NEWS
--Under the Minnesota Opioid State-Subdivision Memorandum of Agreement, Morrison County Health and Human Services has been designated to serve as Morrison County's lead agency and Chief Strategist to identify, collaborate, and respond to local issues as the Morrison County Board of Commissioners decide how to leverage and disburse the County's allocated Opioid Settlement Funds. As a condition, Morrison County must hold an annual, public meeting with municipalities and community to consult on the county’s future use of the settlement funds. The meeting is intended for the public to provide input on proposed uses of the Opioid Settlement Funds, and to encourage collaboration between local governments both within and beyond our county. We have scheduled a meeting for August 22nd from 4:30 to 6pm. Please note the location for this meeting has been changed to the Prairie Room at the Initiative Foundation, located at 405 First Street SE in Little Falls. The focus of this meeting will be to share background on the settlement, data on the impact of the opioid crisis in Morrison County, the eligible uses of the funds, an estimate of the funds Morrison County will receive and ideas on programs and services.
--On Wednesday, August 9th, at approximately 8:14pm, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Officer responded to the Pine Terrace Resort in Ideal Township for a report of a missing 14-year-old male on Star Lake that been on a paddleboard. Witnesses had observed the juvenile out on the paddleboard fall into the water and never surface. The juvenile was pulled from the water by individuals on scene at the resort. Life-saving measures were attempted but were unsuccessful and the juvenile was pronounced deceased at the scene. The juvenile has been identified as Stanley Wilson from Encinitas California.
--A 59-year-old from Garrison was injured Monday around 9:13pm in Irondale Township of Crow Wing County. Richard Ringold was traveling on Highway 210 near Trail Road when the vehicle left the roadway continued to drive through the ditch until crashing into a tree and the vehicle than started on fire. The State Patrol said that Ringold was taken to HCMC in the Twin Cities with serious but still considered non-life threatening injuries. The media report stated that alcohol may have been a factor in the accident.
--A St. Cloud man was hurt in a crash in Wright County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened just after 11pm Monday on westbound Interstate 94 in Albertville. Thirty-three-year-old Chad Gruenberg was driving his car when it went into the ditch. He was taken to North Memorial with non-life-threatening injuries. State Troopers say alcohol may have been involved in the crash.
--Three people were injured in Kanabec County around 5:30pm Monday when a vehicle driven by Adrian Bixby, age 46 of Mora ad slowed for waiting traffic and was rear ended by a vehicle driven by 40-year-old Preston Ludwig of Pine City which caused Bixby's vehicle to move forward and struck a pickup driven by 56-year-old Pamela Kelling of Mora. Kelling was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries,. The other two drivers were treated at the scene, but did not need to be taken to the hospital from the accident.
--Sister Julien of the Franciscan Sisters stated they still have appointments for next Monday and Tuesday's blood drive. But only about 10 spots for Monday, more for Tuesday. Monday is 1-7pm and Tuesday 12-6pm at the Convent. For an appointment call Sister at 320-632-0663 or go to redcrossblood.org.
--The trial of a former Benton County prosecutor accused of sexual misconduct with a teenage girl has been delayed. The trial against former Benton County Attorney Philip Miller was scheduled to start Monday. Court records show both of Miller's lawyers had family emergencies and weren't able to attend the scheduled start time. Miller is charged with two counts of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim under the age of 16. The 62-year-old is charged with groping a 15-year-old girl both over her clothing and underneath her clothing in March 2020 and again "one or two months" after the first incident. Court records allege the girl was in her bed when Miller came into her room and sexually assaulted her on those occasions. Court records show Miller was interviewed by investigators and denied ever groping the girl or touching her anywhere else that would be of a sexual nature. The charges have been filed in Benton County District Court, but the case has been referred to the Dakota County Attorney's Office for prosecution to avoid a conflict of interest in the case.
--A Hinckley man has been charged with manslaughter in the accidental death of his three-year-old son, who shot himself with a handgun he found in his father’s bedroom. Prosecutors have charged 26-year-old Roy Dean Pauza-Moore with two counts of 2nd-degree manslaughter, along with additional felony counts of child endangerment and negligent storage of firearms. Court records stated that Pauza-Moore was playing video games with his roommate last Tuesday night while his son watched a movie on his cell phone. When the phone’s battery began to run low, he told the boy to go upstairs to charge it. A short time later he and his roommate heard a loud noise. They ran upstairs and found the child bleeding next to the bed, with a semi-automatic pistol lying on the floor next to him. The defendant told investigators the handgun was loaded and sitting on top of an unlocked gun safe while the child was alone in the bedroom, the gun did not have any safety mechanisms.
--Authorities are investigating an incident in which a boat crashed into a dock and a couple of boats on lifts Friday on Gull Lake in Crow Wing County. The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash, reported at 11:49pm on the north side of Gull Lake. The sheriff’s office said the incident is currently under investigation.
DEATH NOTICES
--Roger A. Blake, age 78 of Little Falls.
--Edna A. Stuckmeyer, age 97 of Pierz.
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, high 88, storms develop after 5pm.
TONIGHT= strong storms early, then clearing, low 56.
THURSDAY= partly cloudy, breezy and cooler, high 76, low 52.
FRIDAY= sunny and breezy, high near 80, low near 64.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins win 5-3 over Detroit last night. Twins (63-58) wrap up a short series with Detroit today, pregame begins at 11:30am and live on Q92 WYRQ. The Twins have Thursday off.
NFL= former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has signed a one year deal with the New York Jets for 8.6-million dollars. He will now play behind former Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers who is now also a New York Jet. The Vikings have Tennessee in preseason game #2 on Saturday night. Regular season opens September 10th.