Friday, January 9, 2026

Dense fog and some frosty roadways led to many accidents on Thursday morning. A three vehicle accident happened on Highway 371 in Baxter around 7:30am. The first vehicle struck a freight truck causing it to strike a third vehicle. The first vehicle the driver, age 40 and 3 young passengers ages 9, 7 and 6 were taken to the Brainerd hospital and treated for injuries. The 2nd driver (truck) was not hurt and the third driver from Brainerd was treated at the scene. There was an injury accident in Douglas and also in Grant Counties also on Thursday morning with the state patrol stating ice/slush on the roads is a likely factor.

A New Munich man was hurt when his car collided with a farm tractor on Wednesday evening. The incident happened just after 5:30 p.m., north of New Munich. Stearns County Sheriff's deputies, Melrose Fire, and Melrose Ambulance all responded to the 36000 block of County Road 12 in Oak Township, where a driver was reported trapped inside the car. The sheriff's office says a tractor was pulling a loaded manure spreader and heading north on County Road 12. Meanwhile, a car driven by 74-year-old Daniel Hoppe was also heading north on County Road 12 when he rear-ended the spreader. Authorities say the tractor had flashing lights on at the time of the collision. Hoppe was taken to Melrose Hospital for treatment. The driver of the tractor, 53-year-old Jason Bauer of Melrose, was not hurt.

Two people face felony charges after an assault at a St. Cloud store on Christmas Eve. Stearns County prosecutors have charged 37-year-old DeShawna West and 39-year-old Martez Turner Sr. with aiding and abetting 1st-degree assault and aiding and abetting 3rd-degree assault. Turner is also charged with 1st-degree aggravated robbery. St. Cloud Police were called to the Walmart store at 5:40 p.m. on December 24th. Officers met with a woman who said she was assaulted by West and Turner. The victim said West had been on Facebook Live, threatening to beat her up. The victim told police she saw West and Turner at the store and made comments to them about wanting to fight. That's when the victim said she was pulled to the ground, punched, and stomped in the face multiple times. Court records show officers noticed swelling and bruising to the victim's eye and a missing front tooth. Turner is accused of taking the woman's cell phone before walking away. West and Turner are being held in the Stearns County Jail pending their next court appearance.

A woman is okay after the snowmobile she was riding broke through thin ice. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the incident happened at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday in the southwest bay of Lake Ida between Breezy Point and Lakeview Point. Twenty-four-year-old Alycia Stotesbery of Alexandria was operating the snowmobile when it went through the ice. She was able to safely jump from the machine and was not hurt. The Sheriff's Office reminds everyone that, due to variable weather conditions this season, the ice is still unsafe in many areas coming after a string of warmer weather that may deteriorate ice conditions. 

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has two major construction projects that will disrupt traffic starting in the spring. Crews will reconstruct the Highway 24 interchange at Interstate 94 in Clearwater, a project that includes building a new bridge and installing three roundabouts to improve traffic flow. The $24 million project is scheduled to begin in mid-summer 2026 and take two years to complete. The reconstruction will build a new Highway 24 bridge over I-94 southeast of the current structure and reconstruct Highway 24 from Wright County Road 145, also known as 179th Street, which is the intersection where Kwik Trip stands, to Smith Street just north of the Clearwater Travel Plaza. MnDOT plans to install two roundabouts at the I-94 westbound and eastbound ramps, plus a teardrop-style roundabout at Highway 24 and County Road 145. The project will also create new road approaches at Ash Street and Nelson Drive. The concrete sidewalk along southbound Highway 24 and the multi-use trail along northbound Highway 24 between County Road 145 and County Road 75 will be expanded. The work will connect with Wright County’s separate roundabout project at Highway 24 and County Road 7, just south of Kwik Trip. Drivers should expect lane and shoulder closures, narrow lanes, lane shifts, and reduced speeds throughout the work zone. When crews need to close Highway 24 overnight at I-94 for bridge work, traffic will detour along County Road 75 through Clearwater, County Road 8 through Hasty, and County Road 39 back to Highway 24 north of Annandale. The main construction on Highway 24 and the new bridge will last through fall 2026. In spring and fall 2027, crews will reconstruct the road surface, medians, on and off ramps, roundabouts, side street approaches, the multi-use trail, and storm drainage structures before removing the old bridge. Wright County will separately construct a new roundabout on Highway 24 and County Road 7 in Clearwater in 2026, though the schedule has not yet been determined, and funding has not been secured. That work may include narrow lanes with no shoulders on Highway 24 and a possible detour of County Road 7 access. The ongoing Gap Project on I-94 between Monticello and Albertville will ramp up as soon as crews can dig in. Westbound lanes were completed last fall. Work on the eastbound lanes is next. That will consist of adding a lane, building ramps at County Road 18, and constructing noise walls. That work should wrap up by next fall.

Sister Julien of the Franciscan Sisters wanted to thank all who came to the recent blood drive this week at the St. Francis Convent. They received 50 units of blood Monday and then 72 units on Tuesday surpassing their goal on that day. They blood drive wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon where they received 157 total units of blood over the 3 day drive and there was goal was 152. Thanks again too all who gave blood and Sister said there will be another blood drive March 16th through 18th and you can already sign up by going to RedCrossBlood.org or call Sister at 320-632-0663. 

Morrison County Republicans remind those that a Gubernatorial Candidate Forum fundraiser event will be Saturday at the Falls Ballroom, doors open at 5:30pm with the Forum at 7pm. The latest report from their social media page of 10 candidates for Governor expected to be at the event. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door on Saturday night. KLTF's Up Front Co-Host Mark Fyten and with Sports Director Alex Carmenaty are expected to be on hand for the event on Saturday. 

Death Notices Morris R. Powell, age 92 of Motley. Marie Rose Zehowski, age 87 of Sobieski. 

Weather: cloudy skies today, snow develops before 5pm high near 30. Snow likely tonight, low around 13, accumulation less than a half inch. Saturday cloudy with snow before noon, another half inch, high 18 early then dropping in the afternoon, low around 5 above early Saturday night then temps rising into Sunday morning with partly sunny skies high 26, temps steady Sunday night some freezing fog possible in Monday with later day sunshine, high 38, low around 25. Tuesday chance of rain and snow high near 37, low around 17. Wednesday cloudy and breezy, high 25, low around 13.