Wednesday, July 9, 2025

No one was hurt in a St. Cloud house fire Monday night. Fire crews were dispatched to a home at 1551 11th Avenue SE at around 10:20 p.m. Firefighters arrived to find 20-foot flames appearing from the back of the house. The fire was growing and was spreading to items in the yard as crews worked to stop the fire from moving further into the home. The size of the fire and limited access to the back of the home hampered efforts, but firefighters were able to get the flames under control and extinguish the blaze. The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, and no damage estimate is available.

A group of kayakers had to be rescued from the Sauk River on Saturday. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office got a call at around 12:45 p.m. reporting eight stranded kayakers near County Road 139 in Rockville. The group had launched from Eagle Park in Rockville but quickly encountered several areas of low-hanging trees in the water. The group was able to make its way to shore but had to be recovered by the Rockville Fire Department, DNR, and Stearns County Water Patrol. No one was hurt, but two kayaks were lost down river. This makes three rescues on central Minnesota lakes since the 4th of July as the other two were on the Crow River in St. Michael and another lake near Spicer. A reminder to put safety first on area lakes. 

Two drivers were seriously hurt in a head-on collision in Stearns County. The Sheriff's Office says on Monday at about 5:40 a.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center was called about an injury crash near Cedar Street and Broadway Street East in Rockville. Initial reports were of a head-on collision with serious injuries. Deputies arrived and began providing medical care. Both drivers, 23-year-old Axel Lopez-Padilla of Rockville and 64-year-old Wayne Hennen of Clearwater were taken to the St. Cloud Hospital with serious injuries. Neither man was wearing their seat belt. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Rockville Fire Department, Mayo Ambulance, Waite Park Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Drivers are encouraged to avoid a busy stretch of County Highway 75 in St. Cloud and Waite Park for the next three weeks. Intermittent road work begins Monday between Highway 15 and County Highway 81 in Waite Park. It should last until the 24th, depending on weather. Division Street runs past the Crossroads Center mall and the Parkwood Cinema movie theater, among many other commercial stores in that area. The project is further complicated by work on CSAH 81/3rd Street North that is in place until mid-October. Highway 23 is a possible detour about two blocks to the south. Anyone with questions or concerns is encouraged to contact the Stearns County Highway Department for more information.

The Cass County sheriff is asking the public for assistance in locating a man. On Monday, July 7, the sheriff’s office said they are looking for Jami Lyle Lucas. He is described as a white male, 6’4” tall, weighing 170 pounds, and was born on May 6, 1982. At the time he disappeared, he was wearing a white T-shirt with blue jeans, a green bandana with a baseball hat, and boots. Lucas fled on foot from authorities after an attempted traffic stop in the Eastburn Road area, in Crooked Lake Township, rural Outing, on July 3, 2020, and has not been seen or heard from since. Anyone with information about Lucas’ whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 218-547-1424. Lucas was convicted of felony threats of violence in 2020, felony domestic assault in 2019, gross misdemeanor child endangerment in 2019 and misdemeanor fighting in 2010.

There will be a Back 9 Grand Opening at the Pierz Golf Course and Campground on Thursday with live music beginning at 3:30pm and food will be provided for the first 200 until 6pm. There will be ticket drawings for who gets to be the first ones on the back 9 when tee off starts at 5:30pm on Thursday. Again the open house type event is opens to all and come and see on Thursday in Pierz.  

The Holdingford Daze festival starts Friday at 4:00 p.m. with the Helping Hands Craft and Bake Sale. Things really rev up at 5:00 for the car show on Main Street. Other activities on Day One include the Historical Society Museum open house, the beginning of the slow pitch softball tournament, and live music from the band “Good Question.” Saturday is a full schedule with 14 hours of activities planned. First up is a unique opportunity to see a demonstration from the North Star Flyers Remote Control Airplane Club. The open house runs from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Other morning events include outdoor activities like co-ed volleyball and two different runs. Inflatables and kids’ games get going on Main Street at noon. Near the museum, a small-town festival staple gets fired up. The tractor pull runs from noon to 3:00 p.m. A petting zoo lasts until 4:00 p.m. Bingo and bags are two other traditional activities planned. The Grande Parade steps off at 7:00 p.m., and there will be more live music, an afternoon session with Kolton Thompson, before “Stone Road” leads a street dance on Saturday evening. Community Country Church is lighting a bonfire and roasting s’mores at 9:30. Fireworks go off at dusk.

Death Notices- Lorraine Marie Lapos, age 96 of Flensburg. Edward "Eddie" P. Gangl, age 82 of Pierz. 

Weather- today sunny skies with high of 82, clear night tonight more humid, low 64. Thursday sunny and warmer, high 87 with isolated showers by late afternoon, strong thunderstorms are possible Thursday night especially after midnight, low 67. Friday showers and thunderstorms likely in the morning, high 75, with isolated storms into the evening, then clearing low 59. Saturday partly sunny, high 75, low around 60. Sunday sunny and warmer, high 84, thunderstorms possible again by Sunday night. 

Sports- Twins win 8-1 last night scoring 6 runs in the 8th inning for the victory. The Twins continue with the  Chicago Cubs Wednesday night at 6pm at Target Field on Q92 WYRQ. The Lynx are in action today with an afternoon game at 2:30pm at Phoenix, then 2pm Thursday at Los Angeles and noon Saturday at Chicago.