NEWS
--Mille Lacs County authorities were called Saturday to an assault at Nitti's Hunter's Point Resort on Lake Mille Lacs that ended up killing a man. 46-year-old David Taute of Prior Lake was found unresponsive and later died at a Twin Cities Hospital. According to the attorney's report, the two were “heavily intoxicated” early Saturday morning when they got into an argument. 44-year-old David Stay of Brooklyn Center informed authorities that he punched Taute in the face. Stay was charged with first-degree manslaughter, one count of second degree manslaughter and one count of third degree assault. The sheriff's office said the investigation into the death is ongoing.
--A 25-year-old Onamia man suffered injuries Saturday after a crash on Highway 169 in Onamia. The State Patrol stated around 9:30pm they were called to 169 and county road 22 where Taylor Allen was westbound and collided with a northbound vehicle driven by 27-year-old Joseph Kerska of Maplewood. Allen was taken to Onamia hospital with injuries deemed non life threatening. Kerska and his passenger Darlene Johnson of Burnsville had no apparent injuries.
--Around 6:00pm Friday the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office responded to a one vehicle crash near the intersection of CR 10 in Krain Township near Albany. Upon arrival it was found that a 2010 Lincoln MKZ had left the roadway, struck a field approach, went airborne and landed in a nearby field. The vehicle sustained heavy damage to the front bumper and hood areas. The driver and lone occupant 33-year old Trisha Beuning of St. Joseph was transported to the St Cloud Hospital by Melrose Ambulance. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.
--A fire destroyed a shed in Forest Prairie Township Sunday night. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office responded to the report of a shed on fire in the 66300 block of Meeker Stearns Street at about 10:15pm. The property owner, 58-year old Virl Liebrenz discovered the fire in the shed, which was used as a mechanic and auto body shop, according to the Meeker County Sheriff's Office. No one was injured in the fire. The building and numerous items inside were a total loss. According to the sheriff's office the damage is estimated at $250,000 to $300,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Watkins Fire Department.
--Sauk Rapids police are investigating three robberies in the last three months at convenience stores. The most recent happened Sunday at 6:49pm at 400 Benton Drive South. A man demanded money from the store clerk and then left on foot. A similar robbery happened March 5th at the same store. Two men entered the store at 8:15pm, with one of them showing a handgun. They demanded the clerk turn over all of the money. Those men then left the store. One suspect was described as a black man, 30-40 years old, six feet, three inches tall and wearing a black sweatshirt and black pants. The other suspect was described as 20-30 years old and a little shorter than the first suspect. Sauk Rapids police are asking anyone with information about the robberies to call them at 251-9451.
--Royalton High School graduates the Class of 2016 on Friday. Their top 10 students were named recently -they are Ben Borash, Abby Ellerbusch, Autumn Lanners, Krista Kasella, Jason Fussy, Bethany Cimenski, Destiny Savickus, Madison Rudolph, Emma Stelten and Olivia Gall. Graduation is Friday 8:00pm at the high school gym.
--A student protest was Tuesday morning to support a Crosby-Ironton High School senior sent home after refusing to remove a Confederate flag from his car. The car was parked in the school parking when Cody Nelson was summoned to the principal’s office and told to remove his window mounted flag where he was informed to remove the flag or he would not be able to graduate. Jamie Skjeveland, Crosby-Ironton superintendent of schools, said he couldn’t comment on specifics relating to a student’s discipline. Skjeveland says the flag is violation of school district policy, which includes prohibitions on displays that communicate “a message that is racist, sexist or otherwise derogatory to a protected minority group.”
--One person was injured Monday morning when the vehicle he was driving was rear-ended by a semitrailer on Interstate Highway 94 in Stearns County. The vehicle was traveling east at about 9:20am when it braked to avoid two deer crossing the highway and was hit by the semi, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The driver, 55-year old Belester Sobreyra of Villard was taken to CentreCare Health-Sauk Centre with injuries not considered life threatening. The driver of the semi, 54-year-old David Dunham of Pelican Rapids, and a passenger in the semi, 36-year-old Napoleon Clark of Dickonson, North Dakota, were not injured.
--The recent cold weather did do damage to at least one fruit crop in Minnesota. Frost over the weekend did damage to some of the strawberry crops around the state. No word on impact from it yet. --About 50 members of Royalton's YES! club volunteered Friday to help reseed 420 acres at Crane Meadows Wildlife Refuge located southeast of Little Falls. It's part of a 500-acre, $150,000 oak savanna restoration made possible through through a grant funded by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. The seed alone cost $118,000, according to Tony Hewitt, a wildlife biologist based at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Students seeded the upland prairie tracts; refuge workers planned to seed the remaining marshy areas. The restoration included tree thinning last fall and a prairie burn this spring.
DEATH NOTICE
--John P. Rush, age 51 of Little Falls.
--Clarence Steinert, age 93 of Brainerd formerly of Staples
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy skies, high 68.
TONIGHT= clear skies, not as cold, low 46.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 70, clear night low 48.
FRIDAY= sunny and mild, high 73, low around 50.
SPORTS
TWINS= Tigers win 10-8 Monday and 7-2 Tuesday over Twins. Twins (10-28) wrap up with Tigers today 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ. KILL= Former Gophers football coach Jerry Kill has taken a new position as associate athletics director at Kansas State University working with AD John Currie's staff and work extensively with head coach Bill Snyder and the Wildcats football program. The 54-year-old Kill resigned from his head coaching position with the U of M on October 28th, citing mounting health issues related to seizures.
NBA= The Philadelphia 76ers got the first pick in the NBA draft with last nights' lottery drawing, the Timberwolves got pick #5.