NEWS
--Thousands packed the Herb Brooks Hockey Center in St. Cloud Saturday to see former President Donald J. Trump and his Vice President running mate Senator JD Vance speak in a Republican rally. The two spoke on many topics and how Minnesota will be a rally state this year for the Republican Party. The lines were large and many watched on big screens at around the arena and outside where many started coming early last week to seek the two on Saturday night. Former President Trump stated that this was just one of the times they will be in Minnesota before the November Election in making Minnesota a red state again which has not happened since 1972. While a Republican Rally was done Saturday in St. Cloud the DFL Party with Governor Tim Walz, Senator Amy Klobuchar and others rallied in the Twin Cities and even had many going door to door to rally for their party and for Vice-President Kamala Harris for President. Governor Walz is still be named as a possible Vice President running mate for Harris. Walz said Saturday he doesn't think it is likely but if happens he is “All in, and ready to battle Donald Trump”. Harris is expected to name her running in the next 2 weeks.
--A workplace accident in Waite Park on Tuesday has killed a Sartell man. Officers responded to a medical call in the 400 block of 7th Avenue North at around 10:55am. Police say a large crane was being assembled when it fell from an elevated workstation. The crane struck 38-year-old Dylan Barthel and pinned him underneath. Barthel was pronounced dead at the scene. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office determined the preliminary cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries. Authorities have not released the name of the company Barthel was working for. The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration was called in to investigate. The medical examiner's office assisted Waite Park Police in the investigation.
--A man was severely burned in a brush fire. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office says on Thursday at about 1pm they got a call about a man who had suffered significant burns. Meeker County Deputies, Dassel Fire & Rescue, Mayo Ambulance, and Lifelink III responded to the scene at a home in the 27500 block of 742nd Avenue in Dassel Township. Deputies learned 53-year-old Jeremy Hirsch of Winsted was helping family with yard clean up. Hirsch was attempting to burn a brush pile using an accelerant. The fire started and came back on the victim causing severe burns over a significant portion of his body.
Hirsch was flown by LifeLink III from the scene to Hennepin County Medical Center where he is being treated for his burns. The full extent of his injuries was not determined at the scene.
--A Slayton, Minnesota man had to be airlifted to the hospital after being hurt on a job site in Meeker County. Sheriff's deputies were called to the 67000 block of County Road 18 Thursday at 6:45pm. It's a rural location between Dassel and Hutchinson. Deputies arrived to find 37-year-old Peter Mollema had been doing fiber-optic work when he fell into a pit and fell on a rod that impaled his leg. Life Link ambulance airlifted Mollema to St. Cloud Hospital.
--A Brainerd woman was injured Friday just afternoon on Highway 25 in Palmer Township of Sherburne County. 47-year-old Lori Caddy was taken St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of non life threatening injuries. The other driver, also from Brainerd, was not injured.
--Rock Roll and Stroll Car Show this Thursday, August 1st in Pierz.
--Two vehicles collided on Highway 10 at 190th Street in Darling Township of Morrison County Friday at 1pm. 83-year-old Garold Berulson of Little Falls and 52-year-old Andre Beasley of Bemidji were both injured. Berulson taken to Little Falls Hospital while Beasley was taken to North Memorial in Twin Cities for treatment of injuries.
--A 68-year-old Walker man was injured Thursday after his vehicle was struck on Highway 371 in Cass County. The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the crash at 9:23pm in Shingobee Township, north of Hackensack. According to the report, a 2021 Ford Econoline Cargo Van was northbound on the highway when it attempted to turn west on Kabekona Road, striking a southbound 2016 Ford Escape.
The driver of the Escape, Daniel Emerson Fisher, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Sanford Medical Center Fargo in Fargo, North Dakota. Van driver Kaleb Orlando Estrada, 18, and passenger, Gregory Benjamin Rosenberg, 44, both of Brainerd, suffered no reported injuries.
--CenterPoint Energy of Minnesota’s recently awarded a Community Safety Grant of $2,500 to the Pierz Fire Department to fund the purchase of new Rescue Air Bags, in four different sizes, for first responders to use in emergency situations where a victim is trapped underneath an object. John Larson, Field Operations Supervisor at CenterPoint, presented the Community Safety Grant check to Pierz firefighters Skip Toops and Eric Gaffke recently. In Minnesota this year, CenterPoint awarded more than 50 Community Safety Grants, totaling over $120,000, to support safety-related equipment and projects. CenterPoint Energy serves more than 920,000 residential and business customers in over 260 local Minnesota communities.
WEATHER
TODAY= AM thunderstorms, then sunny, high 84
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 62.
TUESDAY= sunny, warm and humid, high 89, low near 68.
WEDNESDAY= AM sun, PM storms develop, high 90, low 66,
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins hit 4 homeruns Friday in a 9-3 win over Tigers. Tigers got long ball on Twins to win 7-2 Saturday. Bailey Ober shuts down the Tigers Sunday 5-0. Twins open a series tonight at New York against the NL Mets, pregame at 5:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
LEGION= Pierz beat Sartell 3-0 Friday night to win the Sub-District Tournament and advance to the state tournament this week in American Legion Baseball beginning Thursday in Osseo.
VFW= last week Little Falls won their sub-district tournament and advanced to the VFW State Tournament, coach Chad Kaddatz Saturday on KLTF said they open Thursday at 2pm against Rock Ridge, the games will be at the MAC in St. Cloud.
VL= Avon beat St. Wendel 6-3 Friday for the South/West Title, Nisswa beat Buckman Saturday 4-3 for the North/East Title. Other region qualifiers Saturday were Foley, Pierz Brewers, Randall and Opole all advance to the Region 8C Tournament which begins with first game Friday at 6pm in Pierz, all region games live on KLTF.
OLY= good start for Team USA in the Summer Olympics in Paris after Sunday's action the United States as 12 overall medals leading all countries, 3 Gold 6 Silver and 3 Bronze for team USA.