NEWS --The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s office Monday positively identified the body recovered Friday as that of Jesse Aaron Dady. The 21-year old from St. Cloud was pulled from the Mississippi River under the Veterans Bridge Friday around 6:20pm. Dady went missing on March 25th and was seen on cameras on the bridge. It is believed he fell into the water. A candlelight vigil was held Sunday for Dady and his family.
--There will be a Township clean up day for the townships of Agram, Buckman, Buh, Hillman, Leigh, Mount Morris and Pierz on Saturday, April 15th from 8:00am to noon at the livestock yard off of Highway 27 south of Pierz. You can bring and recycle 10 tire units and 2 appliances for free. Additional items can be accepted for a fee which includes televisions, computers and large trash items. For more information contact Loren Meyer at 468-6503.
--Authorities released the name of the man killed in a two vehicle crash in Wright County. 81-year old Marvin Sikkila, of Buffalo, was the driver of a vehicle struck by an SUV. The crash happened around 8:00pm Friday in Buffalo. An SUV driven by 15-year old Lily Teig of Delano was driving west on highway 55 when she changed lanes and struck the other car. The car driven by Sikkila went into the ditch and rolled eventually landing on it’s wheels. The other driver Teig and her four passengers were not injured.
--A Stearns County judge Monday sentenced a convicted sex trafficker to one year in jail and 25 years probation, rejecting prosecutors' request for a sentence of more than nine years in prison. 38-year old Jade Orcena previously pleaded guilty to participating in a sex trafficking operation at her St. Cloud home. A co-defendant, Elijah Milsap, previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and in November was sentenced to 21 years in prison.
--Cries from the motorcycle driver alerted a passerby who called for help Sunday afternoon. The crash occurred before 4:00pm Sunday near Crow Wing County Highway 26 and Red Oak Drive in rural Garrison. 78-year old Glenn Huff of Garrison was alone on the motorcycle and driving east on Highway 26 near Red Oak Drive when he lost a rear wheel. The motorcycle crashed into the north ditch before going down the embankment. Huff was reported to be seriously injured, but conscious and able to speak with deputies. He was airlifted from the scene to a Twin Cities hospital.
--Another Democrat is joining the race to replace Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton. State Representative Tina Liebling of Rochester announced her candidacy Sunday in Rochester’s Peace Plaza. Liebling says Minnesotans “need a governor they can trust to be on their side.” Liebling is a lawyer who has served in the Minnesota House since 2005. Last week Democratic U.S. Representative Tim Walz said he will run for governor rather than seek re-election. Other Democrats running for governor include St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Represetaive Erin Murphy and State Auditor Rebecca Otto.
--A 29-year-old man was seriously injured over the weekend in a tree cutting accident in rural Kandiyohi County in central Minnesota. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office said the man was cutting down the tree Saturday shortly after 3:00pm when it fell and struck him. The victim, who was not identified in the sheriff's report, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries.
--What started as a house fire ended in a standoff with police in Big Lake Township. The Sherbune County Sheriff’s Office says at around 9:45 Monday morning, firefighters from the Big Lake Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 19000 block of 180th Avenue in Big Lake Township. Authorites say while the firefighters were trying to put out the fire, they noticed a man in the back yard of the home holding a handgun and warning the crews to leave the area. Police then immediately responded to the home, and tried to talk with the man for around 2 hours. Sheriff Joel Brott says the man shot himself around 11:40am while officers were negotiating with him. The victim was immediately taken to Monticello Hospital with life-threatening injuries. His identity is being withheld at this time. The house was destroyed in the fire but no other homes were damaged.
--Motorists who travel Crow Wing County Road 16 in Jenkins will encounter a detour and delays as the road closes between Highway 371, to just east of Paul Bunyan Trail Drive after 10:00am Monday, April 10th. All businesses in Jenkins will remain accessible throughout the detour. The short segment of Highway 16 is scheduled to open by May 12th. The closures are part of the Highway 371 four-lane expansion project in Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Jenkins.
--A Sartell man who volunteered at a local church pleaded guilty Monday to sexually abusing a teenager who was an altar boy at a St. Cloud church. 55-year old Douglas Gerard Kleinsmith pleaded guilty to two counts of felony criminal sexual conduct. Kleinsmith is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15th. The complaint mentions multiple incidents of Kleinsmith sexually abusing the boy, including once while they were alone at church and three other times away from the church. Kleinsmith pleaded guilty to abusing the boy in Albany and at church. Kleinsmith previously was convicted in Idaho in 1991 of sexually abusing a child younger than 16.
--Democratic Governor Mark Dayton says he has concerns about a $542 million Republican plan to lower health insurance costs for Minnesotans but he won’t veto it. Dayton said Monday he’ll let the plan become law without his signature. The bill creates a reinsurance program to help insurance companies cover expensive medical claims. Republicans who support the bill say the money will help slow down premium increases as well as keep insurers from leaving the exchange. Dayton expressed skepticism with how the bill is funded and the lack of requirements on insurance companies to guarantee lower premiums.
DEATH NOTICES --Richard L. Zarns, age 71 of Swanville.
WEATHER TODAY= partly sunny, high near 60. TONIGHT= clear skies, colder, low near 35. WEDNESDAY= sunny, breezy, high near 50, low near 25. THURSDAY= sunny, less windy, high 52 low around 30.
SPORTS TWINS=Twins score 6 times in the 7th inning to win 7-1 over KC Monday in the season opener. Twins have today off then back in action Wednesday with an 11:30am pregame on Q92 WYRQ. NCAA= North Carolina wins the NCAA Men's Basketball championship with a 71-65 win last night over Gonzaga.