NEWS
--A flood warning has been issued through Saturday morning for the Mississippi River at Fort Ripley between Crow Wing and Morrison County. As of Wednesday the water level reached flood stage with some minor flooding over the banks reported in some areas. The waters at the river are expected to get around 2 inches over flood stage. Waters should start to subside by Friday night into early Saturday since drier and warmer conditions are expected. Those along the river in the flood warning area should watch for high water and flooding in low lying areas over the next few days.
--After the one day of work on Tuesday on the Soo Line Trail west of Hillman, the trail was opened again by Wednesday morning. The closure was needed to repair a culvert that was not working properly.
--A juvenile has confessed to starting a fire at a Melrose church in 2016. Around 4:45pm on March 11th, 2016 St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose suffered a fire classified by authorities a week later as arson. The fire cause several million dollars of damage to the 118 year old church. For the next 22 months, the Melrose Police Department diligently investigated the arson fire along with their State and Federal partners. They conducted a thorough investigation and followed up on any leads and tips. In January of 2018, the Melrose Police Department contacted the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and requested assistance in reviewing the file and providing additional investigative help. Stearns County Investigators identified areas to further investigate. Numerous people were re-interviewed and potential evidence re-examined. On Tuesday, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Investigators conducted an interview with a juvenile. During the course of that interview, the juvenile confessed that he/she intentionally set the arson fire at the church. The Stearns County Attorney’s Office charged the juvenile, who was 13 years old at the time of the offense, with Arson in the First Degree in Stearns County Juvenile Court. The Juvenile Court proceedings are, by law, confidential because of the juvenile’s age at the time of the offense. No further information concerning those proceedings can or will be released. Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson said, “Any unsolved crime produces a sense of unease in communities. I know the arson of the church has left an indelible mark on the entire area. In solving the case, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was pleased to take the fine investigative work of the Melrose Police Department, the Minnesota State Fire Marshal and Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives to a successful conclusion. It is our hope that this will be a positive step in putting the community at ease along with healing for the congregation of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.”
--Former Baxter Mayor Gary Muehlhausen died Sunday at age 75. Muehlhausen was on the City Council, Utilities Commission and was Mayor of Baxter from 1998-2005. During that time the city saw much growth and prosperity.
--A Litchfield woman was hurt in a two vehicle crash on Highway 12 in Cokato Wednesday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says just before noon, 65-year old Rhonda Binder of Hutchinson was heading east on 12 when she stopped for a pedestrian entering a crosswalk. While stopped, she was rear-ended by 32-year old Yang Zheng of Litchfield. Zheng's passenger, 31-year old Jin Qiu of Litchfield was taken to Litchfield Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No one else was hurt in the crash.
--As the summer campfire season picks up Minnesota Poison Control has a warning about a product used to generate colored flames. The chemical, sold in a small foil packet, has sickened several young children in Minnesota, including one that was sent to the hospital. The Minnesota Poison Control center has handled four poisoning cases involving the flame colorant products this season. Three cases involved the product Mystical Fire manufactured by Mystical Distributing. It contains a copper sulfate chemical that produces the coloration. The product warns against opening the package since the contents that can be harmful to children. The center's medical director, Jon Cole, says the package can be confused with Pop Rocks or other candy. Mystical Distributing President Mark Phillips said the product is tamper proof and should not be opened, but thrown directly into the fire.
--A culvert failure has closed County Road 105 between Sullivan Lake Road and McNeal Road in Crow Wing County on Wednesday. Work to replace the culvert should be completed by the end of the week. The county is asking motorists to plan alternate routes around this area. For more information, or to report an issue with a county road, contact the Highway Department at 218-824-1110.
NATIONAL NEWS
--President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday designed to keep migrant families together at the U.S.-Mexico border. The order was drafted by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and directs her department to keep families together after they are detained crossing the border illegally. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis says the Pentagon will “respond if requested” to house migrants detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. In Trump's new executive order, the defense secretary is instructed to take all available measures to provide to the Department of Homeland Security any existing facilities for the housing and care of "alien families" or to build them if necessary.
SUMMER NEWS
--Today is the official first day of Summer as the Summer Soltice arrived at 5:07am this morning, bringing the longest day of the year.
DEATH NOTICES
--Elizabeth “Betty” (Bartkowicz) Burton, age 80 born in Sobieski.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high around 80.
TONIGHT= mainly clear skies, low 58.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, a little more humid, high 80, low 60.
SATURDAY= hazy sunshine, high 81, clouds increase late, low 64.
SUNDAY= isolated T-storms possible, high near 76, low near 55.
SPORTS
TWINS= 5 Twins pitchers hold Red Sox to 4 hits as Twins win 4-1 over Boston on Wednesday, Max Kepler had a 2 run homer as the Twins will try for the 3 game sweep today at Target Field. Twins and Boston wrap up series today, pregame at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= the NBA Draft begins tonight in Brooklyn. The Timberwolves have the 20th selection in the first round, though there has been a lot of speculation if the Timberwolves are looking to trade top players.