NEWS
--The two men involved in a shots fired incident in Swanville have been charged in district court. 49-year-old Anthony Edward Pistachio of Iona, and 36-year-old Shawn Nicholas Stefansen of Renville, have each been charged with felony dangerous weapon charges. Pistachio was also charged with second degree assault with a dangerous weapon, while Stefansen was charged with aiding an offender. According to the report, the victim said a man knocked on their door to talk about a car, but when they said no such car was at the residence, the man allegedly went back to his car, grabbed a firearm and shot a round into the home’s window, before taking off in the car. Authorities arrested one suspect in Flensburg and another in Todd County which turned out also to be a drug bust for other charges against two others in the residence in Todd County. If convicted of both felonies Pistachio could face up to 17 years in prison and Stefansen could face up to 13 years in prison.
--Two people were hospitalized from an accident Thursday around 6pm on Highway 71 near Long Prairie. 86-year-old Alvin Bous and 79-year-old Louise Anderson-Bous were both taken to the hospital with injuries after their vehicle collided with another at an intersection. The other vehicle, had 5 people, including three children, all were checked at the scene by emergency personnel but not hospitalized.
--Fire crews were dispatched to the scene in Alexandria around 5am Friday to find a mobile home billowing with smoke and flames. First responders were told that there may be two people trapped inside. Alexandria firefighters were able to knock the flames down enough that first responders were able to enter the structure, and two victims were located in a back bedroom. Lifesaving efforts were started, but neither person survived. No names have been released.
--Stearns County responded to a car fire just after 6:15am Friday north of 17th Street North on 30th Avenue North, in Le Sauk Township. 48-year-old Joseph Sowada of Albany was driving when the vehicle backfired multiple times, then began smoking. Upon stopping to check the engine Sowada noticed a small engine fire which quickly grew in size. Sowada was the only occupant of the vehicle and was uninjured. The fire caused the avenue to be shut down for approximately an hour and a half.
--The frigid temperatures over the last few weeks are starting to cause some water lines to freeze due to a small snow pack and temperatures in the teens and 20's below zero. Some tips from the experts- even newer homes, through any cracks, small leaks in the siding or if the house settles and the foundation crack can penetrate the house and freeze water lines. Most of the problems are in crawl spaces, additions, and north-facing walls. It's important to make sure any cracks are sealed and heat can get to those tucked away spaces. Some experts believe that leaving a trickle in your water faucets is not necessary as the frost is not yet deep enough in the ground. A few tips to know are all sprinklers and outdoor watering systems should be shut off for the winter. You should know where to shut off the water in your home and if possible protect your pipes by wrapping them in insulation. Experts feel the way the winter has started this is going to be a prolonged problem.
--A former Mayor of Foley has died. Dave Mosford died Thursday at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul. Mosford was mayor of Foley from 2015 to 2017. He also served on the city council. Mosford's funeral is today at St. Mary's Cathedral in St. Cloud. He was 73.
--CHI St. Gabriel's Health reported they have delivered first baby of 2018 late last week. More details to be released later.
--A St. Stephen man has been arrested after being accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16. According to the complaint, on December 29th, Stearns County Dispatch received a call from a 14-year-old girl, who reported that she had been sexually assaulted on numerous occasions. During their investigation, the child stated to Stearns County Sheriff's Office deputies that she had been sexually assaulted by her mother's ex-boyfriend, 67-year-old Dale David Smith of St. Stephen, multiple times at her residence in Brockway. On Friday, while being questioned, Smith admitted to performing various sex acts on the child. Smith is being held in Stearns County Jail on one charge of felony criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. Bail is set at $200,000.
--A 22-year old Sartell man is facing third degree felony assault charges for an incident involving a 5-month-old. The complaint states Brandon Taylor Roske assaulted a child, causing bodily harm to the child's head, eyes, or neck. Roske was arrested on January 3rd and appeared in court on January 4th. He was released with conditions that include not entering the victim's residence or contacting the victim. Unconditional bail was set at $10,000. The maximum sentence for third degree felony assault of a victim under 4 is five years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, or both. Roske's next court date is on February 12th.
--Three teens were transported to the hospital following a two vehicle crash around 7:00pm Wednesday on Highland Scenic Road and Highway 371 in Baxter. 17-year-old Jadin G. Schiller of Brainerd, was traveling east on Highland Scenic Road, making a left turn onto Highway 371, when Schiller collided with a car driven by 18-year-old Megan Rose Wilhelm of Baxter. Schiller was not injured. Wilhelm and her passengers, Lori and Luke Wilhelm, both age 13 of Baxter, had suspected minor injuries and went to a hospital by private vehicle.
--A woman suffered injuries that prompted ambulance transport to Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center after a crash late Thursday afternoon. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office responded to crash about 5:45pm where one vehicle rear ended another at an intersection. One person had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. No names were released.
--The Pierz City Council meets tonight at 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
DEATH NOTICES
--Henry Niemeyer, age 85 of Long Prairie.
WEATHER
TODAY= mostly sunny, mild, high 32.
TONIGHT= increasing clouds, low 12.
TUESDAY= mostly cloudy, high 33, temps steady at night.
WEDNESDAY= rain/sleet early, then all snow late, temps dropping.
SPORTS
NFL= Tennessee came back to beat KC 22-21, Atlanta held off Rams 26-13 Saturday. Jacksonville squeaked past Buffalo 10-3. New Orleans held off Carolina 31-26. Falcons are at Philadelphia and Tennessee at New England on Saturday. Pittsburgh hosts Jacksonville and the Vikings will host the Saints Sunday on AM960 KLTF.