Monday, September 22, 2025
A 42-year-old St. Cloud man died in a single-vehicle crash in Sherburne County Thursday. Scott Kampa was on 17th Street Southeast when he lost control of his vehicle and drove off the road. The accident was discovered by a homeowner who noticed his mailbox had been taken out when he got back from work. The owner then discovered Kampa’s body in the ditch. Investigators believe Kampa’s vehicle rolled over and he was flung outside, leading to his death.
A man accused of nearly stabbing a woman to death in St. Cloud is now in police custody. On Friday, the St. Cloud Police Department says George Washington Harris turned himself in to authorities in Montana. Investigators are making plans to bring the 42-year-old back to Stearns County to face assault and possibly other charges. According to police, they were called around 9:40am. to the 400 block of 19 1/2 Avenue North on August 31st. They found the woman who had been stabbed multiple times. Life-saving measures were taken at the scene before she was rushed to CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital for treatment, where she was last listed in critical condition. Investigators say Harris and the victim knew each other, but didn’t say how or give a motive.
One person was injured Friday around 11am on Highway 15 near St. Cloud. The Minnesota State Patrol says 51-year-old David Robinson of Sauk Rapids was stopped at a red light at 8th Street North when a second car, driven by 75-year-old Carlton Goettsche of Sauk Rapids, collided with Robinson's car. Goettsche suffered non-threatening injuries. His passenger, 66-year-old Larry Cameron of Sauk Rapids, and Robinson were not hurt.
No one was hurt when a plane caught fire in Paynesville on Sunday morning. The Paynesville Fire Department says they responded to the Paynesville Airport on a report of a plane on the ground with its engine on fire. Fire Chief Mike Stern says when they arrived, the owner of the plane had already put out the fire. He says the Paynesville Fire Department confirmed the fire had been extinguished and moved the plane away from the hangar. The owner of the plane had taken it out of the hangar and started it up when the engine caught fire. No one was hurt in the incident, and no buildings were damaged.
Though most election races won't take place until next year some cities, schools and counties will have a few up from election this year in November. Absentee voting is now underway for the November 4th general election for Stearns County Commissioner in District 4 and to fill a vacant school board seat in the St. Cloud Area School District 742. The commissioner race is between Amin Ali and Bob Johnson, who advanced from the August 12th primary. District 4 encompasses the City of Waite Park and the southern half of St. Cloud. They’re running to fill a seat left open by the resignation of Commissioner Leigh Lenzmeier, who retired in April for medical and personal reasons. In District 742, Gina Acevedo, Al Dahlgren, and Peter Hamerlinck have emerged as the contenders to fill the three-year vacancy for the at-large member on the board. They will serve the remaining term of Bruce Henteges, who resigned in February shortly after being sworn into office due to medical issues. Applications are available online or by calling your local Auditor-Treasurer’s office to see if your county has elections this November. Residents can get a sneak peek at their ballots by entering their address into the My Ballot Finder tool on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
A message from Little Falls Community School District: Little Falls Community High School (LFCHS) successfully conducted a full-scale evacuation drill this morning, relocating all students and staff to Camp Ripley as part of the District’s ongoing commitment to safety and emergency preparedness. The drill simulated an on-campus hazardous materials incident that required a complete evacuation of the building, full accountability of all students and staff at an off-site rally point, and organized transportation to Camp Ripley for relocation activities. The operation involved precise coordination between LFCHS staff, district leadership, and several community partners, including: Little Falls Fire Department, Little Falls Police Department, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Dispatch, Morrison County Health and Human Services, Camp Ripley, Palmer Bus Service and Strack Bus Service. “We sincerely appreciate the commitment and professionalism of our partner agencies who worked side by side with our school staff to make this drill a success,” said Mark Diehl, Executive Director of Operations for Little Falls Community Schools. “Their collaboration allows us to provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff.” “The efficiency, coordination, and calm leadership demonstrated by our high school staff was truly exceptional,” said Greg Johnson, Superintendent of Little Falls Community Schools. “Today’s drill showed how prepared and united our entire school community is when it comes to protecting our students.” All students and staff were returned to the high school following the exercise, which concluded successfully and without incident. For more information about the district’s emergency preparedness efforts, please contact the Little Falls Community Schools District Office at (320) 632-2000.
For the first time in its forty-year history, Farm Aid took root in Minnesota this weekend, planting its message of hope, community, and resilience at Huntington Bank Stadium. Music and mission combined as thousands flocked from across the nation—not just for the star-studded performances, but for a cause that cuts to the core of America: the survival of family farms. The star-studded lineup included: Bob Dylan, Neil Young (and the Chrome Hearts), John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds), Margo Price, Kenny Chesney, Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Lukas Nelson, to name a few. Since its founding by country legends Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young during the farm crisis of the 1980s, Farm Aid has stood as an unwavering beacon for those tilling America’s soil. But after four decades, the sense of crisis seems renewed. Concessions featured food grown or raised by family farmers, as the message of solidarity rang from the stage. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $85 million. All of the artists perform for free to ensure the money raised goes to the family farmers who need it.
Homecoming this week for Royalton who held coronation on Sunday at Royalton High School. Pierz also has homecoming this week and coronation is today at 2:45pm at the MAC in Pierz.
Death Notices: Clayton Rosty, age 89 of Swanville.
Weather: morning fog then sunny, high 72, clear night some fog late, low near 50. Tuesday morning fog, then sunny and mild, high 74, clear Tuesday low around 55. Wednesday sunny and warmer, high 77, clear night low around 54. Same weather Thursday and Friday sunny and mild, high 75-80 and lows 50-55. No chances of rain in the extended forecast until later on Sunday night.
Sports: Vikings get four defensive takeaways including two touchdowns in the first half to roll over Cincinnati Sunday 48-10 in Minneapolis to go to 2-1 on the year. The Vikings go to Dublin to take on Pittsburgh on Sunday and then to London to take on Cleveland the following Sunday in the NFL. Cleveland knocked off Green Bay 13-10 on Sunday for Packers first loss. Cleveland beat the Twins 6-2 on Friday. Cleveland shut out Twins twice on Saturday as the Guardians win 6-0 in game 1 and 8-0 in game 2 over Twins. Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee hit long balls to give the a Twins a 6-2 win over Cleveland Sunday to take 1 of the 4 games. The Twins are off today then wrap up the season at Texas tomorrow and then at Philadelphia on Friday. The Lynx have a big second half outscoring the Mercury by 20 to win 82-69 behind Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams to take game 1 of the WNBA semi-finals. Minnesota Lynx host Phoenix in game 2 of WNBA semi-finals Tuesday night at 6:30pm. Indiana won Sunday 89-73 over Las Vegas in Game 1 of their series. Gophers host Rutgers Saturday, September 27th at 11am. High School Football scores from Friday, Pierz goes to 4-0 with 21-14 win over Albany, Upsala-Swanville routs Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 58-7, Royalton wins 31-28 over Sauk Centre and Royals now 3-1. Pillager, Staples-Motley both win and Foley downed Little Falls 42-7 on Friday night. Listen to Little Falls at Pierz on Friday night on 94ROCKS KFML and fallsradio.com.