News

Two people are dead after a crash Wednesday night in St. Cloud. According to police, at around 11:45, an officer was driving south on 9th Avenue North when they saw a pickup truck with no headlights traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer initiated a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over in the 1100 block of 8th Avenue North. When the officer approached, the driver, identified as 26-year-old Christopher Cortez Johnson-Caine of Sauk Rapids, threw something out of the passenger side window and sped off. The officer went back to his car, but the truck was nowhere in sight. The officer was not pursuing Johnson-Caine, but did attempt to locate the truck.  He then returned to the site of the stop and found that the item tossed was a gun. As the gun was being secured, the call came in for the crash on the 1300 block of 10th Avenue North. Officers arrived on scene and said one of the vehicles involved was Johnson-Caine’s pickup. According to investigators, Johnson-Caine was going north on 10th Avenue North at an extremely high rate of speed and t-boned a passenger car that was traveling west on 13th Street North. Both people in that car died. The victims have been identified as 59-year-old Suleiman Mohamud Abdi and his passenger, 45-year-old Craig Arthur Hennen. Both are from St. Cloud. Johnson-Caine was taken to CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital and is in critical condition. This case remains under investigation by the St. Cloud Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Unit and the Minnesota State Patrol.

A woman was airlifted to CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital with life-threatening injuries after a t-bone crash in Kandiyohi County on Thursday morning. According to the Minnesota State Patrol preliminary accident report, around 7:00, 66-year-old Debra Mae Palm of Morton was driving her 1996 Chevy Silverado west on 48th Avenue when she attempted to cross Highway 71. She was struck by a southbound 2000 Ford F250 driven by a 16-year-old from Spicer. The teenager suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

A teenage boy suffered life-threatening injuries in a side-by-side ATV crash early Friday morning. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says dispatchers received a call at about 12:40 a.m. for an overturned UTV with the driver unresponsive. Alexandria Police and North Ambulance responded to the area of Geneva Road and Douglas County Road 20. Emergency responders found a 17-year-old boy in the driver's seat.  They removed him from the machine and started life-saving measures. The sheriff's office says the teen was belted in but was not wearing a helmet. The boy was taken to Alomere Hospital for treatment but was then airlifted to a trauma center.

The Melrose Police Department is investigating an arson fire at the Kwik Trip store. The police department says just after 12:20 a.m. Friday, someone set fire to the east side of the building located at 220 East Kraft Drive. Details are limited on how much damage the building sustained, or any information on how the fire was started, or whether an accelerant was used. Melrose police have released surveillance photos which give a limited description of the suspect and are asking anyone who may have images or videos from the area to contact them.

The Morrison County Sheriff's Office reported late Thursday morning that the city of Little Falls testing warning sirens and out by Sullivan Lake the warning sirens were also be tested. Cass County also reported on Thursday a number of sirens were being tested to make sure they were working properly. Again all the sirens were being tested in the area with no emergencies on Thursday. 

Competitive Eating News: Famed competitive eater Joey “Jaws” Chestnut reclaimed his title Friday at the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt. Chestnut, 41, consumed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, falling short of his 2021 record of 76 wieners and buns. It marked the 17th win in 20 appearances for the Westfield, Indiana, eater at the internationally televised competition, which he missed last year over a contract dispute. Defending champion in the women’s division, Miki Sudo of Tampa, Florida, won her 11th title, downing 33 dogs, besting a dozen competitors. Last year, she ate a record 51 links. She, along with Chestnut were very apologetic for their performance stating they could have done better for the fans. A large crowd, peppered with foam hot dog hats, turned out to witness the annual eat-a-thon, held outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant in Coney Island, Brooklyn, since 1972. Many fans showed up to see Chestnut’s much-awaited return to an event he has called “a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life.”

Death Notices- Donald Strack, age 92 of Randall.

Weather- Monday mostly sunny, high near 80, isolated thundershowers in the evening Monday, then clearing low around 60. Tuesday sunny, high near 80, storms in afternoon and evening, low 61. Wednesday AM showers then sunny skies, high near 80, low around 58. 

Sports- Miami beat Twins 4-1 on Thursday. Twins are off Monday, host the Chicago Cubs at Target Field Tuesday night on Q92 WYRQ.

Little Falls School Superintendent Greg Johnson spoke Wednesday on KLTF stated that on Monday after a summary on why the closure was to happen for Dr. SG Knight which was explained to...

On Monday night the Little Falls School Board voted 5-1 to close Dr. SG Knight Elementary School in Randall. The school will closed when deemed practical by the Board of...

One person was injured Sunday night around 9:23pm on Highway 10 near Little Falls. The Dodge Durango was in the eastbound lane when it lost control and left the roadway,...

Another round of severe weather struck central Minnesota and Morrison County again Saturday night. Storms developed after 8pm and over the next hours heavy rains, straight line winds, and some...