Frazee woman injured after falling from horse Monday evening

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – A 23-year-old Frazee woman needed to be airlifted to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo on Monday evening after she fell from a horse that she was riding.

On Nov. 28 at 5:44 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a medical emergency after a woman fell from her horse near a residence on Peace River Ranch Road, north of Frazee, in Erie Township.

The woman reported she was unable to move and was also suffering from lower back pain. She also said she could move her toes, but that it hurt to do so.

A Sanford Air medical helicopter unit was dispatched to the scene after Life Link III reported they were unavailable to respond to the emergency.

Members of the Becker County Sheriff’s Office, Detroit Lakes Fire Department and Frazee Rescue all responded and assisted medical efforts at the scene

Estate battle ensues involving the children of the former owners of Sue the T-rex

For years, the massive mostly-intact dinosaur skeleton that came to be known as Sue the T-rex was at the center of a legal battle. The latest dispute involves who inherits what’s left of the money created by the sale of Sue.

Fossil hunters discovered the skeleton in 1990 on property owned by Maurice and Darlene Williams that sits on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. Because of the location on the reservation, the discovery led to years of court battles over ownership rights.

Eventually, the couple was able to claim the rights, and they made $7.6 million from the auction of Sue — now on display at Chicago’s Field Museum. The museum’s website says that at more than 40 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hip, Sue is the largest Tyrannosaurus rex specimen discovered and the most complete.

Maurice Williams died in 2011. Darlene Williams later moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she died in December 2020. The couple had four children and three of the siblings are involved in a court dispute over the estate.

At the center of the dispute: Darlene Williams had two wills, according to records filed in Lincoln County, South Dakota. The first one, signed in 2017, included all of her children and grandchildren, and listed daughter Sandra Williams Luther as the person in charge of settling the estate and making sure the will was carried out.

But a second will dated Nov. 25, 2020 — less than three weeks before Darlene Williams died — designated Luther as the sole heir and executor. The document also cited Darlene Williams as saying that she had lived with her children at odds for too long, and she hoped that in her death they would find peace and become a family again.

Another daughter, Jacqueline Schwartz, questioned whether the second will was legal. She said her mother was critically ill and in hospice care when she signed the document without witnesses in the room due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Schwartz also contested the sale of her mother’s home in Spearfish, South Dakota, two weeks before her death. Court records show that $225,000 in proceeds went to Darlene Williams’ son, Carson Williams.

No trial date has been set to resolve the matter.

Story by AP

Moorhead man arrested on I-94 after pursuit and crash Wednesday

Law enforcement responded to a crash along the eastbound lane of Interstate 94 about 10 miles east of Valley City just before noon Wednesday.  

A 36-year-old Moorhead man was later arrested.  

A state trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver accelerated reaching speeds of 110 to 130 miles-per-hour before intentionally crashing into a median fence barrier and concrete bridge structure. 

The man was arrested and taken to the Barnes County jail. He reported no injuries at the scene. 

Story by Ryan Janke / KFGO

Former Ulen-Hitterdal superintendent faces multiple felonies for possession of child abuse material

The superintendent and principal at Midkota Public School in Binford, North Dakota, has been arrested and charged with possessing child sexual abuse material.

40-year-old Ryan Baron was arrested in Hannaford by deputies from the Griggs and Foster County Sheriff’s Offices, and agents with the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security. 

Investigators were working off of a cyber tip from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. 

Baron is facing five felony charges. Charging documents say he had five sexually explicit videos of girls believed to be between the ages of 7-13 in his possession.

In 2021 Baron was arrested for trespassing at Tri-County School in Karlstad, Minnesota where he had previously been the principal and superintendent. He pleaded guilty and was fined $140. At the time, he was superintendent of the Ulen-Hitterdal School District. 

He was named superintendent at Midkota in the summer of 2022.

Baron was arrested on Tuesday and brought to the Barnes County Jail. A bond of $5,000 and order to stay at least 300 feet away from Midkota School were set by North Dakota Southeast District Court Judge James Hovey. 

Baron’s initial appearance in court is scheduled for December 26.

Story by Tasha Carvell / KFGO

6 arrested after search warrant executed in St. Cloud Tuesday afternoon

Six people were arrested for outstanding warrants after three units from the St. Cloud Police Department raided a home on the northeast side of the city on Tuesday.

A press release says members of the Community Response Team, SWAT, and Violent Offender Task Force were investigating potential drug sales at a home in the 400 block of 6th Street. Fifteen people were detained, with six people eventually placed under arrest due to existing warrants.

• Alrondin Armel McMorris, 28, is accused of possession of drugs and recklessly firing a gun in Benton and Stearns Counties.
• Amy Lynn Heller, 30, is wanted after failing to appear in Stearns County court related to a drug charge.
• Christina Nicole Roketa, 40, was sought for a gross misdemeanor for possession of drugs in Stearns County.
• Hassan Ayan Mohamed, 28, has been charged with felony theft in Hennepin County.
• Victor Joseph Mertz, 22, has an outstanding charge for felony theft in Scott County.
• Wendell Lorin Springfield, 33, failed to appear in Stearns County court related to violating a domestic abuse no-contact order and vehicle theft.

Officials say that everyone arrested was taken to the Benton County Jail. The knock-and-announce warrant was served just after 1:30 p.m.

Story by Grant Dossetto / KNSI

Nevis woman injured in single-vehicle crash in Hubbard County Wednesday morning

A woman was injured in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 71 in Hubbard County on Wednesday morning.

On Nov. 29 at 9:18 a.m., a 2006 Toyota Tundra, driven by 84-year-old Tomas Jon Idso of Nevis, Minn., was northbound on Highway 71, just north of 398th Street in Guthrie Township, when it attempted to pass another vehicle.

During the passing attempt, the vehicle left the roadway, slid into the west ditch and struck a tree.

Airbags deployed in the Toyota during the incident.

A passenger in the vehicle, 88-year-old Darlene Theresa Dau-Idso of Nevis, suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the crash and was transported to Sanford Medical Center in Bemidji for treatment.

Tomas Idso reported no injuries at the scene.

Both vehicle occupants were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash and the Minnesota State Patrol reported the road conditions were icy at the time of the incident.

Law enforcement also believes alcohol did not factor into the crash.

Body identified in Brooten after being discovered in an alley on Thanksgiving

The Belgrade/Brooten Police Department have released the name of the man whose body was found in an alley on Thanksgiving.

The body of 58-year-old Brian William Brockopp of Brooten was found last Thursday afternoon just east of Western Avenue South in Brooten.

The body was taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, and police say there are no ongoing public safety concerns.

The preliminary autopsy results did not disclose anything suspicious.

Otter Tail Power Company names Andrew Miller Vice President of Finance

Otter Tail Power Company President Tim Rogelstad announced Andrew Miller as Vice President, Finance, for the utility company effective January 1, 2024. 

In this role Miller will be accountable for all accounting and finance functions of the company as well as sourcing and continuous improvement. 

Miller will succeed Todd Wahlund who is transitioning to Otter Tail Corporation, continuing his more than two decades of service to the organization.

In his announcement, Rogelstad said: “Andrew has an impressive work history with our organization. His experience has prepared him well for this role and I’m looking forward to Andrew joining our executive leadership team.”

Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance and Management Information Systems and his Master of Business Administration in Corporate Finance at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. 

He began his career with Otter Tail Corporation in 2015 as Manager of Financial Planning. 

He was named Vice President of Financial Planning and Treasurer in 2018. Before joining Otter Tail, Miller was the Chief Financial Officer for Vector Windows in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.

Outside of work Miller enjoys attending his children’s sporting events, golfing, CrossFit, and outdoor adventures. 

He’s also a board member and volunteer at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls. 

Miller is a native of Pelican Rapids and he, and his wife Stacie, live in Fergus Falls with their six children. 

Story by Dave Bishop / KBRF

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