NEWS --A tragic ending to an Amber alert issued on Saturday. Authorities say 5-year-old Alayna Ertl was taken from her Watkins home sometime early Saturday morning. Around 5:00pm, Cass County reported finding a 5-year-old's body in a home in the woods of rural Motley. The body was identified as Ertl's and has been taken to the medical examiners office where they confirmed Sunday night that she died from homicidal violence. A suspect is in custody in the case identified by Crow Wing County Sunday night as 25-year-old Zachary Todd Anderson of Coon Rapids who was taken into custody and remains jailed facing kidnapping and murder charges. Authorities said that Anderson was a co-worker of Ertl's father and stayed over at the home where Ertl was taken including the night of the abduction.
--An incident that can be classified as a hate crime occurred earlier this month and local police are requesting the publics help in identifying the suspects. On August 11th a police report was filed by Anab Ali at the Little Falls police department of a harassment/threats complaint. In the report Ali said around 10:00pm on August 7th she heard a knock on her door. Ali said she opened the door and two white males, one approximately 30 years old and the other approximately 65 years old threatened her. Ali said she stepped outside and the older male told her she was a terrorist and muslims aren't allowed in Little Falls. Ali said the man was yelling loud and she told them she was not going to leave town. Ali said the older man told her if she doesn't leave he would burn her home. Ali said the younger man questioned her on why she was living in Little Falls. The man told Ali to move to St Cloud and to leave Little Falls. Ali said the younger man questioned her why Robin Hensel has been going to her house. Ali said the younger male told her Hensel is helping terrorists' come into town. Ali said the males left the residence and she hasn't seen them since. Ali also said she has never seen the two males before. Ali described the younger male as approximately 30 years old with shoulder length blond hair. The subject was wearing sunglasses, had a goatee, was wearing black jean shorts and a white t shirt. The subject was tall and medium built. Ali described the older man as approximately 65 years old with white hair wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. The subject had a tatoo on the right side of his neck and tatoos down both arms. The subject was about 5'7" and was stronger built. Little Falls Police are asking you to call them if you have information regarding the identity of the two men.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office investigated in the past week on Tuesday morning a number of broken bottles and other debris around St. Michael's Church in Buckman, theft of over $2,000 from the office of Schultz Auctioneers in Upsala, arrested two men in Randall on drug posession, arrested a 22-year-old woman in Swanville on disorderly conduct. They also arrested three individuals on DWI charges and investigated gunshots fired last Sunday in Hillman where a man reported one of his cows was killed by the gunfire and another was shot in the eye.
–The State Patrol was kept busy all weekend with accidents across the state and a half dozen alone in central Minnesota. Accidents occurred in Todd, Cass, Stearns, Crow Wing and Mille Lacs County all on Saturday. Two of the accidents involved serious injuries.
--The Morrison County Commissioners meet Tuesday at 9am at the government center boardroom.
--The Minnesota Department of Education is now accepting applications for the Broadband Expansion Off-Campus Learning Grant Program. The Minnesota Legislature created the program in 2016. A total of $500,000 in new grant funds was authorized for the program in a continuing effort to improve broadband access with a focus on reaching students in unserved/underserved areas and low income families. Individual applicants are eligible for up to $50,000 in funding this year. “We designed this initiative to help students and low income families across the state,” said Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls. “Lots of areas in rural Minnesota don’t have reliable broadband access. Our goal is to give students in Greater Minnesota the same chance to learn and succeed as their peers in the Twin Cities.” Grant applications must be received by 3:30pm on September 9th. For more information contact Representative Kresha at 651-296-4247.
--The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has put extra DWI enforcement into place starting on Friday and going through Labor Day. More than 300 agencies will be taking drunk drivers off the road as part of the extra DWI enforcement campaign.
--The Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division and Crow Wing County Deputies arrested four people in southeast Brainerd on Wednesday. A search of a residence led to the arrests of four people, ages 36, 20, 19 and 18 on numerous drug releated charges and two of the four also on weapons charges. The four were taken to the Crow Wing County jail and awaiting formal charges from attorney's office.
--The Morrison County Area Foundation will be hosting their 3rd Annual craft beer and wine tasting festival on September 17th at the Camp Ripley Hangar. This is a community fundraiser. If you wish to take pare call Steve at 630-5303.
NATIONAL NEWS --Retired Army General John W. Vessey, who rose through the ranks in a 46-year military career to become chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under President Ronald Reagan, has died. He was 94. Vessey's daughter said her father died Thursday evening of natural causes. Vessey enlisted as a private in the Minnesota National Guard in 1939, fought in World War II and Vietnam, and was the nation's top military officer when he retired to his home state of Minnesota in 1985.
DEATH NOTICES --Hellen Marie Dehn, age 85 of Albany.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny skies, high around 85. TONIGHT= partly cloudy, muggy, low 66. TUESDAY= sunny and hot, high 90, strong storms develop late. WEDNESDAY= sunny and cooler, isolated storms, high 77.
SPORTS TWINS= Twins swept by Royals this past weekend, losing 5-4 in 11 innings Friday, 10-0 Saturday, 2-1 Sunday. Twins are off today. CLASS C= Lastrup and Sobieski both get shutout wins on Saturday, Ft. Ripley wins 15-2 on Sunday. All advance in the Class C State Tournament- Nisswa, Sobieski play Saturday, Ft. & Lastrup on Sunday OLYMPICS= U.S. Women Basketball wins gold 101-72 over Spain. U.S. mens basketball wins 96-66 over Serbia for gold on Sunday. U.S. finished wth 121 medals. The Olympics wrapped up last night in Rio.