News

 Fire crews from across the state and Canada on Sunday, May 17, worked to contain the Flanders Fire in northern Crow Wing County. The fire reportedly burned more than 1,700 acres as of Sunday night, but no homes were lost and no injuries were reported, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office reported. A remote cabin succumbed to the fire but it was unoccupied. Heat damaged some homes as the intense fire melted the siding and some outbuildings burned as homes were prioritized. The Minnesota Incident Command System, an interagency group of state and federal partners that cooperates to manage wildfires, took over management of the Flanders Fire at 6 a.m. Sunday. According to the agency, the fire is 1,714 acres in size and was 20% contained. As of Sunday afternoon, almost 150 firefighters were working to put out the fire. “I can’t believe all the help and support we’ve gotten from around the state,” Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang said Sunday as he drove through the areas scorched by the fire. “It blows me away how generous our community is.” Klang noted there were donations of food and support for first responders and offers of places to stay for those the fire displaced. “They wanted to help out anyway they could,” Klang said of donations to prayers for the safety of those fighting the fire. “We’re super lucky no one was injured and there was minimal property loss.” In one area on county land off Highway 11, people had been camping. The fire appeared to have come upon the campsite quickly as the the tent sites were left behind and camping equipment, a trailer and all-terrain vehicles were at the site after the fire. The skeletal remains of the tents remained but the rest burned, with ATVs intact but the trailer burned. Klang said this was the largest fire he witnessed in 30 years here. He said they are still investigating the cause of the fire but added it wasn’t caused by weather, like an errant lightning strike, and it wasn’t caused by a tree falling on a power line. The Flanders Fire is the biggest of the many wildfires that broke out across northern Minnesota as temperatures warmed, humidity dropped and strong winds gusted across the region. Another major fire, the Stewart Trail Fire northeast of Two Harbors along Minnesota's North Shore, has been shrinking in size, with authorities announcing that it was 62% contained on Sunday. The evacuation zone along the North Shore has been reduced as a result, and while Highway 61 remains closed between Two Harbors and Silver Bay, parts of it have been opened for local traffic to allow residents to return to their homes. On Sunday, Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency, authorizing additional state resources to respond to the wildfires.

On Monday, the Morrison County Public Works Report reported for this week; Maintenance employees will be working on the following activities this week: Crack sealing CSAH 39, CSAH 48 and CSAH 26, Patching various roads and graveling County Road 234 Belle Prairie Park River Access project began in May. The park will be closed to vehicles and will be open to foot traffic only while under construction. Additionally, the boat ramp will be closed for the duration of the construction. Project is expected to continue into September. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights. 

The City of Little Falls reported that work on the new Kwik Trip store has began, they are asking those to be please stay out of the work area that is fenced off on 18th in Little Falls. 

A Sherburn man is recovering after he was shot in the face Friday, west of Eden Valley. According to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, 78-year-old James Poirot was driving south on Minnesota Highway 4 near 380th Street in Union Grove Township around 4:45 p.m. when a stray bullet struck him in the side of the face and head. Investigators say a person was target shooting on family-owned land nearby when the round went astray. Poirot pulled up next to a Meeker County deputy parked at the intersection of 365th Street and Highway 4, and was beginning to exit his vehicle when the deputy noticed blood coming from his mouth. The deputy provided immediate medical care until a CentraCare ambulance arrived. Poirot was taken to Paynesville Hospital, then airlifted to Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis. His injuries are described as serious but non-life-threatening. Investigators executed a search warrant in connection with the case and recovered evidence. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is ongoing.

A man accused of viciously assaulting a stranger outside a St. Cloud porta-potty has been found incompetent to face the charge against him. St. Cloud Police were dispatched to the Stearns History Museum at around 7:15 a.m. on March 24th. Officers met with a man who was bleeding from his face, with his left eye completely swollen shut. Police say the man had no recollection of how he got the injuries. According to the criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court, the victim had been driving a work truck and stopped to use the portable restroom at around 6:15 a.m. Video surveillance from the man's work truck showed a man identified as 27-year-old Nykolas D'Heilly trying to open the door to the portable restroom. Court records allege D'Heilly eventually got the door open and immediately began punching the victim in the head until he fell to the ground. Authorities say the assault continued with D'Heilly punching and kicking the victim in the head until he went unconscious. D'Heilly eventually walked away, and the victim stumbled back to his truck, where he called his supervisor. The victim was rushed to the hospital with a suspected brain bleed. When police caught up with D'Heilly, they say he admitted to the assault. Officers say he also admitted to stealing a running car from a driveway after the assault and leaving it on the side of the road along County Road 75. The victim suffered a broken nose, a brain bleed, and a shattered eye socket that required surgery. D'Heilly's 1st-degree assault charge is on hold until he can be restored to mental competency.

A Monticello woman was hurt when she crashed her car on Saturday afternoon. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the 64900 block of 309th Street in Forest City Township at about 3:45pm. First responders arrived to find that a vehicle had collided with a number of large wooden poles and the entrance gate to the Forest City Stockade. The driver, 75-year-old Jane Kelm of Monticello, was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The sheriff's office says their preliminary investigation determined Kelm's speed and unfamiliarity with the road were factors in the crash.

Morrison County United Way (MCUW) and its event sponsor, Minnesota Power, will once again drop up to 1,500 numbered colorful ping pong balls for the 2nd Annual Ball Drop event at the Morrison County Fair. The event will take place at the Morrison County Fairgrounds on Kids Day, Sunday June 28th . The Ball Drop will start at 2pm. A Minnesota Power line truck and linesperson will raise the balls as high as the weather will allow, then the balls will be released and the closest ball to a flag will win $500! After the $500 winner is determined, all other entries will have a chance to win one of five (5) additional $100 prizes! A total of $1,000 in prizes. Purchase your raffle ticket/ball number for just $5.00 each by calling Morrison County United Way at 320-632-5102, from community and board members. Only 1,500 will be sold and tickets/balls are going fast.

Weather: Tuesday mostly cloudy, scattered rain showers at times, high 52 and breezy Northwest winds. Clear and colder Tuesday night, low 33 patchy frost into morning. Wednesday sunny skies, high 62, clear Wednesday night low 38. Thursday sunny skies, high 67, clouds increase Thursday night low 42. Partly sunny, breezy with showers likely Friday, high 64, showers continue Friday night low 44. 

Sports: Monday in softball Pierz blows out Paynesville 15-0 in 4 innings, Holdingford downed Staples-Motley 13-3 and Pierz will host Holdingford at 5pm Tuesday in round 2 of the playoffs on 94ROCKS KFML. Kimball eliminated Royalton 12-1, Foley beat Pillager 1-0, Pequot Lakes, Cathedral, Melrose and Eden Valley Watkins all won on Monday and moved on. Little Falls opens playoffs Tuesday at 4:30pm against Sauk Rapids-Rice live on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. Upsala also opens playoffs Tuesday. Twins continue series with Houston Tuesday night at 6:40pm. Chicago beat the Lynx 86-79 Sunday night, Lynx (2-2) host Toronto Tempo on Thursday.