NEWS
--St. Cloud Police have released more details on the south St. Cloud shooting that injured four people Wednesday night. According to police, witnesses at the scene said there was a heated argument between two groups in the alleyway in the 1000 block between 5th and 6th Avenue South near 11th Street. During the argument, several shots were fired from multiple people, resulting in four people hurt.
The victims include a 21-year-old St. Cloud man with a gunshot wound to the head, a 21-year-old St. Cloud man with a gunshot wound to the chest, a 19-year-old Mora man with a gunshot wound to the elbow, and a 15-year-old from St. Cloud with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and neck. Police say one of the victims (21-year-old with gunshot wound to his head) was released from the hospital Thursday, while the other three remain in stable condition. Authorities say no arrests have been made at this time and the case remains active. Again the shooting was a likely result of a fight that happened the previous night between the two groups.
--A St. Cloud man accused of killing a man and disposing of his body near St. Cloud Regional Airport has pleaded guilty, nearly two years later. Forty-four-year-old Ricco Tyson has pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder in the November 2020 shooting death of Tyler Ecklund. Ecklund was found outside in a vacant lot in the 1000 block of 55th Avenue Southeast on the evening of November 14th. An autopsy revealed the 25-year-old Ecklund died of a gunshot wound to the head. A joint investigation between the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, St. Cloud Police and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified Tyson as the person who shot Ecklund. Tyson will be sentenced in Sherburne County District Court on August 4th.
--Representative Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls was officially endorsed this week in the Republican race for State Representative in District 10A by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA). The MPPOA is Minnesota's largest law enforcement organization, representing more than 10,000 public safety professionals. A reminder that early voting is underway for the August 9 primary. Kresha is now running for the new District 10A which includes portions Little Falls and portions of northern Morrison County and also includes parts of Aitkin, Crow Wing, Kanabec & Mille Lacs Counties.
--One of two people charged in a south St. Cloud shootout last August has pleaded guilty. Twenty-three-year-old Davontae Dixon pleaded guilty to a felony charge of shooting a gun within city limits. The other suspect, 33-year-old Justin Hudak of St. Cloud has a court hearing scheduled for Monday. Two people were hurt by the gunfire. Both Hudak and Dixon were later found following the shooting and arrested. Police say they also recovered two handguns. Dixon was sentenced on to a stay of imposition and probation for two years.
--A single-car crash has sent three women to the hospital. The Minnesota State Patrol responded to Highway 10 West and 70th Avenue Southeast just northwest of Clear Lake just before 9am Thursday morning. Officials say a Ford Focus was westbound on Highway 10 when the car left the road and hit a tree. The driver, 18-year-old Nairus Muhumed, and a 16 and 17-year-old passenger were taken to Centracare Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
--A 27-year-old Cass Lake man was injured Sunday after he was struck by a car on Highway 2 in Cass County. At 12:08am in Cass Lake a vehicle was eastbound on the highway when it swerved in an attempt to avoid hitting two pedestrians crossing the highway, hitting one of them. Michael Todd Fineday, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Bemidji. No others were injured.
--Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal charges that he violated George Floyd's civil rights at the time of his death in May 2020. The judge gave Chauvin credit for the seven months he already served, bringing his sentence moving forward to 245 months, or just over 20 years. Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges back in December, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck even after he became unresponsive resulting in Floyd's death.
--Weekend Events include a free event in Little Falls on Saturday called Americana an afternoon of classic cars, live music and art in Bank Square, downtown Little Falls. The event will also feature a face painter, chalk the walk where you can show your community pride and chalk art the sidewalks and areas designed for this on Saturday from 12-6pm. Holdingford Daze with the theme “Husker Pride” begins with a car show on Main Street starting at 5pm today, live music at the softball park starting at 8:30pm. Saturday's includes the tractor blessing and fun run at 10:00am the ATV/lawnmower tractor pull at noon, the petting zoo also starts at noon, the bean bag tournament starts at 1, the kids pedal tractor pull is at 2:30pm and the grand parade starts at 7pm Saturday, followed by a street dance and fireworks at dusk on Saturday for Holdingford Daze. Also this weekend is the Swanville Mid-Summer Carnival tonight food at 5pm midway and 6pm and music later on, Saturday midway and food starts at 3pm with live music that night and Sunday is parade at 11:30am with midway and food to start at noon, swan races at 3pm and music all afternoon and again at nigh to wrap up the weekend events in Swanville. The Cass County Fair is underway in Pillager and continues today with the final day for Family Fun Day at the Fair on Saturday in Pillager. Iconic Fest is going on tonight and Saturday east of Brainerd. St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Duelm has their church festival on Sunday and Bethany Lutheran Church of Ramey has their annual picnic on Sunday. Info on these at fallsradio.com on calendar.
--The Pierz City Council meets Monday night at 7pm at City Hall.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
--Boris Johnson on Thursday announced he was resigning as Prime Minister of Great Britain. An election will be announced next week.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--Legendary actor James Caan has died at age 82. Remembered for roles in “The Godfather”, “Misery” and “Elf” among many others.
DEATH NOTICE
--Janet Tretter, age 88 of Pierz.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, less humid, high near 80.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 58.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high 84, storms after midnight, low 68.
SUNDAY= storms early, hot, humid, strong PM storms, high 88.
SUN NITE/MONDAY= showers & storms likely, low 61, high 82.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins open series at Texas Rangers tonight after Thursday off, pregame tonight at 6:30pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and Sunday begins with Inside Twins at 12:30, pregame at 1pm on Q92 WYRQ.
TEN= citing an abdominal injury Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon and will not compete today in the men's semi-finals.