NEWS
--One person died early Thursday when a mobile home caught fire in Brainerd. According to Brainerd Fire Department, the fire was reported just after 5:00am in the Westwood trailer court in the 500 block of NW 7th Street. Smoke and heat made it difficult for firefighters to immediately go in and get the man. Once they got him out of the home, paramedics attempted lifesaving efforts but the man died at the scene. The victim's identity has not been released and the State Fire Marshal is investigating to determine the cause of the fire.
--A 20-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital after being pulled from a lake in Avon and later died. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office responded to Middle Spunk Lake around 3:45pm Saturday on a report of a possible drowning. The caller said the man went missing in the swim area and they were unable to find him in the water. The Stearns County Water Patrol were called in and a diver entered the water. A short time later, the driver returned to the surface with the missing man. He was brought to shore and life-saving efforts were started. The man was airlifted St. Cloud Hospital where he remained in critical condition. Stearns County reported Sunday that Steven Arnaz Boose, 20, of Chicago, Illinois died at 12:45am Sunday.
--The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the victim of a possible drowning. Authorites got the call late Friday night of a possible drowning on the north end of Lake Carlos near the Carlos State Park. They say they got information about an adult male who fell off a pontoon and into the water. Witnesses say they could see splashing briefly before losing sight. The Douglas County Dive Team was assisted on the water by the Ottertail County Dive Team and the Pope County Search and Rescue. The victim has not yet been located but recovery efforts are still underway as of Sunday afternoon.
--Stearns County reported two medical incidents on Friday the first at 12:45pm where a female fell from the rocks in the swimming quarry and suffered a head and leg injury at the Quarry in Waite Park. She was identified as 20-year-old Alexis Marie Hennen of Prior Lake. She suffered a laceration to the back of her head, a cut to the left heel and a suspected sprained ankle. The second occurred at 3:10pm when Michaella Huffman, 23, of Circle Pines, jumped off the cliff at the swimming quarry and another person jumped after her landing on her head while in the water. She became unconscious in the water. Two friends pulled her from the water onto the rocks nearby. Ms. Huffman regained consciousness just before being pulled from the water. She complained of neck and back pain. She was taken to the hospital for treatment of non life threatening injuries.
--Governor Tim Walz has requested federal money to help Minnesota rebuild and repair fire damage from the unrest that followed George Floyd's death. Walz asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster because of extensive damage to public infrastructure following the death of Floyd on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against the handcuffed Black man's neck for nearly eight minutes. A preliminary assessment found more than $15 million of eligible damages directly related to the fires. Among the structures destroyed was a Minneapolis police station. Estimates of the total damage exceed $500 million.
--The Little Falls City Council meets tonight at 7:30pm at City Hall Council Chambers. Some of the members will be via Zoom or phone for the meeting as city hall remains closed the public at this time. There will be work session prior to the meeting around 6:45pm.
--Morrison County still was at 59 cases of COVID-19 with 1 confirmed death Sunday. With no report Saturday for Independence Day, the two day total Sunday was 519 new cases and another 5 deaths.
--A Cushing man is suspected of trafficking a woman in Stearns County for years, according to a criminal complaint. Justin Kyle Schultz-Kierstead, 33, was charged Tuesday with one felony count of soliciting an individual to practice prostitution, one felony count of promoting prostitution, one felony count of receiving profits from prostitution and one felony count of engaging in sex trafficking. Schultz-Kierstead made his first appearance in court Wednesday. According to the complaint against him, the Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force began investigating Schultz-Kierstead in January 2019. A woman reported she had been sex trafficked by Schultz-Kierstead at various times dating back to 2003, when she was 15 years old, until March 2018. The woman told investigators she believed it was her junior year of high school when Schultz-Kierstead first asked her if she wanted to make "easy money." Shortly after, she began engaging in sexual acts for money in the Paynesville area. Schultz-Kierstead received the profits. The woman reported Schultz-Kierstead to Paynesville Police in 2011, and the report says it is pending further investigation. When the woman turned 18, she said, Schultz-Kierstead started posting prostitution ads of her on Craigslist. The woman said sometimes she posted herself because if she did not, Schultz-Kierstead would abuse her. Schultz-Kierstead would also force the woman to have sex with him, according to the complaint, and assaulted the woman throughout the years until 2018.
--A St. Cloud man was hurt in a two vehicle crash in Wright County. The incident happened around 12:45pm Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 12 and Broadway Avenue North in Cokato. The Minnesota State Patrol says 46-year-old Kevin Brisk of St. Cloud was turning left on Highway 12 to handle a different crash and was struck by another vehicle. Brisk was taken to Buffalo Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the second vehicle, 57-year-old Laura Hansen of Buhl, suffered minor injuries.
--The National Night Out events this summer will be moving ot the fall due to recent restrictions of COVID-19. Events are usually around the first Tuesday in August and in central Minnesota some on the first or second Tuesday of the month. This year the events are being moved to the first Tuesday in October (October 6th) for area law enforcement and fire departments to hang out with their community.
WEATHER
TODAY= scattered storms possible, heavy rains late day, high 85.
TONIGHT= storms early, clearing late, low 62.
TUESDAY= sunny skies, high 84, storms at night, humid, low 67.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and hot, high 91, storms again late in day.
SPORTS
MLB= Major League Baseball officially cancelled the All Star Game this year that was scheduled for July 14th in Los Angeles. The Dodgers will get the All Star Game in 2022, as next year's location was already selected to be in Atlanta in 2021. Of the players that tested postiive for COVD-19 they include Twins players Miguel Sano and Willians Astudillo. The Twins also announced that Jose Berrios will still be the opening day starter for the season open July 24th.
EAT= Joey Chestnut breaks the world hot dog eating record by scarfing down 75 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes on Saturday.