NEWS
--Authorities have identified a Stearns County man who died in a crash in northeastern South Dakota. The Highway Patrol says 67-year old Jimmy Westrud, of Brooten was riding a motorcycle on U.S. Highway 212 when he failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the center line and into the path of a pickup pulling a trailer. The crash happened 8 miles west of Watertown about midday Friday. Westrud later died of his injuries. The pickup driver wasn't hurt.
--A 37-year old Mora man was killed in a two-vehicle crash Monday just after 11:00am on Highway 65, near 390th Avenue in Williams Township, northeast of Isle in Aitkin County. The Minnesota State Patrol reported a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Christopher Scott Podvin was traveling north on Highway 65, and was being pursued by the Kanabec County Sheriff's Office, when the Jeep crossed lanes and collided with a semitrailer traveling south. Podvin, who was not wearing a seat belt, died. The driver of the semitrailer, 61-year old Jeffery N. Vorbeck of Tamarack, was transported to the Mora hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
--Three drivers were injured, but only one was transported to a hospital following a crash around 8:00am Monday near Walker in Cass County. The crash occurred on Highway 371 near the Dew Drop Trail. The drivers 29-year old Eugene T. Stangel of Cass Lake, was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Park Rapids for non-life threatening injuries and the other two drivers, 16-year old Trevor J. Johnson of Longville and 25-year old Emily M. Shelton of Walker, had non-life-threatening injuries, but were not transported to a hospital.
--A 46-year old Pequot Lakes woman pleaded guilty in a case in which she is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a business she worked for in Garrison. Shannon Marie Steele, who was employed as a bookkeeper at Geo's Paint in Garrison during the time of the alleged crime, was charged at the beginning of this year with seven felony charges, three counts of theft by check and four counts of financial transaction/card fraud. Part of the plea agreement would include a stay of execution calling for Steele to spend 30 days in jail with work release if she is eligible and be on 20 years of supervised probation. The agreement also calls for Steele to pay restitution on all seven counts at $350 per month. She will be sentenced on Thursday. Steele's husband, 46-year old Russell Clair Steele endorsed and cashed most of the fraudulent checks Shannon Steele wrote to herself from the accounts. They were deposited into his checking and savings accounts. Russell Steele was charged with two felonies of receiving stolen property. The charges were dismissed in October.
--A garbage truck fell through the ceiling of a 100-year old vault in downtown St. Cloud Tuesday morning. It happened in the alley of the 100 block of 5th Avenue South. Inventure Properties President Doug Boser says the vaults have been underneath the pavement for a long time and now the ceilings are failing from moisture coming through them as they are now working to demolish them. For now, the alley has been blocked off. There is a big steel plate laid over the hole to prevent anyone from falling into the hole, and the rest of the area is secure for foot traffic. Noone was hurt in yesterday's incident. The city stated that is unusual to find a vault in an alley. They are usually in the front of the buildings underneath the sidewalks. Many years ago the vaults were used as a delivery system for the coal trucks to unload their coal into the basements of the old buildings.
--Morrison County Law Enforcement will one again help with the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics on June 20th. The event will begin at the Tractor Supply parking lot at 7:30am with the event starting at 8am. There is a $25 participation fee. Details can be found on the Sheriff's Office facebook page or call 632-9233.
--Authorities are seeking the public's help in locating two men suspected of robbing the Subway restaurant Monday night around 11pm at 145 Division St. The release said two men approached two Subway employees, grabbed one and threatened them with a knife. The other suspect was holding a "covered object and stated it was a gun." The men stole a safe. They put the safe in a dark colored car with dark rims, which looked similar to a Buick or a Chrysler 300. The suspects are described by police as white men with thin builds. They were wearing black pants and hoodies, masks with bandanas over their faces and aviator sunglasses. Police were not able to give an approximate age due to the suspects wearing masks. Anyone with information about the robbery call Waite Park Police at 251-3281.
--A 25-year old woman crashed into a Moose Monday in Aitkin County. The Minnesota State Patrol reported Jaime Leigh Wurtz of Otsego suffered non-life threatening injuries when she struck a moose while traveling north on Highway 169 south of Hill City in Macville Township. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the range of moose generally exists in two areas of the state: the Arrowhead region from Duluth northward, and the northwestern portion extending south to about Detroit Lakes. The area of Aitkin County where the crash occurred is to the west of typical moose habitat but could have ventured south from Duluth.
--State Representative of District 6B, Jason Metsa officially filed as a candidate for Minnesota’s open 8th Congressional seat Tuesday. Metsa lives in Virginia with his wife, Amanda, and their son, Josiah.
--Thursday is the scheduled day for the Morrison County Sheriff's Office Sandbox Fill. If you have signed up remember to leave a non-perishable food shelf item at the sandbox site on Thursday.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, PM storms develop, high 83.
TONIGHT= storms in evening, then partly cloudy, low 63.
THURSDAY= partly sunny, humid, scattered storms, high 86, lo 65.
FRIDAY= sunny and hot, isolated PM storms, high near 90, low 65.
SPORTS
BBB= Little Falls High School announced the hiring of Nate Miller as the new Head Boys Basketball Coach. Last month, Nate was hired as the new Dean of Students at Lindbergh Elementary School. Nate Miller comes home to Little Falls from Holdingford Public Schools. Miller was a 2001 graduate of Little Falls Community High School.
SB= Royalton beat Pierz 6-4, Detroit Lakes beat Little Falls 4-0 in playoffs Tuesday. Holdingford won, Upsala & Swanville both lost. Playoffs continue for Little Falls, Pierz, Royalton and Holdingford on Thursday, coverage of Little Falls and Pierz on Little Falls Radio. Pierz vs. Cathedral Thursday at 5pm on Q92 WYRQ if Pierz wins they would play again at 6:30pm Thursday. Fergus Falls at Little Falls Thursday in an elimination game scheduled at 4pm on AM960 KLTF.
TWINS= Twins pitching shut out Detroit Tuesday as Brian Dozier had 2 big doubles to help Twins win 6-0. Twins (21-23) wrap up with Detroit today, pregame at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ.