NEWS
--Around 6:20pm Tuesday the Morrison County Sheriff ‘s Office received a report of a one vehicle crash with injuries on Hilton Road, near 58th Street in Bellevue Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 17-year old Lauren Thielman from Royalton was traveling south on Haven Road when she lost control of her vehicle, went in the ditch and struck a power pole. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance with unknown injuries.
--The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office received a call of an adult male that was found lying in the middle of the road just after 4am Wednesday on Crow Wing County Road 32. The male was reported to be wearing snowmobile type clothing and was unresponsive. Upon arrival of Crosby Ambulance, the male was brought to Crosby Hospital where he was immediately flown to Hennepin County Medical Center. The male was later identified as 47-year old Brian Andrew Kokesh of Palisade. He was listed in critical condition on Wednesday afternoon. Deputies at the scene determined that Kokesh was operating a snowmobile in the ditch of County Road 32 when he crashed into a ditch filled with water. Evidence at the scene indicates that Kokesh walked out of the ditch and continued walking northbound on County Road 32 for approximately one mile where it appears he collapsed on the road. He was later found by a passerby who called 911. Kokesh’s wife had reported him missing to Aitkin County authorities as he was overdue from a snowmobile ride Tuesday night.
--Mille Lacs County deputies and Garrison firefighters responded to a garage fire Monday around 2:45pm on Southport Road, about 5 miles south of Garrison. Upon authorities arrival, the 25- by 30-foot garage was fully engulfed. No one was in the home at the time of the fire. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal's office investigated the cause of the fire, which was an extension cord that failed. The estimated damage of the garage is $35,000. A dozen Garrison firefighters responded and were on scene for about two hours.
--The Brainerd Fire Department responded to four calls Sunday and Monday. Firefighters responded to two calls Sunday. One was a carbon monoxide detector that was faulty, no damage or injuries. There was a report of a vehicle fire on the 900 block of Washington Street Sunday morning around 11:30. Firefighters arrived and found the fire was already extinguished. Firefighters responded to two calls Monday night. There was a structure fire reported at 8:51pm on the 1700 block of Oak Street. Firefighters extinguished the fire, which was contained in the living room. Estimated damage was $3,250. Firefighters were also called to another faulty carbon monoxide detector and remind homeowners to have their detectors checked regularly now with colder weather upon us.
--Governor Mark Dayton has asked legislative Republicans to borrow almost one-point-five billion dollars for numerous state public works projects. The Democrat Dayton proposed an aggressive package today (Wednesday) in what's traditionally not a bonding year for lawmakers. And while the new Republican majority considers whether to act at all on a bonding package, Dayton says his proposals will provide some much needed improvements while creating 39-thousand construction jobs. The package includes 135-million dollars for the University of Minnesota and state colleges, 167-million dollars for water system improvements, and funds for rail safety and the state security hospital in Saint Peter.
--The top baby names reported by Minnesota hospitals have been released. Top 10 boys names were Liam, William, Owen, Oliver, Mohamed, Henry, Jackson, Levi, Aiden and Noah. Last year Oliver was #1. Top 10 girls names were Emma, Olivia, Charlotte, Madison, Evelyn, Harper, Avery, Ella, Abigail and Mia. The fourth straight year that Emma was #1 name.
--A St. Cloud man has been charged in Benton County with criminal sexual conduct, accused of raping a teenage girl last summer. 43-year old Christian Dulue Flah faces two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is accused of assaulting the girl at a residence in southeast St. Cloud in July. The girl reported the incident to a family member in December, and the family contacted police. Flah remains in Benton County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
--Stearns County is considering calling a grand jury to seek an indictment against a repeat sex offender who was arrested last week and accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Waite Park. The indictment would allow prosecutors to seek a life sentence for 56-year old John William Magney who previously was convicted of sexually assaulting two girls in the early 1980s in Mille Lacs County and in the mid-1990s in Benton County. Magney recently was charged with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct, accused of assaulting the girl early December 17th at a Waite Park residence. Magney remains in Stearns County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
--Three people were taken to St. Cloud Hospital for injuries they sustained during a one-vehicle roll-over Tuesday night. Minnesota State Patrol troopers were called to the westbound lane of Interstate 94 east of Waite Park around 5:30pm Tuesday for a report of a vehicle in a ditch. 46-year-old Darrin Reiter of St. Cloud was driving at a "high rate of speed" when he lost control of the car. The vehicle rolled multiple times before landing in the ditch. The State Patrol believes alcohol was a factor in this crash. Reiter and his two passengers, 3-year-old Holden Reiter and 2-year-old Brecken Reiter, both of St. Cloud, had non-life threatening injuries.
--The new year is expected to bring the highest gasoline prices since 2012, with the possibility that U.S. drivers could be collectively shelling out $52 billion more at the pump than they did in 2016, according to one prominent price tracker. The average cost for regular, unleaded gas is expected to spike to $2.49 per gallon this year, up from $2.13 in 2016. The national average for a price of a gallon of regular gas on Tuesday was $2.35 a gallon, up from $2 a gallon a year ago and also up nearly $1 a gallon from last month.
WEATHER
WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON TODAY.
TODAY= partly sunny and cold, high -3, wind chills around -15.
TONIGHT= partly cloudy, cold, low -15, wind chills near -25.
FRIDAY= mostly cloudy, high 5 above, low around -15.
SATURDAY= sunny and cold, high 2 above, low near -20.
SUNDAY= partly cloudy, high 10 above, low around 0.
SPORTS
HS GBB= Becker at Little Falls tonight 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS BBB= Becker at Little Falls tonight 8pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS GBB= Paynesville at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on FM94 KFML
COL BB= Gophers at Northwestern tonight 7:30pm on AM960.