Rural Detroit Lakes man charged with felony drug possession after traffic stop turns up fentanyl

Detroit Lakes, Minn. (KDLM) – A rural Detroit Lakes man has been charged with multiple counts of felony drug possession and gross misdemeanor DWI following the discovery of dozens of fentanyl pills during a traffic stop.

According to court records, on May 10, a Becker County deputy stopped a vehicle that was travelling without a rear license plate light on County Road 25 and noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

The driver, identified as 44-year-old Levi Justin Lies of rural Detroit Lakes, performed poorly on field sobriety tests and a urine sample was obtained for testing purposes.

Lies was arrested under suspicion of DWI and his vehicle was subsequently searched.

The search revealed nearly 50, M-30 fentanyl pills in Lies’ back seat.

The following day, a search warrant was obtained for Lies’ residence which revealed an additional 150 M-30 fentanyl pills on a table in what was believed to be Lies’ bedroom.

He was released without bail on Oct. 5 under a series of court conditions.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 20.

Fargo woman arrested after stealing SUV in Dilworth

A Fargo woman was arrested after stealing an SUV in Dilworth and fleeing authorities Saturday night.

On Oct. 14 at 9:30 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a stolen SUV outside of a Dilworth convenience store.

The vehicle was located a short time later and Clay County Sheriff’s deputies attempted pull it over using lights and sirens.

The driver refused to stop and deputies engaged in a pursuit. Two precision immobilization techniques were attempted on the SUV before a third attempt at 40th Street and 40th Avenue South in Moorhead caused the driver to enter the ditch near the intersection.

The SUV came to a stop after backing into a tree.

The driver, 24-year-old Tonisha Salazar, was taken into custody without incident. She is being held at the Clay County Jail on suspicion of felony fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, felony receiving stolen property, and misdemeanor driving after revocation.

Salazar was previously arrested in Fargo in June of 2020 for stabbing a woman outside the Empire Tavern downtown and in December 2020 for fleeing police in a stolen vehicle.

Story by Tasha Carvell / KFGO

Audubon man injures himself with chainsaw

An Audubon man was rushed to Sanford Hospital in Fargo after cutting his leg with a chainsaw on Saturday morning.

On Oct. 14 at 10:03 a.m., emergency dispatchers received a report of a 24-year-old Audubon man who was injured while using a chainsaw at a residence on Blackhawk Road.

Upon arrival, medical personnel noticed the man had cut his leg, near the knee, and a torniquet had been applied to control the bleeding.

He was transported via LifeLink helicopter for treatment. His condition is currently unknown.

7-year-old girl struck by vehicle in Bena Saturday evening

A seven-year-old girl was struck by a pickup truck on a Cass County highway Saturday evening.

The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened on Hwy. 2 at County Rd. 8 in Bena, Minnesota at 6:42 p.m.

A Chevy Silverado, driven by 68-year-old Daniel Mark Thompson, of Bemidji, was heading eastbound on the highway passing the Big Winnie General Store when the girl ran into traffic and was struck.

The girl was taken to Essentia Health-Deer River Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver did not report any injuries at the scene.

The incident remains under investigation.

MN DNR predicts good hunting in most zones this season

The MN DNR has released its deer hunting report ahead of the Nov. 4 firearm season.

The agency states their wildlife managers have reported there will be good opportunities to harvest deer in most hunting zones across the state this year.

In Central Minnesota, the agency reports the deer populations remain robust and highly productive with many of the animals faring well over the winter.

The deer have been feeding on a bumper acorn crop and, if dry conditions persist, hunters should have easier access to wetland habitats.

In certain Central Minnesota zones, hunters will be able to harvest up to three deer and as many as five deer in a chronic wasting disease management zone.

In Northwestern Minnesota, the agency reports the deer population as “mostly stable” and even with a moderate to severe winter, the animals fared well.

Many hunting zones in Northwestern Minnesota will limit hunters to 2 to 3 deer depending on the zone. Some of the zones will only allow bucks to be harvested.

The reasons for the reduction in Northwestern harvest limits are based on concerns about the last two winters’ effect on local populations.

The agency also states deer hunting is the primary tool used to manage deer populations and hunters help the MN DNR every year with keeping their population goals in line across the state.

They also stressed that deer one-year or older harvested in chronic wasting disease management zones must be tested for the disease. More information about testing for chronic wasting disease can be found the agency’s website.

The MN DNR expects more than 400,000 hunters to participate during the firearms hunting season this year.

Wahpeton hit-and-run victim dies of injuries; charges expected to be upgraded for suspect

The North Dakota Highway Patrol says the victim of a hit-and-run crash in Wahpeton last week died from her injuries on Saturday. 

The victim was identified as 20-year-old Bailey Bernstein from Wahpeton.

On Oct. 12 at 7:40 p.m., state patrol says that witnesses told them a pickup with a loud exhaust was traveling eastbound on the 400 block of 11th Avenue, north of the Wahpeton Airport, when it struck Bernstein, who was walking with a friend along the shoulder of the roadway. The pickup truck then fled the scene.

The other pedestrian was able to give a general description of the pickup and direction of travel. 

Bernstein was taken to the Breckenridge hospital and then transported by a Sanford air medical unit to Fargo where she was later pronounced.

Police then canvassed the area and located several videos of the suspected vehicle. Information was put out to the public and a tip led police to the vehicle that was parked in the driveway of a home in Wahpeton. 

The pickup had obvious damage and the driver was arrested at a nearby home.

The driver of the pickup was identified as 52-year-old Chad Olson of Wahpeton, who is facing felony charges of criminal vehicular injury and leaving the scene of the injury crash. 

Authorities say those charges will now be upgraded.

Story by Tasha Carvell / KFGO

Semi-truck crashes east of Moorhead Monday morning, driver injured

A semi-truck carrying lumber crashed east of Moorhead Monday morning, closing the left lanes of both east- and westbound Interstate 94 for over two hours.

The crash happened just after 6:30 a.m. at mile marker 7, three miles east of Moorhead. The Minnesota State Patrol says the eastbound semi-truck ran off the road into the median and rolled. The driver was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities say all lanes on westbound I-94 opened just before 9:00 a.m. while the left eastbound lane remained closed.

Story by Tasha Carvell / KFGO

Woman injured in accidental St. Cloud shooting Sunday morning

The St. Cloud Police Department is investigating a shooting that sent one woman to the hospital.

Investigators say they responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of East St. Germain Street in St. Cloud, just before 2:00 a.m. Sunday. 

First responders found a 49-year-old woman who had been shot in the hip. She was transported to CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital for treatment. 

Police say the gun was recovered from the scene, and the shooting appears to be accidental.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Story by Grant Dossetto / KNSI

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