Tuesday, July 29, 2025
The Sauk Rapids-Rice School District has sent out condolences to the families after two former Sauk Rapids teachers were found dead in Pierz on July 18th and has been ruled a murder-suicide. Crystal Marschel, 32, and John Gans, 34, were found dead during a welfare check at a home in Pierz on July 18. Both had suffered from gunshot wounds, according to the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office. The two were reported to be in a romantic relationship. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Marschel died from a gunshot wound to the head, with her cause of death a homicide. Gans’ death was determined to be a suicide. Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools said that both Marschel and Gans formerly worked as teachers, but left the district in 2024. At the time of her death, Marschel was working as a physical education and health teacher at Isle High School, as well as being the girls' track coach. No information was given on where Gans was currently employed. A GoFundMe has been created to support Marschel’s family, including her two children, ages 3 and 5, as well as their father, from a previous relationship from Marschel, since this past Saturday the page has raised over $9,700 to assist with the family costs for children, counseling and expenses.
Another night of destructive storms in south central Minnesota with heavy rains and very damaging winds. The line again stayed south of Morrison County where the Little Falls Airport had .26 of rain. Xcel Energy reported 130,000 customers without power still early this morning near the Metro Area from the storms. Many pictures of rooves blown off homes, windows smashed, trees gutted from their branches and leaves and toppled over and debris flying into the air from the past two days in North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and southern Minnesota from they devastating storms. Quieter days are now in the forecast except for the returning smoke as an Air Quality Alert is in effect today and all day into the night tomorrow.
Staff from the Office of Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach will be holding mobile office hours in Little Falls on Wednesday, August 13, 2025 from 11am-2pm at the Little Falls Carnegie Library (108 3rd St NE, Little Falls) in the Pancratz Room. The congressional staff will be available to answer constituent questions and take feedback on policy issues. The Congresswoman’s office will also be able to assist constituents with issues such as passport processing, veterans’ needs, tax refunds, Social Security benefits, and also connect them with federal agencies like FEMA, FSA, and more. For any questions regarding the mobile office hours, please call the Congresswoman’s office at 320-403-6100. For more information on Congresswoman Fischbach and her service on behalf of Western Minnesota, please visit fischbach.house.gov.
A man has been arrested after an early morning incident in Todd County. On Sunday at about 2:20 a.m., the Todd County Sheriff's Office received a report of a man with a gun who had shot a window out of a vehicle in the 100 block of Main St., West in Eagle Bend. Deputies responded and began to investigate the incident. Throughout the investigation, law enforcement identified the suspect as Monty Austin Thornberg. A Code Red Alert was sent to the general public. After hours of searching the area, law enforcement received information about a man walking in the ditch on US Highway 71, north of Eagle Bend. Deputies made contact with the man. Thornberg was taken into custody without incident. Thornberg is currently in custody at the Todd County Detention Center on several charges. No injuries were reported.
St. Cloud police say the suspect involved in a deadly crash earlier this month has also died. In a news release Monday, police say 26-year-old Christopher Cortez Johnson-Caine of Sauk Rapids died on July 16th. They say the investigation revealed his blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was .309. The legal limit for driving in Minnesota is .08. Two other people died in the crash, 59-year-old Suleiman Mohamed Abdi of St. Cloud and 45-year-old Craig Hennen of St. Cloud. The incident unfolded just before midnight on July 2nd when an officer spotted a pickup speeding northbound on 9th Avenue North. The officer initiated a traffic stop, and when they approached the pickup, the driver threw an object out of the window and sped off. The officer lost sight of the pickup and returned to the traffic stop scene to retrieve the item that was thrown out of the window. The officer found that it was a handgun that had been discarded. At the same time, dispatch notified officers of a crash in the 1300 block of 10th Avenue North. When they arrived on the scene, officers determined that one of the vehicles involved was the pickup truck involved in the traffic stop. The initial investigation determined the truck was traveling north on 10th Avenue at a high rate of speed while a car was going west on 13th Street North. The truck broadsided the car, killing the two occupants.
The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office is investigating a car vs pedestrian crash that killed a 10-year-old boy Monday morning. Details are limited, but Commander Ben Zawacki says the boy was riding his bike in Becker just before 8:00 a.m. when he was struck at Brenda Boulevard and Edgewood Street. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. Zawacki said the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and was cooperating with investigators. The identities of the boy and the driver of the vehicle will be released at a later time.
A battery sparked a house fire in north St. Cloud. The St. Cloud Fire Department was called to a home at 1120 9th Avenue North at about 1:45pm Sunday. When the fire crew arrived, they could see the fire from the front of the single-story house. A lithium-ion battery for yard equipment failed while it was being charged inside the home. The fire marshal reminds residents to charge lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes, yard tools, and similar devices in well-ventilated outdoor areas or garages, not indoors. No one was hurt in the incident.
Local police departments say another scam has popped up involving text messages from a Minnesota state office that doesn’t exist. According to authorities in Foley, people are getting fake messages from the Minnesota Department of Vehicle Administration about outstanding traffic tickets and fines that need to be paid. That agency isn’t real, and they say those fines likely aren’t either. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety and the Driver and Vehicle Services division will never send a text asking for money or saying money is due. To avoid being scammed, always review the sender; the exact name matters. Don’t respond to fake texts or click on links. Delete the message and also block the number.
The Benton County Fair starts Tuesday in Sauk Rapids and the Crow Wing County Fair begins Tuesday in Brainerd, Crow Wing runs through Saturday, Benton Fair runs through Sunday.
Death Notices- Deborah K. Frazier, age 69 of Little Falls. LaVonne Ione Paulson, age 86 of Little Falls. Wayne K. Richner, age 61 of Little Falls.
Weather- Air Quality Alert 6am Tuesday to 11pm Wednesday, today morning fog and haze, then sunny, high 82, clearing tonight and cooler, low 54. Wednesday sunny and pleasant, high 75, low around 53. Thursday sunny and pleasant, high 77, low around 58. Friday sunny and a little more humid, high near 80, low around 60.
Sports- after a long rain delay, Twins win in a walk off late last night 5-4 over Boston Red Sox as Brooks Lee hits the game winner. The Twins continues series tonight against Boston, pregame at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ. The District 4B Tournament begins Friday at 7:30pm with Nisswa vs. Ft. Ripley then Saturday at 1pm Buckman vs. St. Stephen and then Foley vs. Avon at 4pm on Saturday with all games in Avon. Sobieski will play at 11am on Sunday in Avon for their second round match. In Region 9C the games are all in Pierz with Friday at 6pm Pierz Lakers vs. Aitkin, 8:30pm Friday St. Wendel vs. Upsala, Saturday at 11am Pierz Brewers vs. Royalton then at 1:30pm Opole vs. Randall. Friday's losers play at 5pm Saturday and winners at 7:30pm Saturday with the winners and losers of Saturday matches in the first two games playing on Sunday all in Pierz. Listen to coverage of both tournaments at times this weekend on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com.