NEWS --A Sherburne County judge set bail Wednesday at $1 million for a Maplewood woman who is accused of selling fentanyl to a St. Cloud man who thought he was buying heroin and who later died using the drugs. 30-year old Beverly N. Burrell faces one count of third-degree murder in the death of Dustin Peltier, a former Marine from North Dakota who was in St. Cloud to get treatment at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. She is also charged with multiple counts of murder in Hennepin County, where she is accused of selling drugs that led to the deaths of four other men. Burrell is scheduled to stand trial in Hennepin County in March.
--A 33-year-old Aitkin County man has been charged with allegedly throwing his 5-week-old daughter 12 feet in the air across the kitchen floor, killing her in November. John Douglas Peterson of Palisade was charged on Wednesday with one count of second-degree felony murder in State District Court in Aitkin. If convicted, Peterson faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. He remained in the Aitkin County Jail Wednesday night and was expected to make his first court appearance yesterday.
--A judge Thursday sentenced an Avon man to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing a woman familiar to him. 64-year old William Joseph Sullivan was charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct, accused of physically injuring her during sex that happened in his truck and in a St. Cloud apartment. The abuse was alleged to have occurred in October 2012. Sullivan has been jailed in lieu of $400,000 bail since his arrest January 14th.
--One family has been displaced and several units sustained smoke damage after a fire broke out in an apartment living room area Wednesday afternoon. The St. Cloud Fire Department responded to the fire at 3540 W St. Germain St. around 3:15pm. Firefighters found a chair in the living room of unit 112 was on fire. No one was home at the time, but a dog did have to be rescued. The three hallways in the multi-family unit sustained heavy smoke damage, but the majority of the damage was confined to the individual unit. The fire was estimated to cause about $75,000 worth of damage. Firefighters were on scene for nearly three hours. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
--A Brainerd woman who was charged in November for felony domestic assault is back in Crow Wing County Jail on charges of felony sale of drugs. 26-year old Tashya Mahala Swenson was charged December 2nd in Crow Wing County District Court with third-degree drug sale and third-degree conspiracy to commit a drug sale. Askegaard set bond at $100,000 and numerous conditions. She was previouly released from jail on the November domestic assault charges after posting a bond. Along with Swenson, Michael Paul Glumac and Thomas Jeffrey Young were charged in Crow Wing County District Court with third-degree drug sale and third-degree conspiracy to commit a drug sale. Young also was charged with three misdemeanors of possessing more than 1.4 grams of marijuana, not having an insured vehicle and open bottle. Swenson also faces felony domestic assault by strangulation, gross misdemeanor interrupt, interfere, impede or disrupt 911 call and gross misdemeanor domestic assault for the incident November 7th in Brainerd.
--The Little Falls School Board meets Monday at 5pm at the Morrison County Government Center boardroom. One item certify tax levy.
--It was very cold Thursday as temperatures dropped to -18 at Little Falls Radio and even colder northwest of Morrison County where temps reached -24 in Park Rapids and near -30 in other parts of the state. Today snow, some areas of south central Minnesota could see over a foot, Central Minnesota could see 4-10 inches by tomorrow. After that brutal cold, temps near -30 Saturday in areas with wind chills in spots near -50. Wind Chill Warnings in effect into Sunday.
--Winter truck load increases will begin Friday on unrestricted highways in the north and north central frost zones. Vehicles will be allowed to operate up to 10 percent over the standard legal maximum loads on unrestricted highways during the winter load increase period. However, trucks must comply with current registration weight laws and not exceed registered gross weight tolerances. Drivers should check with local agencies before increasing any weights on city, county and township routes. The sign erected on the roadway governs the load limit in effect. A winter weight increase permit is required to take advantage of the 10 percent weight increase on interstate highways only; a permit is not required for state trunk highways. For questions about over legal weight/size “heavy haul” trucking, call MnDOT’s Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations - Oversize/Weight Permits, 651-296-6000. The start and end dates for winter load increases are based on how weather is affecting roadway strength. These dates are established by monitoring roadway strength as weather conditions change. The end date for winter load increases is variable and drivers should check for updates throughout the year. For updated road condition information, call 511 or visit www.511mn.org.
--Weekend events include Wreathsforthefallen.org performing the wreath laying ceremony at the State Veterans Cemetery at 11am Saturday, Santa in Swanville Saturday and breakfast with Santa Sunday at Bowlus. Chicken and waffles Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes in Little Falls, and concerts tonight include the Christmas Gloria at the convent, and Harpers Chord at Great River Arts. Details on all the events can be found at fallsradio.com/communitycalendar.
DEATH NOTICE --Robert A. “Bob” Ferris, age 72 of Motley
WEATHER WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY 12PM FRI TO 6PM SAT. TODAY= snow likely, 1-3 inches by night, high 13. TONIGHT= snow likely another 2-5 inches, low -3. SATURDAY= snow in morning, cold sunshine temps drop below zero with winds increasing, night time lows -25, wind chills near -40. WIND CHILL WARNING 6PM SATURDAY TO 12PM SUN. SUNDAY= sunny and very cold, high -6, low around -13. MONDAY= partly sunny, light snow at night, high near 20.
SPORTS GBB= Milaca at Pierz tonight 6pm on FM94 KFML the game is the first of two tonight in Pierz as part of their varsity girls tournament which wraps up with two games on Saturday. CC= final Coaches Corner of the year will be Saturday at 9am in studio on AM960 KLTF. No program on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve then it returns in January 2017 Saturdays at 9am. NFL= Indianapolis at Minnesota Vikings Sunday at noon.