NEWS –A Royalton man was airlifted to the hospital after a rollover this weekend. The incident happened at about 8:45pm Saturday on 93rd Street in Bellevue Township, near Royalton. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrived to the scene to find a black sedan upside down in the ditch. 30-year old Michael Dancer was found inside with his arm trapped under the vehicle. Emergency crews were able to lift the car to free Dancer’s arm. He was flown to St. Cloud Hospital with unknown injuries.
--A search was done this past weekend looking for a St. Cloud State Student who went missing Saturday morning. 21-year-old Jesse Dady was last seen on a video camera walking on Fifth Avenue North early Saturday morning. He was alone at the time. Stearns County deputies, police, fire crews and others spent Saturday searching around the university then Sunday spent the entire day searching the shoreline and the Mississippi River for clues to Dady but nothing was found. Stearns County Monday requested Hennepin County for help finding the missing man. They’re asking for a side sonar device to help search the Mississippi River for Dady. A bloodhound Sunday was tracking some of Dady's scent to the riverback. The sonar indicates there is a body in the river. They will send divers in to recover it. Dady went missing early Saturday morning. He was last seen walking along 5th Avenue North in downtown St. Cloud. Dady is a junior at SCSU. He is a white male, 6 feet tall, blonde hair, hazel eyes, wearing a blaze orange hat, gray jacket and jeans. Anyone who knows of his whereabouts should contact authorities at (320) 251-1200.
--U.S. Representative 52-year old Tim Walz says he is running for governor. The DFLer Walz made his announcement Monday morning in Rochester. Walz enters a Democratic field for the 2018 governor's race that already includes St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, state Rep. Erin Murphy of St. Paul and State Auditor Rebecca Otto. Also considering running are state Rep. Tina Liebing of Rochester and the current 8th District Congressman Rick Nolan, who serves northeast and east-central Minnesota including Morrison County. On the Republican side, only Christopher William Chamberlin of St. Cloud has announced he is running. Others considering to seek a GOP nomination in the race are House Speaker Kurt Daudt of Crown and state Republican Party Chairman Keith Downey of suburban Twin Cities. Former GOP governor candidate Jeff Johnson, a Hennepin County commissioner and Detroit Lakes native, also is thought to be considering running. Walz has been in Congress since 2007 and lives in Mankato, where he was a teacher and coach. He is a veteran and has worked on veterans' issues in Congress. Governor Mark Dayton has said he will not seek a third term.
--A St. Cloud man whose criminal sexual conduct trial was to start this week has instead pleaded guilty. 22-year old Mohamed Abdirahman Salah pleaded guilty to one count of second degree criminal sexual conduct. Salah was accused of trying to force sex on a 14-year old girl. Salah told officers he thought the girl was 18 and that she agreed to sex in exchange for giving her a ride but changed her mind. He’ll be sentenced April 13th.
--The 18th Annual Kinship of Morrison County Soup and Chili Cookoff for Kids is 5-7pm today at the Falls Ballroom in Little Falls. 20 soups and chili will be on display, with a raffle and silent auction. Proceeds will help the mentoring programs with Kinship. Info at 632-8806.
--Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen reports that on Friday at approximately 6:48pm, their office received a report of a side by side ATV theft from a residence located on 125th Avenue in Darling Township. The side by side is described as a 2008 Arctic Cat Prowler 650, lime green in color with MN License plate 2CB40. Also stolen were a battery charger and a blue helmet with silver stripes on it. Sheriff Larsen encourages residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious vehicles or activity in the area and to contact law enforcement with potential crime tips. If you have information on this theft, please contact the sheriff’s office at (320) 632-9233.
--In a similar but separate story the Morrison County Sheriff's Office around 8:30am Monday received a report of a vehicle theft from 13th Street northwest in Little Falls. The vehicle stolen is described as a 1999 Ford DRW Super Duty, single cab with MN License plate YBB5950. The cab is white in color with a green chipper box on the back. The decal “TS Tree Service & Stump Grinding” is located on both doors and there is a dent on the passenger side front fender. The truck was pulling a yellow, brush bandit 250XP wood chipper bearing serial number 15819. Sheriff Larsen encourages residents to be on the lookout and to contact the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 632-9233 with any information regarding this theft.
--First responders were able to rescue two anglers who had fallen through the ice Monday on separate Crow Wing County lakes. Around 2:15pm on Big Portage Lake in rural Backus then around 3:00pm on Gladstone Lake in Nisswa. In both cases the anglers were rescued and treated at the scene with no serious injuries. Law enforcement and first responders are advising all residents in the lakes area to stay off the ice as it is not safe and considered very dangerous.
--Brainerd, Nisswa and Pequot Lakes firefighters battled an attic fire at a home near Gull Lake on Maple Lane in Nisswa. The fire was contained to the attic and one room in the upstairs. Crews were able to stop the fire from spreading throughout the house. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire was not determined.
--A Red Cross Bloodmobile will be today and tomorrow 1-7pm and Thursday from 8am-2pm at the St. Francis Convent in Little Falls. Do your part and give blood. For appointments contact 632-0663.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny and mild, high near 60. TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 35. WEDNESDAY= mostly cloudy, afternoon sprinkles, high 54, low 32. THURSDAY= partly to mostly sunny, high 54, low around 30.
SPORTS TWINS= Twins finish up spring play Friday against their Triple A team, then return home for the Regular Season Opener next Monday with Kansas City. Pregame Monday is at 2:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
TODAY IN HISTORY IN 1866= first ambulance goes into service- horse and buggy style. IN 1891= first world weightlifting championships are held. IN 1957= first national curling championships are held. IN 1967= “Ironside” debuted as a 2 hour movie on NBC TV- the show starred Raymond Burr of Perry Mason, turned into a series. IN 1972= Wilt Chamberlain retires from professional basketball. IN 1974= the infamous streaker incident occurred on Johnny Carson.