen or illegal money, interrupt the flow of funds for illegal activities and get restitution for victims of theft.
Updated: Aug. 2, 2022 at 5:10 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The black bear died from its injuries.
Updated: Aug. 1, 2022 at 1:14 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office responded to a medical call at a rental cabin in Lake Bemidji State Park.
Updated: Aug. 1, 2022 at 10:36 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Two people in Minnesota won $1 million prizes in Friday's Mega Millions drawing.
Updated: Jul. 28, 2022 at 5:15 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Tickets start at $9 for designated games, with additional daily ticket specials available for each game.
Updated: Jul. 12, 2022 at 7:08 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad and Jordan Gartner
Authorities in North Dakota say a total of 700 animals were seized from multiple counties after they received an anonymous complaint regarding possible animal neglect.
Updated: Jun. 27, 2022 at 10:23 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Their analysis confirms six tornadoes across eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.
Updated: Jun. 22, 2022 at 12:27 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The Grand Forks Sheriff’s Office Dive Team was called to help recover the airboat.
Updated: Jun. 7, 2022 at 11:45 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The grants provide funding for tree inventories, management plans, ash removal, and tree planting.
Updated: Jun. 1, 2022 at 3:26 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
Maurice Bell is facing felony drug charges and misdemeanor child endangerment charges.
Updated: May. 31, 2022 at 3:27 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
As of Tuesday afternoon, early damage estimates to public infrastructure are approximately $120,000, but quickly growing.
Updated: May. 13, 2022 at 12:07 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad and Janelle Guerrero-Miguel
The fire is on a property about 2 miles north of Henning, Minnesota.
Updated: May. 6, 2022 at 2:36 PM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
The pumps are intended to begin the drawdown of the pool to minimize flow on the damaged spillway.
Updated: Apr. 21, 2022 at 11:05 AM CDT
|By Gretchen Hjelmstad
To date, over three pounds of meth and more than $11,000 has been seized.