NEWS --Former State Representative Greg Blaine has announced he will seek the District 5 Morrison County Commissioner seat vacated when Duane Johnson died last month. Blaine continues to farm off the family farm in Culdrum Township. The County Board announced that there is a time for candidates to file and if needed a primary election before general election would take place early next year. If no primary election is needed then a general election would be later this winter to fill the District 5 Seat in Morrison County.
--More information on an accident Monday night on Washington Street near the Highway 25 connection in northeast Brainerd. Just after 5:00pm, 39-year old Amanda Masurka of Brainerd was pulling out from 25 onto Washington and was struck by a vehicle driven by 16-year old Malichi Kelley of Brainerd. Masurka had to be extricated from her vehicle by first responders and was taken to the Brainerd hospital with serious injuries. Masurka's three children, 5-year old Daxton Meyer, 8-year old Aven Meyer and 14-year old Anaya Meyer were all injured. Daxton was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries. The other two were treated and released at an area hospital. Kelly and her passenger, 17-year old Nina Carter, both suffered minor injuries but were not hospitalized.
--A 56-year old Emily man was injured in an accident near Crosby Monday around 10:30am. Jay Bernards left the roadway and struck several mailboxes off of County Road 36. Bernards was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries.
--A 16-year old was injured Monday around 3:30pm on Highland Scenic Drive in Baxter. 66-year old Ruth Schaefer of Baxter turned in front of a vehicle driven by Jonah Macejkovic of Baxter. Jonah was taken to the hospital for injuries. The other driver was not injured.
--An Elk River man was hurt in a two-vehicle crash. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 1:15pm Tuesday at the intersection of Northbound Highway 169 and 193rd Street in Elk River. A car driven by 54-year old Patrick Fitzpatrick of Ramsey was struck by 85-year old Robert Koehler's car. Koehler had non-life threatening injuries. Fitzpatrick was not hurt.
--School Districts across Minnesota are reporting a better than average success rate from last week's referendum votes. According to school districts with one question votes on November 7th there was a 48% success rate and those with two-questions or more on their ballots had a success rate of 67%. In central Minnesota the results varied as schools such as Upsala, Rocori, Wadena-Deer Creek and others saw their referendums or bond questions pass, while schools such as Holdingford, Onamia and Pillager saw their questions fail. The success is up from the school votes a year earlier which saw less than a 40% success rate on 1 question ballots and multiple questions on the ballot had less than 50% success rate a year ago.
--Two names have been added to the Diocese of St. Cloud's list of clergy likely to have abused minors. In a news release Tuesday, Bishop Donald Kettler says the two men were priests added by St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, to its list. The two men are Casimir Plakut, who was ordained in 1938 and died in 1988, and Augustine John Strub, who was ordained in 1947 and died in 2015. Both men served at St. Boniface Church in Cold Spring. Plakut served from 1948-1949, and Strub from 1958-1959. Kettler says he will hold a listening session in the "near future" at St. Boniface Church.
--A 25-year old counselor who worked at Children's Residential Treatment Center in Minneapolis is accused of having sex with a 14-year old Foley girl who once was a resident at the facility. Alyson Michelle Baker made her first appearance Tuesday in Benton County court on third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges. According to the complaint, during an interview with police, Baker admitted to the sexual encounters. Baker's next court appearance is an omnibus hearing set for January 4th.
--The father of a 3-year old who accidentally shot himself in St. Cloud this week has been arrested in Miles City, Montana. 28-year old William Deandre Dickerson is in custody in Montana pending extradition. Police issued an arrest warrant for Dickerson Wednesday morning. At about 10:30am Wednesday, he was arrested after a traffic stop. On Tuesday, the police department issued a news release that said Dickerson is a felon and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. The department also sought him on possible charges of negligent storage of a firearm. The 3-year-old boy arrived at St. Cloud Hospital on Monday morning with a gunshot wound. Officers were called to the 1500 block of 15th Avenue Southeast on a report of a child bleeding at about 11:15am. As they responded they were notified that a woman had arrived at the hospital with her 3-year old and that the boy had a gunshot wound. It is believed that the child accidentally pulled the trigger on a loaded firearm. The injuries were not considered life-threatening.
--A bomb squad from Bloomington detonated an explosive device at Bel Clare Estates on Wednesday afternoon, according to the city of Waite Park. At 4:30pm, the city tweeted the "bomb squad has detonated the explosive and the scene is safe. Everyone can now return to the area if needed." The Stearns County Sheriff's Office requested the bomb squad at 2:00pm. At about the same time, the city of Waite Park tweeted the police department was asking people to stay away from Bel Clare Estates mobile home park while police dealt with a "potentially dangerous situation."
--A 43-year old from Baxter was hurt Monday just after 6:00pm when her vehicle ran off Highway 371 and crashed onto Evergreen Drive in Baxter. Kelli May Donnell was treated for injuries at the hospital.
DEATH NOTICES --John L. Adkins, age 64 of Little Falls --Donald Allan Shirley, age 91 of Little Falls
WEATHER TODAY= cloudy skies, turning breezy, high 35. TONIGHT= cloudy skies, sleet and drizzle toward morning, low 31. FRIDAY= drizzle and rain, high 42, some light snow late, low 20. SATURDAY= sunny and colder, high 26 windy, low 5 above. SUNDAY= sunny, less windy, high 36, low near 25.
SPORTS TWINS= Paul Molitor was named this week as the American League Manager of the Year. Molitor edged out Cleveland manager Terry Francona for the award. Molitor led the Twins to 85 wins and a AL Wildcard berth this year after the team had 103 losses in 2016. NFL= Tennessee at Pittsburgh tonight 7pm on AM960 KLTF HS FB= the first state semi-final football games are played today at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Pierz plays on Saturday.