13-Jan-2026

Fire Victim Identified

Authorities have identified the victim of a fatal house fire near Ulen on Jan. 9 as 57 year old Daryn Waller. Emergency personnel were dispatched to a structure fire at 21148 160th Avenue North around 10:14 a.m. on Jan. 9. Dispatch information indicated Waller was unable to exit the home. A Clay County deputy arrived on scene and attempted to locate Walker but was forced to exit due to increasing smoke conditions. The Ulen Fire Department later located Waller in a bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the fire. The incident remains under investigation.

13-Jan-2026

New Judge Appointed In 7th Districxt

An assistant public defender in the Seventh Judicial District will become a judge in Long Prairie. Governor Tim Walz has appointed Heidi Hovis as a District Court judge in Todd County. She will replace Judge Daniel Benson, who is retiring. Hovis has also worked as an adjunct professor at North Hennepin Community College and previously worked as a staff attorney with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and as a senior associate general counsel at the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. Minnesota's Seventh Judicial District covers Becker County, Benton County, Clay County, Douglas County, Mille Lacs County, Morrison County, Otter Tail County, Stearns County, Todd County, and Wadena County.

 

 

 

 

 

13-Jan-2026

Three Year Old Boy Dies From Dog Attack

A 3-year-old boys from the New York Mills area has died following a dog attack there on Sunday afternoon. The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office says the boy climbed into an outside enclosed area where an American Bulldog was being kept just west of New York Mills. The 3-year-old was attacked by the dog, and his grandmother suffered significant injuries while trying to stop the attack. The boy died from injuries sustained in the attack, and the grandmother was transported to a Fargo hospital for her injuries. The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office says the dog has been destroyed and that there are no ongoing safety concerns.

12-Jan-2026

Four Vehicle Crash

Several people were hurt in a four-vehicle crash in Sartell on Sunday. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened at about 12:40 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 15 and County Road 1.  Three vehicles were all going north when they collided.  Then, one vehicle crossed the median and collided with a vehicle that was going south. Fifty-year-old Patrick Conrad of Otsego was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  Thirty-seven-year-old Faith Bigelow of Sauk Rapids and her passenger, 13-year-old Lilyana Corcoran of Sauk Rapids, were also taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.  Forty-three-year-old Joseph Schafer of Sauk Rapids was also taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

12-Jan-2026

Gas Prices

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 0.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.73 per gallon. Average prices in Minnesota have risen 3.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.66. The national average price of diesel has decreased 2.3 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $3.47. Gas Buddy says that while the situation in Venezuela has dominated headlines, it's far too early for any measurable impact on what consumers are paying at the pump.  They say it will take years to see a meaningful increase in oil output there. For now, gas prices remain seasonally lower, but with oil prices inching higher, the national average could soon see some limited upward movement.

12-Jan-2026

House Fire Death

A man died Friday morning in a house fire in rural Clay County after a sheriff’s deputy was unable to reach him due to heavy smoke. Emergency crews were called to 21148 160th Avenue North around 10:14 a.m. Dispatchers told responders an adult male was trapped inside and couldn’t get out. A Clay County Sheriff’s deputy arrived first and entered the home to search for the man. The deputy had to leave quickly because of thick smoke. Firefighters from the Ulen Fire Department found the man’s body in a bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Multiple agencies assisted, including the Minnesota State Patrol, Hitterdal Fire, Sanford Ambulance, Sanford Airmed, Salvation Army, and the Red River Regional Dispatch Center.