Tuesday, February 10, 2026
A Facebook post on Monday reported the woman who died in St. Cloud was 22-year-old woman, who was identified Monday as the daughter of a man running for Minnesota governor. St. Cloud police reported that officers found Hallie Marie Tobler dead in an apartment on 40th Avenue South on Saturday night. The medical examiner reported she died from multiple stab wounds. Tobler's husband was found at the apartment with injuries. St. Cloud police stated his injuries were self-inflicted and he will be taken to jail for suspected homicide after his injuries are treated. The Republican Party of Minnesota shared that Tobler was the daughter of Dr. Jeff Johnson, who was running for Minnesota governor. Johnson has now suspended his campaign after Tobler died. It should be noted that Dr. Jeff Johnson is a former St. Cloud city council member, and not the same Jeff Johnson as the former Hennepin County Commissioner who twice ran for governor in 2014 and 2018.
Another Republican Dr. Scott Jensen has ended his bid for governor and launched a campaign for state auditor on Monday. The pool for Minnesota governor is crowded, with Senator Amy Klobuchar running for the DFL nomination and four people running for the Republican nomination, including Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Lisa Demuth, State Rep. Kristin Robbins, and businessmen Kendall Qualls and Mike Lindell. Jensen said in a press release Monday that he believed a highly qualified candidate would win the gubernatorial race. "I am ready and determined to be the person who opens up the hood and looks at what the engine of our government is doing and not doing, and fix it," Jensen stated in the release. “We don’t need more massive fraud that has demonized our state and made us the laughingstock of the nation. We need a watchdog.” The Office of the State Auditor oversees about $60 million in Minnesota's government spending. Current Minnesota state auditor Julie Blaha announced in September that she would not seek reelection after holding the position for eight years.
Minnesota traffic fatalities dropped by more than 20% last year, reaching their lowest levels since 2019, according to the annual Advisory Council on Traffic Safety (ACTS) report submitted to the legislature on January 15th. The report credited the decline to a multi-agency approach involving infrastructure investment, focused enforcement, and the work of first responders. ACTS, a coalition including the state's departments of Health, Public Safety, and Transportation, revealed that 370 people died on Minnesota roads in 2025, down from 475 in 2024. When adjusted for vehicle miles traveled, Minnesota now ranks as the fourth safest state in the nation for traffic fatalities. State officials noted that crashes related to the "big four" dangerous driving behaviors—impairment, distraction, speed, and unbelted driving—all saw a decrease. Despite the progress, leaders maintained a somber tone regarding the 370 lives lost. "There is no celebration until there are zero traffic fatalities on Minnesota roads," said Mike Hanson, director of the Office of Traffic Safety and ACTS vice chair. "What is encouraging is that more lives are being saved, and we can use this report as a tool to focus on the investments that are working." The report highlighted several key initiatives funded by a 2023 legislative appropriation of $12 million. These funds targeted high-risk rural roads and "Safe Road Zones" through infrastructure upgrades like the installation of roundabouts and rumble strips. It also saw increased patrols in high-risk areas. Law enforcement collaborated with high school students on social media campaigns to promote safe driving. "Everything we do is about preventing the crashes that instantly change lives," said ACTS Chair Brian Sorenson, a state traffic engineer. "Now is the time to take stock and really push forward with the lifesaving interventions that we know can reduce the risk of these crashes."
The Little Falls Fire Department were called out twice on Saturday. The first call at 1:24pm was a false alarm call. The second was a car fire on Buck Lane and 6th Street SE around 7:24pm. When firefighters arrived the vehicle had already been extinguished as a minor fire in the air filter. No injuries were reported.
The University of St. Thomas campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis were locked down Monday afternoon due to an "active threat", according to an alert sent by the university. Authorities have not shared details regarding the threat, but the campus alert around 12:45 p.m. stated all exterior doors to all buildings were secured, however, faculty, staff and students may still gain entry using university ID cards. The University of St. Thomas has ended a lockdown at both campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis after investigating an active threat on Monday. In an email around 12:45 p.m., a school representative stated that campus security asked students and staff to shelter in place and stay in secured buildings until the lockdown has been lifted. At 1:30pm the threated reportedly had ended but no other information was released. The University of St. Thomas is coordinating with the St. Paul Police to respond to the reported threat.
A Sauk Centre man faces a felony assault charge after allegedly jumping a man at his ex-girlfriend's house on Sunday. Thirty-seven-year-old Kyle Martin is accused of punching the man multiple times, breaking the man's nose, and fracturing his eye socket. The victim required surgery to repair the fracture. According to the criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court, Sauk Centre Police were called just after 1pm to a residence on Main Street for an assault. A woman told officers that she and the victim were inside her residence when Martin walked in, unprovoked, and began assaulting the victim. She said Martin was holding the man down and repeatedly punching him in the face. Martin is then accused of grabbing a knife as the victim got to his feet. The victim tried to tell Martin that it's not worth it, prompting Martin to punch the woman's television before leaving. The victim told officers that he never met Martin and didn't know who he was until the woman told him after the attack. Martin is charged with felony 3rd-degree assault, causing bodily harm, and misdemeanor property damage.
Chuck Zwilling spoke on KLTF Monday about the Sunny Zwilling Memorial Ice Fest coming up next weekend February 21st and 22nd starting at 10am both days. Plenty of events for young and old on the at Green Prairie Fish Lake north of Little Falls. Free admission, free concession, there are donations expected to help hungry children and a raffle to win cash prizes. Fireworks at 6pm on Saturday the 21st. This year Chuck said two groups that in the past volunteers many hours of service to set up and take the event are unable to help out and that means more volunteers are definitely needed this year to help set up next week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday even just a few hours or the days would be great, also they need volunteers to help take down on February 23rd. If you can help volunteer please call 320-249-1504 or go to the website at mnicefest.org. and scroll down to the bottom of the page to sign up to help volunteer. All help would be greatly appreciated for Ice Fest coming up next weekend February 21st and 22nd.
Death Notices: Dr. Charles Ehlin, age 87 of Sartell. Margaret Pomrenke, age 70 of Robbinsdale formerly of Pierz.
Weather: mostly cloudy and breezy today high near 30 this morning, temps falling into the 20s through the afternoon and down to 10 above by later tonight. Tonight clearing and colder low around 7 above. Wednesday sunny skies high 34, cloudy night low 21. Thursday morning light snow or freezing mix early then becoming sunny, high near 40, low around 22. Friday sunny and mild, high 41, low around 25. Temps expected to be in the low to mid 40s Saturday, Sunday and next Monday for President's Day.
Sports: High School Boys Hockey tonight Little Falls at St. Cloud Cathedral 7pm on Q92 WYRQ. High School Girls Basketball Crosby-Ironton at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on 94ROCKS KFML both games will be streamed at fallsradio.com. Going into Tuesday morning the United States remains at 2 total medals, both gold, as Italy remains the top country at 9 medals, Japan with 7 and Norway with 6. The Olympics are still very early in medal rounds as the games continue through February 22nd. Minnesota Native Lindsey Vonn made a statement Monday thanking those for her support, she will have surgeries on her broken tibia from the crash on Sunday but says all the moments leading up to that point she will never forget.