NEWS
--A very busy stretch of days for the Minnesota State Patrol, a couple from Florida were injured Saturday at 10:40am on Highway 10 in Motley, 77-year-olds Edward and Bernice Strander were treated at the Staples Hospital. Four people were injured Saturday around 8am when a cargo van overturned in Cass County on Highway 200 none of the injuries were serious. Two suffered injuries Saturday just after midnight near Garrison in Crow Wing County when there vehicle left the roadway on Highway 6 and a 48-year-old from Hackensack was killed Friday night in an accident in Cass County after crossing the center line on Highway 371 and hitting another vehicle head on. Scott Voudren was dead at the scene the other driver from Solway had non life threatening injuries from the crash.
--29-year-old Jordan Michael Dammann of Pierz, was sentenced in Morrison County District Court Wednesday, to 30 days of local confinement, five years of supervised probation and a $50 fine after a felony conviction for malicious punishment of a child. On April 12, an officer with the Pierz Police Department received a report from Morrison County Social Services that a 1-month-old infant was at a hospital in St. Cloud being treated for serious injuries. The next day, the officer along with a social worker arrived at the hospital to meet with staff. Hospital staff reported that the baby had numerous injuries and deep bruises to the area of their buttocks, thighs, feet, toes and chest. Each of these injuries were measured and documented. The officer was advised that the child had multiple rib fractures that were in the process of healing and were likely broken sometime “in the last week or so.” The officer and social worker next spoke with the child’s mother, who was very emotional about the injuries and was willing to speak with law enforcement. According to the mother, Dammann was with the baby in the bathroom. She said that while she was in the bedroom, she “heard the baby give a loud scream” and went to find out what happened. She said she saw bruising and coloring to the baby’s thigh and genital area, however, she never saw Dammann strike or injure the baby. The officer and social worker eventually met with Dammann at his residence. Initially, he denied doing anything to the baby, claiming perhaps one of their dogs had jumped on the baby. Further questioning prompted him to admit that he injured the baby. He told law enforcement that he was sitting on the couch with the child when it became fussy and reacted by “grabbing the baby in the genital area and squeezing very hard.” Dammann became very emotional and apologized for his actions. He also went into detail about how he was holding the child sometime around April 8 and recalled squeezing the child so hard that he heard something crack. He said he became scared and told the mother what he had done. A second count of malicious punishment of a child was dropped as part of a plea agreement.
--The Pierz City Council meets tonight at 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
--The Stearns County Attorney's Office has charged a Waite Park man with 1st-degree aggravated robbery, five counts of armed kidnapping, and 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in the hostage standoff at the Wells Fargo bank in St. Cloud. After a standoff that lasted nearly nine hours, St. Cloud police arrested 35-year-old Ray McNeary who authorities say was holding five hostages inside the bank. The standoff ended without incident and with no injuries.
--An early morning duplex fire has claimed the life of a 1-year-old boy near the town of Remer in Cass Country. Sheriff Tom Burch says Cass County dispatchers received a call reporting a home on fire in Boy Lake Township shortly after 1:45 a.m. Friday. Deputies arrived on scene to find the duplex engulfed in fire, then attempted to check the residence through smoke and flames. They were able to locate an adult female in a bedroom and got her out of the structure. A search of the gutted home led to the discovery of the 1-year-old's body. Investigators learned that another adult female and three children were able to escape the blaze before first responders arrived. The Cass County Sheriff's Office, the State Fire Marshal's Office and Leech Lake Tribal Police will investigate to determine the cause of the fire.
--A Sauk Rapids man who was charged with murder in the overdose death of another man in April of 2020 has pleaded guilty. Thirty-five-year-old Robert Mrozek pleaded guilty to one count of 3rd-degree murder for providing the victim the heroin/fentanyl mixture that led to his death. Sartell Police were called to 119 LeSauk Drive on April 8th, 2020, to investigate a death. Officers discovered evidence of heroin use next to the man's body, whose name is not listed in the complaint. Police say they were able to identify Mrozek as the man who provided the drugs through text messages between the two and surveillance video of them meeting. Mrozek pleaded guilty Thursday, just before his jury trial was scheduled to begin, sentencing July 16th. --A Holdingford man is charged with four counts of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly sexually abusing two young girls for years. 48-year old Eugene Loehrer is accused of abusing the girls when they were as young as the 5th grade. One of the girls said Loehrer smoked cocaine with her last November and since then began giving her marijuana in exchange for sexual favors. The girl said the abuse was both physical and emotional. A second girl also told authorities about sexual abuse at the hands of Loehrer. Court records show Loehrer told authorities he has a bad prostate and that he could not have sex. Loehrer is pending his first court appearance.
DEATH NOTICES
--Wallace Pomrenke, age 95 of Pierz.
--Abbygail E. Nutz, age 15 of Randall.
--Cecelia (Kedrowski) Daniels, age 82 of Park Rapids.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly sunny, high 55.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, frost overnight, low 30.
TUESDAY= sunny skies, high near 60, partly cloudy night, low 37.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and warmer, high 67, clouds increase, low 35.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins after two rain delays Friday beat Detroit 7-3, Detroit then beat the Twins same score 7-3 but Tigers win Saturday. Twins were rained out in Detroit on Sunday and will have a split double-header on July 16th to makeup the game. Twins have today off.