One dead, one arrested in vehicle-pedestrian crash in Sauk Rapids

Detroit Lakes , MN (KDLM) – One person is dead, and a man is in jail after a crash Friday night in Sauk Rapids.

Police were called to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash just before 11:00 p.m. near Benton Drive North and 8th Street North. 

Life-saving measures were administered at the scene and CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital, where the victim was later pronounced dead.

According to the criminal complaint, filed in Benton County on Monday, 25-year-old Tyler Nies told officers he was driving his pickup truck north on Benton Drive in the righthand lane and saw a man walking in the grass next to the curb and then step into the street as if he were going to cross the road. 

Nies said he tried to slam on his brakes but could not stop. He also told officers he had been drinking beforehand.

A witness at the scene told investigators they were in the left lane behind Nies when his vehicle suddenly veered into their lane and came to a stop. The witness said they didn’t see the pedestrian until after the crash. 

The witness also estimated that both vehicles were traveling approximately five miles above the posted speed limit of 35 miles an hour.

Officers administered field sobriety tests at the scene and a preliminary breath test. The criminal complaint stated Nies’s blood alcohol concentration was .129.

Nies has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide and driving while impaired.

Story by Jennifer Lewerenz / KNSI

Portion of Lake Avenue closed for sewer repairs

A portion of Lake Avenue, from Forest Street to West Lake Drive in Detroit Lakes, will be closed beginning Monday, July 31 through Saturday, Aug. 5.

According to a news release from the city public works department, that section of Lake Avenue will be undergoing sewer line repair. The rear parking area for Lakeside Tavern will be inaccessible during the construction period.

Drivers are encouraged to use other routes and parking areas to access homes and businesses during the utility repairs.

WE Fest shuttle is back; DL Chamber hopes to deliver and return concertgoers safely

WE Fest VIP early arrival campers began setting up their campsites on over the weekend, but the campgrounds will officially open to all early-entry ticket holders on Tuesday morning.

The VIP campground will open to early guests beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, followed by the Northwoods and Lake Sallie Campgrounds at 10 a.m. and all campground early-entry check-ins starting at noon.

Vehicles were able to line up along the shoulder on Highway 59 and County Road 22 at noon on Monday.

For those who didn’t want to worry about parking for the annual country music festival, the WE Fest shuttle from the Becker County Fairgrounds to the west gate of the concert, organized by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce, offers a link to downtown Detroit Lakes.

Carrie Johnston, president of the Detroit Lakes Chamber, said the chamber has been coordinating the shuttle since 1984 and, if festival-goers are planning on going out to the grounds more than once, the value is there to buy a wristband.

“We knew that the community could really use a shuttle to get everyone safely out to WE Fest,” said Johnston. “So, we’re proud to do it again. You can catch the WE Fest shuttle, it’s open for anyone to ride, you park for free or you get dropped off at the Becker County Fairgrounds … and we’ll get you out to WE Fest as many times as you want.”

The shuttle buses will run from noon to 2 a.m. beginning on Thursday, Aug 3 through Saturday, Aug. 5.

Johnston said their plan is to have the bus wait times be no more than 10-20 minutes and, by the end of the night, they will have nearly 20 buses in operation.

“By the end of the night, we have 18 buses that are running,” she said. “So there’s a big flow. On Highway 59, you’ll just see a school bus going every few minutes, but we make sure everyone gets back safe.”

No overnight parking will be allowed at the Becker County Fairgrounds.

3 arrested in connection with exposure of controlled substance to 2-year-old in Garrison

Three people were arrested for drug and child endangerment crimes at a residence north of Garrison, Minn. in Aitkin County after a 2-year-old required life-saving measures due to exposure of controlled substances.

According to Forum News Service, on Friday, July 21, the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a major health incident involving the child and that family members removed the child from the residence and called 911 from a vehicle in the Garrison area. Crosby ambulance responded to the vehicle location and administered CPR to the 2-year-old. At least one dose of Naloxone, a drug for opioid overdoses, was used on the child during the incident.

The child was then transported by air ambulance to a Twin Cities hospital for further care and was reported to be in stable condition.

A search warrant was later executed by law enforcement at an Aitkin County residence in connection to the incident. 

Upon entry to the residence, officers discovered a different 2-year-old child in a crib that was located near a plate of crushed fentanyl while a ceiling fan was running overhead, according to the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office.

Five juveniles were taken into protective custody from the residence and protective hold was also placed on the 2-year-old in the hospital.

Officers arrested a 31-year-old man for multiple outstanding warrants for drug-related offenses, giving a false name to a police officer, third-degree possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment. 

A 27-year-old woman was arrested for child endangerment and third-degree possession of a controlled substance. 

A 47-year-old woman was arrested on multiple outstanding drug warrants, harboring a fugitive, aiding an offender, and violating court ordered conditions of release.

The Sheriff’s Office also reported 304 fentanyl pills were seized from the residence, including several grams of crushed fentanyl powder.

The initial overdose investigation is pending and is expected to lead to further charges.

Man arrested after brief stand-off involving Amber Alert on Saturday

The Becker Police Department is releasing more information about an abduction that led to an Amber Alert being issued late Saturday night.

According to a news release, officers were called to a report of a domestic assault on July 29 at about 7:00 p.m. 

A woman at the residence said 41-year-old Scott Henrickson fled the scene in her car with two-year-old Liam Henrickson inside. 

A court order was in place barring Henrickson from having contact with the child. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was contacted, and they issued an Amber Alert to help find Liam.

Around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department received a call from a homeowner in Baxter saying there were lights on in a shed, and they saw movement inside. 

Law enforcement said Henrickson had ties to the home, and police set up a perimeter. Henrickson was arrested after roughly three and a half hours of negotiations, and Liam was found safe.

Henrickson was booked into the Crow Wing County Jail and is awaiting multiple felony charges relating to the incident. 

There are also charges pending against him in Sherburne County for the incident in Becker, including domestic assault, violating an order for protection, threats of violence and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Story by Jennifer Lewerenz / KNSI

Craig Morgan re-enlists in U.S. Army Reserves at Tennessee concert

Craig Morgan reenlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves during a live show at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. On Saturday.

The 59-year-old Morgan was the Saturday night headliner at the Bash at the Beach in Detroit Lakes on July 22 as part of the 87th annual Northwest Water Carnival.

Morgan previously served 17 years between the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves and will now serve as a celebrity recruiter for the military at a time of declining recruitment numbers.

According to the Military Times, U.S. Army recruitment is expected to fall 10,000 soldiers short of their 2023 recruitment goal.

Morgan will be assigned to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, but will also continuing touring, including several shows for the military in coming months.

Morgan previously served with the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and he performed the end of Saturday’s show in full Army uniform, including his song “Soldier.”

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