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13-Oct-2026

Baler Fire

A baler is considered a total loss after a fire on Saturday. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office says they received a call around 6:30 p.m. about a baler on fire in a field near the 31800 block of 620th Avenue in Harvey Township, which is near Litchfield. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office and Litchfield Fire Department responded. Once at the scene, authorities say they found a baler fully engulfed in flames. The fire had spread to the field as well. The landowner and operator, 70-year-old Timothy Peterson, was not hurt in the fire. The baler was a total loss, and the tractor that was pulling it was also damaged.

13-Oct-2026

Man Sentenced For Stabbing

A 45-year-old Park Rapids man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for first-degree assault after stabbing a man numerous times in October of 2025. Charles Justus pleaded guilty in August to the assault. The 17 years is an upward departure from the Minnesota sentencing guidelines. As part of the plea agreement, additional charges of first- and second-degree attempted murder and burglary were dropped. Justus admitted entering the victim’s trailer, which was his home, without permission and stabbing him multiple times. Medical records show the victim was stabbed eight times and suffered a collapsed lung, a rib fracture, and a damaged diaphragm.

13-Oct-2026

Sauna Fire

No one was hurt when a sauna caught fire over the weekend. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office received a call around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday about a sauna against the outside of a home on fire in the 72600 block of 243rd Street in Dassel Township. A neighbor alerted the homeowner, 39-year-old Johnathan Hohenstein, who was home, about the sauna being on fire.   The Dassel and Cokato Fire Departments, along with Meeker County Deputies and the Minnesota State Patrol, responded. Firefighters were able to put out the fire before it spread to the house. Hohenstein was not hurt, and no injuries were reported. Authorities say preliminary investigation indicates the fire spread from the wood-burning stove inside the sauna. The sauna was a total loss.

13-Oct-2026

Two Vehicle Crash

One person was hurt in a crash in Starbuck late Monday morning. The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 29 and Bingham Street. The Minnesota State Patrol says an SUV being driven by 54-year-old Louise Helgeson of Cyrus and a van being driven by 62-year-old Brian Midthun of Long Prairie were both going west on the highway when they crashed. Helgeson was taken to Glacial Ridge Hospital in Glenwood with non-life-threatening injuries.  Midthun was not hurt in the crash.

12-Oct-2026

Measles Outbreak

Authorities in central Minnesota says it has received reports of “several” cases of suspected measles in recent weeks. Todd County issued the alert on Friday, warning that “all community members who are unvaccinated are at-risk for becoming infected with the measles.” It has not revealed how many suspected cases there are, but it comes at a time of growing measles cases across the U.S., corresponding with a reduction in vaccination rates after a longtime effort by anti-vaccine groups pushing unfounded links between vaccines and autism. Todd County Health & Human Services and Wadena County Public Health says it is providing “prevention education, information, and support for families who may have been exposed to measles and anyone experiencing symptoms consistent with the disease.” Over the past month, Fillmore County in southeastern Minnesota has reported at least three confirmed cases of measles, all in unvaccinated patients. A study into current Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage among Minnesota’s school-age population found that around 91.2% of K-12 students have received their 2-dose MMR vaccine. This is around about average for the state. However, neighboring Wadena County has the lowest MMR coverage in the whole state among the K-12 population, with just 81.7% having both their jabs.

12-Oct-2026

Woman Dies From Injuries After Her Boat Capsized

A 70-year-old woman hospitalized after her boat capsized on a northwestern Minnesota lake has died from her injuries.   The incident occurred on Eagle Lake, near Frazee, at around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 when a paddle boat with a trolling motor flipped over. Three people were found hanging on to the side of the boat, with the other able to make it to shore, according to the Becker County Sheriff’s Office. One of the stranded boaters, 70-year-old Ruth Matteson, was brought to shore by a deputy sergeant who swam out to the boat. Matteson was wearing a lifejacket but was unresponsive by the time they reached the shore. After receiving more than 20 minutes of CPR, Matteson was airlifted to a hospital in Fargo in critical condition. At the hospital, a CT scan revealed she had suffered brain trauma caused from a lack of oxygen.  Matteson’s son created a GoFundMe to help with medical bills following the incident. According to a recent update posted to the fundraiser, Matteson died on Monday after being removed from life support. Monday raised from the GoFundMe will now go toward funeral expenses, according to the update.  Two other people on the paddle boat, a 43-year-old man from Staples and 46-year-old woman from Bertha, were taken to a hospital in Detroit Lakes with non-life-threatening injuries.

12-Oct-2026

Woman In Bemidji Carrying Rifle Arrested

Bemidji police say they safely disarmed a woman carrying a rifle Thursday evening near homes, businesses and parks. Around 6:11 p.m. on October 8, an officer saw an adult woman openly carrying a rifle in the area of Norton Avenue NW and 22nd Street NW, according to a news release from the Bemidji Police Department. The woman appeared emotional, refused commands and walked away from the officer. Police say they set up a perimeter and tried to de-escalate the situation as the woman continued to ignore orders. Officers were eventually able to take control and disarm her without using force. Officers say the woman was taken to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center for evaluation. The news release says the case has been sent to the Beltrami County Attorney’s Office to review possible charges.