Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Slushy roadways around Morrison County this morning with around a half inch of rain last night now changing to sleet and slushy wet snow, and temps dropping also windy conditions today will make for slow going. Roads, sidewalks, parking lots are getting slushy covered causing some spinning on intersections and also some steps outside will slide on the slush that is falling. More snow is forecast today, Thursday and Friday in the area. To the north heavy snow, Bemidji to Cass Lake to Hibbing, northeast gusty winds with blizzard conditions around Two Harbors, western Minnesota dealing with strong winds, and some freezing rain causing slippery roads west of St. Cloud to Morris and Alexandria. Expect some delays if out on this Wednesday. 

A Brainerd man who abducted a pregnant woman and her four children in a crime spree that also left a neighbor dead was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. Chad Aanerud, 36, pleaded guilty in December to two counts of second-degree assault and one count each of first-degree murder, kidnapping and first-degree burglary. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years, with credit for a year and four months that he has already served. Court documents say that on Oct. 31, 2024, Aanerud went to the pregnant woman's home in Brainerd where he sexually assaulted her and threatened to shoot her children. The woman told her children to run to a neighbor's house, which they did, and the neighbor went to the woman's house to investigate. Aanerud shot and killed the neighbor, 62-year-old Lyle Maske, the complaint says. After the shooting, Aanerud forced the woman into a van and abducted the four children, prompting authorities to issue an AMBER Alert. He was found and arrested near Little Falls the next morning. 

A man is facing charges of criminal vehicular operation after prosecutors allege his drunk driving led to a crash that injured a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of her unborn baby. Christopher James Otte, a 32-year-old man from Avon, is facing two charges of criminal vehicular operation. Prosecutors said that St. Cloud police officers responded to the crash on Friday, February 13th at 1 p.m. at the intersection of 33rd Avenue North and 5th Street North. Two vehicles appeared to have been in a head-on collision and were in a snow bank, according to charging documents. Otte had been driving a GMC Yukon. Two witnesses told officers they witnessed Otte's vehicle traveling "very fast" when they overheard a loud crash and saw smoke from the scene. Officers found the pregnant woman trapped between the driver's seat and dashboard in her Toyota Sienna van. While officers tried to extricate her, the front of the van caught on fire. Prosecutors say Otte was speeding and veering into the other lane of traffic, which caused the crash. Officers reported Otte had slurred speech, watery eyes and appeared unsteady. When officers tested his breath, Otte blew a .201 alcohol concentration, which is more than double the legal limit. Otte was read his Miranda rights and prosecutors say he then told officers that, "It was my fault," and that he consumed drinks at a sports bar before driving. The woman involved in the crash was reportedly in critical condition and needed surgery to fix injuries in her hip, femur, knee, ankle and foot. 

Stearns County will hold a public hearing at the April 7th Board of Commissioners meeting to consider whether to opt out of a law change regarding firearms deer hunting. Minnesota lawmakers repealed the shotgun zones across the state, which will allow deer hunters to use rifles in areas that were otherwise zoned for shotguns only. However, the legislation allows counties to opt out of the new rules and keep their designated shotgun zones only. Stearns County has been a shotgun-only deer hunting zone, and commissioners must decide before May in order to have the regulations posted in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Hunting Regulations booklet and on the website. The county board will hold a public hearing on the matter at the April 7th meeting at Melrose City Hall. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6pm. If the ordinance bans deer rifles in Stearns County, the DNR will be responsible for enforcement. Hunters will not be automatically notified when buying a license.

A scholarship fund honoring Hallie Marie (Johnson) Tobler has been established at the Central Minnesota Community Foundation to celebrate a young woman remembered for her compassion, advocacy, and passion for technology. Her family wants Hallie’s story to be about the light she brought to the world, not the darkness that took her from it. Hallie was known for her open heart, unwavering sense of fairness, and championing the underdog. She was a passionate advocate for mental health care, speaking openly about the importance of access, empathy, and support. After finding her calling in information technology, Hallie worked part-time for the City of St. Cloud’s IT department while attending Arizona State University online. She would have graduated in 2028 with a degree in Information Technology, specializing in Cybersecurity. The Hallie Marie Women in IT Scholarship Fund honors Hallie’s belief that women were underrepresented in IT and her advocacy for women in technology careers. “Even in death, Hallie’s legacy can live on through the next generation of women who want a rewarding career in IT,” said Jeff and Julie Johnson. “We can’t think of a better way to honor our daughter’s memory than by encouraging and helping women achieve their educational goals.” Donations can be made online at the Central Minnesota Community Foundation. A celebration of Hallie’s life will be held Friday, February 20th, at 11:00 a.m. at The Waters Church, 1227 Pine Cone Road North in Sartell, with visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. Public visitation will also be held Thursday, February 19th, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the scholarship fund. The family invites attendees to wear their favorite color to reflect the joy and light Hallie brought to others. The service will be livestreamed. Hallie’s father, Jeff Johnson, served two terms on the St. Cloud City Council and was a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. He suspended his campaign following his daughter’s death. Hallie died February 7th, 2026, at age 22, allegedly at the hands of her husband, Dylan Tobler, 23, who was charged with second-degree murder. He is being held on $3 million bail with no conditions, or $1.5 million with conditions.

At least 30 Republican state lawmakers, including House Speaker Lisa Demuth, support a proposal that would criminalize "residential protesting" near a person's home in Minnesota. A bill authored by Rep. Walter Hudson (R-Albertville) would pave the way for misdemeanor charges against someone who participates in a demonstration outside a private residence, with the exception of "peaceful protesting" at a place where a public meeting or assembly is being held, or at a dwelling that doubles as a business. It comes after a period of months in the Twin Cities where protesters and observers have taken to public streets to oppose the at-times brutal immigration crackdown imposed by the Trump administration via Operation Metro Surge, much of which has been conducted in residential areas. While the bill has little chance of passage given the split-control in the House and the one-seat DFL majority in the Senate, it could signal that the GOP aim for the upcoming legislative session is to focus on the anti-ICE protests rather than the actions of federal immigration agents during the months-long occupation of the Twin Cities and Minnesota. Hudson has been vocal about his support for ICE and his desire for President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would've sent federal troops to the Twin Cities to quell protests following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. Other Republican state lawmakers who have signed on as bill co-authors include Reps. Harry Niksa, Kristin Robbins, and Jim Nash. Both Demuth and Robbins are running for governor. The bill, HF2809, is slated for discussion during the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday. The Minnesota GOP proposed a similar bill during last year's session, with efforts harking back to an incident in 2020 when protesters gathered outside the Hugo home belonging to former Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll and conservative journalist Liz Collins in the wake of George Floyd's killing.

The Sobieski and Swanville Lions 33rd Fishing Contest is this Saturday on Long Lake near Swanville. The event is a fundraiser for community projects from both Lions organizations. The fishing part is 12-3pm and for $5 which is also a raffle ticket for the raffle that night at 6pm at Lucky's in Swanville. Many prizes for the kids and adults alike will be at the event on Saturday in Swanville. 

Death Notices: Patricia Ann Johnson, age 83 of Randall. 

Weather: rain and snow showers, sleet and slush likely at times this morning, then cloudy, temps rise to around 37 then drop to 28 with gusty winds from the East early then from the Northwest at the end of the day. Snow and rain mix still possible tonight, low around 26. Around 1 inch of new snow today and tonight, Thursday mostly cloudy, light snow at times, high 34, breezy Thursday night low 16. Friday sunny and colder, high near 20, low around 8 above. Saturday sunny, high near 20, low near 5 above, Sunday colder sunny, turning breezy, high near 17, low around -4 below zero. 

Sports: Flyer hockey wins 5-2 over Prairie Centre to open playoffs last night in Little Falls. Little Falls will face Sartell in the section semi-finals Saturday at 4pm at the MAC in St. Cloud live on Q92 WYRQ. Pierz boys scored 104 points last night in a big win over Moose Lake Willow River in basketball. The Minnesota Twins got some tough news on the first week of spring training, pitcher Pablo Lopez has torn an UCL in his elbow and if he has Tommy John surgery he will miss the entire 2026 season. Olympic Medal Count going into Wednesday morning at Norway at 31, Italy at 24 and USA had 21 total medals. More medals on the line today for Team USA including Men's Hockey quarterfinals and skiing. USA Women's Hockey takes on Canada tomorrow for the gold medal. Listen to State Wrestling Coverage next week starting with Pierz team coverage at 4pm Wednesday afternoon and all wrestling action will be on AM960 KLTF next Wednesday through Saturday from St. Paul.