NEWS --The Little Falls Fire Department responded to a residential fire early Sunday morning. Around 12:40am 17-Little Falls firefighters responded to the address of 109 4th Avenue NE. Firefighters were on scene for around four and a half hours and the home sustained extensive damage. Amber Piekarski and two young children were home at the time of the fire but everyone escaped safely. The cause is still under investigation. There were no injuries.
--Charges are pending against 20-year old, Joshua Johanson from Bowlus and a 13-year old juvenile male from Holdingford for their involvement in several thefts in Bowlus. On Sunday around 6:00am, a Bowlus resident called the sheriff’s office and reported a vehicle theft. The resident explained that the vehicle stolen eventually returned to the residence and two individuals ran from the scene. They received multiple complaints of thefts from vehicles in the city of Bowlus. Several items were reported stolen, including snowmobile jackets, snow pants, tools and money. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office later received a tip which led to a search warrant executed at 207 2nd Street North in Bowlus. Several of the stolen items were recovered during the search. Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen states that all vehicles that were targeted were left unlocked. This is a good reminder to all residents to lock your vehicles. In general, people committing these types of crimes are looking for the path of least resistance. Please do your part and ensure that all your vehicles and valuables are secured. Joshua Johanson and the 13-year are facing motor vehicle theft related charges and tampering with a motor vehicle. Johanson is currently in custody at the Morrison County Jail.
--The Minnesota State Patrol has released the name of the man who died in a crash on Highway 23 east of Foley. Troopers say 77-year old James Demarais was killed in the crash. The incident happened just before 5:00pm Saturday at the intersection of County Road 66 and Highway 23. Authorities say an SUV heading south on County Road 66 failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a pickup going through the intersection. The driver of the SUV, Demarais, was not wearing his seatbelt. He was ejected from his vehicle and died on scene. The driver of the pickup, 43-year old James Ladwig of Circle Pines was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--A 17-year old Royalton boy was taken to the hospital after a three vehicle crash on Highway 10 near Rice. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 10:20am Sunday on Southbound Highway 10 north of Rice. Traffic was slowed due to vehicles being in the ditch ahead when a pick up driven by 23-year old Cruz Johnson of Annandale rear ended another pickup driven by 43-year old Michelle Lloyd of Royalton. Lloyd's vehicle then rear ended a car driven by 22-year old Dany Marcial of Long Prairie. A passenger in Lloyd's pick-up, 17-year old Christopher Lloyd of Royalton, was taken to St Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No one else was hurt. The accident happened around the same time that many cars hit the ditch from icy roadways on Highway 10 from Royalton to Rice. The State Patrol reported 27 spin outs in that area Sunday morning.
--One person was injured Friday morning at 10:20am on Highway 10 in Bellevue Township near Royalton. 34-year old Mark Rau of Brainerd and 54-year old Ali Ali of Waite Park were southbound on Highway 10 when Rau attempted a lane change and struck the Ali vehicle. Neither driver was hurt. Ali's passenger, 24-year old Sharif Bakari of Wadena was treated at the hospital for injuries.
--A Bemidji woman was injured in a two vehicle crash involving a plow truck at 8:23am Sunday on Highway 2, west of Ball Club in Cass County. The Minnesota State Patrol reported both vehicles were traveling east on Highway 2 in the Leech Lake Reservation area, when a car rear ended a Minnesota Department of Transportation plow truck. The driver of the car, 26-year old Angela R. Gale of Bemidji was transported to the Sanford Hospital in Bemidji for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the plow truck, 35-year old Alex R. Peterson of Bemidji, was not injured.
--A teenager has died after being hit by a Northstar Commuter Rail train near Elk River. Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla says it happened around 6:00pm Sunday. A pedestrian was walking westbound with another person on the track bed when a train heading westbound hit the teenager. The other person with the teenager who was hit escaped injury. Padilla says there's no pedestrian or street crossing where he was hit. Officials were not immediately sure why the two people were on the tracks. The victim's name has not been released. Padilla says the track in that area was shut down for about two hours. Some passengers were on the train at the time.
--The name of the person who died in an apartment fire in St. Cloud last week has been released. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office says 57-year-old Teresa Kelly-Schroepfer died from her injuries. St. Cloud Fire Marshal Michael Post says this was the first fire related death in St. Cloud since 2015. He says 16 people have died in fire related deaths in St. Cloud since 1970. Kelly-Schroepfer was taken to St. Cloud Hospital where she later died. The blaze caused about $60,000 worth of damages in one unit of the apartment complex.
--A Paynesville man was hurt in a crash early Monday morning in Grove City. The incident happened shortly after 5:45am on Highway 4, north of 290th Street. The Minnesota State Patrol says a van driven by 46-year old Robert Lade was heading north on Highway 4, when he went off the road, struck a mailbox and driveway approach before coming to a stop in the east ditch. Lade was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital with non life threatening injuries.
DEATH NOTICES --Thomas G. Palm, age 75 of Little Falls. --Brian Koester, age 54 of Little Falls.
WEATHER TODAY= fog early, then partial sun, high 36. TONIGHT= increasing clouds, low 14. WEDNESDAY= mostly sunny, high near 40, light snow late, low 18. THURSDAY= light snow early, then clearing skies, high 32, low 8.
SPORTS HS GBB= Bemidji at Little Falls tonight in girls basketball playoffs starting at 7pm on Q92 WYRQ and at fallsradio.com. HS GBB= Pierz, Royalton, Upsala, Swanville and other teams open the girls basketball playoffs on Thursday night. TWINS= listen to Twins spring training baseball on Q92 WYRQ and all of the regular season games beginning March 29th on Q92. NFL= The Vikings stated Monday they will not put the franchise tag on Case Keenum, who took the team to the NFC Championship in January, meaning he will become a free agent. The Vikings were interested in giving a deal to Teddy Bridgewater, however in the previous days the team says they are leaving all options open.