NEWS
--Authorities are asking for your help finding a missing St. Cloud woman. Sixty-two-year-old Annette Brown was last seen Thursday afternoon in the area of the 100 block of 8th Street South. Brown is described as white, about 5'9" tall, weighing around 150 pounds. She was believed to have been on foot wearing a black and blue camo print Columbia jacket, blue jeans, an off-white stocking cap and a multi-colored striped sweater under her jacket. St. Cloud police say a search of the area Brown was last seen south of the University Bridge and police do not think foul play was involved in her disappearance.
--A St. Cloud man wanted in connection to several vehicle pursuits and an active felony warrant for his arrest was brought into custody Friday. The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force was assisting investigators with the Department of Corrections Fugitive Task Force when they spotted and arrested 27-year-old Andrew Lind-Behrends outside a north St. Cloud residence. Officers were monitoring the residence in the 1800 block of 4th Street North when Lind-Behrends came out of the home. Officers arrested Lind-Behrends at the scene and recovered what they say was a handgun that had the serial number removed. Lind-Behrends was booked into the Stearns County Jail. He is expected to be charged with being a felon in possession of a gun, having a gun with an obliterated serial number, and for several recent police pursuits.
--Authorities have released the name of the teenager killed in a crash in south St. Cloud Tuesday night. They've been identified as 16-year-old Khalid Faisal Hussein of St. Cloud. St. Cloud Police say a car driven by 17-year-old Farhan Hassan Abdulle of St. Cloud, along with Hussein, were heading southbound on County Road 74 at around 9:20 pm. Meanwhile, a second vehicle carrying three people from St. Cloud was northbound when the two vehicles collided. Police say Hussein was pronounced dead at the scene. Abdulle was brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The three occupants in the second car, including the driver 18-year-old Mustafa Mohamed Yusuf, and the passengers, 19-year-old Abdiwab Mahad Adosh, and a 20-year-old Abdullahi Hassan Arte, all reportedly had minor injuries
--The Wadena County Sheriff’s Office responded to a barn fire at 2:50pm Tuesday, March 8, in Section 34 of Wadena Township. Upon arrival, law enforcement found the barn to be engulfed in fire and heavy smoke. Fire departments from Wadena and Verndale were paged by Wadena County dispatch and arrived shortly after law enforcement. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and the barn was a complete loss. There were no animals in the barn at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
--Yesterday Daylight Saving Time returned but if 18 states have their way including Minnesota that may be the last time. Minnesota Representative from St. Paul, Mike Freiberg stated we have to adjust our schedules in the middle of the night twice a year for no discernible reason that's relevant to modern society that I could figure out. It's why Freiberg, a Democrat, led the push for a bill to switch to daylight saving time permanently in the state of Minnesota. Though the bill passed through both chambers of the Minnesota State Assembly last year, it takes an act of Congress to be approved.
Currently, 18 states have passed provisional laws to make the change to daylight saving time. But there's no clear timeline for Congressional approval.
--The Pierz City Council meets tonight 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
--A reminder that Little Falls City Hall is closed to foot traffic still this week as construction is done inside the building. They hope to all completed this week to reopen next Monday. You can still call or email city hall and use the drop boxes around the city for payments. Questions can be called to 320-616-5500.
--The Brainerd man accused of murdering a woman last year at a Merrifield area resort appeared Wednesday in a pretrial hearing and was found competent to stand trial. The brief hearing in the felony second-degree murder case for 30-year-old Cameron Jay Moser indicated the prosecution and defense attorneys reached an agreement concerning the testing of evidence collected from the scene of the shooting at Cozy Bay Resort. The judge stated “Both the State and Defense acknowledged receipt of the Report, which put forth the opinion that Defendant does have the ability to rationally consult with his attorney, that he does understand the proceedings against him, and that he is able to participate in his own defense. Moser faces a felony charge of second-degree murder with intent but not premeditation stemming from the October 2021 incident. The woman was 46-year-old Bethany Anne Bernatsky, a standout horse trainer and lakes area native who’d recently returned home to stay at the resort as she recovered from cancer treatments. Bernatsky died as a result of gunshot injuries and the manner of death was determined to be homicide by a medical examiner. Moser has not yet entered a plea in the case and remains in custody in the Crow Wing County Jail. His next court appearance is set for May 31st.
--A 17-year-old from Blaine was injured in a Cass County Thursday afternoon around 2:33pm. Jaya Browning was on Highway 64 in McKinley Township when the vehicle left the roadway and struck the east ditch. Browning was treated at a hospital in Brainerd for injuries.
--Army Maj. Gen. Mike Wickman will relinquish command of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division to Army Brig. Gen. Charles Kemper in a ceremony on Saturday, March 12th at the General Vessey Readiness Center in Arden Hills. Wickman assumes duties as the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Deputy Commanding General for the Army National Guard this month. Kemper will assume command of the division after serving as the division’s Assistant Division Commander since July 2018. He deployed to Kosovo in 2004, Kuwait in 2011, and again in 2018. In his civilian occupation, he serves as the Director of the Post Market Quality Assurance, Boston Scientific, located in Arden Hills.
--A special thank you to all who attended the Lindy Dance Fundraiser last Thursday at the ballroom. The judges choice for best Taco was Sanchez Burrito and the People's Choice was the Falls Ballroom. Congratulations to all the winners through the night and again thanks to all who made it possible to have and be ready again in 2023. Also Kinship of Morrison County thanks all who came to the fish fry fundraiser last Friday in Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= some AM snow, then partly cloudy, high 34.
TONIGHT= clear skies, cooler, low 13.
TUESDAY= sunny skies, high 41, cloudy night, low 30.
WEDNESDAY= partly sunny, breezy, high 45, low around 28.
SPORTS
GBB= Pequot Lakes beat Pierz 70-54 Friday in the section championship to advance to the state tournament, Pierz runner-up.
BBB= Esko routs Pierz 103-53 Saturday to eliminate Pioneer boys. Browerville eliminated Swanville 54-49 on Saturday in boys playoffs.
HOK= Hermantown and Andover win state championships in boys hockey Saturday. Alexandria 4th and Monticello finished 6th in Class A.