NEWS
--Morrison County maintenance crews will be out again this week trimming trees along various roads within the county for better sight distance at stop signs along with clearing county right of ways. Please use caution around work crews. Maintenance workers will also be patching potholes on various county roads (CSAH 1), (CSAH 34), and (CSAH 8) as weather permits. This requires motorists to stop frequently and workers to be on the roadway. Motorists need to be attentive to flashing lights where crews are working and use caution.
--Four people were hurt in an SUV versus car crash in Sherburne County on Friday afternoon. The incident happened at Highway 10 and Jarvis Street in Elk River just before 2:00pm. The Minnesota State Patrol says the SUV was going south on Jarvis Street and the car was going west on Highway 10. The SUV stopped at, and then entered the intersection of the two roads and was hit by the car. The driver of the car, 55-year old John Bowden of Milaca, was taken to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the SUV, 20-year old Cindy Lee of Brooklyn Park, and her passengers, 22-year old Dill Junye and 23-year old Mcdaniel Neekpo, both of Brooklyn Park, were also taken to a hospital with injuries.
--A Wadena County sheriff's deputy attempt to stop a vehicle outside of Wadena led law enforcement on a high-speed chase and ended with arrests on fleeing, reckless driving and drug charges. The deputy and an agent for the West Central Drug Task Force attempted to stop the vehicle on Oink Joint Road, south of Highway 10 around 1:30pm Thursday. The driver and passenger fled and led deputies on a pursuit that lasted about 7 miles with speeds reaching over 100 mph on tar roads and speeds near 70 mph on dirt, ice-covered roads. The vehicle returned to Highway 10 and stopped in Verndale. 25-year old Aaron Richard Bounds of Verndale, was arrested and found to be in possession of a methamphetamine pipe and a large amount of currency. The passenger 34-year old Amber Lynn Sutherland of Wadena, was also arrested at the scene. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle and about 15 grams of meth was found along with a digital scale and numerous small individual baggies. Both were charged with felony drug possession charges. Bounds was also charged with fleeing a motor vehicle.
--Governor Tim Walz has indicated he wants a gas tax increase to help the state of Minnesota catch up with transportation projects in need of funding. New Transportation Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher is a former House Speaker and has served a decade on the Transportation Policy and Transportation Finance Committees. She says the state legislature needs to come up with a sustainable and ongoing funding package for road and bridge projects and the gas tax hike is one way to accomplish that. Anderson Kelliher says the state's road and bridges are aging faster than they can be replaced. She says a nickel increase in the gas tax won't be enough to make headway on those improvements, but rather only cover the existing debt and keep the state's transportation system above water. She didn't say how much of an increase in the gas tax Governor Walz is considering. The Transportation Commissioner admits a gas tax is more regressive than income tax, but she says right now, it is the most equitable way of making Minnesotans pay their fair share. Anderson Kelliher replaced Charlie Zelle who served under Governor Mark Dayton.
--Habitat for Humanity of Morrison County is now accepting applications for the Habitat Homeownership Program for affordable housing. In order to apply, applicants must be currently living in Morrison County for at least one year, be low income according to household size, have a housing need, and be willing to partner in helping to build the home, and other Habitat projects. Those interested in applying should contact the Habitat office for an
application. Completed applications must be returned by mail or in person to the Habitat office at 65 E. Broadway in Little Falls between February 1st and March 14th. Habitat for Humanity is a Christian based nonprofit housing ministry and equal opportunity housing lender. Questions can be answered by calling (320) 616-2084.
--A St. Cloud man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for fatally shooting a man in Waite Park in 2017. 21-year old Desmond Ormandy Barzey was convicted of one count of second degree murder, without intent, possession of a firearm with a previous conviction, fourth-degree assault, terroristic threats and fifth degree assault. The charges were part of three separate cases. The Stearns County Judge Shan Wang sentenced Barzey to 15 years in prison, and Barzey will serve all counts concurrently. Barzey pleaded guilty to the charges in October.
--Classes were canceled Monday at Pleasantview Elementary in Sauk Rapids, due to what the district is calling a small fire. All after-school programming, including Kidstop, at Pleasantview, was also canceled.
The cancellation only affected Pleasantview.
--A teenager was hurt in a rollover crash Monday morning. The incident happened shortly after 8:00 a.m. on Highway 23 near 158th Avenue NE in New London Township. The Minnesota State Patrol says 17-year-old Damon Ybarra of Spicer was driving his SUV north on Highway 23 when he lost control on the icy roadway, ran off the road to the left, crossed the center median and rolled into the south lanes of traffic. Ybarra wasn't wearing his seat belt and was ejected from the SUV, he was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Ybarra's passenger, 11-year-old Ray Ibarra was wearing his seat belt, he wasn't ejected and was not hurt.
--Two people were hurt near Milaca Monday morning just after 10am on Highway 169. 53-year-old Stephen Kovall of Remer was on 169 when he veered off the road in the median. Kovall and his passenger, 11-year-old Tucker Kovall were both taken to the Princeton Hospital with reported non life threatening injuries.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Mackenzie Nieman and Sari Zimmerman Verley of Little Falls had a baby boy born on January 13th.
DEATH NOTICE
--Linda Froncak, age 64 of St. Paul formerly of Harding.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy, high 27 turning windy and colder, low 0 tonight.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and cold, high 12, low around -6.
THURSDAY= sunny and cold, high 14, low around -5.
SPORTS
HS BBB= Little Falls at St. Cloud Cathedral tonight 7pm on Q92.
HS GBB= Pierz at Pine City tonight 7pm on FM94 KFML.