NEWS --The missing juvenile from the Kimball area has been located safe at a residence in Sherburne County. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the public for providing tips and information about her whereabouts which helped bring this missing juvenile home safe. Sienna Stice of Kimball was missing since Sunday but has been found safe and returned home.
--Around 12:25pm Monday Crow Wing County deputies were dispatched to Garrison for a report of a robbery. A female victim reported that she had been sitting at a picnic table near the grocery store when a male approached her and asked her for some money. The male was told she did not have any money to give him and he left. A short time later, the male returned, slapped her on her back and took her wallet from her purse that was sitting on a table next to her. The male was later identified as 26-year old Dylan Johnson with no current address. Johnson was arrested for 2nd degree burglary and brought to the Crow Wing County Jail.
--The city of Monticello will receive funding from the Minnesota Department of Transportation to build a noise barrier along the north side of Interstate 94 from Nicholas Circle to near Marvin Elwood Road. Cost of the noise barrier, which will be approximately 1,895 feet long and 20 feet high at its highest point, is $1.1 million. Most of the costs will be paid for with funds from MnDOT’s Greater Minnesota Stand-Alone Noise Barrier Program. The city of Monticello will contribute 10 percent of the cost. Eighteen homes will benefit from the project and there will be at least five decibels of noise reduction. Cities can apply for the next round of funding opportunities starting October 1st through December 31st. Funding for 2020 and 2021 have been allocated at $1M per year.
--A Benton County jury Tuesday evening found that a former Sauk Rapids police sergeant did not defame Ryan Larson, the man arrested in the Tommy Decker murder investigation but never charged. Larson had sued Tom Roy after Roy made a posting to an Internet site titled "An Open letter to the person who killed Cold Spring Officer Tom Decker." Larson argued that the contents of that letter, posted to the Officer Down Memorial Page, were defamatory. Jurors found unanimously in Roy's favor and awarded Larson nothing. The trial took two days in Benton County District Court.
--The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Driver and Vehicle services division announced this week that with their overhaul on its computer system beginning next Monday that services will be limited to customers while this is done. Online vehicle tab renewal and other online services will be unavailable until July 24th. Even private offices like the ones in Brainerd and St. Cloud will be affected and also state and county agencies across the state while the overhaul is being completed. Questions can be directed to the department of public safety website. This should only effect the online process while walk in help should go on as scheduled.
--Crow Wing County deputies released information on an accident last Saturday in Breezy Point. Crosslake Police were first on the scene where 64-year old Margie Gilles of St. Paul collided with 51-year old Kirsti Huttunen of Ham Lake on Highways 11 and 3 at Breezy Point. Both drivers sustained injuries and were treated at the Brainerd Hospital. Both have since been released.
--A severe storm in central Minnesota early Wednesday dropped about 1.5 inches of rain at the Little Falls Radio station. We also received word from a listener of a downed tree in Flensburg that damaged a shed and garage. There were many smaller limbs and branches of trees down in the Pierz/Genola area too.
--Customers in Stearns County will pay a little extra in sales tax starting January 1st to go toward bridge and road repairs. County commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to increase the sales tax by ¼ percent and bring in around a projected $4.6 million more each year. Stearns County will keep its $10 wheelage tax.
--A 71-year old Crosby man faces nine felony counts for allegedly sexually assaulting a 9-year old girl with whom he had a significant relationship. George Edwin Hardy made his first appearance June 26th in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd, where he was charged with nine counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct, three counts involved a victim under age 16 where force was used; three counts because Hardy had a significant relationship with the victim; and three counts involved a victim under age 13, when the perpetrator is more than 36 months older. Bond was set at $50,000 with conditions and $100,000 without conditions. Hardy's next court appearance will be on July 24th. The girl was an acquaintance of Hardy's and the sexual assault happened in a basement of a house.
--A routine traffic stop escalated to a vehicle pursuit that resulted in drug related arrests. At 9:49am Tuesday an officer attempted to make a routine traffic stop on a vehicle for a driving violation while westbound on Minnesota Highway 23 at 14th Avenue South. The vehicle, which was being driven by 35-year old Andrew Wayne Morton of Mora initially started to pull over but failed to stop and began accelerating away from the officer. A vehicle pursuit ensued. During the chase, Morton was observed throwing items out the vehicle window, which were consistent with baggies used in narcotics packaging. The pursuit, which occurred over about 7.5 miles, ended at Minnesota Highway 10 and Summit Avenue in Sauk Rapids when the St. Cloud Police Department was assisted by the Sartell Police Department. Morton and his passenger, 31-year old Stephanie Gregor of Mora were taken into custody following a vehicle search that turned up suspected methamphetamine and drug packaging. Gregor was in possession of a hypodermic needle and indicated she had swallowed some of the suspected methamphetamine. Gregor was taken to St. Cloud Hospital to be monitored due to that ingestion. Charges are pending on Gregor for 2nd degree controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic needle. Morton also appeared to be under the influence and was transported to the Stearns County Jail on the charges of 4th degree DWI, fleeing police in a motor vehicle, and 2nd degree controlled substance.
WEATHER TODAY= cloudy, sprinkles and cool, high 68. TONIGHT= clearing skies, low around 50. FRIDAY= sunny skies, high 78, clear night low around 55. SATURDAY= sunny, warmer, high 88, PM storms possible, low 61. SUNDAY= sunny skies, high near 80, low around 55.
SPORTS TWINS= Twins are at Houston tomorrow night to end the break. LYNX= Lynx are at Phoenix Friday, then host Phoenix on Sunday.