NEWS
--Severe Thunderstorms hit parts of Minnesota on Thursday night. The Little Falls/Morrison County Airport reported .46 rain last night from some thunderstorms that were not severe between 6:45-8pm. Stearns, Benton, Sherburne and Wright County saw severe storms with quarter to half-dollar size hail and 60 mile per hour winds from a line from Brooten to Albany and Avon last night that traveled south of St. Cloud into southern Benton and Sherburne County. Some of the storms by Roseau and in southern Minnesota has possible tornadoes that will be investigated today. More thunderstorms are in the forecast today this afternoon and tonight with some being severe.
--An Air Quality Alert has been issued for all of Minnesota beginning today at 8am and lasting until Saturday at 3pm. This is due to wildfires burning in Alberta and Vancouver, Canada along with pollutants in the air due to low humidity and lighter winds from the northwest. Winds will pick up Saturday that will move some of the smoke and haze from the skies. Those with health issues like problems breathing, asthma and heart ailments could have problems with the hazy conditions over the daytime hours today and then again for most of the day on Saturday.
--A Little Falls man was involved in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday on Interstate 35 three miles north of Faribault in Rice County. Around 1:58pm, 25-year-old Emily Weirup of Fridley was northbound on Interstate 35 when her vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by 64-year-old Peter Thomas Ekstrom of Little Falls who was also in the northbound lane. Ekstrom was not injured in the crash. The other driver, Weirup sustained non-life threatening injuries.
--A Sauk Centre man has been sentenced to jail for killing a pedestrian on the Wobegon Trail. Wilder Brian Kuhlmann pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal vehicular homicide operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner. Stearns County Judge Nathaniel D. Welte sentenced him on Tuesday. The 22-year-old will serve his 210-day sentence in 90-day increments. Eight other counts were dismissed. Investigators say Kuhlmann had a blood alcohol concentration of .11 at the time of the crash. The legal limit is .08. A nearly five-year prison sentence was stayed for a decade, meaning Kuhlmann won’t spend any of that time in prison unless he violates the terms of his probation. He was also fined $1,000, will pay $5,792.84 in restitution and must perform 60 hours of community service. Kuhlmann was riding an ATV on the trail around 12:20am on August 15th, 2021, when he hit 50-year-old Scott Nathe of Sauk Centre. ATVs aren’t allowed on the Wobegon Trail. Nathe was walking with a woman, and they were both hit. Nathe was taken to the hospital, where he died. According to court records, a 35-year-old woman with him was also hit and suffered a fractured pelvis, nerve damage and a broken arm. A passenger on the front of Kuhlmann’s ATV also suffered minor injuries. All four people were leaving a party at a nearby property at the time of the crash.
--Authorities have released more details about a fatal car crash on I-94 near Rogers Wednesday. The Minnesota State Patrol says 32-year-old Shawn Tregoning of Minneapolis was driving a Chevrolet Express Van at noon Wednesday on I-94 East when the van left the roadway into the left ditch and rolled several times near the exit for Highway 101 in Rogers. No other vehicles were involved and Tregoning was not wearing a seatbelt.
--Through July 9th, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety and Department of Transportation stated that traffic fatality numbers are down slightly from this time last year. As of July 9th there have been 175 traffic related deaths down from 192 at the same time last year and also 221 deaths by July 9th of 2021. Mn Dot reported that alcohol related deaths on the roads are down 38%, speed related deaths are down 14%, unbelted deaths are the lowest they have been since 2019. The one uptick has been on motorcycle deaths though down 3 from last year at this time the numbers are still very high compared to the past 3 years before that, including up 61% since 2019. Lieutenant Gordon Shank of the Minnesota State Patrol will be the guest on Monday on KLTF Party Line at 10:05am to talk items from the State Patrol you can ask questions too by calling 320-632-2306.
--Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Church is busy getting ready for a special parish visit this weekend. The Most Reverend Daniel, Archbishop of Chicago and the Midwest will be in St. Cloud through the weekend. In addition to a few meetings and a tour of the area, Archbishop Daniel will hold a Vespers and Divine Liturgy. Holy Myrrhbearers’ Father Andrew says a Divine Liturgy with an archbishop is unique. The Vespers service will be Saturday evening at 5pm with the Divine Liturgy Sunday morning starting at 9:30am although they may start earlier due to a few special ceremonies. Holy Myrrhbearers Orthodox Church is at 7th Avenue South in St. Cloud.
--Weekend events include Pierz Freedom Fest on Saturday at the Genola Ballfields. Gates open at 3pm, Diamondback, Fabulous Armadillos, Jo Dee Messina and Kip Moore all part of the concerts event on Saturday south of Pierz on Highway 25. A reminder that law enforcement remind motorists to expect delays and congestion coming and going from the event starting with buses running after 2:30pm Saturday, use caution with the traffic flow or if not heading to the show to find an alternate route around it Saturday afternoon into Saturday night for Pierz Freedom Fest. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, details at the website through fallsradio.com. Other events include the Brainerd Ski Loons first of their four free water ski shows at Lum Park in Brainerd Sunday at 5pm. Details on other events can be found at fallsradio.com and community calendar.
DEATH NOTICES
--Dennis Leo Morawczynski, age 84 of Long Prairie.
--Edgar “Butch” Huebner, age 74 of St. Cloud.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly sunny, hazy with smoke, PM storms possible, high 85.
TONIGHT= thunderstorms early, then clearing, low 56.
SATURDAY= sunny, hazy with smoke, breezy, high 78, low near 50.
SUNDAY= sunny and breezy, high 73, low near 48.
MONDAY= sunny and breezy, high 73, low near 52.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins return to action after the All Star Break tonight at Oakland at 8pm pregame, Saturday pregame at 5:30pm and then Sunday Inside Twins starts at 2pm this weekend live on Q92 WYRQ.
ESPY= At the Espy Awards for Sports Wednesday Night, Minnesota Viking's Wide Receiver Justin Jefferson's one handed catch against the Buffalo Bills last season was named Top Sports Play of the Year.
VL= get info on Victory League games at fallsradio.com.