NEWS --Morrison County Attorney Brian Middendorf announced Tuesday that he will seek re-election this November for county attorney. Middendorf has served in the county attorney’s office since 1998. He was first elected county attorney in 2006. Middendorf oversees an office of six attorneys and three support staff. The county attorney’s primary duties include adult prosecution, juvenile prosecution, child protection, child support, civil commitments, and acting as legal adviser to other county officials and employees.
--Strong south winds and warming temperatures are causing ice jams on some area lakes that have come up on the shores. Mounds of ice piled up off the north shores of North Long Lake in Brainerd/Nisswa due to the gusty south winds over recent days. Other lakes in the Brainerd area have shown large ice jams or ice mounds on shorelines. Some lakes are still showing some hazy ice and the DNR is reminding all that many reports of people falling through the ice thinking it was safe have occurred. It is best to stay off the ice.
--A Melrose teenager was hurt in a crash Monday night. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 8:15pm on Highway 4, near Lake Henry in Stearns County. 18-year old Logan Hinnenkamp was driving north when he drove off the road into the ditch, hit a field approach, and went airborne. Hinnenkamp was taken to Paynesville Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--A St. Cloud man has been sentenced to over 8-years in prison for raping a 13-year old girl. 24-year old Luis Arreguin pleaded guilty back in January to 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct with a person under 16-years old. According to the criminal complaint, police were called to St. Cloud Hospital in November 2015 after authorities there reported the girl had come in for a rape kit evaluation. The girl told police she had gone to Arreguin's mobile home in Bel Clare Estates the day before and he had given her vodka to drink, covered her mouth, undressed her, and forced sex on her. The girl said Arreguin also raped her in the woods near the basketball court at the park a month earlier. When police went to Arreguin's home they found him hiding in a closet. He denied touching the girl and submitted a DNA sample which matched the DNA found in the rape kit administered at the hospital. Arreguin gets credit for just over two-years of time already served.
--Minnesota farmers are finally getting a start on spring planting after the coldest, snowiest April on record for much of the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that Minnesota farmers have planted 2 percent of the spring wheat crop, 3 percent of the oat crop, 1 percent of the barley crop, 2 percent of the potato crop and 10 percent of the sugar beet crop. That's not much, but it's the first time this season the agency's weekly crop progress report for the state has recorded any planting. Corn and soybean planting have yet to get going, but that's likely to change quickly. Minnesota farmers try to get their corn planted by mid-May for the best yields.
--The National Stamp Out Hunger postal drive will be on Saturday May 12th. That morning before you receive your mail, mail carriers will pickup non perishable food items at your mailbox, or you can take them to the post offices during their business hours. This is a national campaign to stamp out hunger in the United States.
--Listen to Little Falls Radio for your next Cash Cube experience.
--Little Falls Community High School reminds homeowners that the Day of Caring in Little Falls and surrounding communities is next Wednesday, May 9th. It was moved one week later than planned.
--At least seven people are being treated at the Mahnomen Health Center after money used to pay for an item at a Mahnomen area gas station and C-store injured an employee Monday. The Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office reported that emergency responders, including a hazardous materials team from Moorhead, descended on the Community Co-op store in this northwestern Minnesota community early Monday afternoon after an employee felt a burning on her hand after accepting money from a customer paying for an item. An unknown individual entered the Community Co-op at the intersection of Highways 59 and 200. The person purchased an item and paid for it in cash. After the employee handled the cash, she contacted a substance on the bill that made her hand burn. The store was then closed and sealed. The Sheriff’s Office said the scene has been isolated and people needing medical care who are not associated with the C-store incident are being diverted to other area hospitals as a precaution. No word yet on what the substance was.
--Now that voters have approved the Blueprint 181 comprehensive long range plan to address the facility needs of Brainerd Public Schools, the school district is moving into the construction management phase of the plan. The Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the sale of the voter-approved General Obligation Building Bonds. A traffic study of the roadways feeding into Baxter Elementary School, Forestivew Middle School and the potential site for the new elementary school in Baxter was also authorized by the Board of Education. This study will review existing conditions and make forecasts traffic volumes. This will provide engineers and planners crucial data on how traffic currently circulates through those sites so they can determine strategies for safely and efficiently directing vehicles and pedestrians.
--Sandie Youngblom has been on the Pillager Area Fire and Rescue team for 19 years and currently serves as captain. She has been named Minnesota Firefighter of the Year by the Minnesota State Fire Department Association Saturday at the Minnesota State Fire Conference in Alexandria. Youngblom was nominated for the award because of her outstanding work ethic, dedication to her community and fellow firefighters and love of fire fighting.
DEATH NOTICES --Vernon McCarty, age 73 of Sheridan, WY formerly of Flensburg.
WEATHER TODAY= mostly sunny, high near 65. TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 40. THURSDAY= partly sunny, hazy, high near 70, low around 46. FRIDAY= sunny and windy, high 73, clouds increase, low around 48.
SPORTS TWINS= Joe Mauer and Eddie Rosario homered, but Twins blew it in the 10th inning losing 7-4 to Toronto last night. The Twins wrap up with Toronto today, pregame is at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ. BAB= Pierz vs. Maple Lake in St. Cloud Thursday 4pm on FM94. VL= Victory League Game of the Week Sunday will be Sobieski at Upsala at 1:30pm live on AM960 KLTF and at fallsradio.com.