Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Country music icon Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. Her family announced her death Tuesday in a video posted to Parton’s social media accounts. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, delivered the news on behalf of the family. A statement says Parton died peacefully in Nashville. No cause of death was released. Parton grew up in a one-room cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains and went on to write more than 3,000 songs, including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. On screen, she starred in “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias,” and she opened her Dollywood theme park in eastern Tennessee in 1986. Parton started her Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, who could not read. The program mails a free book every month to children from birth to age five. It now reaches about 3 million children a month, including families right here in central Minnesota through United Way of Central Minnesota and Morrison County United Way. Parton’s husband of 59 years, Carl Dean, died last year. Join Q92 WYRQ's Classic Country with JB Canyon Wednesday at noon for an hour of music and stories as we remember the great legendary Dolly Parton. 

A 37-year-old Brainerd man died Tuesday after his vehicle struck a train in Cass County. The Minnesota State Patrol responded to the crash at 6:26am in Sylvan Township, west of Baxter. According to the crash report, a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze struck a train on West Gull River Road Southwest. The State Patrol reported the driver was not wearing a seat belt. Authorities were withholding the identity of the driver Tuesday pending notification of family members. The name of the victim is expected to be released Wednesday morning. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Pillager Fire Department assisted at the scene.

The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office has located a missing teenage girl. The Sheriff’s Office requested the public’s assistance on Friday in locating 17-year-old Zariah Peterson after she left her group home residence in Brainerd on August 12th. The Sheriff’s Office reports Peterson has been found safe and thanks those who assisted in locating her and sharing information in help them find the missing girl. 

57-year-old Jorge Ozornia of Sauk Rapids was charged in Stearns County District Court on Tuesday with one count of first-degree arson. The charge applies when someone sets fire to an occupied building knowing another person is inside, and it carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. According to the criminal complaint, St. Cloud police were called to Crossroads Center Mall at 9:13am for a report of someone starting a fire. Officers and St. Cloud firefighters followed smoke to a hallway, where they found burned chairs. Crews helped clear the mall and secure the scene. The mall manager told officers she was walking back to her office when she saw a fire in the middle of a walkway and bystanders trying to put it out. She said Ozornia was standing near the fire, and others told her he had started it. She asked him to come to her office, and he agreed. The complaint says Ozornia told her on the way that he started the fires, that he was mad at himself, and that he wanted to be arrested. Two other witnesses told police they saw a man matching Ozornia’s description standing near the fire and pouring a liquid into it. The fire grew larger as he poured, according to the complaint, and the liquid is presumed to have been lighter fluid or another accelerant. Officers later found empty lighter fluid bottles in a nearby trash can.

Minnesotans hunting for a final taste of summer still have open campsites and more than 50 naturalist programs to choose from over Labor Day weekend. According to the Department of Natural Resources, state parks and recreation areas will be putting on a full press of fun from Friday, September 4th through Monday, September 7th, and the agency is nudging people to lock in plans before the weekend fills up. The closest program for central Minnesota residents is a Fishing 101 session at Father Hennepin State Park on Mille Lacs Lake, running 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 5th. Most naturalist programs are free, though some require reservations, and a state park vehicle permit is required in all cases. Campers who have not booked yet are not out of luck. The DNR says 10 parks still had 20 or more drive-in sites open for the holiday weekend, including Lake Bemidji, Sakatah Lake, St. Croix and Zippel Bay. Closer to home, Lake Maria State Park near Monticello did not make that list, but only because it has no drive-in sites to offer. The park’s 17 backpack campsites, three log camper cabins and two group sites are all reached on foot, most of them about a mile from the trailhead parking. The cabins sleep six and have wood stoves but no electricity or running water. Campers should also know that fires are prohibited at the backcountry sites, even where a fire ring is present. Reservations are at mndnr.gov/reservations, which also has a “notify me” feature that emails users when a cancellation matches their search. Vehicle permits cost $7 for a single day or $35 for the year at mndnr.gov/permit. The 2026 fall color maps go live Thursday, September 10th at mndnr.gov/fallcolor.

Authorities believe a lightning strike caused a cabin to catch fire in northern Minnesota, not far from where crews have been battling wildfires for nearly two months. Just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and multiple volunteer fire departments responded to the 11000 Block of Nett Lake Road in Leiding Township. “Initial investigation determinations are that the cabin was struck by lightning, which caused the fire,” the sheriff’s office says. “At the time of the reported fire, severe thunderstorms with lighting, were stretched over most of northern St. Louis County.” The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by over a half dozen fire departments. 

A missing man from New Prague has been found dead. The New Prague Police Department shared the news Tuesday morning, detailing the body of Daniel Labelle, 53, had been positively identified by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office earlier that week. Labelle was last seen alive on August 9 near the 700 block of North 3rd St., in St. Peter. At the time, he was driving a gray Toyota Camry. At the time, authorities shared there was reason to be concerned for his safety. No additional details have been released by authorities. 

Our Lady of Czestochowa Mass and Pot Luck will be Wednesday, Rosary at 4:30pm, Mass at 5pm then pot luck meal in fellowship hall of polish sausage, sauerkraut and potato hot dish for a free will offering. Sponsored by the Polish Echos. This is at Holy Family Church of Belle Prairie on Wednesday. All are welcome. 

Death Notices: Cheryl "Cheri" A. Verley, age 69 of Onamia. Victor Langer, age 98 of Pierz. Helen Margaret Geyer, age 95 of Little Falls. 

Weather: partly cloudy skies today, high 78. Clear skies tonight low 51. Thursday sunny skies, high near 80, clear and cool Thursday night low 48. Friday sunny skies, high 81, increasing clouds Friday night with scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1am, low 59. Showers and thunderstorms Saturday morning then partly sunny, high 83, chance of storms Saturday night low 62. Sunny and warmer Sunday, high 86, storms again possible in the afternoon, then clearing Sunday night low 63. Sunny and warm again Monday high 83, low around 61. 

Sports: Athletics beat the Twins 4-2 last night as the A's hold the Twins to only 4 hits in the game. Twins wrap up series with Athletics tonight in California at 8:05pm, then Twins return home to host the White Sox on Friday night. The Big Ten has passed a rule that stops players returning from the NFL from playing for one of its schools. Any player who has declared for the NFL draft and did not withdraw, appeared on an NFL roster or signed a contract with a pro league cannot be on a Big Ten roster, the league announced Tuesday in a statement. Gopher football opener is September 3rd against Eastern Illinois. Vikings wrap up preseason at 8pm Friday at Denver. Class B State Tournament baseball resumes Saturday at 4pm Buckman vs. St. Martin in Shakopee, then Nisswa vs. Raymond at 6:30pm in Shakopee, Sunday 1:30pm Sobieski vs. Kimball from New Prague all live on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. 

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