NEWS
--Authorities released further details of how a 6-year old Onamia girl was struck and killed January 13th on Highway 169 in Mille Lacs County. The girl, Unique Sincere Beaulieu, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities responded to the fatal incident reported at 10:45pm in Kathio Township, north of Onamia. The incident took place adjacent to the Mino Bimaadiziwin, a transitional housing facility for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Shortly before the accident, Unique and her mother left their room and went to a back door to take out the trash. After reviewing the surveillance video, investigators learned the mother went outside to the garbage cans and Unique stayed inside the doorway. While her mother was outside, Unique walked back into the building and attempted to get into another room. It appeared from the video that the door was locked and she was not able to enter that room. From there Unique begins to walk the halls and appears to be calling for her mother. After a few moments, Unique walks out of the front door of the facility, at the same time her mother reenters through the back door after taking out the trash. Unique appears to walk towards the garbage dumpster area, presumably in search of her mother while simultaneously the mother is inside checking the halls for her. After a few more moments pass, Unique is seen walking down the driveway entrance of the Mino Bimaadiziwin towards Highway 169 where she was fatally struck.
--The U.S. Postal Service has begun taking orders for free at-home coronavirus test kits. The website COVIDtests.gov was originally slated to begin taking orders on Wednesday. Each household order will contain four rapid tests, which the Postal Service says will be shipped for free "in late January." The White House says it will prioritize shipments to Americans from ZIP codes that have experienced high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with the first 20% of each day's orders going to those areas. There will also be a phone number so those without access to computers or high-speed internet can place orders. There were isolated reports Tuesday afternoon of issues relating to the website's address verification tool erroneously enforcing the four-per-household cap on apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings, but it was not immediately clear how widespread the issue was. President Biden last week announced that the administration plans to buy 1 billion at-home tests for Americans and also said the White House will make high-quality masks available for free, with details coming out this week.
--More than 100 nurses will start arriving at health care facilities around the state this week. Last week Governor Tim Walz directed $40 million in American Rescue Plan money to hire emergency staff to provide care at certain hospitals. The nurses will work up to 60 hours per week for 60 days. Minnesota hospitals are currently treating more than 1,600 people with 250 COVID-19 in the ICUS. --Minnesota born comedian 68-year old Louie Anderson has been admitted to the hospital with blood cancer. Anderson was diagnosed with Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Anderson was born in St. Paul in 1953 and attended St. Paul Johnson High School. He is one of 11 children in his family. He caught his big break in 1983 when he was asked to appear on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Anderson has made stops in Little Falls to appear with local comedian Jason Schommer.
--A mobile home was destroyed in a fire. The St. Cloud Fire Department was called to 523 54th Avenue North Tuesday evening around 5:30pm. The home was fully engulfed by the time fire crews arrived. The damage estimate is just over $15,000. No one was hurt.
--The Wedding open house at Linden Hill Conference and Event Center in Little Falls scheduled for this Sunday has been postponed. The reschedule date has not yet been determined. If you need more information call the Linden Hill office at (320) 616-5580.
--With support from Representative Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, local company Sytek was awarded a MN Border to Border Broadband Grant in 2020 and has since plowed 100 miles of fiber, extending service to 300 additional homes. "I am thrilled to hear that Sytek is working hard with the resources available to provide broadband service to hundreds of additional homes in our community," said Kresha. "I look forward to supporting their bid for additional grants to extend service to more rural homes in the future, and I thank them for doing hard work to ensure Central Minnesota residents have the resources they need to support local students, employees, and businesses." Sytek will be seeking an additional grant from the Reconnect Broadband program, which will serve up to 1000 more homes in rural Minnesota.
--Authorities responded to a two vehicle crash near Holdingford Wednesday morning. The incident happened around 8:15am on River Street at 155th Avenue in Holding Township, about a mile east of Holdingford. The Stearns County Sheriff's office says 26-year-old Brent Finken, of Holdingford, was heading south on 155th Avenue. Finken told authorities he had stopped at a stop sign and did not remember seeing another vehicle approaching. Authorities say Finken went through the intersection and was struck by another vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle was 59-year-old Thomas Wunderlich of Rice. Authorities say Wunderlich was taken to St. Cloud Hospital and Finken was taken by a private party for their injuries.
--A St. Cloud man is charged with criminal sexual conduct after allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. According to the criminal complaint, the girl's mother reported she had run away from their western Stearns County home on January 8th. Records show the girl told the deputy that her boyfriend, 19-year-old Cayden Kohnen had picked her up and brought her home the next morning. The girl denied having sexual relations with Kohnen at the time. An investigator held a follow-up interview with the girl who then allegedly admitted she was in a sexual relationship with Kohnen and sent nude photos of herself to Kohnen over the social media app Snapchat. Kohnen admitted he knew the girl was 15-years-old, admitted they had intercourse on the 8th of January, and that he knew it was illegal. Kohnen is due in court on March 7th.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Joseph Holm and Kayla Nelson of Hillman, a baby girl January 16th.
DEATH NOTICES
--Rhonda Zilka, age 55 of Randall.
WEATHER
WIND CHILL ADVISORY TODAY AND FRIDAY MORNING.
TODAY= sunny and cold, high -2, wind chills around -25.
TONIGHT= clear and cold, low -20, wind chills around -33.
FRIDAY= increasing clouds, high 19, snow after 3pm.
FRIDAY NIGHT= snow likely 1-2 inches, low around 1 above.
SATURDAY= becoming sunny, chilly, high 5, low around -17.
SUNDAY= snow likely during day, high 11 above, low -8.
SPORTS
COL HK= Gophers host Michigan Friday 7:30pm on KLTF.