NEWS --The Little Falls Fire Department responded to a house fire Monday morning in Green Prairie Township. Around 5:05am firefighters responded to the address of 14913 210th Street to the home of Scott Meyer for a house fire. 23-Little Falls firefighters were on scene for about five hours. Three people were home at the time of the fire. Smoke detectors alerted all in the house who were each able to escape. The home owner Scott Meyer did sustain some burns to his hands but they were non life threatening. The others were not injured. Three pets were lost due to the fire. The fire was contained to the house. The structure was still standing but the inside was believed to be a total loss. Preliminary signs lead authorities to believe the fire was likely caused by a lightning strike from Monday's storm but the official cause is still under investigation.
--A man is dead after being pulled from the bottom of a lake in Alexandria Saturday. Sheriff's investigators say 29-year-old Brandon Darryl Randt of Alexandria was testing a boat on Lake Le Homme Dieu near a public landing around 9:30am when he went into the water. Randt then disappeared below the surface of the water. Recovery crews found his body in 24 feet of water around 1:30pm.
--A 55-year-old from Sauk Centre was injured Sunday evening just after 6:30pm from a motorcycle accident in Melrose Township. Robert Steven Rafferty was traveling northbound on County Road 168 when he lost control of his motorcycle causing him to be ejected into the ditch. Rafferty sustained non life threatening injuries in the accident.
--A jury has convicted a former controller at Cold Spring Brewing Co. of defrauding his employer, family and friends out of more than $680,000. Thirty-four year old Adam Martin faces up to 20 years in prison for his convictions on six counts of wire fraud, 10 years for money laundering and a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors allege he diverted money from the brewery for personal expenses, including a $106,000 down payment for a house in Sartell. He was accused of running a separate Ponzi scheme that conned many who knew Martin, out of more than $330,000.
--A Minneapolis man was injured when his bicycle and a car collided Saturday afternoon. 45-year old Jeffrey Damm of Minneapolis, was heading north on 223rd Avenue in Farming Township near the intersection of 300th Street at about 1:30pm Saturday. As Damm was approaching the intersection, a vehicle driven by 45-year old Ronald Buerman of Albany, was turning onto 223rd Avenue. Buerman did not see the bike before they collided. Damm was treated on the scene and taken by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. The collision remains under investigation.
--St. Cloud police are investigating a report of multiple gunshots fired near South Junior High School Sunday morning. St. Cloud Police Officers were called to the 1100 block of 13th Street South just before 3:00am Sunday with a report of multiple gunshots fired. Officers located two bullet holes in a residence and one bullet hole in a vehicle parked outside the building. No one was inside the residence at the time and the car was not occupied when police arrived. There was no evidence of injuries. Information gathered at the scene indicated a group of people were outside when the shots were fired. Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Cloud Police Department at 251-1200 or Tri-County Crime Stoppers at 255-1301.
--Last Rock Roll and Stroll car show is this Thursday 6-9pm in Pierz.
--A Minneapolis man remains in Stearns County Jail after methamphetamine was found in his car Friday morning in Sartell. 21-year old Brady Ludescher was pulled over for a traffic stop on Stearns County Road 120 around 1:20am Friday. Ludescher had first provided a false name to the officer. Upon further investigation, the officer was able to verify Ludescher's identity and found he had outstanding felony warrants in Stearns and Cass counties. Officers searched the vehicle and found 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and a .22 caliber handgun. Ludescher was arrested. He could be charged with first-degree controlled substance possession, providing a false name to a peace officer and for being a felon in possession of a handgun. He also faces an outstanding charge of first-degree burglary in Cass County and a theft of a motor vehicle in Stearns County.
--Xcel Energy and the city of St. Cloud will be holding a training drill simulating a gas leak this morning. The drill will be taking place from 10:00am to 12:00pm at North Fourth Street and 37th Avenue in St. Cloud. The training simulates a gas leak allowing emergency response teams to practice a response to repairing a natural gas line. Residents may hear sirens, but it is only a training drill this morning.
--Five people, including two from Spicer, have received non-life threatening injuries after a three-vehicle collision Monday morning near Willmar. 91-year old Harold Freetly of Kerkhoven was heading west on 37th Avenue NE and in the process of crossing the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 71 just after 8:00am Monday. Freetly's car failed to yield to a vehicle driven by 25-year old Sophia Simon of Spicer. Freetly's vehicle hit the front of Simon's vehicle. The collision caused Simon's vehicle to spin around before it was rear-ended on Highway 71 by a truck driven by 46-year old Dean Dickinson of Fargo, North Dakota. Dickinson was attempting to swerve out of the way to avoid the collision. Freetly and his passenger, 88-year-old Arlene Freetly, also of Kerkhoven, were taken by ambulance to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Simon and her passenger, 4-year-old Alice Strom of Spicer, and Dickinson had received non-life threatening injuries.
NATIONAL NEWS --Jerome Silberman who was known as “Gene Wilder” died yesterday as a result of complications from Alzheimers. Gene Wilder starred in many films including Blazing Saddles, Willy Wonka and the Chocalate Factory, Stir Crazy, Young Frankenstein and many more. He was 83.
DEATH NOTICES --Rickey Snyder, age 68 of Little Falls. --Irene Mary Dobis, age 90 of Little Falls.
WEATHER TODAY= becoming sunny, high 75, clear and cool tonight, low 48. WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, high 75, clear skies tonight, low 52. THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 74, clear skies again at night, low 54.
SPORTS TWINS= Twins lose 1-0 last night in 10 innings to Inidans. The Twins are at Cleveland again tonight 5:30pm on Q92 WYRQ. HS FB= Detroit Lakes at Little Falls Thursday 7pm on FM94 KFML HS FB= Pierz at Annandale Friday 7pm on FM94 KFML. COL FB= Gophers host Oregon State Thursday 7pm AM960 KLTF