NEWS
--Around 3:25pm Friday the Morrison County Sheriffs Office received a report of a snowmobile accident on 30th Street, approximately 1.5 miles east of Upsala in Elmdale Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 62-year old Donald Greiner of Hancock was traveling along the snowmobile trail, then crossed over 30th Street where he lost control of his sled and was found unresponsive. Greiner was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital with unknown injuries.
--On Sunday, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and Sauk Centre Police Department conducted a search warrant at 611 Pine Street South in the City of Sauk Centre. The search warrant stemmed from the domestic assault incident which led to a several-hour standoff. During the execution of the warrant, officers recovered a loaded handgun. Investigators also recovered a spent casing in the kitchen of the residence. Further investigation revealed 27-year-old Ryan Kellen of Sauk Centre had shot at SWAT officers, who were approaching the residence inside an armored vehicle. Investigators determined the shot hit the armored vehicle in the area of the driver’s side door. The armored vehicle was occupied by multiple SWAT officers when it was fired upon. No officers were injured, and the suspect was taken into custody without injuries. Members of the Stearns-Benton SWAT team and the St. Cloud SWAT team were used during the incident. Mr. Kellen is being held at the Stearns County Jail pending formal charges from the Stearns County Attorney’s Office.
--A Foley man was convicted on two felony counts last week in Morrison County District Court. 20-year-old Tyler John Pittman was found guilty on felony counts of receiving stolen property and violation of a domestic abuse no contact order. The charges stem from an August 25th incident when the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a stolen cellphone valued over $500. The phone was tracked via an app to a business in Little Falls. When deputies arrived at the business, they observed an individual who ran away from them when he noticed the officers and escaped into a corn field. The individual was later found in the field and fought with officers before being tased. The suspect was identified as Pittman. Law enforcement looked at the app and saw Pittman had used it to have a conversation with an individual he was prohibited from contacting according to a domestic abuse no contact order (DANCO). Pittman was sentenced to 19 months in prison, ordered to pay $3,913.77 in restitution and pay fines and fees totaling $125.
--A teenage girl from St. Joseph was hurt in a rollover. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened just before 5pm Friday afternoon on County Road 4 in St. Wendel Township. 18-year-old Caitlin Popp of St. Joseph was driving north when she made a wide turn when she hit a portion of ice on the shoulder, she corrected herself back onto the road but over-corrected causing the vehicle to crash into the ditch causing the vehicle to roll over onto its roof. Popp was able to crawl out of the vehicle and walked to a nearby home to ask for help. She suffered non-life threatening injuries.
--A Foley man was taken to the hospital after losing control of his car on snow-covered roads Monday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says 30-year-old Daniel Jurek was westbound on Highway 10 in Clear Lake just before 8am when the crash happened. The patrol says Jurek spun out on a curve, entered the right ditch and rolled. He was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--On Friday, the Morrison County Sheriff's Office received a report of a stolen dirt bike that was taken from a shed located off Sage Road near Hillman. The stolen dirt bike is a black Yamaha model. See photos at the sheriff's office facebook page. If you have any information please contact their office at 320-632-9233.
--Two people from St. Anthony were hurt in a crash in Todd County on Saturday. The incident happened around 5:15pm on Interstate 94 near West Union. The Minnesota State Patrol says a car was going west on Interstate 94 when it hit the median shoulder, overcorrected, cut across both lanes of traffic, entered the ditch and rolled over onto its roof. The driver, 22-year-old Maryan Ibrahim Hussein, and her passenger, 18-year-old Mohamed Ibrahim Hussein, were both taken to Sauk Center Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--A pregnant woman driving a stolen vehicle was hurt in a crash on Interstate 94. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just after 11:00pm Sunday on westbound Interstate 94 near Monticello. Troopers say 27-year-old Victoria Harwell of Minneapolis lost control of the car she was driving on the snowy road and slid into the center median. The car was stolen out of Brooklyn Park in December. Harwell was listed as the suspect. She is nine months pregnant.
--A St. Cloud woman was hurt after rolling her car in the ditch Monday morning in Kandiyohi County. The incident happened around 7:30am along Highway 23 in Roseville Township. The Minnesota State Patrol says 20-year-old Donna Honer was heading west on Highway 23 at County Road 6, when she hit a patch of ice, lost control of her vehicle and rolled into the ditch. She was taken to Paynesville Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
NATIONAL NEWS
--Another Democratic Presidential Debate is tonight as more candidates drop out of the race for the White House. Cory Booker announced Monday he is suspending his run for Presidents this comes just days after author Marianne Williamson and former Housing Secretary Julián Castro also dropped out of the race.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Claire and Jaime Hebler Sr. of Hillman, girl on January 10th
DEATH NOTICES
--Joseph “Joe” Kapsner, age 65 of Genola.
WEATHER
TODAY= becoming sunny in afternoon, temps dropping to 13.
TONIGHT= snow after midnight 1-3 inches, temps stay steady.
WEDNESDAY= snow in morning, windy and colder late in day with temps rising to 18 then dropping to -11 by night time.
THURSDAY= sunny and cold, high 1 above, low around 10 below.
SPORTS
HS BHK= Sartell at Little Falls tonight at 7pm on Q92 WYRQ.
NFL= Cleveland is hiring the Vikings' offensive coordinator to be their new coach. It was reported that Kevin Stefanski agreed to accept the position Sunday, a day after Minnesota was beaten 27-10 by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs.
COL FB= Joe Burrow had six touchdowns last night as LSU won the College Football National Championship 42-25 over Clemson.
COL BB= Gopher men host Penn State Wednesday 7:30 on KLTF.