News

A Little Falls pastor faces seven felony counts of criminal sexual conduct after a child victim disclosed years of alleged abuse to investigators, according to court documents filed in McLeod County. David Kenneth Demenge, 33, was charged March 25 in McLeod County District Court with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The alleged abuse is said to have occurred between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2018, in the city of Hutchinson. According to the criminal complaint, the Hutchinson Police Department opened an investigation Jan. 24, 2026, after a juvenile victim disclosed the alleged abuse. A forensic interview was conducted three days later. Court documents allege Demenge had a significant relationship with the child victim and that the abuse began when the victim was under 7 years old. The alleged abuse is said to have occurred on at least 10 separate occasions at two different Hutchinson residences. Demenge is a pastor at Dominion Church in Little Falls. He and his wife moved to Little Falls from Hutchinson in September 2025 to serve at the church. Demenge told news media that he denies the charges. “They absolutely are severe and lucky for me, I’m innocent,” Demenge told a TV station. He also told the station he is no longer affiliated with the church. Three of the first-degree charges allege sexual contact with a child under 13 years of age. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a presumptive sentence of 12 years. The second-degree charges carry a maximum of 25 years in prison. Demenge is not in custody. He is due in McLeod County District Court on May 4.

A man convicted in Stearns County of criminal sexual conduct has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for the production of child pornography after continuing to exploit a child victim even after his state conviction. Court documents say registered sex offender Robert James Levi spent approximately three years coercing a then-12-year-old girl into producing and sending him child sexual abuse material over the internet. Beginning in February 2022, Levi catfished the victim by posing as a 16-year-old boy. Over the course of more than 112,000 messages, he convinced her she was in a romantic relationship with him. Levi was, in fact, an adult man. In February 2024, a Stearns County jury found Levi guilty of second degree criminal sexual conduct, and he was required to register as a sex offender. Prosecutors say that conviction did not deter him as Levi continued exploiting the victim while the Stearns County case was pending and even after he was placed on probation. Federal prosecutors ultimately charged Levi, and he has now been sentenced to more than two decades behind bars.

Two people were injured early Wednesday morning in a two-vehicle accident on Highway 10 in Watab Township of Benton County. The first vehicle struck a deer crossing the roadway, then his vehicle became disabled. A second vehicle then struck the deer on the roadway and collided with the first vehicle just after 2:30am. Both drivers, a 38-year-old from St. Cloud and a 61-year-old from Pequot Lakes were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries. 

A St. Cloud woman faces felony charges after allegedly attacking a group home worker with a pair of scissors. St. Cloud Police were dispatched to the group home at around 11:40 p.m. Monday on a report of an assault. Officers met with a woman who works at the home and was bleeding. According to the charges filed in Stearns County District Court, the victim said a resident, 20-year-old Trinity Ochoa, had been talking about death that night and later came running down the stairs with a pair of scissors. The victim said Ochoa was yelling "I'm going to kill you" and "I need you dead" multiple times as she stabbed the woman in the arm. The victim said she then hit Ochoa with a frying pan and fled the home. Officers found Ochoa inside the residence, still holding the scissors, and arrested her. The victim suffered four puncture wounds to her arm and hand that required stitches.

Authorities in Minnesota are appealing to find a 16-year-old boy who has been missing for more than a month. Colt Long Jr., of Moorhead, was last seen on Feb. 23, with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issuing a renewed alert to find him on Tuesday. He was last seen wearing a black coat, blue sweatshirt and dark blue jeans. Anyone with information should contact Moorhead PD at 701-451-7660.

The Legislative Dialog with local state representatives and state senator is scheduled for 10am-12pm on Thursday at the Morrison County Government Center. The event is being put on by the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. Those attending are to go downstairs to the county boardroom. If you cannot attend the program will be live-stream on the  the Visit **littlefallsmnchamber.com** to access the meeting link.

Death Notices: Marlene E. Przybilla, age 88 of Buckman. Mary Evelyn Prom, age 87 of St. Cloud. 

Weather: Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 7pm Thursday. Snow mixed with sleet at times Thursday, high 34, gusty winds 15-30mph from the east northeast, 1-2 inches of slushy snow. Snow and sleet ending Thursday night colder low around 24, another inch possible. Friday cloudy skies, rain, freezing rain, sleet changing to all snow by mid-afternoon, high 39 early falling to 29 by 5pm, snow likely Friday night temps in the upper 20s, 2-4 inches of snow possible, Saturday snow showers likely in the morning then becoming partly cloudy and windy, high 37 low near 23. Sunday partly sunny, high 43, low around 22. Monday, snow showers develop high 39, low around 27. Tuesday partly sunny skies, high 44.  

Sports: Twins wrap up series at Kansas City at 1:10pm, Timberwolves at Detroit at 6pm, the Wild host Vancouver at 7pm all games on Thursday for Minnesota sports teams. Following his recent arrest Pro Golfer Tiger Woods announced he will leave the golf game and get treatment after controlled substances were found on his person following the accident he was involved in last week.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 10pm Wednesday to 7pm Thursday for central Minnesota. Mixed precipitation with possible ice accumulation causing very slick roadways Thursday...

On Sunday, March 29, 2026, fire crews from the Camp Ripley Training Center and personnel from the Training Area Management team responded to a wildfire in the northern part of...

On Friday morning, Southland defeated Upsala 74-67 in double overtime to eliminate the Upsala Cardinals from the Class A State Boys Basketball Tournament. Upsala ended the season at 24-8. Head...

The Upsala Cardinals lost Thursday to the Henning Hornets 61-45 in the Class A Quarter-Finals in boys basketball at Target Center. Upsala will be in the consolation semi-finals against Southland...