Statewide Blog

Cass Lake-Bena superintendent dies in car crash

More bad news for the Cass Lake-Bena School District. The district's interim superintendent, Diane Lehse, died in a head-on car crash Sunday afternoon on Highway 34 southwest of Walker, according to the State Patrol.

Lehse, 66, was hired by the district in August to replace superintendent Carl Remmers, who resigned after he was charged with groping a 17-year-old boy at a Bemidji hotel. Lehse, of Menaga, came out of retirement to take on the interim job.

Authorities say Lehse was heading east in the westbound lane when her 2010 Ford Fusion collided head-on with a semi-truck. Two occupants of the truck were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The Cass Lake-Bena School Board reportedly met in an emergency session Monday morning to address Lehse's death.