NEWS
--More information was released on the Brainerd man who is accused of killing and burying his daughter's boyfriend, who he believed was abusing her. According to a criminal complaint filed in Crow Wing County District Court, 43-year-old Michael Laflex has been charged with second-degree murder, with intent, three days after a missing person's report was received by the county sheriff's office. Laflex's daughter filed the report, informing law enforcement that her boyfriend had not returned after visiting a storage unit rented by her father. The complaint says that during the investigation, a "concerned citizen" who wished to remain anonymous told authorities they had spoken off and on with a family member of Laflex throughout Friday evening. The concerned citizen claimed to know that Laflex had disclosed details of the alleged murder to that family member. Court documents went on to say Laflex told the family member he believed his daughter's boyfriend had been abusing her, and he shot the boyfriend Wednesday inside a storage unit. According to prosecutors, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office had received a call from the landlord of Laflex's daughter and her boyfriend during the investigation. The landlord told police they had seen Laflex's daughter with "two black eyes," the charges state. The criminal complaint says Laflex told the landlord that he was going to kill his daughter's boyfriend and "already had the hole dug." Investigators executed a search warrant on Saturday inside the storage unit, and found blood and a bottle of bleach, the charges say. On Sunday, law enforcement searched for Laflex's daughter's boyfriend. The complaint says a body, with a gunshot wound to the back of the head was recovered and taken to a local medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The autopsy confirmed the identity of 23-year-old Bryce Brogle who was Laflex's daughter's boyfriend, who died from a "distant gunshot wound" to the head. Bail was set Tuesday for Laflex at 2-million dollars with no conditional bail/bond option. If Laflex was to post bond he would be forced to relinquish his passport.
--A Paynesville man is charged with felony assault after allegedly beating someone over the head with the leg of a table. According to the complaint, filed in Stearns County District Court, police officers were dispatched to the 400 block of Minnie Street in Paynesville on Sunday. Records show the caller said they had barricaded themselves inside a room after 46-year-old Vance Kruger had beat them over the head with a club. Officers arrived to find Kruger leaving the residence and holding a table leg in his hand. The victim suffered multiple lacerations to their head in the attack. Kruger is charged with 2nd degree assault with a dangerous weapon and 3rd-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm.
--Neighbors helped rescue a 51-year-old man who fell out of a kayak last Wednesday on East Horseshoe Lake in Crow Wing County. The Mission Township Fire Department responded to the incident on the 29000 block of East Horseshoe Lake Road, reported at 5:12pm by a homeowner on the lake. The homeowner saw Ty Sjodin of Merrifield struggling in the water and unable to get back into the overturned kayak. Firefighters were told he didn’t have a life jacket on, but had a jacket with him, but the jacket was in the kayak. So he was kind of hanging on there, getting fatigued. So lucky someone saw him. Firefighters responded to the scene and prepared to launch a rescue boat for the man, but others took to the water in a canoe and a paddleboat, reached the struggling man and brought him to shore. He was checked out for hypothermia and was not hospitalized.
--Due to the section championship football game at 12:30 Friday in the FargoDome for the Upsala/Swanville Patriots, the Upsala School District announced they there will be no school in Upsala for all students on Friday, of course to allow students and staff to attend the game. Any questions can be directed to the school at 320-573-2174. Also, Swanville announced in celebration of our USA Patriot Football team advancing to the Section Championship football game on Friday, they also have decided to cancel school for both staff and students on that day and to support the Patriots on the gridiron. Questions for Swanville schools can be directed to 320-547-5100.
--One person was killed and two more seriously hurt in a head-on crash near Princeton Sunday. The incident happened around 9:15pm in the 11800 block of County Road 2. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle going west on County Road 2 crossed the center line and crashed into a second vehicle going east. The driver of the first vehicle, 37-year-old Devin Vannurden of Zimmerman, died as a result of the crash. The driver and passenger in the second vehicle, a 34-year-old Princeton woman and her 13-year-old daughter, were both taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Their names have not been released. Authorities say they are both expected to survive.
--Minnesota continues to lose small game hunters in what the Department of Natural Resources says is a long-term trendline. The overall number of small game licenses sold in 2021 was down 4% from the previous year and down 7% from the 10-year average. The number of Canadian goose and Ruffed grouse hunters are each down 26% from the 10-year average. There were 21% fewer duck hunters and 18% fewer pheasant hunters than the 10-year averages. The good news is that hunters experienced good success last year. The DNR estimates the overall bird harvest success was similar to the 10-year average. The pheasant harvest, however, was slightly above the 10-year numbers. However, more hunters are expected to be out this week for the firearms deer hunting opener starting Saturday.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and mild, but very windy, high 75.
TONIGHT= increasing clouds, windy early on, low 54.
THURSDAY= partly sunny, breezy, high 68, then temps fall into night.
THURS NIGHT= rain likely, some snow possible after 4am, low 32.
FRIDAY= snow showers early, then partial sun, much colder, high 42.
SPORTS
HS FB= Upsala/Swanville vs. KMS Friday at 12:30pm from FargoDome can be heard live on Q92 WYRQ and fallsradio.com.
HS FB= Royalton vs. Eden Valley Watkins at 7pm Friday from St. John's University in Collegeville also on Q92 WYRQ fallsradio.com.
WS= Phillies blast 5 homeruns last night and shut down the Houston Astros 7-0 to win game 3 of the World Series. Phillies now lead the series 2-1 and game 4 is tonight in Philadelphia.
NFL= Adam Zimmer, son of Minnesota Vikings ex-head coach Mike Zimmer and a former defensive coach for the team died Monday. He was 38. In other Vikings news the Vikings traded for tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions for draft picks. This came after wide receiver Irv Smith Jr. was put on IR for ankle injury 8-10 weeks.
CC= The State Cross Country Meet is Saturday at St. Olaf College in Northfield. Good Luck to Ethan Kowalczek, Carissa Andres and Nathan Tax of Pierz competing. Also good luck to Wyatt Baum, Grace Leclair and Malin Youngberg competing for Little Falls Community High School at the state cross country meet on Saturday.