NEWS
--At 7:55am Monday the Little Falls Fire Department was dispatched to 401 7th Street NE on a reported apartment fire. Upon arrival firefighters found flames coming from a window of a second story apartment. The building contained four separate apartments and they were told that all occupants had exited the building safely. Firefighters made entry into the apartment where the fire originated and extinguished the fire. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the room of origin and the attic space above. There was extensive damage to the apartment where the fire originated with smoke and water damage in the remaining three apartments. There were no injuries to tenants or firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Little Falls Fire Department and MN State Fire Marshal’s Office but is believed to be accidental. All of the tenants were displaced as a result of the fire and were provided with temporary housing and other assistance by the Morrison County Chaplain and the American Red Cross.
--The Minnesota State Patrol reported over 150 accidents between Friday noon and Monday noon on Minnesota roadways with at least three fatal accidents and two of the three were not wearing seatbelts. The State Patrol said they will continue a click or ticket campaign on seatbelt use through the end of June.
--41-year-old Anthony Miller of Bowlus was injured Saturday night around 8pm when he tried to avoid a deer crossing Highway 238 at 50th Avenue in Upsala on his motorcycle. Miller was dumped from the vehicle and taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of injuries.
--A woman from Buffalo was killed in an accident Friday at 4:48pm on Highway 15 in Stearns County. 55-year-old Cheryl Stauffer was not wearing a seatbelt when her vehicle left Highway 15 and rolled. She was pronounced dead at St. Cloud Hospital.
--One person was seriously injured in Douglas County near Carlos early Saturday morning. Just before 1:30am, 37-year-old Jodie Tatro of Carlos was on Highway 29 left the roadway and struck the ditch. Tatro was not wearing a seatbelt and taken to an area hospital then transferred to the Twin Cities with life threatening injuries.
--The Baxter Police Department Friday afternoon has stated that the body found Thursday around 6pm was positively identified as Jessie Eue. Eue was missing from her residence since May 17. Eue’s body was transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's office late Thursday afternoon to determine the cause of death. No foul play is suspected at this time. The cause of death was not released.
--The man accused of murdering a woman last fall at a Merrifield area resort was indicted last week on two counts of felony first degree murder. Meeting briefly through Zoom, 30-year-old Cameron Jay Moser only gave a thumbs-up when Judge Erik Askegaard made sure he could hear everything, letting his public defender Carly Vosacek speak on his behalf. Moser, who was originally charged with felony second degree murder for the October 2021, shooting death of Bethany Anne Bernatsky at Cozy Bay Resort, was indicted Thursday on one charge of premeditated murder in the first degree, one charge of felony murder in the first degree and one charge of intentional murder in the second degree. The first-degree charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and the second-degree murder charge carries a maximum of 40 years.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office wants to thank all who assisted in the sandbox fill last week. 23 sandboxes were filled and 135 pounds of food was donated to the Morrison County Food Shelf.
--At least three tornado touchdowns were confirmed yesterday in central Minnesota, one near Carlos, another in Backus and a third reported near Starbuck. There were reports of more tornadoes in southwestern Minnesota. Straight lines of 60-70mph were reported in Morrison County with heavy rains at times. Nearly 2 inches of rain was reported yesterday at the Little Falls/Morrison County Airport. Trees down and power outages were reported all weekend from the storms that went through at times leading to the large ones Monday.
--The Minnesota Board of Animal Health has extended its statewide ban on poultry events and exhibitions until July 1, according to a Thursday news release. The ban, meant to reduce the likelihood of spreading H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza, was first set in place in April, and has already been extended once. It includes all poultry swaps, fairs, exhibitions and other events where live poultry and susceptible birds are brought together and then disperse. Any detection of HPAI in a backyard flock means the owner must cull the flock and also refrain from obtaining any new birds for 150 days afterward. The release notes that direct selling of baby poultry is still allowed through private sales, stores, or via mail by National Poultry Improvement Plan authorized sellers. The ban only applies to events where birds congregate and does not apply to poultry products. The current HPAI outbreak in Minnesota poses a high risk to poultry but low risk to the public. There is no food safety concern for consumers.
--A man has been charged in connection to a fatal shooting in south St. Cloud earlier this week. Fifty-two-year-old Paul Coleman, of St. Cloud, is charged with one count of 2nd degree aiding and abetting murder without intent while committing a felony. According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a home in the 1200 block of 10th Avenue South Tuesday night. Police arrived to find a man laying on the floor by the back door with a gunshot wound to his head.
The victim was taken to St. Cloud hospital where we was later pronounced dead. He was identified as Alphonso Cotto.
--It was reported of another filing as Isaac Schultz, who is running for the District 10B seat. Schultz will join Blake Paulson and John Ulrick in a primary for the Republican party in August. Filings for offices with primaries in August must be in by end of business hours today.
DEATH NOTICES
--Leonard L. Czech, age 89 of Elmdale.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy, showers or T-storms possible, windy, high 62.
TONIGHT= cloudy, evening shower possible, low 45.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and breezy, high 65, low near 48.
THURSDAY= sunny and windy but warmer, high 71, low near 50.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins beat KC 10-7 Friday, lost 7-3 Saturday and then won Sunday 7-3 to split series. Twins lost toe Detroit 7-5 yesterday. Twins and Detroit double header today 11:30 and 5:30 on Q92 WYRQ.
HS SB= Little Falls vs. Detroit Lakes in an elimination playoff game today at 4pm from Cold Spring, winner will play again around 6pm against Rocori or Alexandria. Flyer games live on AM960 KLTF.
HS SB= Pierz vs. Holdingford from Waite Park tonight at 5pm with the winner getting Cathedral or Pequot Lakes to follow also tonight in Waite Park, hear the Pierz action live on 94ROCKS KFML.
MORE HS= Upsala softball still alive in playoffs today, baseball playoffs begin for LF, Pierz, Royalton, USA and others today.