>>Man Found Dead in Wells ID’d
(Wells, MN) — The person found dead in Wells Friday has been identified as an Albert Lea man. Faribault County deputies say 54-year-old Miguel Chavez-Lopez was found on a rural property. Chavez-Lopez’s death is being ruled a homicide. The investigation is active and open.
>>10-Year-Old Girl Hurt in Hit-and-Run, No Suspects
(Minneapolis, MN) — Minneapolis Police are searching for a hit-and-run suspect that injured a 10-year-old girl on Wednesday. Officers responded to the report in Minneapolis around 6 p.m. Investigators learned the girl was running across the road when a grey SUV hit her, causing non-life-threatening injuries. No one has been arrested.
>>Recent Rains Slightly Improve Drought Conditions in Minnesota
(Lincoln, NE) — Drought conditions are improving slightly in Minnesota. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map indicates that just over 83 percent of the state is in moderate drought – down from 90% last week. The areas with severe drought conditions dropped from 51 to 46%. Parts of northwest, south-central, and southeast Minnesota have been getting rainfall since Halloween. A swath of the state from the northeast across northern Minnesota and along the western border is experiencing severe drought conditions.
>>Grandma’s Marathon Sells Out 2 Months Before Previous Record
(Duluth, MN) — Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth next June is already sold out. The marathon reached full capacity Wednesday, nearly two months ahead of the previous record of December 31st in 2016. The half-marathon and 5K races sold out days after registration opened on October 1st. Officials say 9,500 runners are signed up for Grandma’s Marathon, 87 hundred are registered for the half-marathon, and 27 hundred for the 5K.
>>Man Receives Vacated Murder Conviction After 16 Years
(Minneapolis, MN) — A man convicted of killing an 18-year-old in 2008 is now free. Edgar Barrientos-Quintana was convicted of killing Jesse Mickelson in May 2009. After years of appeals and partnering with the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP), a Hennepin County judge vacated the conviction Wednesday due to a flawed trial by the state and Edgar’s defense team.
>>Fergus Falls CEO Sentenced to 5 Years Probation, $94K in Restitution for Embezzling Her Companies
(Fergus Falls, MN) — A Fergus Falls CEO has been sentenced to five years probation and must pay nearly $94,000 in restitution after embezzling funds. 70-year-old Katherine Junge was the CEO of the Lakes Region Association of Realtors and the Lakes Region Multiple Listing Services (MLS) for the past 25 years. Her retirement caused association members to uncover payments to her personal credit cards from company bank accounts. The purchases began in 2016 and continued throughout 2022 for a total combined loss of around $144,000 to each association’s bank account. Junge was charged with four counts of theft in May 2023 and pleaded guilty to one in September 2024.
