[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Newsletter: Wednesday, March 30th 2016[/title][fusion_text]
NEWS
–A man on a bike died after being hit by a car on Minnesota Highway 15 in Sartell Tuesday morning. According to the Minnesota State Patrol the crash happened at 5:45am at Highway 15 and Stearns County Road 1. A man was traveling east across southbound Highway 15 on a bicycle when a passenger car in the left lane struck him. The bicyclist 54-year-old Scott Erickstad of Sartell died at the scene. Authorities identified the driver of the car as 40-year-old Jason Stocker of Sartell. Alcohol is not suspected to have been a factor in the crash. The driver of the car was cooperative with police, but it has not been determined whether citations or charges would be filed. Both directions of Highway 15 were closed to traffic around 6:00am. Northbound lanes were opened just before 7:30am while southbound lanes had been opened by 8:30am.
–A 19-year-old St. Cloud man has been charged with three felonies after he attempted to force sexual activity on a 14-year-old girl. 19-year old Mohamed Abdirahman Salah was charged Monday in Stearns County District Court with three counts of criminal sexual conduct.
–A 42-year-old Browerville man was injured last night on Highway 71 in Todd County. Troy Wozniak was on 71 around 7:00pm when he left the roadway, overcorrected and rolled the vehicle. Wozniak was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
–One person was injured in a one-vehicle crash that happened early Tuesday on Highway 10 near Verndale in Wadena County. The crash happened shortly after 1:30am in the westbound lane of Highway 10. The driver of the vehicle, 61-year old Brian Burkman of Menahga fell asleep and the car went off the road. Burkman was not injured but a passenger, 56-year old Valerie Burkman of Menahga suffered non-life threatening injuries.
–The Little Falls Fire Department responded to a trailer park Tuesday morning. Around 5:20am they responded to lot 17 in the trailer park at 801 8th Street NW for smoke in the trailer. There was minor smoke damage done to the trailer but it was quickly contained. No injuries.
–A former University of North Dakota department chairman and Cushing native pleaded guilty Monday to federal child pornography charges. 56-year-old Robert Beattie was charged in federal court last August with receiving and distributing materials of child pornography and another two counts containing those materials. Beattie pleaded guilty to one charge of possesion of materials while each of the other charges will be dismissed. The one charge has a maximum of 40 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Prosecutors announced Monday they will as part of the plea deal ask for a lower sentence, the minimum in federal guidelines is five years in prison. Beattie will be sentenced on July 12th at 10:00am in Fargo, North Dakota.
–A self-professed minister accused of sexually abusing young girls in rural Minnesota will be extradited to Minnesota after his arrest in Brazil more than a year ago. The Pine County Attorney’s Office confirms that the extradition of Victor Barnard was approved, but does not know the timeline. Barnard is charged with 59 counts of criminal sexual conduct involving two members of a “Maidens Group” within a religious group he led in a rural area near Finlayson. After some adults in the group began questioning his activities, Barnard moved his family and his church to the state of Washington. He was arrested in early March 2015 in Brazil.
–The 17th annual Kinship Soup and Chili Cookoff was held last night in Little Falls. Hundreds gathered and voted on their favorite soup and chili. The people choice award for best soup out of eight entries went to the Falls Ballroom Minnesota Chowder soup. Out of six entries for best chili the people’s choice was Anderson Custom Processing for their Creamy Turkey Chili. The judges voted the Creamy Turkey chili as their top winner too with second place going to MCHRA’s Lorelee’s Family Chili and 3rd place to Curves Complete Cozy Comfort Chili. The best soup by judges vote was Philly Cheese Steak Soup by Hilmerson RV, while the Falls Ballroom Minnesota Chowder took 2nd and Brisket Barley Soup prepared by Perkins took 3rd. Monetary prizes were given to the top three in both categories and notably MCHRA and Hilmerson RV donated their winnings back to Kinship. MCHRA’s Lorelee’s Family Chili was voted as best theme.
–Morrison County had 7.9% unemployment in February which is lower than the 8.3% in January and also lower than the 8.1% in February of last year. Here is how our surrounding counties fared for local unemployment rates in February: Aitken 8.2%; Benton 5.7%; Cass 9.3%; Crow Wing 6.9%; Mille Lacs 8%; Sherburne 5%; Stearns 4.5%; Todd 6.1%; Wadena 8.2% and Wright 4.8%. The city of Brainerd registered at 11.5% and the city of St. Cloud at 4.6% unemployment in February. The statewide average was 4.4% while the national average was 5.2%.
–House Republicans say they’ll pass a bill that sets necessary upgrades to Minnesota driver’s licenses in motion. The House plans to take up a bill that would launch a study on how to comply with the boosted standards in the Real ID Act. Upgraded licenses will be necessary to board domestic flights by October 2020. The House will give the Department of Public Safety a little more time to gather information for lawmakers. The Senate will need to approve before it heads to Gov. Mark Dayton. The study is just the first step. Lawmakers will need to pass the ID changes later this session.
–One driver was injured in a collision on Tuesday morning on Interstate Highway 94 near St. Cloud. A Department of Transportation truck driven by 59-year old Jerald Heinks of St. Cloud was westbound when a vehicle driven by 78-year old Shirley Sautter of Fargo merged to the right and rear ended the back of the DOT vehicle. Sautter suffered injuries that were not believed to be life threatening, according to the Minnesota State Patrol report.
NATIONAL NEWS
–Tuesday’s US Supreme Court 4-4 decision in the Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association case leaves intact a decision from a lower court that allows public-sector employee unions to collect fair-share fees from all employees they represent.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
–Actress Patty Duke of “Patty Duke Show” has died at age 69.
DEATH NOTICES
–Collette M. Benson, age 83 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= showers likely, high near 50, rain/snow mix at night low 34.
THURSDAY= light snow early then rain showers, high 45 windy.
FRIDAY= partly cloudy, colder and windy, high 38, low 23.
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