NEWS
--Tuesday evening at 6:08 PM Little Falls Police Department and the Little Falls Fire Department responded to 100 block of 14th Street SW Little Falls for a report of a house fire. Upon arrival the fire department observed smoke on both the 1st & 2nd levels of the residence. It was reported that someone may still be inside the residence. The fire department located a person deceased in the residence. That person's identity is not being released pending family notification and due to the ongoing investigation. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office. Morrison County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted Little Falls police and fire at the scene.
--Starting this past Saturday, Camp Ripley is hosting the Annual Chief of the National Guard Biathlon Race, with more than 120 competitors from 20 states competing for the championship. Competitors will train and race on Camp Ripley’s dedicated biathlon range for five days. This biathlon consists of four races: the Sprint Race in 30-second intervals, the Pursuit Race of 14-second intervals, the Relay race, and the unique Patrol Race designed to mirror a specific military operation. Biathlon training helps Soldiers and Airmen by working on important skills required of a service member, such as physical
fitness and marksmanship. The National Guard has three biathletes currently participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics. These service members come from other states.
--Linda Louise Bryan is an independent scholar who is obsessed with Belle Prairie, the village just north of Little Falls that was founded by Frederic and Elisabeth Ayer right at the time Minnesota Territory was also founded. The lives and times of the Ayers and their cohort are the subject of her ongoing research into history of Ojibwe Country in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the mid 19th Century. Linda will be at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum on March 5th, 2022 at 10:30am, where she will discuss the Ayer school at Belle Prairie and other history from it. Once she finishes her talk, she will invite local residents to share memories of their own experiences with rural schools. This event is free and open to the public via in person or by Zoom, for more info call 632-4007 or to register for the event.
--A St. Cloud man accused of raping two women and slashing a dog's throat has pleaded guilty to some of the charges. Twenty-two-year-old Joseph Vogel has been convicted of criminal sexual conduct against two different women. According to the complaint, the women each claimed that while in a relationship with Vogel he pinned them down and forced intercourse on them. One of the victims told police Vogel raped her in September 2020 after a night of drinking. The second rape occurred a month later. Vogel admitted to investigators they had intercourse and claimed it was consensual. A separate filing accused Vogel of slashing the throat of a dog after it killed two cats. In that case, Vogel was accused of slashing the throat of a dog in the area of Cooper Avenue and 40th Street South in August 2020. The charges of animal cruelty were dropped due to the rape charges against him and two additional charges of domestic assault and threats of violence from a fourth case file were also dismissed. Vogel will be sentenced on February 28th.
--A man was hurt when the semi he was driving went into the median. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened just after 10pm Tuesday on eastbound Interstate 94 near Sauk Centre.
Twenty-five-year-old Jordan Anderson of Onalaska, Wisconsin was taken to Sauk Centre Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
--One of four defendants in the murder of a woman who was shot and left alongside a road in St. Cloud has reached a plea agreement in the case. 36-year-old Alicia Lewis has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact. The Stearns County Attorney's Office says the agreement calls for a seven-year prison sentence and Lewis must cooperate with the prosecution of the other three defendants and testify truthfully at any trials. As a result, the three other murder charges against Lewis will be dismissed at her sentencing in October. 25-year-old Keisa Lange of Litchfield was found at the end of Cooper Avenue South on June 3rd, 2021. She had been shot multiple times. Prosecutors have also charged 24-year-old Deantae Davis, 26-year-old Kenneth Carter, and 33-year-old Angela Jones all of St. Cloud with aiding and abetting 2nd degree murder in the case. Jones also faces a kidnapping charge and has been indicted on 1st degree premeditated murder in the killing of another woman, Janessa Harris, just days prior. The remaining three defendants have hearings scheduled over the next several months.
--A 32-year-old Blaine man was arrested Sunday morning following an attempted break-in of a house on the 14000 block of Crow Wing County Road 22, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office reported. The sheriff's office responded to a call at 6:26am after a woman stated someone was attempting to break into their house. The caller indicated her husband went out to confront the individual at which time he was assaulted by the suspect. Upon the deputies' arrival, the suspect was confronted and he refused to listen to the deputies' commands. The deputy used a Taser on the suspect after which other officers arrived on scene and they were able to subdue the suspect and place him under arrest. During this time, "the suspect was very uncooperative and combative with officers," the sheriff's office said. The suspect was identified as Joshua Richard Wallace. He was arrested for burglary, fifth-degree assault, damage to property and obstructing legal process.
--Pierz Healy Peer Helpers are hosting a shoe drive now through February 25th 8am-3pm during schools days (there is no school this Friday or next Monday in Pierz). Anyone is welcome to drop off your shoes, slightly worn is fine but shoes that can still be used by those who need them. Boxes can be dropped off at all the main entry doors at Pierz Healy High School as part of their shoe drive.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and cold, high 4 above, wind chills near -20.
TONIGHT= snow after 3am, low -8 then rising becoming windy.
FRIDAY= very strong winds, high 26, snow showers, gusts to 45mph.
SATURDAY= light snow showers early, high near 30, low near 25.
SUNDAY= partly sunny and mild, high 37, snow late night, low 19.
SPORTS
HS BHK= Little Falls at Detroit Lakes which was postponed twice last week will be tonight at 6pm, pregame at 5:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS GBB= Upsala at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on 94ROCKS KFML.
HS GHK= Good Luck to the Brainerd/Little Falls Warriors who are in the section championship now tonight in Fergus Falls vs. Moorhead the winner advance to the State Tournament next week.
WRE= Little Falls beat Sartell last night in section wrestling to advance to Friday's semi-finals in Bemidji. Pierz and Foley begin sections tonight, Royalton-Upsala and Holdingford are on Saturday.
OLY= Canada won the gold medal game last night over Team USA in women's hockey 3-2. The United States settles for Silver again.