>>MN BCA Searches for Missing St. Cloud Teen Reported as Runaway
(St. Cloud, MN) — The Minnesota BCA is asking for the public’s help finding a missing St. Cloud teen. 14-year-old Paige Voigt was reported as a runaway on August 8th. Her family believes she may be staying in the Metro area. Voigt is described as white, 5 feet tall, 100 pounds, with red hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a black shirt and pants. Voigt has a nose ring and a blue Huffy bike. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
>>Man Pleads Guilty to Breaking Into Vergas Bar
(Fergus Falls, MN) — A west-central Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to burglary of a bar in Vergas. 25-year-old Donald Merrill Jr. of Vegas admitted to breaking into Billy’s Corner Bar and Grill in late March and stealing a handgun. According to court records, surveillance video shows a man smashing the front window and taking the gun from a case where it was being displayed as a raffle prize. Otter Tail County deputies arrested Merrill after using a warrant to search his home. Merrill told deputies he saw the gun while eating at the bar and decided he wanted it.
>>Edina Man Killed, Passenger Hurt in Cook County Crash near Tofte
(Tofte, MN) — A man from Edina is dead, and a female passenger is hospitalized after a crash Tuesday night near the North Shore in the Tofte (TOFF’-tee) area. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office says first responders found two injured people in a vehicle, and Douglas Junker died at the scene. Deputies say Joanne Bergstadt of Edina was taken to a Duluth hospital for treatment. Authorities are still trying to determine what led to the crash.
>>St. Paul Woman Sentenced to 360 Days in Jail for Stealing French Bulldog
(Maplewood, MN) — A St. Paul woman has been sentenced to 360 days in jail after pleading guilty to stealing a French bulldog last year in Maplewood. 35-year-old Chanessa Gipson took the 3-year-old dog, Palo, from his home’s porch on May 9th, 2023. Two days later, her co-conspirator, Christopher Brigham, contacted the dog’s owners on Facebook, saying he would return Pablo for $500. When the owner asked to meet, Brigham stopped responding. The dog’s owners later got a call explaining that Brigham had stolen Pablo, and he and Gipson do this regularly to sell them back to owners for a “finder’s fee” or sell them for profit. Brigham entered an Alford plea in July and was sentenced to 21 months in prison in December.
>>RPD Search for Crash Driver that Led to Another Crash Involving a State Trooper
(Rochester, MN) — Rochester Police are looking for a suspect in a crash Tuesday that caused a second crash involving a state trooper. Officers responded to a two-vehicle accident in Rochester where one of the drivers fled from the scene on foot. No injuries were reported from this crash. The second crash happened on the same street as a Minnesota State Trooper responded to the first crash. Both the trooper and the other driver suffered minor injuries.
>>Chaska Student Arrested For Making Active Shooter Threat
(Chaska, MN) — A Chaska student has been arrested for making an active shooter threat on social media. Officials with Buffalo Hanover Montrose Schools sent a message to parents this morning, alerting them to the threat at Buffalo High School and schools outside of the district. They say there’s no evidence that the student had the means to carry out such an attack.
>>Duluth Mayor Suggests Ending Crisis Intervention Program As City Looks To Cut Spending
(Duluth, MN) — Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert is thinking of ending the city’s crisis response program as local leaders look to get a handle on government spending. The Mobile Crisis Response Team is staffed by professionals with the Human Development Center who respond to de-escalate situations and assist people in need of mental health support. The city currently pays out 600-thousand dollars per year to support the program. City Administrator David Montgomery says county leaders may have more funding available to keep such a program running.
>>Minnesota Looking For State’s Coolest Product
(Undated) — Minnesota officials are searching for the state’s hippest products. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is asking residents to weigh in on their survey of the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota. Voters can cast their ballots for 16 products, including Scotch’s 3M tape and Hormel Food’s Spam Classic. Voting ends on Sunday.
