The Lake County director of Health and Human Services, Dennis Reid Henkel, 61, of Duluth was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), open bottle and speeding on Tuesday, July 13. Henkel was on his way to a regional director’s meeting at Superior Ridge Resort in Schroeder.
Henkel was driving his silver Subaru Forester when stopped for speeding on Highway 61 a half mile west of Taconite Harbor at 12:47 p.m. by State Trooper Leah Carpenter. Carpenter clocked Henkel at 68 – 70 in a 55-mile per hour zone and signaled for him to pull over. In her report, Carpenter said when she approached the car and Henkel opened the window, she smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage and she saw an open bottle of Phillips peppermint schnapps in a wet brown paper bag. Carpenter conducted a field sobriety test, which Henkel failed. She also conducted a PBT which Henkel also failed, registering .128. Henkel was booked into the Cook County jail for a 12-hour hold.
Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director Sue Futterer confirmed that Henkel was on the way to a regional meeting of Health and Human Services directors. The meeting included directors from all seven counties in the region. Futterer said the meeting was extended to two days because directors are discussing the potential regional re-design of Health and Human Services.
Futterer said she had no comment, noting that she was as surprised as anyone else to hear of the arrest. She said simply, “It is unfortunate.”
The meeting began at 1:00 p.m. without Henkel. He was released and was able to attend the second day of the meeting at Superior Ridge.
A closed meeting of the Lake County Board of Commissioners was scheduled for Tuesday, July 20 to discuss the matter.
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