NEWS
--Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl reports that 45-year old Don Anderson of Backus was arrested shortly after 10:00am Tuesday for burglary and possession of burglary tools. Sheriff Todd Dahl says the arrest was due to “good old fashioned police work.” A Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Deputy was on patrol on the area of County Road 1 and County Road 15 when he noticed a vehicle parked in front of a pole building with a locked gate. The vehicle was occupied by an adult female seated in the passenger seat. Upon investigating, Anderson was located inside the pole shed and arrested without incident. Sheriff Dahl said “this arrest was a perfect example of what our deputies can and do run into while out on patrol. We continue to encourage the public to report any and all suspicious activity and keep watch over our neighbors. Our deputy was in the right place at the right time and knew something just didn’t seem right.”
--A fire broke out Wednesday afternoon to an automotive parts and recycling plant in Brainerd. Around 1:30pm, firefighters were called to Shipman Auto Parts in Brainerd to find a vehicle engulfed in flames. It took about two hours to extinguish the flames that also damaged the repair shop. The garage area was boarded up by late in the day but the owner said that the employees were on lunch break and no injuries were reported. Leaking gas is to blame for the fire. The longtime business in Brainerd is open today for auto parts and recycling. Just the repair area may take a bit to get going again.
--A new report from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture shows a statewide program designed to help reduce the lack of access many Minnesotans have to healthy and affordable foods has proven to be far more popular with food retailers than supporters of the program imagined. One of the funded proposals, Pierz Foods in Pierz, will purchase coolers and shelves to increase store capacity, with a focus on Minnesota-grown products. The program, the Minnesota Good Food Access Program, was created by the Minnesota Legislature two years ago and is designed to provide loans, grants and technical assistance to help existing or new enterprises provide healthy and affordable foods in locations lacking access to such foods.
--Pierz Healy High will be hosting an open house March 14th from 3:30-7:30pm as they showcase what their students can do. Watch Virtual Reality, Robotics, and 3D printing demonstrations; visit the AgCentric Technology Trailer; view the Picasso paintings re-created by Spanish students; try your hand at their Math Curriculum; solve a mystery with BreakoutEDU; get your heart pumping and check out their heart-rate monitors in Phy Ed; see their Knowledge and Speech teams in a special showcase session and more. The open house is free for all to attend.
--The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office said a snowmobiler died on the Emily Trail Wednesday afternoon. The crash was by Ruth Lake on the north end of the trail. A 52-year old from Crosslake was pronounced dead when deputies arrived. His name was not released.
--Former Congressional candidate Stewart Mills III announced Tuesday that he will not seek the 8th Congressional District seat this November currently held by Congressman Rick Nolan.
--Weekend events include a lot of fish frys tonight, Share Sunday this Sunday at Mary of Lourdes Middle School- talent show for Boys and Girls Club and Food Shelves at 1:30pm, breakfast at the Little Falls Senior Center Sunday, Winter Wonderland Skating shows Saturday and Sunday at Exchange Arena, book sale today and Saturday at the Little Falls Carnegie Library and a bingo Sunday in Buckman. Get the details on events at fallsradio.com then community calendar.
--The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating a stolen trailer. On February 23rd the Benton County Sheriff’s Office was called to Tony’s Lifetime Exteriors, 1200 39th Ave NE, Sauk Rapids to investigate the theft of a trailer. Investigating deputies learned that around February 6th or 7th, a black 1992 Fell brand 14 foot trailer had been stolen from this location which had Tony's Lifetime Exteriors logo on it. The public is asked to be alert for a trailer matching this description and to call with any information. Anyone with information about this crime, the trailer, or the suspect(s) is asked to contact the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 968-7201.
--A Richmond woman is accused of stabbing her boyfriend in the back with a steak knife. 41-year old Jennifer Marie Heimbuch was booked into Stearns County Jail Tuesday and is charged with second degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Heimbuch's charge carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine.
--Upsala Elementary School will be holding its annual Kindergarten Roundup today beginning at 8:15am for all children interested in attending kindergarten in Upsala in the fall of 2018.
--Second court appearances were held Tuesday from a drug bust February 16th at a home 300 feet off the Cuyuna Range Elementary School in Crosby. 32-year old Anthony Wayne LaPointe of Pine River and 30-year old Bobbi Jean Peterson of Crosby were each charged in Crow Wing County District Court for second degree sale of narcotics and third degree drug possession of having 10 grams or more of a narcotic. LaPointe was also charged with third-degree sale of a narcotic. 53-year old Thomas Lyle Styx of Winona and 38-year old Joseph Curtis Zontelli of Crosby were arrested and charged with third-degree possession of a narcotic in a school zone. Authorities seized: a sunglasses case containing drug paraphernalia, which included numerous unused baggies; a pre-packaged clear plastic baggie with 1.8 grams of methamphetamine; a pre-packaged clear plastic baggie with a crystal substance weighing 3.3 grams; a pre-packaged clear plastic baggie with 8.4 grams of meth; two butane torches; two hypodermic needles; a marijuana pipe; a small amount of marijuana; spoon with burned residue and cotton balls, which field tested positive for meth; and an envelope containing numerous hypodermic needles.
DEATH NOTICES
--Darwin Garbow, age 52 of Onamia.
WEATHER
TODAY= mostly cloudy, high 38, clearing late, low 26.
SATURDAY= fog early, partial sun, late day rain showers, high 42.
SAT NITE= rain showers end, cloudy, low 34.
SUNDAY= freezing drizzle early, then cloudy with rain, high 45.
SUN NITE= rain likely, changing to snow overnight, low 30.
MONDAY= snow, to rain, then windy and all snow, high 43-falling.
SPORTS
WRE= state individual wrestling coverage begins this morning at 9 for Pierz, 11am for Little Falls and 1pm for Royalton/Upsala wrestlers, listen to live matches throughout today and Saturday on Q92 WYRQ and streamed online through fallsradio.com.
GBB= Swanville vs. BBE in playoffs, Saturday 6pm on FM94 KFML.
COL HK= Gophers vs. Penn State in Big 10 Tourney, Sat 5:30 KLTF.
MLB= Twins spring training continues Sunday noon on Q92 WYRQ.