Tuesday, August 25, 2026

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that on August 21, 2026, at approximately 1:26pm, their office received a report of a four-year-old child who had been run over by a lawn mower at a private residence off 65th Street in Swanville Township, approximately three miles northwest of Upsala. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a 33-year-old Swanville man was operating a zero-turn lawn mower with a four-year-old child from Lake Orion, Michigan, riding on the front platform of the mower. The child fell from the platform and was partially run over by the mower while the blades were engaged. The child sustained extensive injuries and was treated at the scene by family members and emergency medical personnel. The child was subsequently transported by Life Link III to Children’s Minnesota-Minneapolis Hospital for further treatment. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Swanville First Response Team, Mayo Clinic Ambulance, and Life Link III. Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen would like to recognize and thank the family members and all emergency responders for their coordinated efforts and immediate response in providing medical care and assistance to the child. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the child and the child’s family during this difficult time. The circumstances surrounding this incident remain under investigation.

It appears a fire at the Crossroads Center Mall Monday morning was arson. Witnesses said they saw a man standing in front of a store light the carpeting and furniture on fire and then stood there and watched it burn. He was approached by mall security and told them he wanted to go to jail. Police arrested 57-year-old Jorge Ozornia for first-degree felony arson. St. Cloud police officers and firefighters were called to the mall at 4101 Division Street at 9:13 a.m. Officers found evidence of a fire on furniture near the food court. Bystanders inside the mall had put the fire out before crews arrived. Firefighters confirmed it was no longer active and began ventilating smoke from the building. Officers found the suspect still on scene and identified him as Ozornia, of Sauk Rapids. Police say he admitted to starting the fire. He was taken to the Stearns County Jail. Crossroads Center says in a press release that the fire has been contained and no one was hurt. The mall will open late while emergency crews complete safety inspections and other procedures. Guests are encouraged to check the center’s social media channels for the opening time.

A 34-year-old man is accused of playing shadow puppets with the grapple of a boom and crushing his coworker's head as they were trimming trees in Apple Valley, Minnesota, on Thursday evening. The victim, 26-year-old Tyler Anthony Lynch of Royalton was pronounced dead when officers arrived to the 5200 block of 132nd Street West around 7:10 p.m. The Brainerd, Minnesota, man was taken into custody and faces one count of second-degree manslaughter. According to the criminal complaint, he said he was the only one with a commercial driver's license, so he was responsible for operating the boom. He told police that he and Lynch saw that the sunlight was casting shadows of the grapple and Lynch's body on the street, charges say. He said he moved the grapple to make it look like it was grabbing Lynch's shadow. The criminal complaint says the man was moving the grapple without looking at Lynch. He then closed the grapple, crushing Lynch's head, charges say. A witness told police they saw the grapple move and either hit or pinch Lynch's head, charges say. Police say officials from the Occupational and Health Safety Administration will also investigate the incident. Christopher Boone Crimmins, 34, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter charges in Dakota County. 

Two people were taken to the hospital Monday morning when their vehicles collided in Motley Township of Morrison County on Highway 10. Just after 8am, 23-year-old Braden Fletcher of Eden Prairie collided with 29-year-old Thomas Erickson of Verndale and both men were taken to the Staples Hospital. 

One person was hurt around 8:50am Monday when their vehicle collided with a turning semi-truck on Highway 23 in Milaca. 21-year-old Preston Johnson of Danvers was taken to North Memorial Medical Center for injuries. The semi-truck driver, 23-year-old Cody Pappenfus of Bowlus was not injured. 

A Becker man died on Saturday after falling from a ladder. The Becker Police Department was dispatched to the 11200 block of Laura Circle just after 2:00 p.m. Officers arrived on the scene and began life-saving measures. The Becker Fire Department, CentraCare Ambulance, and North Memorial Air Care also responded to the scene to assist with medical intervention. The 75-year-old man could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office was called in to conduct the death investigation. The sheriff's office says there is no indication of foul play. The man's name has not yet been released.

Maintenance employees will be working on the following activities this week, culvert work on CSAH 37. This culvert work will include road closures and detours. Please follow detour signs. CSAH 21 (30th Street) between CSAH 1 and CSAH 24 is closed for bridge replacement. Traffic should follow the signed detour route. This work will take about a month. The County Road 225 Bridge project within 1300’ of CSAH 12 will be paved, shouldered and seeded this week. This week on CSAH 76, final pavement markings will be placed along with miscellaneous cleanup and seeding. Please drive with caution and remain patient during delays. On County Road 208, shouldering and pavement striping will take place this week. Belle Prairie Park River Access project is still underway. The park will be closed to vehicles and will be open to foot traffic only while under construction. Additionally, the boat ramp will be closed for the duration of the construction. Project is expected to continue into September. Please use caution around flaggers, work crews and flashing lights.

A tourist plunged 120 feet while trying to get a better view of the water at a Montana national park and remarkably survived with the help of a good Samaritan, who was from Pierz. Ken Nurse, a 60-year-old Montana native now living in North Carolina, fell into a creek during a trip to Glacier National Park last Thursday while with his wife, Renae, and their family. He had taken pictures of McDonald Falls but edged forward to get a better view just for the ground to give way, plunging him 120 feet down the cliff and into a creek. Bystander Josh Seppelt, a Navy electrician from Pierz, Minnesota, heard the fall and managed to bring him to a shallower part of the creek. Seppelts daughter said, ‘Dad, there’s somebody in the water.’ And the guy was able to pull Ken out by his foot and get into the shallows,” “And he realized he wasn’t breathing, and he started CPR. And it just so happened there was a ranger that was real close by, and he was able to radio in for an extraction,’” The injured dad was airlifted to a local hospital by search and rescue team and was on a ventilator for two days with several cracked ribs, a compound elbow fracture and fluid in his lungs. 

Emblom Brenny Funeral Home is having their cruising car show today from 4-7pm at the funeral home parking lot, see the cars, register for door prizes, kids register for a back pack, food and beverages which will be a free will donation and given to local hospice groups in the area. All are welcome to the event.  

Entertainment News: Actress Shelly Fabares has died at age 82. Known for the song "Johnny Angel" she performed in 1961 on The Donna Reed Show, later on TV's Coach in the 1980s and her 40+ year relationship to Mike Farrell from TV's M A S H.

Weather: sunny skies, slight chance of a shower, high 86. Clear tonight low near 60. Sunny Wednesday high near 76, low near 50. Sunny Thursday high near 78, low near 48. Friday sunny, high 82, storms late Friday night low near 60. Hazy sunshine Saturday and Sunday, both days chances of thunderstorms, highs in the low 80s Saturday, mid to upper 80s on Sunday with lows in the low 60s. 

Sports: Twins win 9-6 last night over Athletics, as Josh Bell, Luke Keaschall and Kody Clemens combine for 7 hits and 7 RBIs. Twins have game 2 with the Athletics tonight at 8:40pm. Golden State downed the Lynx last night 80-66 in one of the worst nights for the Lynx offensively. The Lynx are 31-8 and off until Sunday when they face Atlanta. Vikings at Denver Friday at 8pm where Monday Vikings signed Tight End Matt Lauter and Defensive End Jonathon Harris to fill some voids. Little Falls Tennis beat Sartell 5-2 on Monday then dropped one 6-1 to Becker. Pierz Tennis wins 6-1 over BBE on Monday. Listen to JB Canyon with sports interviews he has done this week for Swimming, Cross Country, Soccer, Football and more Saturday morning at 9:05am on the Saturday Morning Sports Wrap on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. 

For the Pierz Oktoberfest Medallion clue and info on the events click here https://www.facebook.com/pierzoktoberfest/.