News: Monday, February 3rd, 2025

News: Monday, February 3rd, 2025

--Snow on Saturday added in with 35mph winds from the south led to poor visibility and many accidents on the roadways due to the conditions. The state patrol said a 21-year-old from Clearwater was injured when his pickup when off Highway 10 in Cushing Township just before 4pm. The driver Connor Wipper was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries. Minnesota Department of Transportation 511mn.org website reported Saturday an accident on Highway 10 at Iris Road and another on Highway 27 near Little Falls, another on Highway 29 near Deer Creek in Wadena County, two accidents along Highway 371 from Ft. Ripley to Brainerd and a string of accidents on Interstate 94 starting south of Fergus Falls down to Albany. All these were reported between 8:30am and noon on Saturday morning due to snow and wind. There were no reports of any injuries in the accidents only that roadways were redirected or delayed because of the accidents. A couple of inches of snow Saturday, freeze fog Sunday led to slippery conditions, then more snow this morning with 2-4 inches by noon will lead to more travel issues around the area. This is only the beginning of a forecasted snowy week with more snow in the forecast late Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for this first week of February.

--A burglary suspect has been charged after allegedly fleeing police and crashing into a building in Melrose. According to the criminal complaint, deputies were called to Bueckers Recycling in Millwood Township on Tuesday morning. The owner reported someone had tried to break into a vehicle in the parking lot. Deputies saw footprints leading to the garage door, indicating a potentially bigger theft. Staff reported that $3,350 was missing, along with a shotgun and tools. The business’s security system hard drive had been ripped out. In a potential break for law enforcement, it appeared the suspect also cooked a corn dog taken from a freezer. The stick was found in the trash and taken for DNA evidence, along with a pair of mechanic gloves at the scene. The same boot prints found in the parking lot were also seen walking to two detached sheds on the property. The footprints then led officers to a neighbor’s property, where the hard drive from the security camera was found. Soon after the initial call, dispatch received a report of a suspicious person at the intersection of County Road 17 and County Road 168 in Millwood Township, a couple of miles north of the recycling center. The caller said the man was wearing a black jacket, a camouflage bag, and a hat. The person felt the man was under the influence of something and acting strange. He was on a bike but ditched it near a home in the 31000-block of County Road 169 in Melrose Township. A conservation officer responded to the call and saw the person described by the caller walk into a nearby home onCounty Road 17 in Melrose Township. The first deputy on scene spoke to a woman, who identified the man as her son, Carlos Lee Rey Garza. She said the 32-year-old man was sleeping, and he refused to come to the door. The investigator then went to the home on County Road 169 and found the bike. Boot prints near the bike appear to match what the deputy observed at the recycling center. While taking pictures of the prints, an area homeowner told the deputy that his son’s vehicle had been rummaged through overnight, and his wallet was found on the ground and was missing $150 in cash. The man said his wife’s car had also been gone through, and she was missing her sunglasses. Deputies compared the bootprints from all the scenes, which appeared to match. Later that day, deputies saw Garza driving and pulled him over. When he was told he was being arrested, Garza allegedly fled at a high rate of speed towards Melrose. He later crashed into a business in town. Police say Garza ran on foot from the crash and was found by a K9 team hiding in a box truck. He was arrested without further incident. During the arrest, law enforcement found $463 in cash and found he was wearing muck-style boots. Police say the pattern matched all of the prints at the crime scenes. While in the squad car, he also began banging his head in the back seat and making suicidal comments. A deputy searched the crashed car and found a black jacket, a camouflage bag and a hat. The bag contained various items, including a headlamp, torch, lighter, and screwdriver. Having recovered the surveillance system hard drive from the recycling center, law enforcement accessed the video and allegedly saw someone wearing muck-style boots, a black jacket, and a stocking cap enter the truck parked in front. He’s been charged with two counts of third-degree burglary and fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. He’s being held on $400,000 bail without conditions and $200,000 with. Garza’s next court date is set for February 21st.

--A bridge on Highway 10 in Benton County is closed to large loads after the structure sustained damage. Weight restrictions are in place between 95th Street Northwest and Little Rock Road Northwest, about three miles east of Rice. No vehicle over 155,000 pounds can cross as the eastbound lanes over Little Rock Lake sustained damage and lost some pilings that need to be repaired. The ban includes overweight and oversized loads. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the average fully loaded semi-truck weighs about 80,000 pounds and would be safe to cross. The restriction will be in place until the end of June 30th.

--Siera Romine of Carver won the truck at the 38th Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza Saturday on Hole in the Day Bay near Baxter. Romine won the truck with a 5.85 pound walleye catch. The Brainerd Jaycees thanks all who attended the event and gave to the organization to go back into the community.

--The Little Falls Community High School district is excited to announce that the Little Falls High School Concert Band and Mixed Choir will be performing a joint concert along with special guest, The Concordia Band. The Concert is scheduled for tonight 7pm at the high school. It is free and open to the public.

NATIONAL NEWS- Another deadly plane crash in as many days as 7 people including a child patient were killed in a medivac jet crash into neighborhood Friday night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All on the plane perished and the crash caused a fire that injured 19 others around the area. The crash happened just as the jet was taking off, leading the FAA to investigate mechanical errors but the investigating is just getting underway.

GROUND HOG DAY NEWS- its official, 6 more weeks of winter as early Sunday Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania and wanted back into his burrow meaning winter is here to stay for a little while more.

DEATH NOTICES- Vernon Richard Marshall, age 89 of Pierz.

WEATHER- Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 9am this morning, morning snow 2-3 inches by late morning, then cloudy, temps dropping from 30 early down to 14 late in the day, clearing and cold tonight, low -5 wind chills near -20, increasing clouds Tuesday, high 12 above, snow by Tuesday night into Wednesday with another 1-2 inches possible, high 16 Wednesday with a low near 0 that night.

SPORTS- The Pro Bowl Games wrapped up with a flag football game, the total of events Thursday through Sunday ended with NFC 76 to AFC 63. Now all eyes move to the Super Bowl 59 this Sunday at 5:30pm in New Orleans with the Kansas City Chiefs at the Philadelphia Eagles. Hear the game live on AM960 KLTF.