By Bruce Karnick

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Saturday morning, the Cottage Grove Police Department released a statement regarding fliers that were distributed around the city. The fliers directed the reader to a white supremacy group.

“Hate will not be tolerated in Cottage Grove. Period. The information contained in these fliers does not represent what we stand for as a police department or a community,” Police Chief Pete Koerner said.

The flier cited the name of Jupiter Paulson, a 14-yearold that was stabbed to death in 2021 in Fargo ND. According to reports, Paulson was stabbed 25 times while she was skateboarding to her mom’s house. The flier also had a picture of the alleged assailant. The flier then pointed people to a white supremacist website and tosses out some phrases meant to induce fear into those that read the flier.

It is uncertain how many of the fliers were distributed, but one thing is clear from the messages surrounding the press release.

Council member Justin Olson had this to say. “I don’t want to give any more exposure to the cretins who perpetrated this atrocity on our community, or to their message of hate & division. As one of five who serve on the Cottage Grove City Council & as a person who has lived in this community since childhood, I have never before seen this sort of hatred & division dropped on our neighbors’ doorsteps. Let me be 100% clear in saying I will not tolerate it, nor will my family or the people I associate with. Cottage Grove is STRONGER & BETTER today than when I was a child thanks to our growing diversity. We endeavor to be an extremely inclusive, welcoming & safe place for all of our residents, visitors, business owners, etc. to live, work & play. Hate has no place here. People who choose to foment hate based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other factor do not hold values consistent with the vast majority of our community members. All are welcome here. Really!”

State Senator Karla Bigham put it very simply. “Hate has no place in our community and will not be tolerated. Our communities stand against hate and extremism white supremacy. These flyers are hateful and disturbing. Please share any information by contacting the police if you know of saw anything regarding this incident. They can be contacted at 651-493-9381. Be kind, empathetic, and compassionate.”

Those two messages from officials in the community were echoed by residents far and wide and it is clear, hate has no place in Cottage Grove.

According to the release, the information in the fliers was not illegal, but it was quite disturbing for many. Detectives are investigating who is responsible for the distribution. If anyone has information, security camera footage or photos, please contact the CGPD at 651-439-9381.