NEWS --A 71-year old Little Falls woman faces criminal charges from a wrong way crash north of Little Falls back on May 15th that killed Dolores Mickow of Wabasha. According to the court summons, Lana Nornberg is to appear in Morrison County District Court Monday at 8:30am on two charges of felony criminal vehicular homicide of operating a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner. On May 15th it was reported by the State Patrol that Nornberg was traveling the wrong way on Highway 10 when she sideswiped a semitrailer before hitting an SUV in which Mickow was a passenger in. The driver of the SUV- 52-year old Patricia Gerchy of Bemidji suffered non life threatening injuries. The semi driver and passenger were not injured. A preliminary breath test performed on Nornberg showed she was under the influence of alcohol. According to the state patrol report, Nornberg had been traveling the wrong way on Highway 10 for over a mile and a half before the crash. Weather conditions did not contribute to the crash.
--The BCA has released the names of the Sheriff’s Deputy and suspect involved in the shooting Monday night in west St. Cloud. The Deputy, Sgt. Nathan Stewart is a 14-year veteran of the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect in the shooting has been identified as 37-year old Lazaro Diaz of Willmar. Stewart and other officers were investigating a possible assault Monday night. As part of the investigation, they tried to make contact with the occupants of a home on the 7000 block of Northwood Lane. Shortly after knocking on the door, Diaz, who is a suspect in the domestic assault the officers were investigating, allegedly broke a back window and ran out of the home carrying a handgun. According to the BCA, Diaz then allegedly fired several shots and ran around the corner of the home where he immediately ran into Sgt. Stewart, who fired two shots, wounding Diaz. Two St. Cloud officers used tasers, and a K9 was used to assist in the arrest. Neither the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office nor the St. Cloud Police Department use body cameras. Squad cameras did not capture video of the incident. Diaz was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Sgt. Stewart and four St. Cloud officers are on standard administrative leave.
--Minnesota residents can use their driver’s licenses to board domestic flights for at least the next year. That’s been an open question for years as the state has struggled to satisfy the federal Real ID Act. The 2005 law requires upgraded security standards for licenses and is scheduled to take effect for domestic flights in January. Governor Mark Dayton announced Wednesday that the state received an extension to allow old IDs at airports through October 10th, 2018. Dayton says it allows residents to continue boarding planes and accessing federal facilities without providing alternate ID like a passport. Minnesota lawmakers fought against complying with Real ID for years but finally passed a law approving the new IDs this year. The state expects to begin issuing new licenses next fall.
--The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office responded to a car fire Monday at 5:45pm on County Road 30 near Crosby. The vehicle fire was extinguished. There were no injuries.
--The Crosslake Fire Department responded Tuesday to an electrical fire on Pine Bay Circle in Crosslake. Interior crews found the fire was in a control board of a south end furnace. There was no smoke or fire damage from the furance, which was removed from the structure.
--A St. Cloud man was sentenced Thursday to more than 14 years in prison for repeatedly stomping on another man's head. 31-year old Solomon Edward Roundtree plead guilty to first-degree assault on August 17th in connection with the beating that took place in 2015. A charge of second-degree attempted murder was dismissed Thursday. In July 2015 Roundtree was committed as mentally ill after being found incompetent to stand trial. He was subsequently found competent. According to court records, Roundtree was arguing with a roommate in April 2015 at a home in the 300 block of 37th Avenue North. Witnesses saw him stomp on the man's head forcefully seven or eight times. Witnesses warned Roundtree he could kill the victim if he didn’t stop the attack. The victim was unconscious when he was hospitalized, and he suffered bleeding on the brain. Roundtree was sentenced to 175 months in prison.
--An Elk River woman was hurt Thursday after 11:00am in a two vehicle accident in Onamia. 49-year old Pamela Stigen was southbound on Highway 169 and was struck broadside at Highway 27 by 59-year old Brian Houston of Onamia. Houston was not injured. Stigen was treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
--“Living Healthy with Diabetes” a free education program sponsored by the Diabetes Center at CHI St. Gabriel's Health will be held from 6:30 to 8:30pm Tuesday at First Lutheran Church in Little Falls. Anyone with diabetes (as well as their family members and friends), people seeking to improve their general knowledge of diabetes, or anyone seeking tips on meeting the challenges associated with having diabetes are welcome and encouraged to attend. There is no cost for the program and those who are interested should call the Diabetes Education Center. Please call 320-631-5571.
--American Folk Singer Sara Thomsen will perform Monday at 7pm at the Sacred Heart Chapel inside the St. Francis Convent in Little Falls. Thomsen is from the Duluth area and was named one of Minnesota's Best Kept Secrets by musical publications for 2017. For more information on the concert contact the convent at 632-0643.
--Weekend events include a Fabulous Armadillos Concert for Habitat for Humanity tonight at the Falls Ballroom; Charles Kapsner Salon will be presented tonight 7pm at Great River Arts in Little Falls; bingo Sunday at St. Rita's in Hillman; World War I talk at the Lindbergh Site on Sunday and much more at fallsradio.com/community calendar.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny and breezy, high 77. TONIGHT= increasing clouds, showers after midnight, low 60. SATURDAY= showers & t-storms early and late day, high 65, low 40. SUNDAY= sunny and cooler, high 59, clear night, low 44. MONDAY= partly sunny, afternoon showers, high 58, low 37.
SPORTS HS FB= Little Falls will open playoffs Tuesday night at St. Cloud Apollo at 7:00pm on Q92 WYRQ. Pierz and Royalton both received first round byes and will not play until Saturday, October 28th. COL FB= Illinois at Gophers Saturday 1:30pm on AM960 KLTF NFL= Vikings take on Baltimore Sunday at noon. MLB= Ron Gardenhire is expected to be named the next manager of the Detroit Tigers. Gardenhire was the manager of the Twins from 2002-2014 and worked the past season as a coach for Arizona. MLB= Dodgers go back to World Series eliminating Cubs in NLCS.