Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Due to wet conditions today, the Little Falls Hutchinson game is at 1pm now in St. Cloud if they win they play Fergus Falls/Willmar loser at 4pm today in St. Cloud. The Staples-Motley vs. Albany game is now at 7pm, Royalton vs. Foley at 4:30pm and Pierz and Cathedral still at 7pm tonight all in St. Cloud between Joe Faber and Dick Putz Field. Hear the Flyer games and Pierz games on KLTF.

A suspect died in an officer-involved shooting in Paynesville. Police Chief Paul Wegner says the incident started at about 9pm Monday when they received a report of a domestic dispute involving a man and a woman on the 600 block of Stearns Avenue. Officers were told the man was armed with a gun. Deputies with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office and officers with the Cold Spring and Paynesville Police Departments responded. They were able to get the woman out of the home safely.  She had minor injuries to her head and neck. The man was locked in the basement when officers entered the home.  As they were trying to take the man into custody, shots were fired. Officers and medical personnel on the scene immediately began giving the man medical attention, however, he died at the scene. Officers did find a gun. Body-worn cameras were used during the incident. The Minnesota BCA is investigating.

Arrest warrants have been issued for two people charged in a fatal drug overdose case. A Benton County judge issued the warrants for 38-year-old Crystal Swenson and 33-year-old Fox Bellanger. The two are accused of selling cocaine laced with fentanyl to Swenson's 16-year-old son. A third suspect in the case, 48-year-old Anthony Costello, has pleaded guilty to one count of 2nd-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison. Swenson and Bellanger were scheduled to appear in court last week, but both failed to appear. Swenson pleaded guilty to manslaughter in April and failed to appear for her sentencing last Thursday. Bellanger was set for a pre-trial hearing that same day. Sauk Rapids Police were dispatched to the 300 block of 10th Avenue North on March 2nd, 2024, on a report of an unresponsive person. Officers discovered the teenage boy lying on the floor outside a bathroom and not breathing. Officers tried life-saving efforts, but say the boy was cold to the touch and appeared to have been dead for some time. Costello told police that he had previously been in a romantic relationship with the boy's mother, and he and the boy had snorted cocaine prior to his death. The charges further allege the boy had made plans with his mother and Bellanger to buy cocaine from them. Costello said when the boy returned to Costello's Sauk Rapids home at around 5:30am the two snorted cocaine together. Records show Costello found the boy at around 9:30 a.m., making gurgling noises while on the floor, and was unresponsive. Costello said, despite pouring water on him and trying to get him to stand up, the victim wouldn't wake up, so he dragged him down the stairs and left the boy there so he could go to bed. A medical examiner determined the teen died of fentanyl toxicity and cocaine use. Search warrants were used to access phone records among the group, and authorities say it was the recorded that eventually tied Swenson and Bellanger to the drug buy.

An air quality alert due to smoke from large wildfires in Canada blowing into Minnesota has been extended to noon on Wednesday. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says the air is unsafe for some people to breathe. It will be in the orange category or unhealthy for sensitive groups. This includes anyone with lung problems like asthma or COPD, people with heart disease, children, and older adults. For those in that category, experts say to stay inside when possible and avoid heavy exercise or outdoor activities. Keep windows and doors closed, and use air conditioning in recirculate mode if available. A thick layer of smoke moved into northwest Minnesota Monday morning following a cold front. As the front moves southeast, the smoke will spread across the state, reaching central Minnesota through Tuesday and into Wednesday and southern Minnesota possibly longer. Rain is expected in central Minnesota Monday evening, but it likely won’t do much to improve air quality. The smoke is expected to clear by Wednesday morning, with air quality improving to safe levels afterward. Forecasters warn this won’t be the end, though. Calling it a “long duration event,” wildfire smoke issues may persist through the summer.

Even with rain in the forecast this week, a number of brush and grass fires were reported around the state over the past week with warmer and drier conditions still in areas. A large fire burned in Grove City which did some damage to an outbuilding, also a grass fire reported near Nisswa off of Highway 371 burned a large amount acreage. Just a reminder that some counties still have burning restrictions and outdoor burning restrictions still in place. The hope with more moisture expected the next few days, should ease the danger.

More road work planned for the week has started including Highway 238 near Upsala, Highway 371 near Brainerd, the Clearwater Bridge is closed and St. Joseph Roundabout work began on Monday. Remember to slow down in work zone, caught speeding fines double and even triple in part of the state. For the latest and nearly 100 projects going on around Minnesota check out the website at 511mn.org.

Minnesota State Lawmakers are still working to finalize the next two-year budget in order to avoid a partial government shutdown that would begin July 1. Governor Tim Walz, who has been meeting regularly with legislative leaders over the past several weeks, did not meet personally with them on Monday, according to his office. However, the governor's spokesperson said his negotiating team was in contact with lawmakers, and Gov. Walz is likely to join them Tuesday to continue final negotiations. After speaking at Democratic state conventions in South Carolina and California this weekend, his office has not said whether he has returned to Minnesota yet. By law, only Gov. Walz can call a special session to finish the budget. After lawmakers missed their deadline to pass budget bills at the end of the legislative session two weeks ago, the state has now sent layoff notices to some employees as obligated by labor contracts, warning of a potential shutdown. Nurses received the notices Friday, according to the Minnesota Nurses Association, while the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees said they are expecting to receive notices any time between now and June 9. On Monday, a spokesperson for DFL House Leader Melissa Hortman said she hopes a special session can happen as soon as this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday, although that all hinges on how quickly the Revisor's Office works to edit bills.  Through bipartisan cooperation, the education working group protected some DFL priorities -- such as keeping funding levels at the rate of inflation and preserving money for students in poverty -- while also granting Republican requests like protecting state aid for private schools. Overall, the House and Senate working group held funding flat in the upcoming two-year budget, with steeper cuts planned for the following cycle in 2028-29. "This get us through a two-year period, but I call this a canary in a coal mine," co-chair and Republican Rep. Ron Kresha said. "Let's look ahead and try to ward off what's coming." No word when a special session would be approved but lawmakers are telling others that it should be soon. 

Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen wanted to give a big Thank you to everyone who came out to support Chaplain Gregg Valentine at their golf tournament Friday. Nineteen teams participated in the golf tournament and $5860.00 was raised. Thank you to Eagles Landing and everyone else for their support. We are blessed to have one of the best Chaplains around, a message from Sheriff Larsen. 

Death Notices- Darlene Janski, age 80 of St. Cloud. Curtis "Curt" J. Drager, age 86 of Swanville. Karen Fyten, age 64 of Hutchinson formerly of Little Falls. Nicholas "Nick" Lanners age 37 of Royalton. Sister Kay Watts, age 91 of Franciscan Convent in Little Falls.  

Weather- today morning showers, cloudy with smoke and haze, high 71 tonight clearing skies, cooler temps around 45 degrees. Wednesday mostly sunny and pleasant, high 75, low around 50. Thursday sunny skies with a few showers developing late in day, high 74, low around 51. Chances of showers and thunderstorms in the forecast Friday through Sunday, highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. 

Sports- Byron Buxton has a 5 RBI game as the Twins win 10-4 last night over the A's. Twins continue series with A's in California Tuesday night at 8:30pm on Q92 WYRQ. The 7-0 Minnesota Lynx host Phoenix tonight at 7pm. The State High School Softball Tournament begins today in Mankato for teams like Rocori, St. Cloud Cathedral, Becker and Brainerd. The rain halted most of the baseball games on Monday. High School baseball today includes Upsala-Swanville vs Parkers Prairie from Monday moved to today at 2:30pm in Morris.