NEWS --Around 5:35pm Tuesday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a horseback rider hit by a vehicle on 250th Avenue, south of Nature Road in Buckman Township east of Royalton. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 17-year old Kylee Latterell of Royalton and a friend were riding horses northbound along the east side of 250th Avenue. A vehicle driven by 33-year old Gene Hyatt of Pierz was traveling north on 250th Avenue just south of Nature Road when he came upon the riders and struck the horse ridden by Kylee. Kylee was thrown from the horse and injured. She was taken by ambulance to CHI St. Gabriel’s Hospital for treatment of injuries.
--The Winter Storm moving into Minnesota has taken a southerly track and is expected still to bring nearly a foot of snow from areas south and east of the Twin Cities, southern Minnesota and go into Wisconsin and Iowa. Central Minnesota is now expected to see around 1-2 inches of snow Friday but with 40 mile per hour winds bringing in the colder air that we have not seen in the past 10 days. --A 23-year-old Brainerd man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to first-degree assault where he stabbed his brother in the neck last August at a residence on the 4000 block of Sweet Road in Brainerd. Jacob Thomas Lovejoy was sentenced February 8th in Crow Wing County District Court to nine years and two months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud. Lovejoy was given credit for 184 days time served and will pay a $210 fine. Lovejoy was charged August 11th, 2016, with second-degree attempted murder with intent and first-degree assault to cause great bodily harm. Lovejoy was convicted of the assault charge and the murder charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
--A 33-year-old from Big Lake was killed Wednesday morning just before 8:00am on Highway 10 in Big Lake Township. 33-year old Matthew Barthel of Big Lake was crossing County Road 81 at Highway 10 on the green light when he was struck by a jeep that ran a ran a light on Highway 10 driven by Juan-Carlos Morales of Big Lake. The impact caused Barthel's vehicle to collide with a third vehicle driven by 47-year old Jeffrey Mateyka of Becker. Barthel was pronounced dead at the scene. The State Patrol stated he was not wearing a seatbelt. Morales was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Mateyka was not hurt.
--After a barrage of feedback to the Osakis School District from reports of girls being told to submit a picture of their prom dress before wearing it to prom on April 22nd, Interim Superintendent Randy Berquist stated Tuesday night that it was not an official action. Berquist announced that they would not have girls submit themselves to giving pictures prior to prom. That was only a suggestion and no vote was ever taken on it. However, they are still going to review their prom dress code policy.
--The Brainerd Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire on Crow Wing County Road 25 around 12:45pm on Tuesday. The fire was extinguished already when they arrived. On Wednesday morning firefighters responded to a motorcycle fire around 7am on Norwood Street. Again the fire was out when authorities arrived on scene.
--Good luck to Pierz and Foley wrestling teams who have advanced to the state tournament next week. Individuals trying to advance to state happen this week. Listen to Al Windsperger for state wrestling coverage next week from St. Paul on Q92 WYRQ and fallsradio.com.
--Thousands of turkeys have been lost in a fire in Meeker County. Sheriff's deputies say a barn owned by Langmo Farms near Litchfield caught fire Tuesday, killing about 8,300 young birds. None survived. The barn was a total loss. Authorities say a propane heater in the barn may have sparked the fire, but the investigation continues. A damage estimate has not yet been determined.
--A University of Minnesota Law School professor has been charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct and stalking. 54-year old Francesco Parisi was charged Tuesday in Hennepin County. Parisi is accused of stalking a woman and trying to run over her with his Jeep. The victim said that she and Parisi had dated for a few months in 2014 and part of 2015. According to the complaint, on January 22nd, 2015, Parisi told the victim that he had been diagnosed with HIV two years earlier and had been sleeping with his students. The victim confronted Parisi over these confessions and that's when he slammed her to the floor, which led to a stress induced seizure. When she awoke, he was sexually assaulting her. She went to the hospital for three broken teeth and needed surgery for other injuries. She broke off their relationship and obtained an order of protection from him after he kept pounding on her door. She also saw him follow her on two other occasions. According to the complaint on January 17th the victim was out for a run when Parisi ran his Jeep up onto the curb and stopped about 2 feet from her. She says she ran into a nearby building where she suffered another stress-induced seizure. She was hospitalized for three days. Parisi was in court yesterday.
--Two people were hurt Tuesday afternoon around 1:20pm on Highway 371 and Green Gables Road in Crow Wing County. 67-year-old Stephen Burton of Walker was on Highway 371 when 60-year-old Jeanne Kinzel of Crosby pulled in front of the Burton vehicle as she came off Green Gables Road. Both drivers and one passenger were treated for their injuries. The injures were repoted not to be serious.
--A 19-year-old man was injured Monday night around 9:00pm when his vehicle left the roadway on Highway 200 in Hill Lake Township of Aitkin County. Iradukunda Stanislas of Fargo, North Dakota suffered cuts to his head and was treated at the Grand Rapids Hospital.
DEATH NOTICE --Herbert Lambert, age 78 of Verndale --Leroy Rieke, age 86 of Hillman.
WEATHER TODAY= mostly cloudy, turning breezy, high 35. TONIGHT= cloudy, breezy, low 23. FRIDAY= snow showers, gusty winds, 1-2 inches, high 27, low 11. SATURDAY= sunny skies, high 32, snow develops late, low 23. SUNDAY= snow showers at times, windy, high 30, low around 16.
SPORTS HS BBB= Little Falls at St. Cloud Cathedral tonight 7:15pm on Q92 HS GBB= Pierz at Osakis tonight 7:15pm on FM94 KFML. COL BB= Gophers beat #24 Maryland last night 89-75 in Maryland. The Gophers now 21-7 will have Penn State on Saturday on KLTF.
TODAY IN HISTORY IN 1988= after 100 years of only day games, the Chicago Cubs installed lights to Wrigley Field, had first night game in April.