Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Officials say three new wildfires were detected Sunday as the amount of acreage burned exceeds 70,000. According to the U.S. Forest Service, more than 63,000 acres have burned in northern Minnesota, with another 8,400 in Canada. Fire officials spoke Monday about the ongoing efforts, but added a new layer to the mix: wind. "That's definitely a danger for these fires to try to stand up and move," said Shane Sturgill with the Southern Area Complex Incident Management Team. "So we want to make sure that we're vigilant on what we're looking at with our controls on our lines." Officials say they also saw a lot of lightning over the past few days, so they're using surveillance to identify any new fires. "It could be a challenging day for us, but we do have resources dedicated to that mission to try and keep any fire as small as we can," said Superior Chippewa National Forest Fire staff officer Nick Petrack. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) remains closed, and officials say they've canceled permits through Friday. Parts of Lake County and St. Louis County also remain in "go" status, based on an online "ready, set, go" evacuation notice map for residents. Fire officials say the "go" status is for Highway 16/Fernberg Corridor from Garden Lake Bridge to the Fernberg at Lake One in Lake County. The St. Louis County "go" status is for portions of the Echo Trail from Big Lake up to the 200 Road.
A third accident was reported on Highway 6 in Crow Wing County on Monday around 8:30am, two were earlier reported between 3-4pm Sunday. The third accident had a 55 year old from Cromwell injured and taken to the hospital for non life threatening injuries when the vehicle they were driving struck a vehicle slowing for a left hand turn. The 33 year old from Brainerd driving that vehicle was not injured.
A Sartell man was injured around 1:45pm Monday on Interstate 94 near St. Cloud when the motorcycle 41-year-old Robert Peterson was driving when off the exit ramp and struck the ditch. He was reportedly treated at the scene, but refused hospitalization.
Waite Park Police are reporting a stolen vehicle with the keys inside. Alicia Mages from Tri-County Crime Stoppers says the vehicle was taken from the 100 block of 6th Avenue South. The vehicle is a 2014 silver Chevy Silverado with license plate number NPE-240. If you have information on any unsolved crimes in the Stearns, Benton or Sherburne County area please report information by calling Crimestoppers at 1-800-255-1301, online at tricountycrimestoppers.org and click on submit a tip or use the P3 mobile app and submit your information that way.
The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a fatal crash on Interstate 94 in Grant County. According to the crash report, the drivers of a Tesla Model Y and a Ford Fusion collided on I-94 near mile marker 80 in Erdahl Township, which is about 10 miles east of Elbow Lake, around 3:57 p.m. Sunday. The State Patrol says the Tesla was eastbound on the freeway and the Ford was westbound when they collided. The driver of a Toyota Crown Signia was also eastbound and struck the other two vehicles after they collided. Specifics about what led to the collision haven’t been released only that one person was killed in the crash, and two others suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Toyota sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
National News: A person deployed an “incendiary device” Monday morning outside a New York building housing an immigration court and other federal offices before being taken into custody at the scene, the FBI said. The FBI said its New York Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating the eruption of smoke and flames outside of 26 Federal Plaza, which has become a focal point for demonstrations against the immigration policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. The individual in custody, whose name has not been released, was carrying anti-ICE material, according to preliminary information gathered by law enforcement and described by a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name. The New York Fire Department said it was called at about 8:30 a.m., and initial reports indicated an outdoor fire. One person was transported to the hospital, but their injuries weren’t life-threatening, the department said. The building in Lower Manhattan houses several government offices — including the New York office of the FBI — and the immigration court where agents have carried out chaotic and sometimes violent arrests in the hallway as migrants leave hearings. Videos and photos from the scene showed a fire with a plume of smoke on the sidewalk outside the building, as well as officers restraining a person and taking them away.
National News: The U.S. Defense Department has identified two of the three service members killed in action following an attack Friday at a base in Jordan. The service members were identified as 25-year-old 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and 19-year-old Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas. The agency said Gonzales died Friday and Feehan died Saturday as a result of an attack Friday at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Both were supporting a U.S. mission against the Islamic State. It’s unclear how they were killed. Feehan was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Gonzales was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command at Ansbach, Germany.
Events: There will be a special performance of Mikki Sodergren on July 28th at 1:30pm at the Great Hall at Highland Senior Living, Mikki is currently with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in New York and coming back to play for her grandfather at Highland and all are welcome to hear her. The Pierz Healy High School Class of 1986 will have their 40th Class Reunion on August 1st at 4pm at Frosty's Bar in Pierz, spouses are welcome to come with the graduates. Corn Boils August 7th at Immanuel Lutheran Church of Hillman 4:30-7pm with burgers, pie and dessert for $12, also August 7th Corn Boil and pulled pork feed 4:30-7pm at the Swanville Lions Park, silent auction and free will donation. Also on August 26th there will be a rosary, Mass and pot luck meal for Our Lady of Czestochowa sponsored by the Polish Echos, starts at 4:30pm that evening at Holy Family Church of Belle Prairie. More events can be found at fallsradio.com.
Death Notices: Jerry Earl Lodermeier, age 65 of Swan River Township, Morrison County.
Weather: today cloudy skies then afternoon sun, breezy, high near 77, clear and cooler tonight low 51. Sunny and less breezy, Wednesday, high 78 low around 57 clear at night. Sunday and warmer Thursday high 84, partly cloudy Thursday night low around 60. Friday sunny and warm, high near 88, clear Friday night low 65. Sunny and hot Saturday high 95, isolated T-storms overnight, humid, low 68. Sunday sunny and hot again high 97, again some isolated T-storms overnight Sunday night low near 70. Early forecast models still show highs in the 90s the early part of next week.
Sports: Cleveland pounded the Twins 13-4 last night, Twins got Byron Buxton back from injury and he had 2 hits in the loss. Twins continues series in Cleveland today and Wednesday start times at 5:40pm, then Thursday at 12:10pm to wrap up that series, Twins return home Friday night against the Athletics. Kayla McBride 33, Olivia Miles 32 as the Lynx win 105-102 over Seattle last night for 6th straight win, the Lynx will take on Seattle again Wednesday afternoon out west, before the All Star Break this weekend. Little Falls and Pierz American Legion lost Monday and so did the Little Falls VFW team lost Monday all three teams in elimination games today, Little Falls will take on Pierz at 5pm in Cold Spring in Legion Ball. Victory League Game of the Week will be St. Mathias at Pierz Bulldogs Saturday in play in round of the Region 9C Tournament, these are the best of 3 games, first game is Saturday 1:30pm on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. Other play in games Royalton at Freeport, Upsala at Aitkin and Flensburg at Opole where the winning 4 teams advance to the Region tournament next week.