Missing items from garage

The Minnesota State Patrol says alcohol was a factor in an early morning crash on Wednesday at approximately 12:27 a.m. on Highway 29 about two miles west of Wadena.

Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to civil rights charges related to the death of George Floyd. In a separate federal case, Chauvin also pleaded guilty in depriving the rights of a 14-year-old in Minneapolis in 2017, kneeling on th…

More details from Tuesday’s two-vehicle crash involving a stolen vehicle on Highway 210 in Fergus Falls have been released.

Fergus Falls police were notified by the Hyundai Blue Link Connected Car Service over the noon hour Tuesday that a vehicle had been reported stolen and their service was tracking the vehicle. They stated in a call to police that the vehicle was at the corner of Mill Street and East Summit Av…

A well-known local resident has died, following an incident in Bloomington, Illinois, on Friday, June 25.

A man with a lengthy criminal record from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, who was stopped by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper near Fergus Falls in January, has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. 

Fergus Falls police chased a motorcyclist on Monday beginning at approximately 2:40 p.m. who weaved through downtown ending with a foot pursuit on Stanton Avenue. 

The victims of a Friday, June 4 murder-suicide in Wahpeton have been identified by the city police department.Gregory Zander, 62, lived with Karen Ertelt-Wanner, 52, at 1027 Vantura Dr., Wahpeton. Both were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds after 2:30 a.m. Friday morning.“A preliminary…

The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office and Clay County joined in a high speed pursuit with law enforcement on Wednesday at around 8 p.m. on Minnesota Highway 108 near County Highway 11. 

Former Otter Tail County deputy Kelly Backman has been formally sentenced following a petition to enter a guilty plea with the Otter Tail County District Court for a gross misdemeanor charge of misconduct of a public officer/employee, in exchange for dropping misdemeanor fourth-degree DWI charges.

The Wadena County Sheriff’s Office received a report of protestors on the pipeline right of way in Section 6 of Huntersville Township, northwest of Huntersville on Monday. The complainant stated there were approximately 30 individuals demonstrating and some of them were climbing on equipment…

Former Otter Tail County deputy Kelly Backman has entered a petition to enter a guilty plea with the Otter Tail County District Court for the charge of misconduct of a public officer/employee- exceed authority, in exchange for dropping the fourth-degree DWI charges.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Fergus Falls couple who will be charged with second-degree manslaughter after a 14-year-old died allegedly from a heroin overdose while the child was in their care.

A Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis Police Department neighborhood security team were fired upon early Sunday in a drive-by shooting near Penn Avenue and Broadway.

Luke Ledbetter was arrested at approximately 1 a.m. Saturday on a felony charge of aggravated robbery in the second degree.

It is common knowledge that phone scammers like to prey on the elderly so when a Henning cashier saw a chance to foil a swindle recently she took the matter into her own hands.

ST. PAUL — The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the two men who died during an officer-involved shooting incident that happened on Saturday night in North Germany Township in Wadena County. David Jay Savela (sa-veh-lah), 42, and Shannon Michael Savela, 36, both died of multip…

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is continuing its investigation of the officer-involved shooting that happened on Saturday night in North Germany Township, during which four people were shot.

The Minnesota State Patrol was investigating a one-vehicle crash Wednesday at approximately 8:30 a.m. on I-94 eastbound near milepost 52 (west of Fergus Falls – overpass bridge) when another vehicle came along and hit the driver of the original crash while she was outside her vehicle, then h…

Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons issued a release Monday concerning Otter Tail County deputy Kelly Backman who was charged Friday with misconduct of a public official and fourth-degree DWI during the pursuit of a wanted suspect on Oct. 2, 2020. 

The Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners learned Tuesday that Seventh District Judge Kevin Miller has agreed to secure $100,000 of the roughly $1 million needed to repair the County Highway 41 bridge on Star Lake.

Any charges that may be brought against Otter Tail County Sheriff Deputy Kelly Backman will be coming from the Clay County Attorney’s Office according to Otter Tail County Attorney Michelle Eldien.

After passing a verdict of guilt Nov. 30 on two counts of second-degree murder in the state’s case against William Lynn Hillman, Seventh District Judge Kevin Miller pronounced the sentence by Zoom Tuesday with the defendant receiving a consecutive 51-year prison sentence.

Clydene Stangvik’s work has taken her to many different states since she joined Cisco in 1998 but she has always made Fergus Falls her home base.

Two new laws that go into effect Jan. 1 will kick off some of the first changes of 2021. These laws are regarding prior authorization requirements of health insurance providers and requirements regarding sexual assault examination kits. 

Three years after four felony charges were filed against Floyd Joseph Moen in Seventh District Court, Judge Sharon Grewell Benson handed down a jail sentence of 17 days Monday for a fifth-degree felony drug offense.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances of a death and fire that occured on the 100 block of Main Street in Ashby Wednesday.

Seventh District Judge Kevin Miller announced in a court order Monday that he has found William Lynn Hillman guilty on two counts of murder in the second degree.

Michael Dean Buchanan was sentenced to a 60-month prison term Monday in Seventh District Court by Judge Sharon Grewell Benson. 

The sentencing of Michael Dean Buchanan is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday in Seventh District Court before Judge Sharon Grewell Benson.

Seventh District Judge Kevin Miller will decide the disposition of second-degree murder charges against William Hillman by Nov. 30.

While Minneapolis residents have reportedly been subjected to a number of violent carjackings, Fergus Falls Police Department Capt. Terry Eldien said Monday he has not seen a major rise in local car thefts during that time.

A procedural investigation by the Minnesota Department of Corrections related to the suicide of Derek John Sweere is currently underway according to Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office Lt. James Stewart. 

Bail was set at $1 million without conditions and $750,000 with conditions Friday as Cody Freitag made his first appearance for felony charges before Judge Kevin Miller in Seventh District Court.

Four felony counts, including two for fleeing a peace officer resulted in death, and two for criminal vehicular homicide, were filed Wednesday in Seventh District Court against Cody James Freitag. 

A check with the Fergus Falls Police Department Monday morning into their investigation of Friday’s tragic accident at Union and Cavour Avenues had only limited insights to offer.