NEWS
--The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office has released the name of the 18-year-old killed Saturday after her vehicle struck a tree east of Brainerd in Nokay Lake Township. 18-year-old Alexis Laughton of Brainerd was pronounced dead at the scene when deputies arrived. The accident was reported at 4:42pm Saturday.
--A 61-year-old from Randall was injured around 3:15pm yesterday afternoon on Highway 10 in Scandia Valley Township. Vernon Hintz reportedly left the roadway after suffering a medical condition. Hintz was taken to the Staples Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
--A line of strong thunderstorms moved across the state and in central Minnesota Monday morning and then again later in the afternoon. The morning round of storms dropped baseball and golf ball size hail in Belgrade, Kimball, knocked down trees and brought hail between Upsala to Bowlus. Then tornado and thunderstorm warnings for southeastern Morrison County started around 4:30pm where National Weather Service spotters stated a tornado was located near Gillman about 7 miles west of Foley moving northeast with strong straight line winds then went into Mille Lacs County. The same storms had funnel clouds spotted near Sauk Rapids. Severe storms continued in parts of the state into Monday evening. The Weather Service had not confirmed any tornado touchdowns from Monday but are investigating the areas. More severe weather is forecast tomorrow and Thursday across the state.
--The Little Falls Fire Department was called out Saturday at 10:30am to 6453 North Koering Road in Fort RipleyTownship on a report of a subject that fell out of a deer stand. Firefighters were requested to assist with getting the subject out of the woods. Crow Wing County Deputies and North Ambulance arrived prior and already had the patient stabilized. Then on Sunday around 10:30am the Little Falls Fire Department responded to various locations in Little Falls to assist with power lines down. Firefighters stood by those locations until Minnesota Power arrived and made the scenes safe.
--First year Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp of Royalton Public Schools spoke Friday on KLTF. She said this year in Royalton has been better than expected when last year at this time masks, questions on in classes, distance learning and events still looming when she was announced as the new superintendent and then to have all students in class all year, mask mandates removed and all events getting in (weather permitting) has been terrific. There are still events coming up, band concert tomorrow at 6pm, choir concert on May 25th, athletics and fine arts awards ceremony is May 18th at 7pm in the gym where they will acknowledge all those involved this past year in Royalton. There will be a strategic planning meeting coming up May 26th for anyone who wants to participate or come and see if they want to be involved at 6pm at the Cafetorium. Graduation then finishes the school year for the seniors May 27th at 7pm and that is in Royalton. Summer work will include a new HVAC cooling and heating system being put in the Royalton school district. More superintendents will speak on KLTF in the next two weeks.
--A 62-year-old Deerwood man was injured in a motorcycle crash Thursday afternoon in Breezy Point. The Breezy Point Police Department responded to the call at 1:51pm, on County Highway 11 near Lindove Lane. Upon arrival, motorcycle driver Kelly Avelsgard was lying on the north shoulder of the highway about 100 feet from his bike. He was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital with serious injuries as reports stated that he was not wearing a helmet.
--A St. Cloud State University professor and some of his students will be looking for a piece of central Minnesota history this summer.
Rob Mann is an Associate Professor in the SCSU Anthropology Department. He was just awarded a $10,000 grant from the Minnesota Historical Society for an archeology dig on the William Warren homestead in Morrison County, which would now be located in the Royalton area. Warren was an interpreter on many treaties, an author, and a state legislator. He was in the area by 1847 and lived there until he died in 1853 at the age of 28 years old. Even though it's long been known that he had a cabin or home site in Morrison County, the exact location has never been documented archaeologically. The farmstead was taken over by Peter MacDougall by at least the 1870s, but Mann says it is possible there could be some overlap between the two families. The MacDougall's barn and a few other outbuildings are still standing on the property. He says the $10,000 grant will allow them to use a technique called a geophysical survey which allows them to go over the ground surface without having to dig for artifacts, then target the specific areas where they find something. The land is now owned by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and they have a curation agreement with the Minnesota Historical Society that whatever they find will go to them.
--Registration is open for tractor driving school. The University of Minnesota Extension is hosting a youth tractor and farm safety program on June 14th and 15th at the Wright County Fairgrounds. Karen Johnson, extension educator says this is a chance for 14 and 15-year-olds to learn farm safety. This program is really designed for youth ages 14 and 15. And they receive a certification that helps them to work off of their family farm. It's basically designed to make sure that they understand farm safety aspects that they need to comprehend in order to operate a tractor efficiently and effectively and do it in the safest manner possible. The class includes an online course that must be passed before the hands-on learning can begin. Pre-registration is required, and class sizes are limited.
--A woman suffered serious injuries in a head-on crash in Wright County. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just before 8:30pm Sunday on Highway 55 in Rockford. 36-year-old Nicole Synstelien of Lake City was taken to North Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries. 28-year-old Garrett Schultz of Brooklyn Center has non-life-threatening injuries was not hospitalized.
DEATH NOTICES
--Joshua James Rauch, age 41 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= becoming sunny, less windy, high 73.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 50.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and warm, high 81, storms develop later in the afternoon with severe storms likely during the night, low 63.
THURSDAY= severe storms early, then sunny and hot, high near 90 with another round of severe thunderstorms later in the PM hours.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins open series at home against the Houston Astros tonight, pregame at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
WILD= Wild and St. Louis play game 5 tonight at 8:30pm at the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul. Series is tied at 2 games each. Game 6 is Thursday night in St. Louis and Game 7 if necessary would be on Saturday night in St. Paul to wrap up the series.