[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Newsletter: Tuesday, January 26th 2016[/title][fusion_text]Tuesday, January 26th 2016
NEWS
–A federal judge has postponed Danny Heinrich’s trial on possession of child pornography charges until July. A judge agreed to a joint request from federal prosecutors and Heinrich’s defense team. Last October, on the same day that U.S. Attorney Andy Lugar announced the child pornography charges, authorities named Heinrich as a person of interest in the 1989 abduction of Jacob Wetterling. That investigation is still underway. So far, no one has been charged.
–Slippery roads on Saturday morning led to a number of accidents in central Minnesota. Just after midnight a semi-truck overturned in the median of Interstate 94 west of Osakis closing the interstate for over an hour. The driver from Washington State was not seriously hurt. Then between 6:30-8:30am a number of accidents were reported in Stearns, Todd, Douglas and Otter Tail Counties including a family of four from Alexandria involved in an accident in Todd County on I-94. One of the passengers sustained minor injuries and a family of three were all injured when their vehicle rolled over in Stearns County on I-94. The three from Richmond received non-life threatening injuries from that accident.
–The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reports no charges will be filed for now in the death of a Detroit Lakes woman found dead in Menahga in the summer of 2014. Family members found 32-year-old Kelly Lund dead in a tent on her brothers lawn. The sheriff’s office concluded that they did not find any evidence to support criminal charges. An autopsy reported that Lund had died from strangulation but the medical examiner could not find sufficent evidence to support if the death was homicide or suicide. The death investigation into Lund remains open but no charges are being filed.
–A 46-year-old Alexandria man pleaded guilty to federal charges of money laundering more than 2-million dollars which are believed to be proceeds from a penny stock fraud scheme. Kenneth Landgaard entered the guilty plea in Brooklyn, New York on January 15th with two suspects, one from Panama another from Florida as part of an FBI sting operation. No word yet on a sentencing date for the case.
–State Senator Jim Metzen says he will not be seeking re-election after 42 years of service in the state Legislature. The Democrat announced last year that he was receiving treatment for cancer at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. In a statement Saturday, he said that when his current term is finished, he hopes his constituents believe he represented them well and that he was fair. He says he tried to form friendships and alliances with both Democrats and Republicans. Metzen was first elected to the House of Representatives as a 31-year-old and served six consecutive terms. He was then elected to the Senate in 1986 and was re-elected eight times.
–The battle for greater Minnesota at the ballot box in November is already taking shape at the Capitol. All 201 legislators are up for re-election, but the fight for control of the House and Senate in 2016 will largely center on a handful of rural districts. Those election-year pressures are already translating into a rural focus for the 2016 legislative session. Coalitions and other political organizations are stating that rural Minnesota will have a major influence this election season for what will be done in the 2016 legislative session.
–The 19th Annual Buffalo Feed and Raffle for the Pierz Knights of Columbus will be Saturday 4-8pm for the feed 8:15 for the raffle at the Pierz Ballroom. Proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society and the remainder to benefit the Pierz KC’s. Raffle tickets are available from any Pierz KC member and the feed is $6 from 4-8pm.
–A 91-year-old Brainerd woman died as a result of injuries suffered in a two-vehicle crash at 11:43am Sunday on Highway 371 and Barbeau Road, north of Baxter. Rosemary M. Potvin was traveling east on Barbeau Road as 41-year old Walter M. Gren of Andover was driving south on Highway 371. Potvin failed to yield and the vehicles met in the intersection. Potvin died Monday at St. Cloud Hospital. Gren and his two passengers had no apparent injuries.
–Around 2:00pm on Saturday the Morrison County Sheriff’s office received a report of a two vehicle accident with injuries at the intersection of Ridge Road and Aztec Road in Scandia Valley Township near Lincoln. 83-year old John Weigel of Staples was traveling westbound on Ridge Road. Weigel turned southbound on Aztec Road when his vehicle collided with another vehicle driven by 19-year old Cole Franzen of Motley. Weigel was transported by private vehicle to Staples Hospital.
–Around 1:00pm on Sunday the Morrison County Sheriffs office received a report of a one vehicle accident with injuries near the intersection of 93rd Street and 345th Avenue, in Morrill Township near Morrill. 20-year old Vincent Poff of Big Lake was traveling on 93rd Street. Poff stated he swerved to miss a deer, went into the ditch, and collided with a power pole. Poff was treated at the scene by medical personnel.
–A fire destroyed a shed Saturday evening in Grove Township of Stearns County. Around 9:15pm authorities responded to the report of a fire at 32507 U.S. Highway 71. The fire was reported by a passerby who saw flames coming out of the roof on the west side of the shed. The building, owned by Michael and Jean Breitbach, contained a woodworking and automotive repair area was deemed a total loss. No one was injured and the cause is under investigation.
–Around 1:40am on Sunday a Stearns County Deputy arrested 56-year old Kenneth Donell Naylor of St. Cloud for Felony DWI. Naylor was spotted driving erratically on Veteran’s Drive in St. Cloud. The deputy stopped the vehicle near the intersection with 23rd Avenue North. The driver Kenneth Naylor showed signs of intoxication and failed the sobriety tests. Naylor claimed that he could not provide a breath sample so the deputy obtained a search warrant for a blood sample. Naylor was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital where a blood sample was obtained and will be analyzed by the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Naylor was then booked into the Stearns County Jail. Due to his history of five prior alcohol related driving offenses he was held on Felony 1st Degree DWI and other charges.
–A power outage on the eastern part of Little Falls occurred yesterday morning. Power went out to a number of businesses and residences around 8:10am but was restored to the area by 9:40am.
DEATH NOTICE
–Geraldine Pekula, age 79 of Swan River Township, Morrison County
WEATHER
TODAY= morning flurries and cloudy with a high of 25
TONIGHT= mostly cloudy, low of 13
WEDNESDAY= slight chance of snow, still cloudy with a high of 35
SPORTS
TWINS= The Minnesota Twins have signed Trevor Plouffe to a one year deal worth $7.25 million. Twins baseball this season on WYRQ.
HS BHK= St. Cloud Apollo at Little Falls tonight 7:15 on Q92 WYRQ
HS BBB= Paynesville Area at Pierz tonight 7:30pm on FM94 KFML.
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