22-Jan-2026

Two Vehicle Crash

A driver was hurt in a two-vehicle crash in Benton County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened on Wednesday, just before 3:30 p.m. on Highway 23 near Foley.  A vehicle driven by a 16-year-old boy was turning south onto 105th Avenue from southbound Highway 23 when a pickup was going northbound on the highway.   They collided in the intersection. The 16-year-old boy was taken to CentraCare hospital with unknown injuries.   His name and where he is from have not been released. The driver of the pickup, 31-year-old Tyler Peterson of Solon Springs, Wisconsin, was not hurt. The Patrol says the road was snow and ice-covered at the time of the crash.

 

 

 

 

 

21-Jan-2026

Assault Charges

A 44-year-old Bemidji woman is facing felony assault charges after allegedly attacking another woman with broken glass Monday night. Jessica  McLean was charged with third-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm and misdemeanor obstruction of legal process, according to court documents filed in Beltrami County District Court. Bemidji police responded to the 800 block of America Ave. NW around 9:30 p.m. Monday after receiving reports that McLean had broken a mirror and attempted to cut people with the broken glass. Officers found a woman with a large laceration over her left eye that was bleeding profusely. The victim told police McLean hit her with something, but she wasn’t sure what because the room was dark. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police located McLean shortly after and found a broken mirror near her belongings. McLean told officers another woman came at her, so she threw the woman to the ground in self-defense. Officers noted McLean was not speaking in complete or coherent sentences. Court records show McLean has an extensive criminal history with 11 prior convictions dating back to 2013. Her previous convictions include felony domestic assault, felony threats of violence, felony property damage, multiple assault charges, DWI, trespassing and obstructing legal process. The third-degree assault charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. The obstruction charge carries up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine or both. The case remains under investigation by the Bemidji Police Department.

21-Jan-2026

Fatal Shooting In Alexandria

Alexandria Police Department and North Memorial Ambulance responded to a report of a gunshot victim early Tuesday morning. Officials were called to the 1700 block of 6th Avenue East at approximately 1:16 a.m. An adult male was found unresponsive inside a residence with a gunshot wound to the chest. Life-saving measures were performed, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is assisting the Alexandria Police Department with the ongoing investigation. Authorities do not believe there is any risk to the public. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending family notification and review by the medical examiner’s office.

21-Jan-2026

Truck Through Ice

Two men are safe after the truck they were driving partially fell into a lake. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says they received a report about a pickup truck breaking through the ice on Lake Koronis at about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. Once at the scene, deputies discovered that 33-year-old Kyle Vierzba of Montrose and 52-year-old Shawn Vierzba of Little Canada were driving their pickup on the lake when they felt it start to break through the ice. Both men were able to get out of the truck safely and make it to shore, where they called 911. Neither man was hurt in the incident, and the truck has been removed from the lake. The Sheriff's Office is reminding the public to be careful of changing ice conditions on all the lakes throughout Stearns County.