NEWS
--Tony James McClelland, 47, was charged with felony second-degree murder with intent but no premeditation, felony first-degree manslaughter and two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the death of his wife, Angela McClelland, on a frontage road near Highway 371 in Fort Ripley Township south of Brainerd. While admitting they had argued the day of her death, the man accused of driving the vehicle in the hit-and-run death of his wife in Fort Ripley Township claims he was drunk and doesn’t remember the incident. Bond or bail was set at $1 million without conditions; or $2 million with several conditions. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 25th. According to the criminal complaint filed against Tony McClelland, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office received a report at 5:41am of an unresponsive woman lying on Legend Lane. Responding deputies found the woman had suffered significant trauma to her skull and had abrasions on her body consistent with being struck by a vehicle, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. While attempting to identify the victim, investigators learned Angela McClelland had been reported missing by her daughter and confirmed the victim found on Legend Lane was Angela McClelland. Law enforcement officers spoke with Tony McClelland at the residence he shared with Angela McClelland on Sleepy Hollow Road in Fort Ripley Township. When asked if he knew why officers were there, Tony McClelland said after a party the night before they had an argument so he dropped her off along Matte Road, which is west of where Angela McClelland’s body was found on Legend Lane. He said he then drove home, went to bed and didn’t realize Angela McClelland hadn’t returned home until the next morning. After getting a search warrant for the vehicle and cellphones, investigators inspected the Ford Explorer and found blood, tissue and a single strand of hair under the body of the vehicle. Tony McClelland told investigators they had not hit any animals with the vehicle recently. When asked specifically about the blood found under the vehicle which DNA testing of blood matched Angela McClelland’s blood. Data and evidence received later contradicted Tony McClelland’s version of events about what roads he was driving the Ford Explorer after leaving the party. The data showed at 1:53am June 25 the vehicle was traveling on Legend Lane, stopped and then reversed at speeds up to 20 mph to where Angela McClelland’s body was located and stopped again. The vehicle then left the scene, reaching speeds over 100 mph before returning to their home on Sleepy Hollow Road. On Monday investigators questioned Tony McClelland about the forensic data placing him at the scene and suspected time of Angela McClelland’s death. he said he did not remember as he was pretty drunk and then was arrested.
--42-year-old Ryan James Willis of St. Joseph was charged Monday with two felony counts of criminal vehicular operation and a misdemeanor DWI. On Saturday, deputies responded to a watercraft accident on Watab Lake. One 9-year-old boy was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with concussion symptoms and the other 9-year-old boy was airlifted to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis with a reported "skull fracture with a large laceration to the right side of his head, a bruised right lung, and bruising on the right side of his body." When deputies interviewed Willis he said he was driving the jet ski too close to shore when the tube slammed into the neighbor's dock. Willis had an alcohol concentration of .148 above the legal limit and was arrested.
--The body of a 71-year-old Walker man was recovered Tuesday from Leech Lake after he failed to return from a fishing trip. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a missing fisherman at 5:49pm Monday. According to the report, the man did not return home after fishing, and a search of the lake was conducted by boat, air and land. His boat was located on the east shore of Sucker Bay around 8:18pm Monday, and a search of the area failed to find the fisherman. The search resumed at 7am Tuesday, and at 6:32pm, the man’s body was located in the area of Sucker Bay. An autopsy is scheduled in Ramsey County.
--The St. Cloud VA Health Care System will be searching for a new leader after current director Dr. Brent Thelen announced his retirement. Thelen took over the VA system in 2019 and oversees a network that serves more than 38,000 veterans across a 27-county area of central and west-central Minnesota. In addition to the St. Cloud VA Medical Center, Thelen is in charge of clinics in Brainerd, Alexandria, and Redwood Falls. Thelen is a U.S. Air Force Veteran who has also served on posts in Georgia and Colorado. His last day will be September 29th. An acting director is still to be announced.
--St. Cloud fire crews responded to a small grass fire in a south St. Cloud park. The call for a grass or brush fire at 751 18th Street South came in at about 1:45pm Tuesday. The Fire Department says there was a 100 by 50 foot grass fire in Schmidt Park. The fire was quickly put out. No other details about what started the fire were released.
--Benton County continues to make strides in bringing high-speed internet to its residents. The Minnesota Office of Broadband Development has announced a $3-million Border-to-Border grant that will be used to bring high-speed internet to 836 addresses south of Highway 23. It’s on top of a previously awarded $1.5-million to bring service to 483 under served customers north of Highway 23. When complete at the end of 2026, the $12.8-million project will bring a minimum of 100 megabits per second of internet to those customers and cover nearly all of the addresses in the county. Residents should watch their mailbox for a construction authorization form so that fiber can be run to their homes at no cost to them. Property owners are not required to sign up for service to get fiber optic cable run to their homes. Questions about whether installation will happen near their home can be directed to Benton Communications at (320) 293-2115.
--Join 94ROCKS on their Rockin' Road Trip this and next week as they are at Rockfest in Wisconsin today through Saturday and then next week at Mid Summer Music Fest in Menagha, see what is happening with Whitney, Paladin and JZ from there on 94ROCKS.
DEATH NOTICES
--David W. Jensen, age 55 of Little Falls.
--Gaylene Taylor, age 75 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= AM fog, then sunny skies, high 82.
TONIGHT= showers & t-storms possible, some strong, low 60.
FRIDAY= showers early, then hazy sun and warm, high 86, low 58.
SATURDAY= sunny and breezy, high 79, clear night, low 50.
SUNDAY= sunny and breezy, high 75, low around 48.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins at Oakland Friday at 8pm on Q92 WYRQ.