NEWS
--The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the identity of the man killed in a fire in Rice on December 14th and ruled on his cause and manner of death At about 9am on December 14th, 2018 a fire was reported in a camper parked at the Janski Garage, 50 Division St N, in Rice. The Rice Police Department and Rice Fire Department responded to the scene. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found that there were three campers parked next to each other and that all three of them were engulfed in flames. Individuals familiar with these campers expressed concern that there was a person known to stay in the campers and that this person may have been inside one of the campers when the fire started. Upon arriving on scene, Rice Fire Fighters worked to extinguish the fire. After extinguishing the fire, Rice Fire Fighters searched through the burned out campers, finding one adult victim. The body of the victim was transported to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for positive identification. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that the decease man was Andrew Henry Muehlbauer, age 58 of Rice. According to the medical examiner, Muehlbauer’s death was an accident resulting from his inhalation of combustion products.
--One person was injured on Highway 10 at Iris Road in Little Falls Township Thursday morning just before noon. 40-year-old Joel Trisko of Rice pulled out of a driveway onto Highway 10 and was struck by a car driven by 37-year-old Melissa Braun of Clayton, Alabama. Braun was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Her three passengers 58-year-old Mary Kelley, 14-year-old Max Braun and 11-year-old Jaden Braun, all from Alabama were not injured.
--The Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce is sending out a SCAM alert. They were recently made aware that a letter mailed by Web Host Agents is misleading Brainerd Lakes Chamber members that they owe money for ExploreBrainerdLakes.com. THIS IS A SCAM! While we do sell advertising on ExploreBrainerdLakes.com, we DO NOT invoice our members for web hosting. A sample of the letter can be seen at the website above. If you have any questions, please contact the Brainerd Lakes Chamber.
--A Sartell police officer was arrested early Friday morning on probable cause in a domestic assault. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the incident happened just after 2:00 a.m. at a home in the 32000 Block of River Vista Lane in Le Sauk Township. Two Stearns County Deputies and a Sergeant responded to a report of a possible domestic assault. At the scene, the caller said they had been hit by a man inside the home who police identified as 34-year-old Nathan Johnson of St. Cloud. Johnson was placed under arrest and faces possible 5th Degree Assault-Domestic-Misdemeanor charges. He is in the Stearns County Jail until his first court hearing today.
--The 2018 top baby names in Minnesota were named and they are for boys Liam, Grayson, Beckett, Wyatt and Lucas. For girls they were Amelia, Ellie, Emma, Rosalie and Athena. Nationally, Sophia knocked Emma off the top spot for girls name and Jackson remained the top boys name for 2018 in the United States.
--The Twins Winter Caravan is coming to Horizon Health Services in Pierz on Wednesday, January 23rd from 8:30-10am. Meet new Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, Twins players Eddie Rosario and Jose Berrios and announcer Kris Atteberry along with TC the Bear. The is free of charge to come and see the Twins on the 23rd with WYRQ.
--More information was released on the fire that destroyed the golf course lodge in Menagha on January 2nd. Eleven fire departments used about 300,000 gallons of water in an attempt to douse a fire that completely destroyed the Blueberry Pines Golf Course lodge. The Wadena County Sheriff's Office received numerous calls regarding a fire at the Blueberry Pines Golf Course just before 4pm Wednesday. Upon the arrival of the first law enforcement, flames were already visible from the building. Through investigation, it was learned that an employee had filled an enclosed fireplace in the basement with wood. Propane was the main heating source and the wood stove was a supplemental heat source. No foul play is suspected. The sheriff's office said no one was present at the time of the fire and no one was injured. The building is a complete loss.
--The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office will hold an event to witness the public swearing in of our new Sheriff Scott Goddard. This will be the first me the new Sheriff will publicly address his staff and members of the public in his role as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for our county. The Sheriff will announce promotions that have been made. Staff and volunteers will also be asked to renew their oath of office under their new leadership. The event is open to the public Wednesday from 6-8pm at Pequot Lakes High School Auditorium with refreshments to follow.
--The city of Becker is getting $1-million to help improve some rail lines in town as part of a long-standing MnDOT program. The Minnesota Rail Service Improvement program started in 1976. It's designed to help strengthen the state's economy by helping companies that ship by rail improve their operations. The money Becker is getting is going to Northern Metal Recycling to add a 7,000-foot rail spur to a new processing facility. A total of $1.55-million was awarded through the program this year. Epitome Energy in Crookston got $450,000, and Minnesota Commercial Railway in New Brighton received $101,139.
--Little Falls City Council meets tonight at 7:30pm at LF City Hall.
DEATH NOTICES
--Rita Szczodroski, age 87 of Brainerd.
--Helen K. Welter, age 87 of Little Falls.
--Virginia R. (Stumpf) Isaacson, age 86 of Little Falls.
--Urban Stangl, age 91 of Pierz.
WEATHER
TODAY= icy start, then sunny in afternoon, high 37.
TONIGHT= snow after midnight, low 24 turning windy.
TUESDAY= blustery, dropping temps, flurries likely through day.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and very cold, high 8 above, low 4 below.
SPORTS
NFL= Colts beat Houston 21-7 Saturday, Dallas holds off Seattle Saturday night 24-22. Chargers held off Baltimore 23-17 Sunday while the Bears missed a last second field-goal and the Eagles advanced 16-15 over Chicago on Sunday. The Divisional Round begins Saturday- Colts at KC, Rams host Dallas, Sunday it is Chargers at New England followed by Eagles at Saints all on KLTF.
NBA= reports surfaced after a win Sunday over the Lakers that The Timberwolves have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. Ryan Saunders an Assistant Coach will take over the head coaching duties.