Fairground vandals still at large

The Great Northern Fairgrounds manager said this week that vandals who rampaged on the fairgrounds in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 21, still are at large, and he still is working on repairing the damage.

Manager Tim Solomon told the fair board that someone, between the hours of midnight July 20 and 1 a.m. July 21, slashed the awning over the free stage, damaged the commercial buildings, slashed chairs set up by a group at the fair and sprayed foam out of fire extinguishers.

Sheriff Don Brostrom said Thursday that deputies looked at the damage, and the incident is under investigation.

Solomon said Thursday that he does not have the exact estimate of the damage, but the total likely would be $1,500 or more.

Solomon said during the board meeting that he is working on some ideas on how to redo the free stage, possibly making it a portable covered stage rather than rebuilding the existing stage.