News

Local man charged with arson

By Bottineau Courant Staff

01/17/2012

Local authorities have placed an arrest warrant against Travis (Wilkie) Brudwick, 21, of Bottineau, for the act of arson in the case of the fire at Tommy Turtle Lanes and Restaurant. Brudwick is currently being held in the Rugby jail on another charge.

Besides Brudwick, two juveniles are being investigated in the association of the crime.

According to a Northeast Judicial District court document, on or about July 19, 2011, Brudwick started a fire in Tommy Turtle Lanes in the city of Bottineau with the intent to destroy the entire or any part of the building.

On that July morning, the Bottineau Fire Department was called to Tommy Turtle Lanes and Restaurant to deal with the fire, which ended in widespread damage to the interior of the building.

Ray and Gretchen Graba established the bowling alley in October of 1958 naming it County Lanes. The steel building had an interior of 36 by 148 feet and held a six lane bowling alley, a cafe, offices and a public viewing area within the bowling alleys.

Graba sold the bowling alley to Sonny Kessler, who rehabilitated the cafe and changed the name to Sonny’s Country Lanes. Kessler’s son, Tom, purchased the business in 1985 and changed the name to Tommy Turtle Lanes and Restaurant.

Kessler stated that he is pleased with the arrest, but dismayed by it, too.

“It’s nice the suspect has been arrested, but it is also sad to hear that he is a local boy,” Kessler said. “Overall, not only has this incident hurt me and my wife, but it has hurt the community as well.”    

Brudwick’s first court appearance in Bottineau on the arson charge has presently not been scheduled, but the Northeast Judicial Court is currently working on scheduling the date.

Arson is a Class B felony which has a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail or a $10,000 fine or any combination of both.