NEWS
--Two workers were injured Monday after lightning struck the crane on which they were working on County Highway 45 in Crow Wing County. The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call, reported at 9am in St. Mathias Township, south of Brainerd. The two men were guiding a load suspended from the crane when lightning struck the piece of equipment. The injured workers were 36-year-old, Luke Graber, 56-year-old, Gene Weidendorf. One of the men was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other suffered minor injuries. No other information was made available.
--A St. Cloud man has pleaded guilty to raping two 15-year-old girls. 36-year-old Mowlid Muktar Osman has pleaded guilty to two counts of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to the charges, Osman bought the girls alcohol and cigarettes one day last November. He then brought them back to his south St. Cloud apartment. The girls gave a statement to police saying that they were drinking and smoking with Osman when he told the first girl that it was "time for sex". Osman is accused of taking the girl into the bedroom and forcing her to perform a sex act before raping her. The girl said Osman stopped and said she was too young. The second victim said Osman then brought her into the bedroom and raped her. Officers later taped a phone call between Osman and the girls and court records show he admitted to having sex with both of them. Osman will be sentenced in district court June 23rd.
--An Osakis man was taken to the hospital after rolling his vehicle near Albany. The incident happened just after 2:30pm Saturday in the 25000 block of County Road 30 in Albany Township. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says the driver, 39-year old Shawn Solum, left the roadway, struck a driveway approached and flipped the vehicle. Solum was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--Gasoline and diesel fuel prices have both set new record highs Tuesday. Gas Buddy says the national average price for gas is now at $4.36 per gallon, surpassing the record set back on March 10th. In addition, diesel also set a new all-time record of $5.53 per gallon Prices have been rising over the past few weeks as the odds of the European Union sanctioning Russian oil increased. Just in the last seven days, the national average rose over.15 cents per gallon.
--Heidi Hahn is officially on board to be superintendent of Brainerd Public Schools for the next three years. School Board members Monday approved a contract with Hahn for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, beginning July 1 and lasting through June 30, 2025. Under the contract, Hahn will earn $178,500 for the first year, $182,070 for the second year and $185,711 for the third year. The salary will be paid in 12 equal installments and may be modified but not reduced. Benefits include 30 days of paid vacation during the first year and 27 days each of the next two years; 10 paid holidays; accrual of one paid sick day for every working month; a $50 monthly cellphone reimbursement; and paid mileage for business use of a personal vehicle. School Board members will oversee, direct and evaluate Hahn’s performance as superintendent as they see fit.
--High School Graduations are coming up in a few weeks. Pierz Healy High School is May 27th at 7pm, Royalton High School is May 27th at 7pm, Swanville High School is at 7pm on May 27th weather permitting on the football field. The Upsala High School will be May 27th at 8pm, Little Falls Community High School will be May 29th at 2pm, Holdingford High School is June 3rd at 7pm and Foley High School will have graduation on Saturday June 4th at 7pm for the Class of 2022.
--The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado did touch down in rural Benton County on Monday afternoon. The tornado was about two miles southwest of Gilman at 4:32pm. It was on the ground for about five minutes. They say the damage appears to be minimal to none at this time.
--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has further expanded the area subject to open burning restrictions as the wildfire season deepens and expands in northwestern Minnesota. Additional counties in which burning restrictions apply are: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens and Wadena. Restrictions remain in place in the following counties: Morrison, Anoka, Benton, Chisago, Douglas, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Washington and Wright. The DNR will not issue permits for open burning of brush or yard waste in these counties until restrictions are lifted.
--The Minnesota State Patrol is now fully equipped with body cameras. The statewide rollout of the body camera project began on December 1st. During the project, the Minnesota State Patrol installed 644 in-car camera systems and issued body-worn cameras to 613 sworn members of the patrol and 92 non-sworn members. Body-worn cameras have also been issued to commercial vehicle inspectors and capitol security officers. In total, it issued 705 body cameras and 1,349 camera systems over the last five months. Since the start of the project, the agency has captured more than 281,000 pieces of video evidence.
--A Kimball man died in a motorcycle crash in Wright County Monday. Just after 4pm at the intersection of County Road 12 and County Road 37 in Maple Lake Township, the Wright County Sheriff's Office says a 16-year-old from Monticello was heading north on County Road 12. Authorities say the driver was stopped at the stop sign, then pulled out in front of a motorcycle and was hit. The driver of the motorcycle, 39-year-old William Schwandt, was taken to Buffalo Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
--The State’s revenues exceeded the forecast by $1.1 billion, reflecting higher than expected individual incomes and corporate profits. Net general fund revenues totaled $4.667 billion in April, $1.115 billion – or 31.4 percent – more than forecast. Net receipts from individual, sales, and corporate taxes for the month exceeded the forecast, while net other tax revenues were lower than expected. Year-to-date receipts are now 7.6 percent more than forecast.
DEATH NOTICES
--LaVerne Kowalczyk, age 93 of North Prairie.
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, high 75, strong storms later in day.
TONIGHT= severe storms, heavy rain likely, low 63.
THURSDAY= storm early, then sunny and humid, high 85 then more storms Thursday night, low 58, drying out Friday with high of 72.
SPORTS
TWINS= Justin Verlander shuts down the Twins last night as Houston wins 5-0. Twins and Houston game 2 tonight 6pm on Q92.
WILD= St. Louis Blues score 3 in the 3rd period last night to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2. Game 6 in St. Louis is Thursday, Blues lead 3-2.
LYNX= Indiana beat Lynx last night 82-76. Lynx are 0-3 on season.