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During a Mower County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, commissioners approved a resolution allowing Mower County Attorney Kristen Nelsen to sign on to access funds used in digital forensics.

Nelsen explained to commissioners Tuesday morning that the memorandum of understanding includes 11 counties in the Third Judicial District and according to Houston County Attorney Samuel Jandt in an email to the Herald, allows them to access $1.5 million in Congressional Directed Funding ($500,000 per year) over the span of three years.

That money, used by the counties in court cases involving digital forensic evidence, will be for the services provided by the firm Computer Forensic Services (CFS), based out of Minneapolis.

Nelsen told commissioners Tuesday that these services by CFS can be used toward phones, computers and electronic devices in the course of an investigation.

“They will be able to look at stuff the (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) doesn’t have time to do,” Nelsen said. “It costs us exactly zero dollars.”

Houston County will serve as both fiscal agent and fiscal manager of the funds, which will be available through March 9, 2027.

According to the MOU, counties can submit all electronic devices they believe require analysis and/or recovery of electronic evidence. CFS can also provide expert witness testimony, expert witness preparation and analysis among other areas.

“It’s good for us,” Nelsen said. “There are smaller jurisdictions that struggle with this information. For us that’s helpful.”

“This is the third judicial district working together,” she continued while adding that senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar along with First District Rep. Brad Finstad helped in the process of securing the funds.

Nelsen said that Mower County hopes to start using these services next week.