NEWS
--The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that on Sunday at approximately 6:15am, their office received a report of a fire at the Stone Hill Bar & Grill located on 230th Street approximately four miles west of Randall. When deputies arrived, there was smoke and fire coming out of the east entryway of the building. The Randall Fire Department responded, and mutual aid was requested. Scandia Valley Fire Department and Camp Ripley Fire Department were called to assist. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined. The building has been ruled a total loss after their initial investigation on Monday. The State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified and is assisting in the investigation.
--The Zamya Theater Project and Placebase productions present “A Prairie Homeless Companion by Josef Evans tonight at 6pm at Great River Arts in Little Falls. This is a live radio show (based on the Prairie Home Companion by Garrison Keillor) but aimed for shining the light on homelessness in central Minnesota. This is a free event tonight though a free will donation will be accepted during the show. For more information you can contact Rose at Oasis Central Minnesota at 320-632-9140. Local performers from Little Falls will perform, act and talk about their struggles of homelessness at the event tonight.
--Four people were hurt, one seriously, when two motorcycles crashed. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened just before 5:30pm Sunday near North Branch in Chisago County. Both motorcycles were going west on Highway 95 when a deer came out onto the road. A motorcycle driven by 50-year-old Patrick Plemel of Sauk Rapids hit the deer and went down. A motorcycle driven by 53-year-old Gary Zniewski of Foley hit the first motorcycle and flipped.
Both drivers were flown to Regions Hospital. The State Patrol says Plemel has non-life-threatening injuries and Zniewski has life-threatening injuries. Two passengers on the bikes, 42-year-old Lacy Plemel of Sauk Rapids and 49-year-old Gina Klein of Sartell were taken by to Regions with minor injuries.
--A student was removed from the Crosby-Ironton High School on Thursday after meth and fentanyl pills were found. In an emailed statement Friday to parents and families, Jennifer Strom, Crosby-Ironton High School principal, said a student found a baggie in a classroom containing pills later confirmed by the police department to contain a combination of meth and fentanyl. The student believed to have brought the drugs was removed from the school and the case has been turned over to the police department. The school stated that parents are encouraged to talk to their children of all ages about the dangers of drugs and the consequences that can occur if caught with or selling these types of drugs.
--A Pequot Lakes man faces numerous felony charges following a months long investigation into the sale of methamphetamine from his residence. 64-year-old Douglas Melby Jr. was charged Friday in Crow Wing County District Court with two counts of felony first-degree sale of drugs, one count of felony unlawful possession of ammunition and one count of felony first-degree possession of drugs. Melby is being held in the Crow Wing County Jail on $400,000 bail or bond with no conditions and $200,000 bail or bond with conditions. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 12th. The Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force found within the past few months that Melby was receiving and selling large quantities of methamphetamine at his residence in Pequot Lakes. Where he was arrested with drugs in his possession.
--The Heartland Symphony Orchestra begins its 47th season with their fall performance of “Shall We Dance” Saturday in Little Falls and Sunday in Brainerd. The show will include a special performances of the horn section of the orchestra and members of St. Francis Music Ensemble for the show in Little Falls and the Brainerd High Sinfonia Orchestra for the show in Brainerd. Conductor Ryan Webber will have a question and answer segment at 6:45pm on Saturday with the show beginning at 7:30pm at Charles D. Martin Auditorium, then Sunday his Q & A will be at 1:45pm with the show at 2:30pm at the Gichi-ziibi Center of the Arts in Brainerd. There is no admission it is free for all ages this weekend to come and enjoy the music. Good will donations are encouraged to help with the program.
--A Holdingford man accused of causing a fatal crash in the fall of 2020 has been found guilty A Stearns County judge found 24-year-old Jacob Westbrock guilty of criminal vehicular homicide and careless driving. The crash occurred on the 42000 block of 190th Avenue in Holding Township on August 27th, 2020. The caller reported one of the two vehicles involved was on fire, and the other vehicle was nearby with the driver unresponsive and trapped inside. Deputies determined that Westbrock was northbound on 190th Ave. in a pickup when he tried to pass another northbound vehicle and crashed head-on with a southbound car. The driver of that car, 33-year-old Russell Heitzman of Avon, died in the crash. In December 2021, Westbrock was found incompetent to face the charges against him but he was restored to competency in the fall of 2022.
--Authorities are investigating an alleged assault of a minor in the Bemidji area. The Bemidji Police Department issued a news release on the incident late last week. Officers responded to the Sanford Medical Center's Emergency Room on a report that a young girl had been sexually assaulted. A search warrant was then used at a home where they found one of the suspects described by the victim. 22-year-old Oscar Luna of Texas was arrested and has been charged in Beltrami County. During the search, 12 other individuals were found and identified. None of those individuals could be immediately identified as suspects in the case and 11 were turned over to the custody of U.S. Border Patrol.
DEATH NOTICES
--Lynn Kalahar, age 80 of Brainerd, grew up in Little Falls.
--Evangeline Mohler, age 93 of Little Falls.
--Bernice Pulak Bednark Drywa, age 91 of Pierz formerly Harding.
WEATHER
A freeze warning has been issued for Morrison County started at 1am and last until 9am this morning.
TODAY= frosty start, then sunny skies, high 54.
TONIGHT= mostly cloudy, low near 30 frost possible late.
WEDNESDAY= becoming sunny, high 55, low near 38.
THURSDAY= rain develops in PM hours, high 54, low near 40.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins and Houston play game 3 today at Target Field in Minneapolis, pregame at 2pm with first pitch at 3:07pm today. There will be a game 4 scheduled for 1:07pm Wednesday with a pregame to start at noon on Wednesday both games on Q92 WYRQ. If a game 5 is necessary it would be Friday in Houston.